    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [May 29, 1998]
    [Pages 851-852]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Announcing the COPS Distressed Neighborhoods Pilot Project
    May 29, 1998

        Thank you very much, Commissioner, and
    congratulations on your new position as the superintendent of the
    Chicago police. Mayor White, thank you, as
    always, for your astounding leadership. Madam Attorney General, thank you for faithfully and vigorously pursuing the
    partnership with law enforcement we did talk about so long ago now. Mr.
    Vice President, thank you for all you have
    done to make this a safer country. And I'd like to thank all the mayors,
    the police officers who are here, and say a special word of welcome to
    Congressman Cummings for his presence and
    for his support.

    Death of Barry M. Goldwater

        Let me say, just before I came out here I received word that a few
    moments ago Senator Barry Goldwater
    passed away at the age of 89. He was truly an American original; I never
    knew anybody quite like him. As all of you know, we were of different
    parties and often different philosophies. But in the last several years,
    he was uncommonly kind to me and to Hillary. And I had occasions to
    visit with him, and I always came away, every time I met him--from the
    first time back when I was a senior in college, until the last time just
    a couple of years ago--with the impression that he was a great patriot
    and a truly fine human being. So our prayers will be with his
    wife and his family today. And our
    gratitude for his life of service to our country is very, very strong.

    COPS Distressed Neighborhoods Pilot Project

        As you have heard, our country has made a lot of progress in the
    fight against crime in the last few years. We've made a lot of progress
    on a lot of areas. We just announced that we would have a budget surplus
    this year for the first time since 1969. We have the lowest unemployment
    rate since 1970, the lowest inflation rate in over 30 years, the lowest
    welfare rolls in 27 years, and of course, the lowest crime rates in a
    quarter century.
        All of these things are a great tribute to the American people in
    their communities, working at their lives. When I took office, I
    determined to make the Federal Government a genuine partner in building
    a better future for the American people everywhere. And it seemed to me
    that we could never do that unless we had a sensible strategy to make
    people feel safer in their streets. It is very difficult to feel like
    you're living in a free country as a free citizen if you don't feel safe
    walking the streets, if you don't think your children are safe when
    they're walking the streets or in the park or going to school, if you
    don't even feel safe in your own home.
        So we have worked on the strategy that has been outlined by the
    previous speakers. I'd like to emphasize especially the work that was
    done to give law enforcement officers the tools to do the job, the
    community policing program to put 100,000 more police on the street, and
    the effort to enlist ordinary citizens in the work of helping police to
    prevent crime and to solve crimes and to give them the tools to do the
    job.
        Now, this all shows that whether it's the crime, the budget deficit,
    welfare reform, homeownership, anything--any challenge this country
    faces, we can only solve it if we work together. But when we do work
    together, we invariably make progress, sometimes astonishing progress.
    The principle behind community policing in a way is the principle behind
    everything we tried to do domestically. It embodies the concept of
    working together, to get more police out of the station houses, out from
    behind the desks, onto the streets, working with people in the ways that
    Superintendent Hillard just outlined.
        We pledged to put 100,000 on the street in the campaign of '92 and
    then in 1993 in the

    [[Page 852]]

    budget. Finally, in the crime bill in '94, we succeeded in getting that
    commitment enacted into law. We knew it would be a long-term effort, and
    we said we would try to achieve it in 6 years. Now we have reached a
    milestone: In only 4 years, we have now funded 75,000 of that 100,000
    community police. We're ahead of schedule on the thing that is doing the
    most to make America a safer place, thanks to those of you in law
    enforcement.
        I might also say thanks to the Attorney General and to you, Chief. We're not only ahead of schedule;
    we're also under budget. So if you guys will keep us under budget, we
    may go over 100,000 police.
        But as the Attorney General has said, and as all of you know, there
    are still some neighborhoods in America, and too many of them, where
    crime hasn't receded far enough or fast enough. Congressman
    Cummings told me this morning that he
    lives in one of those neighborhoods, and we need to do more. We have to
    focus our resources on high-crime, high-need neighborhoods to bring the
    benefits of community policing to every community. And in the difficult
    areas, that means we have to reach a critical mass of police officers in
    community policing before it can make the necessary difference.
        So I am pleased to say today that the Department of Justice will
    fully fund over 700 new community police officers who will be on the
    beat specifically in troubled areas: 150 in Chicago fighting drug-
    related crime; 100 in Baltimore to fight drugs and violent crimes; 170
    in Miami to take back the streets in neighborhoods along the Miami
    River; Hartford will put their officers to work to fight a new surge of
    violent gang activity.
        Now, as we extend the reach of community policing in our cities, we
    in Washington have a responsibility to continue to advance this strategy
    that has brought success. We have more to do to protect our children,
    more to do to fight juvenile crime, more to do to keep our kids and our
    schools free and safe from guns and from drugs. The same community
    policing techniques that are helping to make our streets safe again are
    the best way to help keep our schools safe. In March we began to make
    funds available to achieve this objective, and we should do more.
        We have to do more and more to push back the frontiers of violence.
    The recent wave of shootings in our schools reminds us again that more
    police, more prosecutors, tougher laws, more vigilant neighborhoods, and
    more positive opportunities for our kids to stay out of trouble in the
    first place. All of those things have to be done by those of us in
    authority.
        But the parents, the teachers, the community leaders, all of them
    have to do more, too, to teach our children right from wrong, to teach
    them to turn away from violence, to identify troubled children before
    they do something irrevocably destructive. We have to do more to show
    our children by the power of example and the power of outreach that we
    care about each and every one of them.
        Finally, let me say that I want to say what has been said by
    others--what the Attorney General said. You're doing a good job, and the
    rest of us are grateful. We can say, ``Well, crime has dropped 27
    percent,'' or ``It's the lowest in 25 years.'' Those are statistical
    abstractions. There are children who are playing free today because of
    what you have done. There are people who are alive today because of what
    you have done. There are businesses functioning in neighborhoods today
    that would be closed if it hadn't been for what you have done. You have
    given our people a deeper freedom. And as we stand on the brink of a new
    century, we should all be very, very grateful.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:17 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Terry Hillard, superintendent of
    police, Chicago, IL; and Mayor Michael White of Cleveland, OH. The
    related proclamation on the death of Barry M. Goldwater is listed in
    Appendix D at the end of this volume.