    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [July 18, 1999]
    [Page 1244]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Crime Rate Statistics
    July 18, 1999

        Today's Justice Department statistics confirm that our strategy of
    more police on the street and fewer guns in the hands of criminals is
    working. Violent crime has now dropped by 27 percent since 1993, and
    overall crime has fallen to an unprecedented low. We should stick to
    this commonsense strategy.
        Unfortunately, some in Congress are willing to play politics with
    our public safety and threaten all of our progress. They want to shut
    down our successful community policing efforts and riddle our gun laws
    with dangerous new loopholes. To keep driving down the crime rates,
    Congress should support more police on the street and fewer guns, not
    more guns on the street and fewer police.

    Note: This statement was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on July 16 but was embargoed for release until 4:30 p.m., July
    18.