[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.