    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 19 (Monday, May 16, 1994)]
    [Pages 1058-1060]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Teleconference on Community Policing Grants and an Exchange With
    Reporters

    May 12, 1994

        The President. Mayor Archer.
        Mayor Dennis Archer. Mr. President, how are you, sir?
        The President. Mayor Peters.
        Mayor Mike Peters. Yes, how are you?
        The President. Mayor Darrah.
        Mayor Joan Darrah. Yes, President.
        The President. And Mayor Campbell.
        Mayor Bill Campbell. Hello, Mr. President, how are you?
        The President. I'm fine. I'm here with the Attorney General, who's
    also on another phone right here with me.
        Attorney General Janet Reno. Good morning.
        The President. We want to congratulate all of you for working so
    hard to make your communities safer. I'm proud to announce today, as all
    of you know, that the four of you, along with the leaders of 142 other
    cities, counties, and towns all across this country, will get a
    downpayment on this administration's pledge to put another 100,000
    police officers on the street.
        I want to specifically note some Members of Congress who are not on
    the phone call but whose districts have winners: Congressman John Lewis,
    Congresswoman Barbara-Rose Collins, Congressman John Conyers, and
    Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly, all of whom have worked closely with us
    on this initiative.
        The Justice Department received applications from nearly 3,000
    communities in every State and territory for these community policing
    grants and awarded them now to more than 200 cities and towns. It's
    obvious that communities all across the country are coming to the
    conclusion that if they have more police officers on the street who are
    properly trained and properly deployed, we can drive the crime rate down
    and make our people safer. That is at the heart of this administration's
    crime bill and has been at the heart of our strategy from the beginning.
    When I ran for President, I pledged to do my best to break gridlock and
    pass the most sweeping, effective, and comprehensive crime bill in
    history and that that bill would include 100,000 new police officers.
        Now, the bills have passed both the House and the Senate; they're
    going to conference--especially with the courageous passage of the
    assault weapons ban by the House last week. I think you can feel
    comfortable that all those officers are on the way. This program, as I
    said, is our downpayment. And we're very encouraged about it.
        The American people have waited for this bill long enough. And I do
    want to take this opportunity in talking with you to say that it is
    imperative that we not let politics any more delay for one day the
    passage of this crime bill. We have got to get the House and the Senate
    together and go through with it. And I want to urge you, even as we
    celebrate your winning these awards for these

    [[Page 1059]]

    new police officers, to urge you to keep pressing the Congress to push
    forward.
        Freedom from violence and freedom from fear are essential to
    maintaining not only personal freedom but a sense of community in this
    country. And I think now we have the best chance at forging a bipartisan
    consensus for dynamic, aggressive, and sustained efforts to bring the
    crime rate down that we have ever had. And that is in no small measure
    due to all of you.
        So I thank you for what you've done. I congratulate you on your
    award today, but I urge you to help us pass the crime bill so that we
    can continue to put the police officers out, do something about the
    weapons, do something about prevention, do something about punishment.
        I want to ask now the Attorney General to say a few things, and then
    I'd like to hear from each of you.
        General Reno.

    [At this point, the Attorney General and Mayor Archer of Detroit made
    brief remarks supporting the community policing initiative and the
    pending crime legislation. Mayor Archer commended the President on his
    efforts to ban assault weapons and conveyed greetings from President
    Carter who was visiting Detroit.]

        The President. That's great. Well, you tell him, first of all, I
    enjoyed being with him last week. And I thank him and President Ford and
    President Reagan for the work they did on the assault weapons ban. And
    tell him that I'm going to be calling him in a day or two.

    [Mayor Peters of Hartford, CT, Mayor Darrah of Stockton, CA, and Mayor
    Campbell of Atlanta, GA, made brief remarks supporting the community
    policing grants and the pending crime legislation.]

        The President. Well, thank you, Mayor. I just want to point out, you
    know, when you and I talked last week, we emphasized that it's not just
    important to have more people, it's important to do the right things
    with them. And I know that you will do that. I know the other mayors
    will.
        I think we also need to hammer home the message that we all believe
    that we can have substantial reductions in the crime rate. We believe
    that the streets of America can be made safer again. That is the
    ultimate objective of all these initiatives, to allow the American
    people to live in safety and security and freedom with a real sense that
    we're part of a community again, that we don't have to be afraid of each
    other. And I am convinced it can be done. And we're going to do what we
    can here, knowing that grassroots leaders like you have to make the
    difference.
        General Reno, do you have anything to say?
        Attorney General Reno. No. Just Amen. [Laughter]
        The President. Have a great day. Thank you.

    Supreme Court Nominee

        Q. President Clinton, have you decided on your Supreme Court
    nominee, will you announce today, and who is it?
        The President. Well, you won't have to wait much longer. When I have
    a decision, I will announce it. But let me answer--there was a question
    earlier. There was an interesting comment in the paper today by a--I'm
    sorry, I don't remember the gentleman's name, but an expert on this
    whole process who pointed out that the most important thing is for the
    President to appoint someone that the President feels very good about
    and a high level of confidence in. I know that this has now become the
    most pressing story in the Capital. But this is really a story that will
    have implications for years, indeed, perhaps for decades to come.
        I think one of the benefits, and perhaps one of the burdens, the
    American people got when I was elected President is that I believe I
    know a lot about this issue, and I care a lot about it. I used to teach
    constitutional law. This is not a decision I can defer to aides, even
    though I have been well-assisted in this and I appreciate it. So I am
    going to attempt to do what I did last time, even against all the
    pressure of time deadlines, and that's to make a really good decision
    that I feel good about.
        I think that I did that with Judge Ginsburg. The Attorney General
    advised me on that issue, and I appreciate her advice. And she's given
    me some advice this time, and I appre-

    [[Page 1060]]

    ciate that. But you won't have to wait much longer. And when I do it, it
    will be something that I'm convinced will be good for the United States
    for a long time to come. And if it takes just a little time to work
    through these questions that I have, then it's worth doing.
        Q. Does that mean you just haven't reached a decision yet?
        The President. It means just what I said. When I have something to
    announce, I will announce it. On these matters, I tend to keep my own
    counsel more than on other things. I think it is the right thing to do.
    It is one of the few things that the President just does on his own, of
    course ultimately with the advice and the consent of the Senate. I'm
    going to do my best to do a good job with it.
        Thank you.

    Note: The President spoke at 12:14 p.m. from the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House.