[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 12 (Monday, March 29, 1999)]
[Pages 488-489]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
The President's Radio Address

March 20, 1999

    Good morning. Today I want to talk with you about the next important 
steps we can take to rid our streets of gun violence and to make our 
communities even safer for our families. I'm proud to be joined today in 
the Oval Office by Attorney General Janet Reno, Treasury Under Secretary 
Jim Johnson, AFT Director John Magaw, Mayor Kurt Schmoke of Baltimore, 
Police Chief Jerry Oliver of Richmond, and Chief Robert Olson of 
Minneapolis, Congressman Anthony Weiner, as well as four of our United 
States attorneys who are leading this fight across America.
    Over the last 6 years we've worked hard to fight crime, putting in 
place a strategy of more prevention, stricter enforcement, tougher 
punishment. We funded more than 92,000 police officers for 11,000 
communities, taken more criminals and deadly assault weapons off the 
street, and with Brady background checks, stopped more than a quarter of 
a million handguns from falling into the hands of convicted felons and 
other prohibited persons.
    As a result, the crime rate has dropped by more than 20 percent, to 
the lowest level in a generation. Gun crimes have declined by more than 
25 percent. Gun murders have fallen by a third. Slowly but surely, 
neighborhoods once abandoned at the crack of gunfire and the wail of 
ambulance sirens are coming alive with the sounds of children playing 
freely in the streets.
    This is indeed encouraging news. But we must do more. In 1997, 
14,000 people were murdered by guns. While the numbers are declining, 
any child caught in the crossfire of a gang shootout, or a police 
officer struck down by a criminal's bullet, or a store clerk murdered in 
a robbery is one tragedy too many.
    That is why today I'm directing Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and 
Attorney General Reno to use every available tool to increase the 
prosecution of gun criminals and shut down illegal gun markets. I'm 
asking them to work closely with local, State, and Federal law 
enforcement officials and to report back to me with a plan to reduce gun 
violence by applying proven local strategies to fight gun crime 
nationwide.
    Look at what Federal prosecutors and the ATF are doing in Richmond, 
Virginia, in an effort they call Project Exile. Under the leadership of 
U.S. Attorney Helen Fahey, Project Exile has used the threat of tough 
Federal statutes--statutes that require stiff sentences and deny bail to 
offenders--to reduce gun crime and take serious gun criminals off the 
street. And gun murders are down in Richmond by a remarkable 41 percent.
    My balanced budget will help to hire more Federal prosecutors and 
ATF agents so we can crack down on even more gun criminals and illegal 
gun trafficking all across America.
    After 6 years of hard work, America is winning the war against 
crime. But we're a long way from declaring victory. We must keep even 
more guns from falling into the wrong hands by requiring background 
checks at gun shows and banning violent juvenile offenders from owning 
guns for life. And I ask you to support our 21st century policing 
initiative to give law enforcement the manpower, the high-tech tools, 
and the prevention strategies they need to keep us safe.
    Unfortunately, the Republicans in Congress have proposed a budget 
that would dramatically cut back our investment in community policing, 
just when we're trying to increase it. That would be a big mistake. We 
must move forward in our fight for safer streets and safer families.

[[Page 489]]

    Over the years, the proliferation of guns in our streets, of 
criminals packing pistols instead of switchblades, have made crime 
deadlier than ever. Guns have magnified the malevolence of crime. That 
is why disarming criminals has been and must continue to be a top crime-
fighting priority. Let none of us rest until every American is safe from 
gun violence.
    Thanks for listening.

Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. from the Oval Office at the 
White House.