[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 37 (Monday, September 18, 2000)]
[Pages 2061-2062]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Need for Congressional Action on the COPS Program

September 13, 2000

    Six years ago today I signed the historic 1994 crime bill into law 
with a vision of bringing communities and local law enforcement together 
to take back our streets and win the war against crime. Since enactment 
of this vital law, crime has dropped every year to its lowest level in 
over 25 years, and America is the safest it has been in a generation. 
One of the most important factors in our success is the Community 
Oriented Policing Service (COPS) program, which has funded over 105,000 
police officers for our streets. Today Attorney General Janet Reno will 
release a report to Congress on the positive impact the COPS program has 
had on communities of all sizes and regions across America. By building 
partnerships and trust with residents, COPS officers are not only 
helping reduce crime but the fear of crime, as well, restoring hope and 
promise for the future in neighborhoods across America.
    The Attorney General will also announce over $55 million in 
community policing grants to more than 700 communities to hire or 
redeploy of over 1,600 police officers, to develop 311 non-emergency 
hotline programs, and to install cameras in over 2,900 law enforcement 
vehicles to improve officer safety and promote officer integrity. 
Although the COPS program continues to make progress by giving 
communities the tools they need to fight crime, we must do more. I urge 
Congress to make the 21st century the safest yet by reauthorizing the 
COPS program for another 5 years and fully funding my $1.3 billion 
budget request to help put up to an additional 50,000 officers on the 
street and provide law enforcement and communities with more resources 
than ever to keep American families safe. Together, we can make America 
the safest big country in the world.

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