ISSUES - CRIME AND JUSTICE
Upon learning that New Mexico's state laws did not meet the federal requirements in order to qualify for the Justice Department's Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders, Senator Domenici joined with the entire New Mexico federal delegation to work with the state legislature to fix this problem. The New Mexico state legislature acted on the advice of the delegation, changing the laws so that they comply with federal mandates. This, among other actions, illustrates the Senator's commitment to fighting crime and providing justice.
High profile kidnapping cases recently focused federal attention on the need for a nation-wide AMBER Alert System. When a child is kidnapped, this system allows law enforcement to immediately inform broadcast media of the critical details which could help the public in the search for the child and abductor. The broadcast media then use the Emergency Alert System to interrupt programming with these details. By cosponsoring S. 121, the AMBER Alert Act, Senator Domenici reaffirmed his unyielding commitment to the protection of America's children. When this legislation was included in the PROTECT Act, Senator Domenici joined 97 other Senators to send this bill to the President, who promptly signed it into law. New Mexico will now be part of a national network which will improve federal coordination, supplement state resources, and eliminate gaps in the network when a kidnapping suspect travels between states.
Senator Domenici joined Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) as an original cosponsor of S. 253, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003, which, if passed, would allow qualified, current, and former law enforcement officers to carry concealed handguns in jurisdictions other than their own. Because law enforcement officers are never really off-duty anyway, this legislation would have the effect of increasing the safety of New Mexico's communities without costing more to the taxpayers.
For more information on the AMBER Alert Plan, please visit:
www.fcc.gov/cgb/amberalert.html
To read the full text of the AMBER Alert Act, please visit:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:1:./temp/~c108NIltQp::
To read the full text of the PROTECT Act, please visit:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:18:./temp/~c108KdWHrc::
To read the full text of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act, please visit:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:2:./temp/~c108n26rMX::
For more information on Senator Domenici's views and activities on crime and justice, visit our online News Center.
Return to Issues
|
