Conyers, Scott, Nadler Comment on New Justice Department Crime-Fighting Proposal

(Washington, DC) - Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), along with Subcommittee Chairmen Robert "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), responded to the Justice Department's announcement of a new cime-fighting legislative proposal.

"We will certainly carefully consider any proposal submitted by the Department, but I am concerned this may be an effort to change the subject in anticipation of the FBI releasing its newest violent crime statistics," said Conyers. "The FBI’s report is likely to reconfirm what many Americans already know. Namely, that the low crime rates enjoyed throughout the 90s are receding and crime continues to rise under the current Administration as it has significantly weakened key enforcement programs like the Cops on the Beat initiative.”

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales unveiled the proposed legislation this afternoon during a speech before Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms employees. The proposed bill focuses on violent crime, child exploitation, asset forfeiture, drug trafficking, victims rights; and counter-terrorism.

“Violent crimes are on the rise, and we certainly need to look at both new approaches and greater funding for existing programs that are working well.  However, since this administration has shown an unwillingness and inability to uphold the rule of law, we must carefully examine any request for new powers they submit,” said Rep. Nadler, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. “Congress should certainly not take any steps that unnecessarily compromise our freedoms and fail to provide any real security. I would hope that the Justice Department would pursue programs, consistent with the Constitution, that work.”

"If the Department was truly serious about fighting crime they would have supported our efforts to reauthorize the COPS program, a program designed to allow states and localities to hire additional community police officers," said Scott, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. "The Administration also should have supported cost-effective crime prevention programs such as Safe and Drug Free Schools.  Instead it was drastically reduced in the President’s budget.” 

The COPS program, hugely successful in reducing violent crime after its start in the 1990's, has been tremendously under-funded during the Bush Administration. The program seeks to put more police on the street to fight neighborhood crime. This year, Democrats passed legislation to authorize an increase in funding, to $5.75 billion, for the next five years.

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