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STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT

WASHINGTON, D.C. Attorney General John Ashcroft today announced that the violent crime rate fell almost 15 percent last year, the largest one-year decline ever recorded by the Justice Department's National Crime Victimization Survey. The survey, which is conducted by the Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics, indicated that Americans experienced about one million fewer violent crimes last year than they did in 1999.

Attorney General John Ashcroft issued the following statement:

• "Today's announcement that the rate of violent crime in our nation has dropped so significantly is heartening. While such decreases in crime make great headlines, these are hard facts to those of our fellow citizens who have themselves been victims or whose relatives or friends have been victimized. These are more than positive statistics, they are indicators of a betterment of the quality of life for all our citizens.

• "While this is good news, there are still far too many people in our nation who are victims of crime. That is why the Administration is charting a course to ensure that all Americans can walk the streets in their neighborhoods, play in our parks and work at their jobs without fear. To ensure that our communities become even safer, we must continue to work at preventing crime and holding accountable those who violate our laws."

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