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ATTORNEY GENERAL REMARKS REGARDING REAUTHORIZATION

"In 1994, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, sweeping legislation to fight crime. The legislation is an important part of our community-based crime-control strategy - a strategy that involves working in partnership with local law enforcement and local communities to improve public safety.

"Today, crime is at its lowest level in more than a quarter of a century. But, as I have said on many occasions, Congress needs to reauthorize the key crime control programs of the 1994 Crime Bill.

"Today I want to focus on two programs from that historic legislation -- the Violence Against Women Act and the COPS program -- which have contributed to the reduction in crime over the past six years.

"The Violence Against Women Act sent a clear message across the land that this was going to be a priority, that we were going to focus on the issue of violence against women. Through new criminal provisions and grant programs, we have been able to improve the criminal and civil justice systems' response to domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.

"Six grant programs have helped ensure the safety of countless women by providing victims' services; supporting coordinated strategies among law enforcement, prosecution,

victims' services providers and the courts, and by creating centralized sexual assault and domestic violence units in police and prosecutors' offices.

"These monies have been able to be used by states to develop shelters and to give people a haven, to provide for a one-stop court center where people are not pushed from one place to another, and they have been very effective."

"The Community Oriented Policing Services program has helped to put more police where they can do the most good -- on the streets and in our communities. Through the COPS program, we have provided grants to 12,000 local law enforcement agencies to fund more than 104,000 community police officers. Nearly 60,000 of those officers are already on the beat.

"And last year, the President proposed the 21^st Century Policing Initiative which - if funded -- will continue the COPS program and put up to 50,000 community policing officers on the beat and provide funding for over 7,500 new community and gun prosecutors over the next five years.

"We are proud of these programs and believe that both have significantly contributed to a safer America. But the authorization for both of these programs is set to expire at the end of FY 2000 --- in less than four months.Congress needs to act now.

"I commend Senator Joe Biden and Congressman Anthony Weiner, and all the other hard working members of Congress who have introduced bills which will extend the life of COPS and the Violence Against Women program for another five years. But, I am worried that the legislation has not seen action in either the Senate or the House.

"On behalf of America's citizens - especially abused women and children who have been exposed to violence - I urge Congress to act and to act swiftly."

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