FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1995 (202) 616-2771 TDD (202) 514-1888 AG RENO TO BE IN MAINE ON FRIDAY FOR COMMUNITY POLICING EVENT AND POLICE SWEARING-IN Visit Comes As Congress Seeks To Cut Police Hiring Funds WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General Janet Reno will spend Friday in Maine to learn from Portland's community policing successes, watch as new federally-funded police officers are sworn-in in Waterville, and defend the crime bill's program to put 100,000 police on the streets against Congressional attempts to defund it. The 1994 crime bill provided $8.8 billion to hire 100,000 new community police officers, and funding for more than 16,000 new officers has already been announced -- including 88 in communities across Maine. Five of those officers will be sworn in Friday. Legislation recently passed by the House of Representatives would scrap the program, and the Senate is expected to take up the bill shortly. The following is her public schedule: Friday, March 24 9:30 am Community Policing event w/ Police Chief Chitwood Parkside Community Policing Station, Portland Intersection of Sherman Street & Deering Avenue Open to press Reno to be available to press immediately after 11:30 am Lunch with Governor King, U.S. Attorney McCloskey, AG Ketterer, Public Safety Commissioner Scholfield Governor's Mansion Closed to press except for pool spray at beginning 1 pm Attend Graduation of new community police officers Maine Criminal Justice Academy, Waterville Thomas College on West River Road Open to press 2 pm Return to Washington, D.C. # # # 95-154