Biden Says Local Police In Perfect Storm, Pledges to work with Mayors and Chiefs on Crime Agenda
Jocelyn Bogen
August 11, 2008
Biden Says Local Police In Perfect Storm, Pledges to work with Mayors and Chiefs on Crime Agenda
By Jocelyn Bogen
Delaware Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. addressed the Mayors’ Action Forum on Crime in Philadelphia. He pledged to work with mayors and police chiefs to write and enact federal crime legislation next year. Biden served as the forum luncheon speaker and participated in press conference with mayors and police chiefs.
“This forum comes at a critical moment,” added Biden. He commended Conference President Miami Mayor Manny A. Diaz and declared, ”I have not been able to get traction on this issue for the last eight years. There has been an 81 percent cut in federal help. In 2001 we spent $2.1 billion now it is only $400 million.”
Biden discussed his new ”Biden Crime Bill,” which among other things, would provide local law enforcement with $1.5 billion a year for five years and enough to provide 50,000 local police officers, and 1,000 new FBI agents to assist local jurisdictions with fighting crime. He stated the new bill would include language, which would give jurisdictions flexibility to use the funding for updating technology, and to hire qualified specialists to address crimes such as cyber crimes and identity theft.
“Our first and solemn duty in government is to protect our citizens and safeguard our communities. Today, law enforcement is facing a perfect storm: rising crime rates, increased homeland security and limited funding resources. We are asking them to do more with less. … I look forward to working with the Conference of Mayors to enact a comprehensive crime fighting strategy for the 21st Century that restores what we know works and takes into account new challenges like terrorism, sophisticated criminal activity and new technologies,” Biden said.
Summary of 2007 Biden Crime Bill
In October of 2007, Delaware Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. unveiled the Crime Control and Prevention Act of 2007, comprehensive anti-crime legislation. The 2007 “Biden Crime Bill” (S. 2237) builds on the three-part approach, which reduced crime in the 1990s – invest in prevention programs, dedicated federal support to community-oriented policing, and ensure that offenders serve tough-but-fair prison sentences. It also would address current problems, such as computer hacking, on-line child exploitation, intellectual property violations, and teenage prescription drug use. Specifically, the bill would:
Reauthorize the COPS Office, providing $1.15 billion per year for six years, with $600 million set aside each year for hiring, enough for 50,000 additional officers; $350 million per year for police department to acquire new technology and equipment to track and fight crime; and $200 million per year for local district attorneys to hire and train community prosecutors;
Add 1,00 FBI agents to focus on traditional crimes;
Add 500 Drug Enforcement Agency agents to fight drug tracking;
Provide $1 billion to reduce recidivism through substance abuse treatment programs, academic and vocational education programs, housing and job counseling programs, and mentoring for offenders who are approaching release from federal and state prisons;
Create a National Commission on Crime Intervention and Prevention Strategies to identify intervention and prevention programs that are most ready for replication and provide resources and guidance about them to state and local law enforcement;
Curb the rise in prescription and over-the-counter drug abuse by restoring and ratcheting up funding for prevention and treatment, authorizing new grant programs tailored to emerging drug threats, and shutting down rogue, Internet pharmacies;
Renew the assault weapons ban and close the gun show loophole;
Update current law to keep up with changing technologies in areas such as child exploitation and violence against children, drug possession and trafficking, firearms, computer crimes, intellectual property, and victims’ rights.
S. 2237 has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Nothing as comprehensive has been introduced in the House, although titles of the S. 2237 have been introduced separately in the both the House and the Senate.
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