Bart Stupak: “One of the first victims in the new GOP crime bill will be cops on the street, or community policing as we know it. Cops…”

“One of the first victims in the new GOP crime bill will be cops on the street, or community policing as we know it. Cops on the street may be the first victim actually victimized and mugged under the new proposed crime bill. In August 1994, a crime bill was passed by this body. Even though I may not have supported the final committee conference version of the crime bill, I believe that the community policing program is an invaluable tool in the fight against crime. No one law will stop crime, no one program will stop crime in this country. The revamping of the crime bill that is going to be proposed in the next day on this floor certainly will not stop crime in this country. In order to stop crime we must all join in the fight against crime. We must all share that responsibility. Police officers cannot do it alone. We must each work in our respective communities and work with the police officers if we are going to have an impact on crime. That is what community policing is all about, law enforcement officers living and working in their beat, in their patrol area, to gain the respect and trust of the citizens they serve.”