Bart Stupak: “Not just city halls all the way across the United States, but the other day at the press conference when we announced…”

“Not just city halls all the way across the United States, but the other day at the press conference when we announced the Cops Fast Program, you know, we were joined by representatives of the FOP, the Fraternal Order of Police, the National Association of Police Organizations, there was a member there from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and they said this program works. Do not go back to what we did in 1968 and the early 1970's with the law enforcement assistance agency, or administration. Let us not go back. Let us not go back. As Chief Vibrette said the other day when she was making an announcement, she said for too long from Washington, the Federal Government, in helping us fight crime was always one way, here is the way you do it, here is the way you do it, here is the way we do it; we always were told, we were always lectured, always preached. Underneath the crime bill that currently exists, it is a two-way street. It is a partnership. You are giving us what we need, police officers to help fight crimes in our community. We have formed partnership for once, just like community policing is a partnership with the community in which it serves, and let us not go back to those days. You have provided us with the financial incentive on a one-page form. You do not even have to put down the criteria of your community policing, but just have a police officer there. The purest form of prevention of crime is a police officer open and visible in that community.”