Bruce F. Vento: “I rise in support of H.R. 4092, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The problem of crime is one the…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 4092, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. The problem of crime is one the greatest concerns of the American people. Some 22 million households are affected by crime each year. Violent crime has increased 25 percent in the past 5 years. Despite the fact that more criminals are in jail than ever before, millions of Americans do not feel safe in their neighborhoods and communities. Guns are even becoming common at schools and gang violence is spreading beyond the core city areas into suburbs and smaller towns. Citizens are upset about the erosion of public safety and they are demanding that something be done about it. H.R. 4092, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, is a tough and comprehensive anticrime bill. It will provide us with many new tools and programs to help us fight crime in our communities. While I have concerns about some of the sentencing and certainly the death penalty provisions of the bill, on the whole I believe it is a strong bill which will help us address the problem of crime in our Nation. On the crime control and law enforcement side, the bill provides for 100,000 new police officers on the beat, funds for prison construction, a tempered 'three strikes and you're out', provision grants to stop violence against women, Drug treatment for State and Federal prisoners and prohibitions on the sale of handguns to youth.”