Eva M. Clayton: “Last Congress we passed legislation to put 100,000 police on the streets. Grants have already been awarded to 17,000…”

“Last Congress we passed legislation to put 100,000 police on the streets. Grants have already been awarded to 17,000 communities across the United States, including several in my State of North Carolina. At least half of the police departments throughout the country have applied for these community policing grants. This bill will take a giant step back in time. I believe we are at a dangerous point in history. We are placing greater emphasis on putting people away, than we are on protecting and preserving our neighborhoods. For years, it has been well recognized that punishment alone is not enough to deter crime. The classic case of public hangings of pick pockets, while others were in the crowd picking pockets, should not be lost in this debate. Prevention has a place in eliminating crime. Policing has a place in deterring criminal activity. More jails is the last place we should look to as a way of ridding our streets of crime and steering our young people in the right direction. The police program we passed is designed to help stem the rising tide of crime and to make our streets safe again.”