Tony Hall: “I rise in support of the Conyers and Schumer amendment and in strong opposition to H.R. 728. Last year, Congress voted…”

“I rise in support of the Conyers and Schumer amendment and in strong opposition to H.R. 728. Last year, Congress voted for an anticrime strategy that struck a much-needed balance between law enforcement and swift punishment, and innovative prevention programs. Now, we are in the midst of dismantling the crux of last year's crime bill by eliminating both the COPS on the Beat Program and crime prevention programs. The COPS Program promises to place 100,000 more police on our streets. The COPS Program already has made an impact in my district of Dayton, OH. In the last several months, my district has been awarded 23 police officers. New officers have been placed not only in the urban areas of Montgomery County, but also in the rural areas which are often passed by for federal and State funding. The COPS initiative makes our communities safer through community policing efforts, but it also makes the job of police officers easier and safer because of the interaction between law enforcement officials and community leaders. Unfortunately, the broad language contained in H.R. 728 does not guarantee that the funds obtained through block grants will be used to hire more police officers.”