Kirk Watson: “I am here to support the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) and his amendment to H.R. 1751. I would like to thank…”

“I am here to support the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) and his amendment to H.R. 1751. I would like to thank the chair for accepting that amendment. What he is trying to do is to help that young person extricate him or herself and let the courts and law enforcement know aspects of gang crime that are key in convicting our most dangerous criminals on the streets. In my district I think we have exported gang activities around the country and maybe even around the world, South Central Los Angeles. So as a result, I started a series of youth violence summits with intervention specialists, educators, counselors, and the youth themselves. And one clear message that has resonated amongst all of them is the dire need to promise our youth that if they are involved in gang activity and remove themselves, they will not be harmed or killed by the very gang that they wisely ostracize themselves from. So this amendment clearly provides much-needed witness protection for our youth who are fearful of leaving a gang and who will come forward to testify about the inner workings of these gangs. So I thank the gentleman very much for recognizing that we need to have options for the young people that are trying to be responsible in the process. And we are going to come back next year with a comprehensive bill because we have been studying this issue, working with it for the last 20 years; and I thank Mr. Filner and Mr.…”