Myron Kreidler: “I rise in support of this measure. Mr. Chairman, the plague of violence sweeping across this country threatens every…”

“I rise in support of this measure. Mr. Chairman, the plague of violence sweeping across this country threatens every family, every neighborhood, every community. Crime statistics fail to tell the full story. Even though some crime rates are down, the fear of crime--especially random, senseless violence--is destroying the quality of life for millions of Americans. In Washington State, the percent of homicides in which the victim was killed by a stranger increased from 12 percent to 28 percent from 1984 to 1992. We used to think of crime as a problem of the inner cities, and it still is among the greatest problems in urban areas. The congressional district I represent is almost entirely suburban. But in one community of 20,000 people, there were 1,500 violent crimes last year--a rate three and a half times New York City's. Suburban schools are installing metal detectors. Driveby shootings can happen anywhere. Children are killing children. In the 9th district, we have had our share of tragedies in just the last few months: Thirteen-year-old Larry Rodgers, stabbed to death in Lacey last November by reputed gang members because of the color of his clothes. Sixteen-year-old Zachariah Spears, shot to death a few days before Christmas at Sea-Tac Mall. Fifteen-year-old Shaun Proctor, shot to death in the back on New Year's Day in an apparent robbery attempt in Tukwila.”