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563877963
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Crime
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563877963
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document
title
Crime
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04016-019
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Records of the White House Office of the Chief of Staff to the President (George H. W. Bush Administration)
Ed Rogers' Subject Files
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
2025-0647-S
2025-0647-S
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin: Chief of Staff, White House Office of
Series:
Rogers, Ed, Files
Subseries:
Subject Files
OA/ID Number:
04016
Folder ID Number:
04016-019
Folder Title:
Crime
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
G
15
23
1
June 22, 1990
FACT SHEET
COMBATTING VIOLENT CRIME
The President has articulated the four fundamental
principles which guide all of our efforts to combat violent
crime.
A primary purpose of government is to protect citizens and
their property. Americans deserve to live in a society in
which they are safe and feel secure.
Those who commit criminal offenses should, and must, be held
accountable for their actions.
Our criminal justice system must have as its objective the
swift and certain apprehension, prosecution, and
incarceration of those who break the law.
Success in accomplishing our criminal justice system goals
requires a sustained, cooperative effort by federal, state
and local law enforcement authorities.
The President's program includes legislative proposals and
other initiatives to strengthen federal, state, and local laws;
enhance cooperative law enforcement efforts; increase prison
capacity; and reform the nation's criminal justice system to
ensure both the certainty and severity of punishment for violent
criminals.
Violent Crime in America
The chance of being a violent crime victim in the United
States continues to be greater than that of being injured in a
traffic accident. Approximately 6 million Americans were victims
of violent crime in 1989.
The violent crime situation in general has improved
significantly since its peak in 1981, and remained relatively
stable since 1988. Although, the number of murders rose from
1988 to 1989, it remains well below the 1980 figure. In short,
we are keeping the lid on violent crime, but the situation is a
highly volatile one, and the nation's criminal justice system is
being stressed to its limits and in need of fundamental reforms.
Administration Action
The Attorney General, Treasury Secretary Brady, and other
Administration officials have taken action to implement each step
of the President's plan which was not dependent upon legislative
action.
1
2
The President's Proposals Passed by Congress
The Administration convinced Congress to fund:
Significant Increases for Enforcement
300 FBI positions to implement their violent crime and
repeat offender program;
150 positions to enhance the U.S. Marshals Service's
fugitive apprehension efforts;
109 positions to INS and 38 new Immigration Judges to
expedite deportation of criminal aliens.
Significant Increases for Prosecution
1,375 new positions for U.S. Attorneys Offices;
$45.9 million for the Judiciary for pre-trial services,
probation, juror fees, court security and court
administration.
Significant Increases for Federal Prisons
$1.4 billion for 24,500 new bed spaces -- a 77%
increase. Federal prison capacity is being more than
doubled at President Bush's initiative.
Footdragging by Congress
The Congress has failed to adopt other parts of the
President's Comprehensive Violent Crime Control bill including
key provisions to:
restore an enforceable death penalty for the most
aggravated Federal crimes and extend capital punishment
to a number of new offenses, such as murder for hire;
reform Habeas Corpus to curb abuse and eliminate the
seemingly endless process of repetitive appeals and
reviews which serve no purpose but to delay justice;
reform the Exclusionary Rule to assure that legal
technicalities do not prevent the truth from being
heard in court or to allow the guilty to go unpunished;
make drug testing a mandatory condition of Federal
probation, parole or supervised release;
3
enhance Federal penalties for firearms violations and
provide a bonus to states for doing the same;
restrict gun magazines of over 15 rounds; and
limit access to firearms by criminals by closing
loopholes in current laws.
What Needs to be Done
Every effort should be made to push aggressively for the
enactment of the fundamental criminal justice reforms embodied in
the President's own violent crime and drug control proposals.
"Sound-alikes" or quick fixes won't suffice.
Because violent crime is primarily a state and local
responsibility, attention must be focused on the need for
adopting comparable reforms and making adequate resource
commitments at the state and local levels. Federal efforts to
combat violent crime should continue to be directed primarily on
its interstate and international aspects; improving law
enforcement cooperation and coordination, training and technical
assistance; data collection and intelligence sharing; and
leadership.