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9/24/74 - International Association of Chiefs of Police
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1252079
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9/24/74 - International Association of Chiefs of Police
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President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Law enforcement
Crime
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1974-09-24
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1974
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1974-09-24
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1974
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The original documents are located in Box 1, folder "9/24/74 - International Association of
Chiefs of Police" of the President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald
R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 1 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF POLICE
WASHINGTON HILTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D. C.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1974
IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO BE HERE AT THE 81ST ANNUAL
CONVENTION OF INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHIEFS OF
POLICE.
IF THERE HAD BEEN ENOUGH ROOM, I REALLY WANTED
TO BRING THE U.S. MARINE CORPS BAND WITH ME -- BUT IT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN A LITTLE EMBARRASSING. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THEY
PLAYED HAIL TO THE CHIEF AND ALL 3,000 OF YOU STOOD UP?
- 2 -
BUT FRANKLY, I HAVE TO ADMIT TO BEING A LITTLE
WORRIED AND A LITTLE CONCERNED STANDING UP HERE THIS
MORNING. YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW IT FEELS TO BE FACING
3,000 OF THE MOST CAPABLE\ THE MOST DILIGENT, \ THE MOST
CONSCIENTIOUS POLICE OFFICERS IN THE WORLD AND RIGHT
OUTSIDE, I'M PARKED IN FRONT OF A FIRE HYDRANT.
- 3 -
S IX WEEKS AGO, I TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND THE
CONGRESS THAT WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. WE HAVE A
LONG NATIONAL AGENDA. AND I WANT TO STRESS TODAY THAT THE
CONTROL OF CRIMES, ESPECIALLY VIOLENT CRIME, IS ONE OF THE
TOP ITEMS ON THAT AGENDA.
- 4 -
ALL AMERICANS CAN AGREE ON SOME CONCLUS IONS ABOUT
CRIME:
THERE IS FAR TOO MUCH OF IT. IT CAN NO LONGER BE
IGNORED.
IT CAN NO LONGER BE RATIONALIZED AWAY.
THE TIME HAS COME TO ACT.
- 5 -
THE POINT IN DISPUTE IS PRECISELY HOW CRIME CAN
BE REDUCED. I HAVE SOME PROPOSALS WHICH I WILL SPELL
OUT LATER BOTH TO THE NATION AND TO THE CONGRESS.
- 6 -
CRIME IS SCARCELY A NEW CONCERN IN THIS COUNTRY.
FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, ITS LEVEL HAS STEADILY INCREASED,
CRIME IS STILL ON THE RISE. IN FACT, MOST OF OUR STATISTICS
SEEM TO BE ON THE INCREASE, PRICES ARE UP, UNEMPLOYMENT
IS UP. IN ADDITION, WE FACE SOME SHORTAGES.
- 7 -
ONE SHORTAGE PARTICULARLY BOTHERS ME. THIS IS
THE SHORTAGE OF EASY ANSWERS. WE ARE FACED WITH GROWING
PROBLEMS ON ALL FRONTS AND THERE IS NO EASY ANSWER TO ANY
OF THEM.
- 8 -
WE ALL KNOW THAT EARTHY DESCRIPTION WHICH PRESIDENT
TRUMAN GAVE TO THE OVAL OFFICE: "THE BUCK STOPS HERE." WHEN
IT COMES TO FIGHTING CRIME, MOST OF THE BUCK STOPS AT YOUR OFFICES.
YOU ARE THE FRONT LINE COMMANDERS IN THE WAR ON CRIME.
- 9 -
AS YOU KNOW, MOST POLICE POWERS ARE RESERVED TO STATES
AND LARGELY DELEGATED TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THAT IS A
KEY FEATURE OF OUR FEDERAL SYSTEM.
IT WILL REMAIN A KEY
FEATURE AS LONG AS I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT.
THE FEDERAL ROLE IS ESSENTIALLY SUPPORTIVE. THE
SOLUTION DEPENDS UPON STATE AND LOCAL EFFORTS.
- IO -
AS YOU KNOW, WASHINGTON PROVIDES DIRECT
ASSISTANCE TO STATES AND LOCALITIES THROUGH THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION.
GRANTS HAVE
INCREASED TO 880 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY, MOST OF IT IN
BLOCK GRANTS TO THE STATES. THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT IT IS ONLY FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL SPENT ON STATE AND
LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS.
FEDERAL MONEY IS
ESSENTIALLY SEED MONEY.
- II -
PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IN THIS AREA IS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE LEARNED VALUABLE LESSONS ABOUT THE NATURE OF CRIME
AND ITS PREVENTION.
WE ARE COOPERATING WITH LOCAL AGENCIES
IN PILOT DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT
TOOLS.
- I2 -
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE IS NEED FOR BETTER
MANAGEMENT,
PARTICULARLY THE NEED TO CONCENTRATE
LIMITED RESOURCES WHERE THEY WILL BE MOST EFFECTIVE.
THERE IS ALSO NEED FOR GREATER CITIZENS' COOPERATION,
PARTICULARLY AS READY AND WILLING WITNESSES.
- 13 -
FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT, WE FIRST HAVE TO MAKE
SOME HARD DECISIONS ON PRIORITIES. AS A STARTER, I WOULD
SUGGEST A HIGH PRIORITY ON VIOLENT CRIME AND STREET CRIME
IN THE INNER CITY. THERE IS WHERE CRIME DOES THE MOST
DAMAGE TO OUR WHOLE UR BAN STRUCTURE. THERE IS WHERE
CRIME MOST HURTS THE POOR WHO ALREADY SUFFER ENOUGH.
- I4 -
ONE BRIGHT SPOT IN THE CRIME SCENE IS THE SUCCESS
OF YOUR EFFORTS AGAINST URBAN CRIME.
YOUR CONCENTRATION
ON STREET CRIME SEEMS TO BE PAYING OFF.
LET'S STEP IT UP.
ANOTHER PRIORITY IS THE HABITUAL OFFENDER -- THE
SO-CALLED CAREER CRIMINAL.
MOST CRIME IS THE WORK OF A
LIMITED NUMBER OF HARDENED CRIMINALS.
- 15 -
WE MUST TAKE THE CRIMINAL OUT OF CIRCULATION.
WE MUST MAKE CRIME HAZARDOUS AND COSTLY. WE MUST ENSURE
THAT SWIFT AND PROLONGED IMPRISONMENT WILL INEVITABLY
FOLLOW EACH OFFENSE.
ONLY THEN WILL WE DETER OTHERS FROM
PURSUING CAREERS OF CRIME.
- 16 -
ACCORDINGLY, I HAVE DIRECTED THE DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE TO UNDERTAKE, IN COOPERATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS, A CAREER CRIMINAL IMPACT PROGRAM.
IT
WILL TARGET AND KEEP TRACK OF PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALS.
- 17 -
THIS PROGRAM WILL ALSO ASSIGN PRIORITY TO CASES
OF HABITUAL CRIMINALS AND EXPEDITE THE PROCESS BY WHICH
THEY ARE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
HERE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WE HAVE ALREADY
SEEN DRAMATIC RESULTS IN A SHORT TIME.
PERHAPS THIS CAN
BE ADOPTED FOR USE IN URBAN AREAS ELSEWHERE.
- 18 -
IN THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, A SPECIAL GROUP
KNOWN AS THE MAJOR VIOLATORS UNIT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
THIS UNIT TRACKS THE CASES OF MAJOR REPEAT OFFENDERS.
IT ENSURES THAT THESE CASES RECEIVE THE MOST URGENT
ATTENTION OF PROSECUTORS. THIS UNIT HAS DRAMATICALLY
REDUCED THE ABILITY OF CASE-HARDENED OFFENDERS TO ESCAPE
THROUGH THE LOOPHOLES OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
- 19 -
THE RESULTS ARE ALREADY IMPRESSIVE.
FOR EXAMPLE,
IN THE FIRST MONTHS OF OPERATION, THE MAJOR VIOLATORS
UNIT SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED THE CONVICTION RATE FOR
SERIOUS CASES. THE AVERAGE TIME FROM AREST TO TRIAL
HAS BEEN REDUCED BY AT LEAST THREE WEEKS.
THE CAREER
CRIMINALS NOW REALIZE THAT SERIOUS CASES WILL NO LONGER
SIMPLY SLIP THROUGH THE CRACKS IN THE SYSTEM.
- 20 -
ALL THIS CANNOT BE DONE BY THE POLICE IN ISOLATION.
EFFECTIVE ANTI-CRIME MANAGEMENT REQUIRES THE CLOSE
COOPERATION OF POLICE, PROSECUTORS, COURTS AND
CORRECTIONS. WHERE THEY WORK TOGETHER YOU NOT
ONLY WILL OBTAIN A BETTER CONVICTION RATE, BUT YOU WILL
SAVE POLICE HOURS THAT ARE NOW WASTED.
- 2I -
BUT TO REDUCE THE CRIME RATE WE NEED THE COOPERATION
OF ONE OTHER PARTY -- NAMELY, THE PUBLIC. CRIME STATISTICS,
SHOCKING AS THEY ARE, OFTEN SHOW US ONLY THE TOP OF THE
ICEBERG, TOO MUCH CRIME GOES UNREPORTED. A LOT OF
WITNESSES NEVER SHOW UP, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE FOURTH OR
FIFTH CONTINUANCE.
- 22 -
A STUDY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SHOWS THAT
NON-COOPERATION OF WITNESSES WAS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON
REASON FOR LOS ING MAJOR CASES. THROUGHOUT THIS NATION,
NEARLY HALF THE VICTIMS OF ASSAULT, ROBBERY, BURGLARY,
AND LARCENY ABOVE 50 DOLLARS FAILED TO REPORT THE INCIDENT
TO THE POLICE. IN LARCENIES, BELOW 50 DOLLARS, ABOUT
80 PERCENT DID NOT REPORT.
- 23 -
WHY? BECAUSE, AS SURVEYS SHOW, MOST VICTIMS
ARE FRUSTRATED, \ FEARFUL, \ AND PESS IMISTIC ABOUT RESULTS.
EVEN VICTIMS DO NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH ALL THE
PAPERWORK, 1 INTERROGATIONS, \ AND REPEATED VISITS ITS TO THE
COURTHOUSE, IN A CASE THAT, AFTER SEVERAL CONTINUANCES,
MAY BE DROPPED ANYWAY. SOMETIMES THE VICTIM FEARS
REPRISAL.
- - 24 -
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
FIRST OF ALL, WE GO BACK TO
GOOD MANAGEMENT. FAST ACTION AND BETTER CONVICTION RATE
ON MAJOR CRIMES CAN HELP RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN
THE SYSTEM.
BETTER S CHEDULING
/
BETTER NOTIFICATION OF
WITNESSES
AND FEWER CONTINUANCES WILL SERVE TO CUT
DOWN THE TERRIBLY FRUSTRATING WASTE OF THE WITNESS'S TIME.
- 25 -
THERE ARE MANY OTHER THINGS LAW ENFORCEMENT
PROFESSIONALS CAN DO TO ENCOURAGE CITIZENS' COOPERATION
AND CITIZENS' INITIATIVES. SOME COMMUNITIES HAVE ALREADY
LAUNCHED SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS. LEAA HAS THE INFORMATION
THE IDEAS,
-
AND SOME BLOCK-GRANT MONEY TO HELP YOU LAUNCH
A PROGRAM IN YOUR COMMUNITY -- A PROGRAM TO OVERCOME THE
SENSE OF FUTILITY, FRUSTRATION, AND FEAR AND GET THE MAN IN THE
STREET TURNED BACK ON TO COOPERATION WITH THE POLICE.
- 26 -
OF COURSE THE POLICE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING TO WIN THE
WAR ON CRIME. THE POLICE PLUS THE PROSECUTORS PLUS THE
COURTS PLUS THE PRISONS CANNOT DO THE WHOLE JOB. THE
COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILY MUST HELP.
YOUR JOB IS DIFFICULT. UNDER OUR CONSTITUTIONAL
SYSTEM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN GIVE YOU ONLY LIMITED
SUPPORT.
- 27 -
PROGRESS MAY BE SLOW, BUT I FEEL WE ARE ON THE
RIGHT TRACK. WE ARE BEGINNING TO LEARN HOW TO FIGHT
CRIME EFFECTIVELY.
- 28 -
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE
HAS BEEN A FORTUNATE COMBINATION OF GOOD MANAGEMENT METHODS,
VERY AMPLE RESOURCES, AND OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP FROM
CHIEF JERRY WILSON -- WHO, UNFORTUNATELY, IS RETIRING
THIS YEAR. REPORTED CRIME IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
SHOWS A 40 PERCENT DROP DURING HIS TENURE IN OFFICE
SPANNING THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
- - 29 -
IT WAS HERE IN WASHINGTON THAT A SAD BUT HEROIC
CHAPTER OF POLICE HISTORY WAS MADE LAST WEEK. OFFICER
GAIL COBB BECAME THE FIRST'POLICEWOMAN IN THE UNITED STATES
KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
I
WANT TO COMMEND THIS BRAVE
OFFICER WHO GAVE HER LIFE TO PROTECT HER COMMUNITY.
TO HONOR HER MEMORY, I ASK THIS CONVENTION TO STAND IN
SILENT TRIBUTE TO OFFICER COBB WHOSE FUNERAL IS TAKING PLACE
AT THIS VERY MOMENT.
Pana
- 30 -
THIS LATEST TRAGEDY HAS A VITAL LESSON FOR EVERY
AMERICAN. WHATEVER THE INSUFFICIENCIES AND INADEQUACIES
OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE OFFICER ON THE BEAT
IS LAYING HIS OR HER LIFE ON THE LINE EVERY DAY TO MAKE
THE COMMUNITY A SAFE PLACE TO LIVE. THE POLICE
OFFICER DESERVES THE RESPECT AND COOPERATION OF EVERY
AMERICAN.
I PLEDGE YOU MINE HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU.
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