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Reno:" We Must Prepare for the Law Enforcement Challenges of the 21st Century"
Since President Clinton took office, the Justice Department's budget has
increased more than 87 percent.
"Over the past several years, we have witnessed a decrease in violent juvenile
crime, a drop in drug related crime, a concerted effort to protect against computer
crime, and an increased emphasis on protecting our borders," said Attorney General
Janet Reno. "We are moving in the right direction, we cannot stop now. Today's
budget request will enable us to build on our past successes and prepare us for the
challenges of the 21st Century."
$481 million in new and redirected grants to fight youth violence and to
support additional community prosecutors, who will interact more
closely with the people they serve;
"Although juvenile crime, like all violent crime, has declined, we must not let
up," said Reno. "These funds will make it possible for prosecutors across the
country to begin working together with community residents to identify and solve
specific crime problems in their neighborhoods. Our COPS grants have helped
spread community policing across America. Now we want to support community
prosecutors to help revolutionize how communities come together to fight crime."
Highlights include:
Targeting Youth Violence: $100 million in new grants to state and local
prosecutors offices to hire new prosecutors and pay for technology,
equipment and training to assist in reducing the rate of youthful violent crime.
The funds will also be used to increase successful identification and rapid
prosecution of young, violent offenders and promote collaborative efforts
between prosecutors and public and private agencies;
Creating a New Youth Violence Court Program: $50 million for a new
youth violence court program to increase the speed, efficiency, and
effectiveness with which youth are processed and adjudicated within
the justice system;
PREVENTING CYBERCRIME
"Every day, more Americans and more businesses are using the information
superhighway," said Reno. "We need to ensure that the superhighway remains a
safe and secure place to do business," said Reno.
"These funds will enable us to keep pace with the cybercriminals of the
"By adding more drug enforcement agents and prosecutors and increasing
testing and intervention programs, we can further decrease drug use and help stem
the violence it brings into our communities," Reno said. The Justice
Department will seek a record $7.7 billion in its fight against drug trafficking and
abuse, representing a 2.6% increase over last year.
Highlights include:
Adding DEA Resources: $2.5 million for additional DEA resources and
staffing to strengthen international intelligence gathering activities and
protect its operations from being compromised by electronic
eavesdropping devices.
Hiring More Agents: $103 million to deploy 1,000 new Border Patrol
agents;
$5.6 million for the Department's Hate Crimes Initiative, including the
formation of local working groups in which federal, state, and local law
enforcement officials, as well as local community leaders meet to
address hate crimes in a comprehensive manner. The Department
anticipates redirecting 50 FBI agents and prosecutors toward hate
crimes cases.
$157 million in new and redirected funds as part of a joint $182 million
initiative with the Department of the Interior to address a public safety crisis
on Indian lands. Funds will be used to add 30 FBI agents and 26 attorneys to
enhance Indian Country investigations and prosecutions, reduce violent
crime, gang-related violence and juvenile crime on Indian reservations;
establish the Indian Tribal Courts Program; create a new Drug Testing and
Intervention Program on Indian lands; and to construct and expand
correctional facilities.
$753.5 million in added funds to address a wide variety of infrastruc-ture and technology needs to ensure that t
meet the law enforcement challenges of the 21st Century. These
include:
"Law enforcement will face many new challenges in the next century," said
Reno. "Our 1999 budget request prepares us for the challenges that lie ahead."
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98-040