Statement on the Effectiveness of Anticrime Measures

Crime rates continue to fall dramatically throughout the country, and it's no accident. With community police at the center of our efforts, we have worked to give communities the tools they need to rid their neighborhoods of gangs, guns, and drugs. We have made real progress: There are nearly 5,000 fewer murders annually in America today than in 1993.

Now we need to take juvenile crime head on. The spending bill I will sign next week includes more than $100 million to hire scores of local prosecutors, probation officers, and others to crack down on gangs. With these provisions, coupled with new after-school programs and a $195 million anti-drug media campaign, we can begin to pursue a strategy that works to keep all of our youth on track.