89–008

107TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 107–167

REQUESTING THAT THE PRESIDENT FOCUS APPROPRIATE ATTENTION ON

THE ISSUES OF NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME PREVENTION, COMMUNITY POLICING, AND REDUCTION OF SCHOOL CRIME

JULY 26, 2001.—Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be printed

Mr. SENSENBRENNER, from the Committee on the Judiciary,

submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. Res. 193]

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the

resolution (H. Res. 193) requesting that the President focus appropriate attention on the issues of neighborhood crime prevention,

community policing, and reduction of school crime by delivering

speeches, convening meetings, and directing his Administration to

make reducing crime an important priority, and for other purposes,

having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without

amendment and recommends that the resolution be agreed to.

CONTENTS

Page

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2

Vote of the Committee ............................................................................................. 2

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 2

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 3

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 3

Committee Cost Estimate ....................................................................................... 3

Constitutional Authority Statement ...................................................................... 3

Section-by-Section Analysis and Discussion .......................................................... 3

Markup Transcript .................................................................................................. 4

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H. Res. 193 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives

that the President focus attention on the issues of neighborhood

crime prevention, community policing, and reduction of school

crime by delivering speeches, convening meetings, and directing his

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Administration to make reducing crime and important priority,

specifically by issuing a proclamation calling on the people of the

United States to conduct appropriate ceremonies, activities, and

programs to demonstrate support for ‘‘National Night Out’’. Furthermore, H. Res. 193 demonstrates that Congress supports the

goals and ideas of ‘‘National Night Out’’.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

H. Res. 193 supports National Night Out, a nationally coordinated community event which attempts to combat crime elements

through education, planning, and outreach. National Night Out

began in 1984, with 400 communities and 2.5 million people involved. This figure expanded yearly, reaching over 9,500 communities and 32 million people in 1999.

National Night Out provides information, educational materials,

and technical assistance for the development of year-long community-police partnerships that can reduce crime, violence, and substance abuse at the community level. Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out events are

designed to engage neighborhoods in local crime and drug-abuse

prevention activities through a multitude of local events, such as

block parties, cookouts, parades, contests, youth events, and seminars. In addition, as part of National Night Out, individuals participate in Project 365, a program that includes the cleanup of local

parks, the removal and prevention of graffiti, the establishment of

domestic violence and homeless prevention initiatives, and an increase in the number of Neighborhood Watch groups and crime

prevention programming in multifamily housing areas. Through

these activities, National Night Out generates community support

for crime and drug-abuse prevention activities, as well as a high

level of community participation. This opportunity helps to establish a much needed relationship among neighborhood residents and

local law enforcement personnel.

HEARINGS

No hearings were held on H. Res. 193.

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

On July 24, 2001, the Committee met in open session and ordered favorably reported the resolution H. Res. 193 without amendment by voice vote, a quorum being present.

VOTE OF THE COMMITTEE

No recorded votes were held on H. Res. 193.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the Committee reports that the findings

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report.

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PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

H. Res. 193 does not authorize funding. Therefore, clause 3(c) of

rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable.

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY AND TAX EXPENDITURES

Clause 3(c)(2) of House rule XIII is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new budgetary authority or increased tax

expenditures.

COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

In compliance with clause 3(d)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the

House of Representatives, the Committee believes that the resolution will have no cost for the current fiscal year.

CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY STATEMENT

Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House

of Representatives, the Committee finds the authority for this resolution in article I, section 8, clause 18 of the Constitution.

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The first preambular clause provides that neighborhood crime is

of continuing concern to the American people.

The second preambular clause provides that the fight against

neighborhood crime requires people to work together in cooperation

with law enforcement officials.

The third preambular clause provides that neighborhood crime

watch organizations are effective at promoting awareness about,

and the participation of volunteers in, crime prevention activities

at the local level.

The fourth preambular clause provides that crime watch groups

can contribute to the Nation’s war on drugs by helping to prevent

their communities from becoming markets for drug dealers.

The fifth preambular clause provides that crime and violence in

schools is of continuing concern to the American people due to the

recent high-profile incidents that have resulted in fatalities at several schools across the United States.

The sixth preambular clause provides that community-based programs involving law enforcement, school administrators, teachers,

parents, and local communities work effectively to reduce school violence and crime.

The seventh preambular clause provides that citizens across the

United States will soon take part in ‘‘National Night Out,’’ a

unique crime prevention event which will demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of community participation in crime prevention efforts by having people spend the period from 7 to 10 p.m. on

August 7, 2001, with their neighbors in front of their homes with

the lights on.

The eighth preambular clause provides that schools that turn

their lights on from 7 to 10 p.m. on August 7, 2001, will send a

positive message to the participants of ‘‘National Night Out’’ and

show their commitment to reduce crime and violence in schools.

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The resolved clause provides that it is the sense of the House of

Representatives that the House of Representatives

(1) supports the goals and ideas of ‘‘National Night Out’’; and

(2) requests that the President-

(A) issue a proclamation calling on the people of the

United States to conduct appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs to demonstrate support for ‘‘National Night Out’’ and

(B) focus appropriate attention on the issues of neighborhood crime prevention, community policing, and reduction of school crime by delivering speeches, convening

meetings, and directing his Administration to make

reducing crime an important priority.

MARKUP TRANSCRIPT

BUSINESS MEETING

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2001

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY,

Washington, DC.

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m., in Room

2138, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (Chairman of the Committee) presiding.

Chairman SENSENBRENNER. The Committee will be in order. A

working quorum is present.

The Chair now moves to strike the last word.

Last week, Mr. Stupak of Michigan and Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania introduced a resolution requesting the President focus appropriate attention on the issues of neighborhood crime prevention

and support the National Night Out effort. In the past, the Committee has simply discharged itself, and then it has come up in the

House.

As the Members of the Committee know, I’ve been pretty insistent that the regular order be followed, and I am going to ask unanimous consent that this resolution be brought up, notwithstanding

the fact that it is not on our notice, so that it can be put on the

suspension calendar with a Committee report next year.

So I now ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding the fact

that H. Res. 193 is not on the meeting notice today, the Committee

proceed to consider H. Res. 193.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object.

Chairman SENSENBRENNER. The gentleman reserves the right to

object.

Mr. SCOTT. Mr. Chairman, reserving the right to object, but I will

not object. I just want to commend the Chairman for insisting on

regular order. A lot of these things hit the floor without any consideration at all, and I just want to express, as the Ranking Member

of the Crime Subcommittee, the fact that you are going through

regular order.

Chairman SENSENBRENNER. If the gentleman will yield, had I

known about this request before the notice went out yesterday

morning, it would have been included. But I didn’t, and since the

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National Night Out will be past us after the August recess, I wanted to move this.

A reservation belongs to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. NADLER. Reserving my right to object, I also want to commend you for insisting on regular order. But I would simply request that this be put off until after at least one bill so we have

a chance to read it.

Chairman SENSENBRENNER. Okay. Without objection, the bill is

placed on the calendar, and it will be called up after the cloning

bill.

Mr. NADLER. Thank you.

Chairman SENSENBRENNER. Is there objection? Hearing none, so

ordered.

[Intervening Business.]

The chair would like to make an announcement relative to the

remainder of the day and seek the consent and cooperation of the

Members.

The remaining five measures on the calendar are relatively noncontroversial, and I believe we will be able to deal with them in

15 to 20 minutes time if everybody will restrain their impulses to

speak and put statements in the record. That way we will not have

to come back this afternoon.

As I’ve said previously, the bill relating to the Vietnamese has

been pulled from the calendar because it needs more work.

So, pursuant to the order of the Committee earlier today, I now

call up the resolution H. Res. 193, requesting that the President

focus appropriate attention on the issues of neighborhood crime

prevention, et al, for purposes of markup.

[The resolution, H. Res. 193, follows:]

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Chairman SENSENBRENNER. Without objection, a reporting

quorum being present, the resolution is favorably reported to the

House. Hearing none, so ordered.

Without objection, the staff will be ordered to make technical and

conforming changes. All Members will be given 2 days in which to

submit views. And this is not a concurrent resolution, so going to

conference is not relevant.

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