Safe streets and crime-free neighborhoods remain major concerns of American families. Although statistics show a declining rate of violent crime in America, Iowans consistently express to me their concerns about safety and security. In fact, dead bolts and car alarms are now commonplace. Women arm across the country themselves with Mace after dark. Neighborhood groups form watchdog associations.
Parents worry about their children's safety.
Meanwhile criminals, including drug peddlers, terrorists, child pornographers, violent gang members, juvenile delinquents, and white-collar criminals, test our law enforcement and judicial systems day in and day out. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee since 1981, I have worked to find solutions to our nation's crime problems. Whether it's random acts of violence riddling our inner cities, troubling patterns of juvenile delinquency, or the rising trend of teen-age drug use, it's even shaken the stability of life in rural America. Passing tough anti-crime laws and enforcing stiffer penalties solve only part of the problem. Certainly, it helps deter criminal activity and works to keep convicted criminals off the streets.