
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, August 22, 1994                   TAG: 9409290088
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: GEORGE F. ALLEN
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CRIME CONTROL: LEAVE IT TO THE STATES

The Clinton crime bill that continues to founder in Congress offers little to stem the wave of violent crime sweeping the country. Besides its misplaced focus on crime 'prevention' - a euphemism for higher social-welfare spending - the bill ignores a basic fact of life: The federal government has jurisdiction over just 5 percent of all crimes committed in our nation. The states have always had primary responsiblity for keeping citizens safe, and any serious assault on crime must begin with them.

Virginia ranks 35th in the nation in terms of violent crime. While that standing places the Old Dominion ahead of most states, Virginians have been victims of a dramatic increase in violent crime over the past five years. As I campaigned for governor last fall, crime was the No. 1 concern of the people of Virginia, as it is for so many Americans. That's why I have introduced an anti-crime agenda that, when fully enacted, will demonstrate that the states, rather than the federal government, are best equipped to protect citizens from violence.

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