1 1 2 3 4 5 U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET F. RENO 6 SPEAKING BEFORE 7 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOWN AND TOWNSHIPS 8 9 10 11 Wednesday, September 4, 1996 12 13 14 15 16 Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill 17 400 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. 18 Washington, D.C. 19 20 21 22 2 1 P R O C E E D I N G S 2 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: Thank you 3 very much. 4 It is a special privilege for me to 5 be here with you today, because, as I was 6 growing up, as a small child, I lived in a town 7 called South Miami, about 20 miles down FEC 8 railroad tracks from Miami. It was a different 9 world. 10 We rode the ponies down to the 11 market. During gas-rationing, we could 12 substitute the pony and the buggy for the car. 13 And I still see, on the side of the road, the 14 path that my pony helped to forge. 15 When I came to Washington, this clerk 16 of the little town was still writing me notes, 17 encouraging me. 18 People that I had known all my life, 19 who are now scattered to other parts of the 20 country, were supporting me. 21 And all of that framework had arisen 22 in that little town of South Miami. 3 1 It has gotten a little fancier now. 2 And as I drive there when I go home, I think of 3 how times have changed. 4 But, then, I drive past my elementary 5 school, my junior high school, all really a 6 part of that town, and I know that it will 7 always be with me. 8 I came to Washington having 9 represented a large jurisdiction, but 10 remembering that town of South Miami. 11 And I have been committed to making 12 sure that the Department of Justice does not 13 forget the small towns, the townships, the more 14 rural areas of America, because the problems 15 are just as great there, when you consider 16 their magnitude in relation to everything 17 that's happening in the community. 18 And so, I have said, as we look at 19 grants, as we look at action, let us make sure 20 that we represent and work with all America, 21 not just the big urban cities. 22 (Applause) 4 1 One of the points that most 2 immediately struck me, after I came into office 3 and started looking at nationwide trends, was 4 that we might well have an impact in urban 5 cities, because resources had been placed 6 there, commitments had been made. 7 But as I looked at what was 8 happening, we were achieving success in the 9 urban areas, and we were pushing the bad guys 10 either into prison or out into the more rural 11 areas. 12 And as I worked with others to 13 recommend to the President the nomination of 14 U.S. attorneys and talked to potential 15 candidates, I said: "As Attorney General, I 16 want you to work with all of your district, not 17 just the big city in the district. But I want 18 us to develop a district-wide plan that covers 19 the entire area, to make sure that the bad guys 20 don't feel like they have a safe haven because 21 they think that people will ignore them -- law 22 enforcement will ignore them in the smaller 5 1 towns." 2 In our whole anti-violence 3 initiative, it has been: How can we form a 4 partnership with state and local law 5 enforcement? How can we form a partnership 6 with that sheriff in that small county or the 7 police chief in a small town that may have one 8 or two policemen at the most? 9 Our whole effort has been to 10 recognize that you understand your needs and 11 resources better than we do in Washington. 12 I never liked it when the feds came 13 to town in Miami and said, "Now, this is what 14 we want from you. And we know better what you 15 need. And this is what you should be doing." 16 I often wished that they'd come and 17 say, "Now, just what are your needs? And what 18 are the problems here? And how can we help 19 you?" 20 And that's what I want to try to do 21 with all the jurisdictions across this country. 22 It also troubled me when I got 6 1 federal grant applications. I thought: I went 2 to Harvard Law School, and I don't know how to 3 fill out these applications. 4 (Laughter and applause) 5 Then I look at the various agencies 6 competing for grants, and the smart ones were 7 the ones that went and got grant writers. 8 And I thought, we're supposed to be 9 representing all of the people. You shouldn't 10 have to have professional grant writers be the 11 key to your success in securing a federal 12 grant. 13 So, as we worked together, for 14 example, on the COPS Program, I wanted to make 15 sure that our systems and our processes were as 16 open and as accessible -- as easily accessible 17 as possible, and that you didn't need a degree 18 in grantsmanship to be successful. 19 I think we have seen some results. 20 When the 1994 Crime Act authorized funding of a 21 100,000 community police officers, we wanted to 22 make sure that the Nation's smaller communities 7 1 had realistic opportunities to participate in 2 this wonderful initiative. 3 And I got a great deal of skepticism. 4 People would say, "I know you say you're going 5 to make sure that small towns and small cities 6 are represented, but I've heard that before." 7 But that is why half of all the COPS 8 grant funding was dedicated to law enforcement 9 agencies serving towns of 150,000 and smaller. 10 In addition, we developed COPS FAST, 11 which is Funding Accelerated for Smaller Towns. 12 Under this initiative, expedited grant 13 procedures were available for law enforcement 14 agencies serving towns with fewer than 50,000 15 residents. 16 Under COPS FAST, remembering my 17 frustration with grants, the Department made 18 available a one-page, fill-in-the-blank form, 19 which dramatically simplified the task of 20 applying for funding. 21 I understand that in many of the 22 communities we represent, the local officials 8 1 serve sometimes on a part-time basis and that 2 they consider this application one of the most 3 sensible forms they've ever gotten from 4 Washington, because it's something that can be 5 filled out, that's straightforward, and that 6 makes sense. 7 The response has been tremendous. 8 When I visit small towns, either in person or 9 by telephone, it is really rewarding to have 10 mayors and chiefs of police say, "This makes 11 sense." 12 We developed an 800-number so that 13 people could call in and get their questions 14 answered. 15 I took some of the calls, and it was 16 wonderful to have people say, "It's so nice to 17 have somebody on the other end of the line that 18 can answer the question in a straightforward 19 sort of way and tell you just what to expect." 20 We really try to make sure that we 21 are responsive to the small towns, to the 22 groups across this Nation that have a sense of 9 1 community and should never, ever be left out. 2 The impact of community policing has 3 been wonderful: To have that police chief tell 4 me, "You gave me one officer, just one officer, 5 but it has made all the difference." To have 6 citizens tell me the same thing. 7 And what I would appreciate from you 8 is not just the praise, but what we can do to 9 be more responsive, to be more effective, and 10 to really meet the needs of towns across this 11 Nation. 12 One of the areas of concern that is 13 most important to me is the problem of family 14 violence. 15 Long ago, as a prosecutor in Miami, 16 when I first took office, I sent an intern to 17 the medical examiner's office to find out why 18 people had been killed in Dade County for the 19 previous 20 years. 20 Forty percent of all homicides where 21 the assailant had been identified were related 22 to domestic violence. And we developed a 10 1 domestic intervention program that became one 2 of the models in the country. 3 It has a taken a long time to get 4 judges and police officers and even the medical 5 community on board in recognizing domestic 6 violence as one of the great issues that we 7 face. But it is so true. And it is everywhere 8 in this country. 9 In Iowa I was on a 15-town and city 10 hookup. They have an interactive hookup that's 11 quite something, and I've been on it twice now. 12 And on each occasion, from the small towns, 13 comes the same word as from the large cities: 14 Domestic violence is probably one of our major 15 crime problems. 16 And so, with the passage of the Crime 17 Act, we focused on distributing monies 18 through the Violence Against Women Act. 19 Significant monies would go to states across 20 the Nation, to be distributed throughout 21 communities. And again, we wanted to make sure 22 that the smaller towns were not neglected. 11 1 Why is it so important? I look at it 2 this way. Violence is a learned behavior. The 3 child who watches his father beat his mother 4 comes to accept violence as a way of life. 5 Unless we eliminate violence in the home, we 6 are never going to eliminate it in the streets 7 and in the schools of America. 8 And it is important that the smaller 9 communities have equal access to those monies. 10 Thus, it is a requirement of our grants 11 program, both the STOP Program, which is the 12 major state program, and others, that 13 previously underserved populations, be served 14 as part of the overall state planning effort. 15 We will be announcing, probably by 16 the end of this month, some rural grants to, 17 again, address the issue of domestic violence. 18 As an example of how these monies are 19 being used, Iowa used some of its STOP money to 20 hire three advocates to serve domestic violence 21 victims in 11 rural counties that had never had 22 advocates before. 12 1 Fifty-nine percent of the COPS money 2 focused on domestic violence has gone to 3 communities under 150,000, a total of a little 4 over $27 million. 5 So it is important that we continue 6 to focus in every way that we possibly can. 7 But one of the problems continues to 8 exist. There may be shelters for battered 9 spouses in the major urban areas. It may be 50 10 miles away. But in a small town 50 miles 11 across the state, there will be no shelter, the 12 victims won't want to leave, they will be 13 afraid, they won't know where to go or what to 14 do. 15 We've got to develop transportation 16 systems and mechanisms that make sure that 17 victims across America are served regardless of 18 where they are. 19 The same would apply, for example, in 20 child abuse investigations. 21 I was fortunate as a prosecutor to 22 have a great urban public hospital right at my 13 1 back door, so that when a child came in with an 2 injury of unknown origin and someone said, 3 "Well, he fell out of bed," I had the best 4 pediatric forensic specialist who could say, 5 "That break was not caused by falling out of 6 bed. That break was caused by a sharp blow 7 with a blunt object." 8 It is so difficult if you're 100 9 miles away or 150 miles away from that type of 10 expertise. And we would like to work with you 11 in developing better mechanisms through 12 tele-medicine and other means of using modern 13 technology to make sure that that expertise is 14 brought to the more -- the smaller areas across 15 America. 16 If we work together, if have the 17 benefit of your suggestions, if we understand 18 your needs and resources better, it can make a 19 difference. 20 And, thus, I would ask you, don't 21 just sit there and fume at Washington and say, 22 "Hmm, they're not listening." 14 1 Here's somebody that's listening. 2 And if you have suggestions about the 3 Department of Justice can do to be more 4 responsive, let me know. 5 It's Department of Justice, 10th and 6 Constitution, 20530. 7 You say, "I don't think you really 8 get all your mail." 9 I don't get all my mail. But I'm 10 very -- I try very hard to make sure that I 11 hear from community leaders across this Nation, 12 wherever they are; remembering that you know 13 your needs and resources better than I do, and 14 I need to support you in every way that I can. 15 (Applause) 16 I remember that little town of South 17 Miami -- how the teachers related to the gas 18 station man and how everybody related to Coach 19 Turiffio (phonetic), our coach who everybody 20 loved; how it was truly a community. 21 And I have been committed to doing 22 everything I can to use the Department of 15 1 Justice in the right way to help rebuild 2 community; and to help, in instances where 3 children and families are at risk, to reweave 4 the fabric of community around those at risk. 5 I recently heard from Dyersburg, 6 Tennessee. I hadn't yet known that I was 7 coming here. And when I got the news that I 8 would be here, I thought: I'm glad to be able 9 to report on something that we're doing right 10 and hopefully suggest that it might serve as a 11 model. 12 Dyersburg, Tennessee, is a town of 13 about 40,000, located in the south central part 14 of the state. 15 Three years ago, the Dyersburg Police 16 Department began an aggressive 17 community-oriented policing strategy to address 18 high-crime activity in and around the city 19 public housing area. Gang activity was a 20 particular problem. 21 As a result of that strategy, calls 22 for services were ultimately reduced, and 16 1 pedestrians felt free to walk in areas that had 2 previously been the scenes of gun violence. 3 But according to the Dyersburg Police 4 Department, the police did not achieve the 5 results on their own. They did it in 6 partnership with the whole community, working 7 together through a community-oriented police 8 steering committee that is made up of citizens 9 of Dyersburg. 10 Spurred by their success in community 11 policing, Dyersburg leaders decided to seek a 12 Department of Justice designation as an 13 officially recognized Weed and Seed site. 14 As many of you know, Operation Weed 15 and Seed is a key Department of Justice 16 community-based public safety effort. The 17 Republicans started it, the Democrats have 18 carried it on. It's a good bipartisan program 19 and shows you that we should be fighting crime 20 not with partisan politics, but with common 21 sense of people working together. 22 (Applause) 17 1 Weed and Seed is neighborhood-focused 2 and seeks to address public safety issues in a 3 balanced way that includes appropriately 4 aggressive crime suppression efforts that are 5 anchored in community policing. But it also 6 includes the development of crime prevention 7 activities that can positively engage youth in 8 their after-school hours. And it focuses on 9 building economically viable and healthy 10 communities. 11 Dyersburg was designated as an 12 officially recognized Weed and Seed site 13 earlier this year. And the people of that 14 community have continued to do wonderful things 15 with that designation. 16 A police substation has been opened 17 in each of the two Weed and Seed neighborhoods. 18 When gang members burned down one of the sites 19 while it was under construction, the community 20 banded together to rebuild it. 21 Other important efforts are also 22 under way as part of this project. 18 1 Weed and Seed in Dyersburg is working 2 closely with the city's Habitat for Humanity 3 affiliate to build new homes in one of the Weed 4 and Seed neighborhoods. 5 Weed and Seed leaders are working 6 with church leaders and educators to make GED 7 courses available for neighborhood residents. 8 And they are using the substation as the place 9 to get the training. 10 The Weed and Seed also serves as the 11 focal through which children and youth programs 12 are coordinated -- such as, for example, 13 something as simple as taking the children not 14 too far away to the zoo in Memphis, something 15 that kids in that area might not otherwise ever 16 have the opportunity to do. 17 There is so much that we can do if we 18 work together. 19 Large cities such as Boston are 20 finding the same to be true. And we're going 21 to be putting out a booklet shortly, just 22 analyzing what one city can do when it starts 19 1 identifying what it can do if it brings schools 2 and parks and recreation and police and the 3 churches and interested citizens and neighbors 4 together in one coordinated effort. 5 If we get coordinated, what should we 6 be trying to do? 7 I think raising children is the 8 single most difficult thing I know to do. In 9 1984, a friend died leaving me as the legal 10 guardian of her 15-year-old twins, a boy and a 11 girl. The girl was in love. And I've learned 12 an awful lot about raising children in the last 13 12 years. 14 (Laughter) 15 It takes hard work, intelligence, a 16 lot of love, and an awful lot of luck. But it 17 is one of the most rewarding experiences in the 18 world. 19 And I've applied some of the 20 knowledge I've gained. If you're firm and fair 21 and let them know you love them, it's going to 22 be okay. If you're not firm and give a little 20 1 bit, they're going to take a mile. 2 If they don't know that you love them 3 after you've punished them, they're going to be 4 angrier. 5 And we should be about raising our 6 children in the same way, to deal with the 7 problem of youth violence, which has been one 8 of the major issues of this country in the last 9 10 years. 10 We should make sure that we have 11 strong and able parents. Developing parenting 12 skills courses in schools might be one way to 13 do it, or working with churches to do the same. 14 Those first three years of life are 15 the most formative time in a child's or a 16 persons's life. That's when the concept of 17 reward and punishment and a conscience is 18 developed. 19 Fifty percent of all learned human 20 response is learned in the first year of life. 21 Communities banning together to make 22 sure that our children have appropriate child 21 1 care can make such a difference. 2 But even in our towns, there are too 3 many children adrift, alone, and unsupervised 4 in the hours -- afternoons -- after school, 5 oftentimes in the evening, as parents are 6 struggling to work to make ends meet. 7 We've got to make sure that we 8 coordinate our communities and utilize our 9 resources to provide a fabric of support for 10 our children, to make sure they have good solid 11 "educare," that they come to schools that are 12 pretty wonderful. 13 I remember the names of all my 14 teachers, and it is so wonderful when I get a 15 note from one of them that says, "Attagirl, 16 Janet." 17 I can still remember them encouraging 18 me along the way. Now their daughters and 19 granddaughters are all becoming doctors and 20 lawyers. I think it's high time we remind the 21 world of how important our teachers are. 22 There is something wrong with the 22 1 Nation that pays its football players in the 2 six-digit figures and pays its school teachers 3 what we pay them. 4 (Applause) 5 But if we have the best schools in 6 the world and support from citizens and from 7 parents, we have got to, then, make sure that 8 there's something for our children to do 9 afternoons and in the evenings. And it is 10 exciting to see what communities are doing to 11 develop volunteer programs. 12 I just got a clipping from my 13 hometown newspaper about police officers who 14 were taking kids at risk under their wing and 15 providing opportunities for them on weekends 16 and afternoons. Each one of us can make a 17 difference. 18 I am convinced that if we provide a 19 mentor for a young man or woman at risk with 20 whom they can relate, we can make a difference, 21 a mentor who can ensure supervision and 22 somebody to talk to and a pat on the back when 23 1 it's deserved. 2 If we teach our young people how to 3 resolve conflicts without knives and guns and 4 fists, we can make a difference. 5 I have been participating, as part of 6 a pro bono program, in a citizens dispute in a 7 school dispute settlement program where 8 teachers are learning how to settle disputes 9 amongst kids. 10 It is so exciting to see how this can 11 be a learned skill, how the light bulb just 12 goes on in a person's face when they say, "Oh, 13 I hadn't thought of that. Yeah, I could try 14 that, and I bet I could have resolved that 15 problem." 16 Truancy prevention is such an 17 important effort. For that police officer in 18 your town who picks up the kid, what's he going 19 to do with him if the parents are working? How 20 do we work together? 21 We have tried to reach out to the 22 Department of Education, the Department of 24 1 Health and Human Services, and, in a 2 partnership between the three agencies, provide 3 an information system that can let you know 4 what to do and who to call to find out about 5 truancy prevention programs, mentoring 6 programs, conflict resolution programs. 7 The number is 202-307-5911 -- 8 202-307-5911. They might have other 9 information that can help you, too. And if we 10 back up -- I told them that giving out the 11 phone number, I would make sure that we tried 12 to be as responsive as possible. 13 If we are not responsive, I want to 14 know about it. 15 Because I am firmly convinced that if 16 we look at this not as a bureaucracy, not as 17 just a series of programs, but people working 18 with people across this Nation, with us 19 providing you with whatever expertise we have, 20 and you putting it to good use in the community 21 you know, we can truly, truly make a 22 difference. 25 1 I have been Attorney General for a 2 little over three and a half years. It has 3 been one of the most extraordinary challenges 4 that anybody could have and one of the most 5 wonderful opportunities to serve this Nation. 6 I have visited small towns, and I've 7 walked down the streets of huge cites. I've 8 seen America at its very best. And I've seen 9 America in its most trying times. 10 I have never, ever believed so deeply 11 in this Nation's ability to forge a strong and 12 positive future for our children. 13 I think it was best seen in Oklahoma 14 City following the tragedy of April the 19th, 15 1995. I went there with the President the 16 Sunday after and watched the people of Oklahoma 17 City come together with people from around the 18 Nation who had come to help. 19 They came together to speak out 20 against the violence that had spawned that 21 blast from hell. They came together to help 22 survivors and victims begin to heal. They came 26 1 together to support law enforcement every step 2 of the way, in its effort to hold people 3 accountable the right way. And it came 4 together to speak out for this Nation. 5 I've gone back to Oklahoma City 6 twice, and the spirit is still as strong. 7 Victims and survivors have come to 8 visit me in the Department of Justice, and 9 their spirit is still as strong. 10 That spirit that I have seen so 11 consistently in Oklahoma and around this 12 Nation, as I have talked to people who went to 13 help out there, is the spirit that made this 14 Nation great. 15 It is a spirit reflective of towns 16 and cities, of farms and suburban areas. It is 17 a spirit of people who care and can reach out 18 to join together to give this nation a strong 19 and positive tomorrow. 20 Thank you for all that you do to make 21 a difference. 22 (Applause) 27 1 (Whereupon, the speech of 2 ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET F. RENO 3 was concluded.) 4 * * * * * 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22