Clinton Pushes Crime Bill, Citing L.A. Success

President Clinton, speaking to a group of mayors, Friday used the drop-off in criminal arrests in heavily patrolled post-quake Los Angeles as his latest argument for passage of the federal crime bill, which would put 100,000 more police officers on the street.

In the days following the quake, “the actual patrol was tripled and crime in Los Angeles dropped so much that there were just 50 arrests per day in the whole huge city,” Clinton told the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors here.

That was “one-tenth--I’ll say again--one-tenth the normal number of arrests on any given day,” Clinton said. “I want to ask each of you here today, therefore, to help us to pass this crime bill.”

Citing a letter of support for the plan from eight mayors, including Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, Clinton urged the mayors to return to Washington “to work for the next 60 days walking the beat in the halls of Congress. . . . You can be the community police for your cities here.”

The Los Angeles Police Department, citing public cooperation and the effect of increased patrols, last week reported that arrests fell to 73 people in the 24 hours after the quake struck. The statistic appeared to buttress Clinton’s call for his crime bill--and also the LAPD’s argument that it needs to increase the size of its force.

Clinton’s crime package also would provide funds for the construction of more prisons and the establishment of military-style boot camps for young offenders and give life sentences for those convicted of a third felony.

The omnibus crime bill has passed the Senate but has not been voted on in the House, where its future is uncertain.

Although the meeting demonstrated the support of many mayors for the Clinton crime package, many also argued for even more federal spending to combat crime in their localities.

Last month, they presented Clinton with an anti-crime plan. One key element would allow cities to use federal law enforcement funds not only for hiring extra police officers but for overtime, training and equipment for veteran officers.

Clinton also traveled by helicopter to Piney Point, Md., to speak to about 110 House Democrats who were participating in an annual issues conference. The Democrats were plotting strategies for a full legislative agenda that includes health care reform, welfare reform, passage of a major anti-crime package and campaign finance reform. The event was closed to the media.