Clinton Cites Slain Police in Talk on Crime : Legislation: Paying tribute to murdered LAPD officer, President says Congress should pass sweeping proposal. It is stalled in the House.

President Clinton paid tribute Saturday to Christy Lynne Hamilton, an LAPD officer killed during her first week on the job, saying her death and those of other police officers are evidence that “we need a new crime bill that is both tough and smart.”

Clinton made his comments during his weekly radio address, which he delivered from a Washington police district office near the site where another officer, 25-year-old Jason White, was killed in the line of duty two months ago.

The President noted that Hamilton had put off her dream of becoming a police officer until after she raised her two children.

“She was 45 years old when she earned her badge in Los Angeles just last week,” Clinton said. “She said then the only thing she was afraid of was not doing a good job. No one else thought that was a possibility. She was voted the most inspirational person in her police academy class.”

Hamilton was shot to death last Tuesday--four days after completing her training--by a 17-year-old who had killed his father earlier during an argument over loud music. The youth opened fire on police as they arrived at the scene.

White, a three-year veteran of the Washington police force, was shot six times point-blank as he attempted to question a suspect.

Their deaths, Clinton said, should spur Congress to complete action on a sweeping anti-crime bill that would put 100,000 more officers on the street, ban assault weapons, broaden the use of the death penalty and impose tougher sentencing on repeat offenders.

The bill has been passed by the Senate but is stalled in the House.

“These brave officers and their other fallen comrades across our nation left behind people who loved them, respected them and looked up to them,” Clinton said. “For them, their relatives, their friends, their co-workers, for all the people in this country who deserve protection, Congress must move to make our streets, our schools and our workplaces safer.”

Clinton noted that the handgun-control measure known as the Brady bill goes into effect on Monday, and he contended that it will prevent “thousands of handgun murders.” The measure will require handgun purchasers to undergo background checks and a five-day waiting period.

But in the GOP response to Clinton’s address, Idaho Sen. Larry E. Craig accused congressional Democrats of putting too much emphasis on gun control and not enough on putting away criminals.

“Some people, including our President, want to make gun control the main, if not the sole focus of crime legislation. And that’s too bad, because all the gun control laws in the world won’t prevent violent criminals from having and using them,” Craig said.

“It pains me to say it, but many members of the President’s party are resisting tough measures this nation needs to put away the repeat offenders who commit violent crimes,” he said. “Rather than taking a tough stand, many of them end up coddling the criminal.”