Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott (D-3rd) along with Mike Castle (R-Del.) introduced legislation in February that aims to curtail crime by focusing on prevention. According to The Hill’s Lauren Victoria Burke, the legislation is picking up steam:
The bill … has 204 co-sponsors, including 16 Republicans. Ninety lawmakers have backed the bill since June 1.
The bill seeks to fund evidence- and research-based crime-prevention programs and would allocate $1.2 billion over five years to bring together law enforcement, schools and community organizations in an effort to prevent gang crime. The focus on prevention rather than the traditional “three-strikes-and-you’re-out” approach would represent a dramatic shift in dealing with crime and the costs associated with it.
Companion legislation introduced in the upper chamber by Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) has eight co-sponsors.
In the House, the Republican supporters include Reps. Steven LaTourette (Ohio), Chris Smith (N.J.), Brian Bilbray (Calif.), Tim Murphy, (Pa.), Sue Myrick (N.C.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Mark Souder (Ind.), Todd Platts (Pa.), Randy Forbes (Va.) and Walter Jones (N.C.).
And you can count among the co-sponsors Republican Rep. Rob Wittman, who announced his support in this tweet a couple of days ago.
Crime is neither Democratic nor Republican. It is good to see that some of the 435 recognize that.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Hi Vivian,
Just to drop a note here, since you asked this question before.
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Hailin
Excellent
I’ve got an idea that will immediately decrease crime in Norfolk and stimulate the economy. Hire one full time city employee whose sole job is to organize competitive athletic tournaments at city parks. Solicit sponsors to cover all costs, charge a small entry fee, provide food and entertainment, and the city will take kids off the street, give them self esteem and something to look forward too, and it will even turn a small profit for the city.
I just finished reading the bill.
When bills such as this come along, we must ask not only whether it is a good idea, but whether it is constitutional. The only possible power given to Congress in the Constitution that would cover this is the General Welfare clause: “The Congress shall have Power To… provide for the… general Welfare of the United States.”
The thing is, all of the programs that the grants would pay for (and 25% still has to come from the “community”) can be done by the States. All the federal government would do is add a layer of bureaucracy and waste. And since those grants would benefit those places to which the grants are given, it is a real stretch to say any would qualify as “general welfare of the United States.”
The best part of the bill, and that which is constitutional, is Title III — PROMISE Research Centers. Those would do the research on which the youth-benefit programs would be based.
Aside from that, the bill exceed the authority given to Congress by the Constitution. These grants should be limited to DC and the Indian Tribes. The rest of us can do all these things without our tax money getting filtered through the federal bureaucracy for no benefit.
Dang, messed up the tags.
Think I fixed it.
Thanks!
Prevention programs are great. However, when we talk about focusing on them INSTEAD of capturing, prosecuting and punishing those who actually committ crimes, that’s the wrong approach. We need to have prevention IN ADDITION to enforcement. If we can stop crimes before they happen and turn people away from live of crime that’s fabulous, but we have to deal with the real world we live in as well.