Violent Crime on the Rise, Federal Assistance on the Decline

Making News

Republicans Back War Opponent in Rhode Island Primary ()

Control of Congress is at stake in November's general elections and today there are primary contests for the House and the Senate all over the country. Despite the potential consequences, Republicans and Democrats are proclaiming their independence from excessive partisanship.

Guests:

• John Mercurio: Senior Editor, The Hotline

Main Topic

Violent Crime on the Rise, Federal Assistance on the Decline ()

After the cocaine wars of the 1990's, violent crime declined dramatically in most of America, but it's on the rise once again--especially crime that involves guns.  At the same time, federal money that once went to fight crime is being channeled into homeland security, which has a different set of priorities. Late last month, local elected officials and chiefs of police aired their concerns about that trade-off at the National Violent Crime Summit.  Whatever happened to former President Clinton's program for putting 100,000 new officers on the streets?  Why is Congress making it harder to trace guns used in crimes by kids as young as 13? We hear what civic leaders and law enforcement leaders are asking the federal Department of Justice.

Guests:

• Chuck Wexler: Executive Director of the Police Executive Research Forum
• Doug Palmer: Mayor of Trenton, New Jersey
• William Bratton: Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department
• David Muhlhausen: Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation
• Darrel Stevens: Chief of tje Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
• Christopher Stone: Professor of Criminal Justice at Harvard University

Links:

• Criminal victimization, 2005, Department of Justice report on
• Center for Policing Terrorism, Manhattan Institute on

Reporter's Notebook

European Reaction to US Sanctioning of CIA Prisons ()

News reports about secret CIA prisons caused outrage in Europe a year ago. Last week, in a public speech, President Bush acknowledged their existence when he said that prisoners, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, had been transferred to Guantánamo Bay.  How did that go down with America's allies?

Guests:

• Constance Stelzenmuller: Director of the Berlin Office of the German Marshall Fund

Links:

• Extraordinary Rendition, Department of Justice on