CRIME: Statement - 10/9/92 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 9, 1992 GEORGE BUSH: MORE EMPTY PROMISES ON CRIME [Statement by Bob Boorstin, Deputy Communications Director] One week after he helped to defeat crime legislation supported by major law enforcement organizations throughout the country, George Bush had the nerve to claim he was tough on crime. More than three quarters of the police officers killed in the line of duty last year were murdered with handguns, but George Bush won't help pass the Brady Bill. George Bush says he supports "the brave men and women who wear the blue," but he has denied local law enforcement the resources needed to fight crime. In fact, just last week, Dewey Stokes, the National Fraternal Order of Police's (FOP) President, said, "You've taken away our bread and butter, you took away the crime bill because you wouldn't stand up to the NRA. You're not fooling me." George Bush has done more to fight the crime bill in Congress than he has to fight crime in the streets. He's proposed cutting funds for local law enforcement, and he's refused to sign crime legislation that would more than triple funds for community policing and increase resources for victims' programs. Bill Clinton has a plan to dramatically expand community policing and put 100,000 more police on our streets. He'll sign the Brady Bill to give local law enforcement a chance to run criminal background checks, and he'll ban military-style assault weapons so that our criminals are not better armed than our police. And despite the President's charges, Bill Clinton has and will continue to carry out the death penalty for the murder of a law enforcement official. Last week, George Bush had an opportunity to pass a crime bill and do something for the American people. But he didn't. Even the FOP's President, Dewey Stokes, stood up to George Bush and said, "Support us. Give us at least the Brady Bill." But George Bush didn't. Today, all we got was just another empty promise from the photo-op President. - 30 -