09.21.07
Senate passes long-awaited bill strengthening prosecution of gangs and delivers resources to communities plagued by gang violence
Cantwell Applauds Final Passage of Comprehensive Anti-Gang Legislation
Senate passes long-awaited bill strengthening prosecution of gangs and delivers resources to communities plagued by gang violence
WASHINGTON, DC – Friday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded Senate passage of comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to combat violent gangs, reduce gang-related crime, and cut gang membership. The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act would authorize more than $1 billion over the next five years to identify and assist areas especially prone to gang violence, target at-risk youth for gang intervention and prevention initiatives, improve the coordination of anti-gang efforts, and deliver more resources to law enforcement agencies. It would also establish new criminal gang offenses and strengthen the punishments for existing crimes. Now the House must act to pass the legislation.
“This bill is long overdue and will address a growing problem in Washington state and in communities across the nation,” said Cantwell. “Our law enforcement officers need more help to keep gang violence off the streets. I urge the House to act quickly to get this critical bill to the president’s desk so law enforcement can have the tools they need.”
The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Cantwell, would help confront gang violence in communities across Washington state and the country, including communities like Spokane, Yakima, and Tacoma that have experienced a recent rise in gang violence. Cantwell cosponsored similar legislation during the 109th Congress, and is backing the updated legislation introduced Wednesday during the 110th Congress. The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act is endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations.
In February, Cantwell met with law enforcement and community leaders in Vancouver, Kelso, Everett, Spokane, and Seattle to examine increasing gang violence and meth-related crimes.
The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act would:
- Make recruiting minors to join criminal street gangs a federal crime carrying mandatory prison time.
- Make illegal participation in a criminal street gang a federal crime.
- Criminalize violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of criminal street gangs.
- Increase the maximum sentences for many gang-related offenses and establish new mandatory minimum sentences.
- Make murder and other violent crimes committed in connection with drug trafficking a new federal crime.
- Allow for the prosecution of gang members who cross state lines to obstruct justice, or intimidate or retaliate against witnesses, jurors, informants, or victims.
- Create tougher laws for certain federal crimes like carjacking, conspiracy, interstate assault, and other existing offenses in which gang members may be involved.
- Increase penalties for the criminal use of firearms in crimes of violence and drug trafficking
- Increase penalties for illegal aliens who engage in certain violent and drug trafficking crimes
- Allow for the detention of individuals charged with firearms offenses who have been previously convicted of violent crimes or serious drug offenses. Current law does not allow a prosecutor to ask that a person be held without bail in many of these cases.
- Extend from five to 10 years the time within which a violent crime case can be charged and tried.
- Allow prosecutors to more easily charge as adults 16- and 17-year olds suspected of serious violent felonies. However, unless the juvenile in question has been prosecuted previously as an adult, a judge would still review every decision a prosecutor makes to charge the juvenile as an adult.
- Create and provide assistance for High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas (HIIGAA). Specifically, the Attorney General would designate high intensity interstate gang activity areas and provide assistance in the form of criminal street gang enforcement teams made up of local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal street gangs in the designated areas.
- Authorize $500 million over five years to support HIIGAA activities, including the establishment of a National Gang Activity Database, hiring of new prosecutors and agents, and promotion of gang activity prevention efforts.
- Establish a national clearinghouse to collect and disseminate “best practices” for fighting gangs.
- Authorize an additional $270 million over three years for witness protection needs at all levels of government.
- Authorize $100 million over five years to expand the Project Safe Neighborhood program and require U.S. Attorneys to identify and prosecute significant gangs within their district.
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WASHINGTON, DC – Friday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded Senate passage of comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to combat violent gangs, reduce gang-related crime, and cut gang membership. The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act would authorize more than $1 billion over the next five years to identify and assist areas especially prone to gang violence, target at-risk youth for gang intervention and prevention initiatives, improve the coordination of anti-gang efforts, and deliver more resources to law enforcement agencies. It would also establish new criminal gang offenses and strengthen the punishments for existing crimes. Now the House must act to pass the legislation.
“This bill is long overdue and will address a growing problem in Washington state and in communities across the nation,” said Cantwell. “Our law enforcement officers need more help to keep gang violence off the streets. I urge the House to act quickly to get this critical bill to the president’s desk so law enforcement can have the tools they need.”
The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act, introduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and co-sponsored by Cantwell, would help confront gang violence in communities across Washington state and the country, including communities like Spokane, Yakima, and Tacoma that have experienced a recent rise in gang violence. Cantwell cosponsored similar legislation during the 109th Congress, and is backing the updated legislation introduced Wednesday during the 110th Congress. The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act is endorsed by the National Association of Police Organizations.
In February, Cantwell met with law enforcement and community leaders in Vancouver, Kelso, Everett, Spokane, and Seattle to examine increasing gang violence and meth-related crimes.
The Gang Abatement and Prevention Act would:
- Make recruiting minors to join criminal street gangs a federal crime carrying mandatory prison time.
- Make illegal participation in a criminal street gang a federal crime.
- Criminalize violent crimes in furtherance or in aid of criminal street gangs.
- Increase the maximum sentences for many gang-related offenses and establish new mandatory minimum sentences.
- Make murder and other violent crimes committed in connection with drug trafficking a new federal crime.
- Allow for the prosecution of gang members who cross state lines to obstruct justice, or intimidate or retaliate against witnesses, jurors, informants, or victims.
- Create tougher laws for certain federal crimes like carjacking, conspiracy, interstate assault, and other existing offenses in which gang members may be involved.
- Increase penalties for the criminal use of firearms in crimes of violence and drug trafficking
- Increase penalties for illegal aliens who engage in certain violent and drug trafficking crimes
- Allow for the detention of individuals charged with firearms offenses who have been previously convicted of violent crimes or serious drug offenses. Current law does not allow a prosecutor to ask that a person be held without bail in many of these cases.
- Extend from five to 10 years the time within which a violent crime case can be charged and tried.
- Allow prosecutors to more easily charge as adults 16- and 17-year olds suspected of serious violent felonies. However, unless the juvenile in question has been prosecuted previously as an adult, a judge would still review every decision a prosecutor makes to charge the juvenile as an adult.
- Create and provide assistance for High Intensity Interstate Gang Activity Areas (HIIGAA). Specifically, the Attorney General would designate high intensity interstate gang activity areas and provide assistance in the form of criminal street gang enforcement teams made up of local, state, and federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal street gangs in the designated areas.
- Authorize $500 million over five years to support HIIGAA activities, including the establishment of a National Gang Activity Database, hiring of new prosecutors and agents, and promotion of gang activity prevention efforts.
- Establish a national clearinghouse to collect and disseminate “best practices” for fighting gangs.
- Authorize an additional $270 million over three years for witness protection needs at all levels of government.
- Authorize $100 million over five years to expand the Project Safe Neighborhood program and require U.S. Attorneys to identify and prosecute significant gangs within their district.
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