Party lines define anti-crime initiatives

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By Ben Conery

In an election characterized by calls for change, both major presidential candidates have plans for addressing crime that hew to traditional party lines.

The centerpiece of Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama's plan is a program that was a favorite of the Clinton administration, while Republican nominee Sen. John McCain's has emphasized tough laws and border security.

"They sort of complement each other," said Maria Haberfeld, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "I think if you could merge both policies, it would be wonderful."

National crime statistics have remained relatively steady during the past decade, though some analysts say that doesn't account for large increases in certain cities and among certain groups, such as the nearly 40 percent increase during the past five years of young black men who fell victim to homicide.

Willard M. Oliver, a criminal justice professor at Sam Houston State University, said crime has been given scant notice in this year's campaign, which has been dominated by talk of the troubled economy.

But the two issues may become related as a sagging economy is one of the factors typically associated with increased crime.

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"We need about another year for the economy to continue going down, or being sour, before crime goes up fairly dramatically," Mr. Oliver said.

Mr. Obama's plan calls for reinvigorating the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which uses federal money to hire state and local police officers. The program began under President Clinton and is credited with playing a significant role in the dramatic decreases in crime during the 1990s.

Critics say the program is more pork than policy and has been cut extensively during the Bush administration.