John Kerry, March 18, 2003
John Kerry is a former prosecutor for one of the country’s largest counties. He personally prosecuted armed robbers, rapists and mob bosses. He learned firsthand the importance of putting resources in the community so that tough laws lead to arrests and convictions. In the United States Senate, he was an early advocate of laws that cracked down on international drug dealers and money laundering and he wrote the Community Oriented Policing System Act which dedicated federal resources to hiring and deploying thousands of cops-on-the-beat throughout the country. Kerry has continued the fight to providing real Homeland Security.
Standing with Law Enforcement to Keep New Hampshire Safe
Concord, NH – On December 9th, John Kerry joined law enforcement officers and New Hampshire residents to outline his proposals to reduce crime and keep communities safe.
“We can do better – if we put public safety ahead of powerful interests. As President, I will fight to preserve and strengthen the assault weapons ban. One in five law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty is killed with an assault weapon. The police officers who put their lives on the line every day should not be outgunned by criminals armed with weapons of war. We need to stand with them – and stand up to the NRA. I’ve done that throughout my career – and I’ll do it again as President."
Kerry Stands Up to NRA's Divisive Agenda in Letter to Blacklisted Americans
Democratic candidate for President John Kerry wrote a letter to the hundreds of individuals, celebrities, authors, religious organizations, and businesses blacklisted by the NRA, to join him in standing up to the divisive agenda of the gun lobby and standing up for gun safety.
MoreSign the Stop the NRA Petition
Priorities
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Support and Continue COPS Program |
John Kerry has been a leading supporter of the Community Oriented Policing program (COPS) and offered the amendment to expand the program to place 100,000 police officers in community policing assignments. He also supported the Police Corps program, which provides scholarships to students who earn their bachelor’s degrees, complete training, and serve for four years on patrol with law enforcement agencies in areas of great need. |
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Guaranteeing Homeland Security |
John Kerry has issued a detailed proposal for a new strategic direction in homeland security that includes:
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Increased Gun Safety |
John Kerry is a gun owner and hunter, and he believes that law-abiding American adults have the right to own guns. But like all of our rights, gun rights come with responsibilities, and those rights allow for reasonable restrictions to keep guns out of the wrong hands. John Kerry strongly supports all of the federal gun laws on the books, and he would take steps to ensure that they are vigorously enforced, cracking down hard on the gun runners, corrupt dealers, straw buyers, and thieves that are putting guns into the hands of criminals in the first place. He will also close the gun show loophole, which is allowing criminals to get access to guns at gun shows without background checks, fix the background check system, which is in a serious state of disrepair, and require that all handguns be sold with a child safety lock. |
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Fighting Illegal Drugs |
In order to deal with the problem of illegal drugs in this country, efforts must be focused on keeping drugs out of the country and our communities, as well as reducing demand for illegal drugs. John Kerry supports aggressively targeting traffickers and dealers, as well as making a commitment to sufficiently fund drug prevention and treatment programs. |
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Fight Violent Crime Against Women |
John Kerry was an original cosponsor of the Violence Against Women Act, which has provided over $1 billion for battered women's shelters, hotlines, and other crucial resources. The Violence Against Women Act also significantly strengthened federal law by including several new federal crimes and enhanced penalties for acts of domestic violence. John Kerry will take this commitment to the White House and support those working to help crime victims and put attackers behind bars. |
