Hagan Discusses Plan To Combat Crime/Gang Violence

August 21, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. – State Senator and U.S. Senate Candidate Kay Hagan (D-Guilford) discussed her plan to keep North Carolina’s streets and schools safe today in Durham. The stop was part of her “Best Interests, Not the Special Interests” tour. Kay also announced endorsements from more than half of North Carolina’s 100 sheriffs, helping her to strengthen her grassroots campaign already in place across the state.

“Rising crime rates and gang activity are real problems across North Carolina and the country,” Kay said. “At the same time President Bush, aided and abetted by Elizabeth Dole, has worked to reduce and eliminate federal crime-fighting initiatives. Police officers and other law enforcement personnel are being tasked not only with fighting crime but with preventing threats of terrorism and the burden of illegal immigration. Why are we making it more difficult for our law enforcement personnel, and in turn, putting our communities at risk? I am proud that more than half of our state’s 100 sheriffs have chosen to endorse my candidacy. They are on the front line with other law enforcement professionals and deserve to have our commitment to their safety. These 53 sheriffs will help me expand my grassroots, localized campaign all throughout North Carolina. I look forward to working with them.”

Elizabeth Dole has voted with President Bush 92% of the time, and specifically with regards to keeping our streets and schools safe in North Carolina, Dole voted against nearly $7 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and other law enforcement programs. Elizabeth Dole voted against funding for first responders 25 times, and she’s opposed more than $1 billion for after-school programs to encourage children to stay off the streets.

In the state Senate, Kay allocated more than $1.3 billion for the Department of Juvenile Justice and delinquency prevention programs, and she was a steadfast supporter of after-school and anti-gang efforts, including the 2008 North Carolina Street Gang Suppression Act, which toughened punishments for gang involvement and violence.

Kay sought to increase penalties for sexual predators and voted to expand sex offender registries and require them to register their email addresses and online identifiers with the registry. Kay also wrote the law in North Carolina which cleared the backlog of rape kits that needed to be analyzed for DNA evidence.

Kay will combat crime and gang violence through a comprehensive approach, creating a strategic plan for fighting crime, disseminating the best ideas, funding the most effective programs and ensure law enforcement has the tools it needs.

Key points include:

FIGHTING GANGS:
• Promote after-school alternatives
• Increase penalties for gang-connected crimes
• Expand information sharing

FIGHTING FOR POLICE ON THE GROUND:
• Fully fund Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (supports multi-jurisdictional drug task forces)
• Fully fund Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)

KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE:
• Anti-bullying measures- increase frequency of reporting of bullying, encourage states to adopt policies combating bullying in their code of conduct
• Fight solicitation and impersonation of children online- register online aliases

WOMEN:
• Fully fund backlog of DNA testing
• Fully fund Violence Against Women Act

DRUGS:
• Reduce the disparity and racial bias in cocaine sentencing
• Fight methamphetamine production and distribution

REHAB AND PUNISHMENT:
• Increase federal funding for prisons
• Require a 40-hour work week for prisoners
• Fully fund bipartisan Second Chance Act to improve programs that help prisoners

PROTECTION
Kay’s full plan can be viewed at www.kayhagan.com.

Kay announced her support from sheriffs at a press conference in Durham with Durham County Sheriff Worth Hill and other area sheriffs.

“Kay is an aggressive, enthusiastic and dedicated leader committed to helping North Carolina,” said Durham County Sheriff Hill. “I am endorsing Kay because she’ll fight for the tools and resources we need to keep our communities safe. She fought for us in Raleigh, and will continue to do so when she is in the U.S. Senate in Washington.”

Friday, Kay will hold a press conference at the Mecklenburg County Historical Courthouse in Charlotte with Sheriff Chipp Bailey and several other sheriffs to discuss her Safer Streets and Schools initiative.

Following the press conference, Kay will address the North Carolina Correction Association in Asheboro.

The full list of sheriffs endorsing Kay for U.S. Senate is included below:

Alexander County: Hayden Bentley
Anson County: Tommy Allen
Ashe County: James Williams
Beaufort County: Alan Jordan
Bertie County: Greg Atkins
Bladen County: Steve Bunn
Burke County: John McDevitt
Buncombe County: Van Duncan
Caswell County: Michael Welch
Chatham County: Richard Webster
Cherokee County: Keith Lovin
Chowan County: Dwayne Goodwin
Clay County: Joe Shook
Cleveland County: Raymond Hamrick
Columbus County: Christopher Batten
Craven County: Jerry Monette
Cumberland County: Earl “Moose” Butler
Currituck County: Susan Johnson
Dare County: Rodney Midgett
Durham County: Worth Hill
Edgecombe County: James Knight
Franklin County: Pat Green
Gaston County: Alan Cloniger
Gates County: Edward Webb
Granville County: David Smith
Halifax County: Jeff Frazier
Hertford County: Juan Vaughan
Hoke County: Hubert Peterkin
Jackson County: Jimmy Ashe
Jones County: John Hall
Lincoln County: Timothy Daugherty
Madison County: John Ledford
Martin County: Dan Gibbs
Mecklenburg County: Chipp Bailey
Montgomery County: Jeff Jordan
Nash County: Dick Jenkins
New Hanover County: Sid Causey
Northampton County: Wardie Vincent
Orange County: Lindy Pendergrass
Pamlico County: Billy Sawyer
Pasquotank County: Randy Cartwright
Perquimans County: Eric Tilley
Person County: Dewey Jones
Pitt County: Mac Manning
Richmond County: Dale Furr
Robeson County: Kenneth Sealey
Rutherford County: Jack Conner
Scotland County: Shep Jones
Stanly County: Rick Burris
Surry County: Graham Atkinson
Vance County: Peter White
Warren County: Johnny Williams
Wilson County: Wayne Gay

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