Beau Biden Outlines Plan to Reduce Violent Crime

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

(Delaware Democratic Party)

Wilmington, DE — On release of new statistics showing Delaware’s jump from ninth most violent state in the country to sixth, Democratic candidate for Attorney General Beau Biden today detailed an innovative approach to reducing Delaware’s violent crime rate, marshaling federal and state resources.

“Delaware currently has the 6th highest crime rate in the country, and the next Attorney General has an obligation to stem the tide of violence,” Biden said. “The steps I’ve presented today are tried and tested – the type of initiatives that should have been implemented years ago – and on the first day I take office, we will put them in place here, and finally take control of the spiraling crime rate in our state.”

The first initiative Biden highlighted is joining HIDTA (High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas), a federally-funded program aimed at tracking the drug trade and apprehending criminals before they hit the streets of Wilmington, Dover or Georgetown. As Attorney General, Biden would dedicate resources to coordinating information on out-of-state criminals, and disburse it to the relevant police agencies across the state.

And second, Biden will take the lead to help coordinate a Rapid Response Team that can be dispatched to the scene of murders or drug-related shootings immediately after they occur. That means expanding the circle of responders to include police, prosecutors, probation and parole officers, state agencies such as the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services or the State Mental Hospital and victim services groups. This approach has worked effectively on the federal level, and would send a message to criminals that there is no daylight between the time of the crime, apprehension, prosecution and punishment.

“At this point in time, with Delaware’s crime problem getting worse, the last thing we need is the status quo,” Biden said. “We need to implement ideas that work – ideas from the federal government, from other states, from across the country – and we also need to refocus on the fundamentals of law enforcement. That means enforcing gun laws and prosecuting gun cases. It means facilitating coordination in responding to crime. And it means seeing the strife and despair associated with having the 6th highest crime rate in the country as a reason to act, rather than a badge of honor. Under my opponent’s watch, Delaware went from twelfth in the nation in terms of violent crimes to sixth. I shudder to think where we’d be after another eight years with him at the Attorney General’s office.”