McCain, Obama Pledge Money from Washington to Fight Crime

Last week, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) released a scathing report that the country is spending too much on anti-terror initiatives and not enough on anti-crime initiatives. Now presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are both pledging money to fight crime.

The Associated Press’ Eileen Sullivan says both McCain and Obama are “promising federal dollars to help local governments fight crime and a review panel to examine the nation's crime-fighting priorities.”

Democrat Obama would increase federal spending on programs popular with local law enforcement to put more cops on the beat and hire additional officers, Sullivan says. He also promised to restore funding to the popular Community Oriented Policing Services, commonly called COPS, and Byrne Justice Assistance grants, which local departments use to hire officers.

Republican McCain supports prison re-entry programs, and promised to “restore credibility” to the existing grant programs, get rid of earmarks and give funding to the communities that need it — a similar approach to what is being done in the current administration when distributing homeland security grants. McCain would also work to improve the economy and unemployment rate as a way to reduce crime.

Both candidates said fighting illegal immigration is a federal responsibility.