Anti-Crime Package Approved by House

WASHINGTON — The House overwhelmingly approved a package of Democratic-sponsored anti-crime bills Wednesday amid complaints from Republicans that it excluded certain tough-on-crime measures, notably expansion of the death penalty, mandatory minimum sentences and prison-construction funds.

A highlight of the $4.6-billion package is a provision authorizing $3.4 billion in grants to help cities bolster police patrols by hiring 50,000 police officers over the next six years.

Because the measure does not specify how the grants to cities would be financed, however, Republicans characterized it as “an empty promise” and “a major disservice” to the public.

But Democrats said that the legislation represented a down payment on President Clinton’s plan to put 100,000 additional police officers on the street, pointing out that the Administration hopes to finance the crime package through a year-end round of spending cuts.

Los Angeles is expected to be high on a list to obtain such funds. An amendment proposed last week by Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Los Angeles) sought to spell out the criteria to be used in doling out the funds: a high crime rate, a low officer-to-population ratio, a large enforcement area and high unemployment--all of which would apply to Los Angeles.

While the amendment was not made part of the package, the criteria were included in a report approved by the committee.

Mayor Richard Riordan, who promised during his campaign to add 3,000 officers to the Los Angeles Police Department, visited Washington last month to lobby the President and key House members on crime legislation.

The package considered by the House Wednesday contained five separate crime bills. Four were approved by more than the two-thirds margin required under fast-track rules. The fifth measure, which would have provided alternative punishments for youthful offenders, was supported by a simple majority but went down to defeat because it failed to get the necessary two-thirds vote.

The fifth bill would have funded state and local experiments with measures like “boot camps” and weekend incarceration for convicted gang members. But opponents portrayed it as too-soft-hearted in an era of gang violence.

Among the bills approved were one to authorize federal grants for drug prevention and education programs for potential gang members and two others to provide drug-abuse treatment for federal and state prisoners.

Rep. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Judiciary panel’s subcommittee on crime, promised opponents of the package that his subcommittee would consider a death-penalty extension bill next year, as well as funds for more prison construction.

Schumer also said that he would push for committee action this week on the so-called Brady bill, which would require a five-day waiting period for buyers of handguns while police run background checks for criminal records or evidence of mental illness.

Times staff writer James Bornemeier contributed to this story.