John Kerry has always been tough on crime. As a prosecutor for one of America's largest counties, he prosecuted a murderer, a rapist and a mob boss. As an assistant District Attorney, he transformed one of the largest and most active District Attorney's offices in the nation into an efficient crime-fighting organization. He started a white-collar crime unit, a program for fast-tracking violent crimes to trial, and a victim's rights unit that was the first of its kind in Massachusetts and one of the first in the nation.

John Kerry and John Edwards know that more cops and tough laws lead to arrests, convictions and safer communities. They believe that the men and women who protect our communities every day should be a priority now, not later. And they also know - as police officers do - that we can prevent crime in the first place by creating opportunity and ensuring that those who do break the law are shown the way back to productive citizenship.

John Kerry and John Edwards will:

End The Cop Crunch

Today, too many of America's police officers find themselves with more responsibilities but fewer resources, as the Bush administration has worked to slash funding for the Federal COPS program by 90 percent. John Kerry and John Edwards believe that today more than ever, we need cops on the beat. As a senator, John Kerry fought to create the COPS program that would put 100,000 police officers on the street. As president, he will restore funding to COPS so that we can fight crime and terrorism.

Keep Drugs Out Of Our Communities

John Kerry and John Edwards will aggressively target drug traffickers and dealers and provide funding for coordinated regional efforts aimed at cracking down on drug trafficking. They will also adequately fund drug prevention and treatment, including innovative approaches to requiring treatment for offenders like drug courts.

Protect Gun Rights And Stop Gun Violence

John Kerry is a gun owner and hunter, and both he and John Edwards support the Second Amendment right of law-abiding Americans to own guns. Like all of our rights, gun rights come with responsibilities, and John Kerry and John Edwards support mainstream measures to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists: enforcing the gun laws on the books, closing the gun show loophole, and standing with law enforcement officers to extend the assault weapons ban.

Use Proven Approaches To Reduce Gang Violence

The murder rate is rising under George Bush, and gang violence is a big part of the problem. Building on successes in several cities, John Kerry will reduce gang violence with a two-pronged approach: First, send a message of zero tolerance for gang violence backed by strong enforcement. Second, offer positive alternatives to help young people get on the right track.