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FOIA Number: 2006-0458-F
FOIA
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Communications
Series/Staff Member:
Don Baer
Subseries:
OAIID Number:
10140
FolderiD:
Folder Title:
Crime
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
.Position:
s
90
2
8
1
�NATIONAL GANG VIOLENCE PREVENTION WEEK, 1994
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Robert Sandifer was 8 years old the first time he was
arrested by police.
He was 11 years old himself when he died, a
victim, police believe, of a gang-related killing.
He was also
suspected of killing Shaven Dean, an innocent victim of an
earlier gang-related shooting.
In Shaven and Robert's hometown,
the number of gang homicides has nearly tripled since 1980.
And
in neighborhoods acro£a America, too many mothers and fathers
have experienced the anguish of losing a child to the meanness
of the streets.
For them and for all of us, it is past time to
end the violence.
At younger and younger ages, boys and girls are turning to
gangs.
For a child without an involved family, a gang offers a
feeling of belonging.
For a young person without options for
tomorrow, a gang offers a sense of purpose.
For all those born
in a home cordoned off against danger, with bars on the windows
and chains on the doors, life on the streets seems all too
often, a taste of freedom they have never known.
freedom is better than that.
We know this.
But American
We see freedom at
work every day in the determined faces of parents striving to
make a better life for themselves and their children.
And we
see it every day in big cities and small towns across the
country as Americans come together to put the spirit of
community to work.
Confronted with the horror of children planning their
own funerals, our Nation has begun planning for the future.
Our first, best hope is in the common cause of those around us.
A community that shares life's experiences can be an important
source of strength and understanding in a world that seems
filled with growing violence and diminishing hope.
Families and
communities are coming together across the country to bring hope
to even our most troub:Led youth.
In Birmingham, Alabama, where
�2
police officers are sponsoring athletic teams and tutoring
programs in 52 neighborhoods, youth crime has dropped by
30 percent.
In Los Angeles, teachers and sheriffs are working
in teams to show kids alternative methods of resolving
conflicts, encouraging them to develop a sense of self-worth
apart from gangs.
The 1994 crime bill seeks to provide
grassroots programs like these and the resources they need to
push forward in their efforts and to succeed in their fight.
In an invaluable victory for citizens across the country,
the Congress passed, and I will soon sign, a crime bill that is
designed to save the lives of children like Shaven and Robert.
This path-breaking legislation will punish hardened young
criminals by requiring stronger penalties, and it will expand
the use of community Doot camps, drug courts, and other
alternative sanctions to stop first-time offenders from
beginning a lifetime of crime.
It bans 19 of the deadliest
assault weapons, and it goes a long way toward keeping guns out
of the hands of juveniles.
With strong measures of discipline
and training, drug treatment and education, this bill takes on
the sickness of gangs and drugs and gives our young people a
new chance at life.
Ours is important work:
It is about trying
to save a generation of children and to secure the future life
of a country.
It is a job we can surely do.
Ours remains the greatest Nation the world has ever known
because we have not shied away from challenges.
have consistently sought to surmount them.
Rather, we
The problem of
gang violence is among the most profound we as a people have
ever faced.
We must respect our young people enough to give
them a positive choice for the future.
We must take respon-
sibility for teaching them to choose what is right.
solutions are within our reach.
is within ourselves.
The
The power to change America
Together, we must work to redeem the
promise that every young life holds.
�3
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLI\M J. CLIJTTON,
Pres~dent
of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby
proclaim the week of September 12 through September 16, 1994,
as "National Gang Violence Prevention Week."
the people of the United States to
obse~ve
I call upon
this week with
appropriate ceremonies and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
day of
, in the year of our
Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-four, and of the Independence
of the United States of America the two hundred and nineteenth.
·,
~
'
�.--I
I
PAGE
2
1ST STORY of Level 1 printed in FULL format.
Copyright 1994 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
May
8, 1994, Sunday, Final Edition
SECTION: METRO; PAGE B1
LENGTH: 1359 words
HEADLINE: A 'FREEDOM OF THE '90s';
For Potomac Gardens, Safety Means Life Behind an Iron Curtain
SERIES: Occasional
BYLINE: Serge F. Kovaleski, Washington Post Staff Writer
BODY:
Inside t e ei ht-foot-tall black, wrought iron fen
that surrounds the
Potomac Gardens pub l.C ous1.ng eve opmen , James We.st sits on a bench 'sipping
coffee and waxing philosophical about freedom in a time of drug dealing,
drive-by shootings and stray bullets.
"It's because of this fence that I can come down here and enjoy a spring day
and a cup of coffee -- things we should never take for granted in life -- and
not worry about dope addicts or drunks or any other scourge," West said while a
gaggle of young men outside the fence drank from brown paper.bags on a street
corner notorious for crack dealing and shootings.
The 71-year-old retiree moved into Potomac Gardens on the eastern edge of
Capitol Hill about the time the fence was completed in June 1992. Crime had
driven him out of his apartment of two decades in the Trinidad section of
Northeast Washington.
~
"This is freedom," West declared as a cool breeze cut through the courtyard.
But it's a restricted freedom; it's a freedom of the '90s. It's real sad, man,
ecause it's the best we can do."
Local and federal law enforcement authorities once described Potomac
Gardens as the largest open-air drug market in the Washington area and
estimated that more than $ 2 million worth of drugs were being sold on the
grounds each week. The development, a cluster of 26 beige and gray buildings
that span one square block in the 700 block of 13th Street SE, was carved by
gangs into two turfs: one where crack was sold and the other for heroin.
Nearly two years ago, the city installed more than a half- mile of
prison-grade fencing, added guards and restricted access. Today, the trappings
. of peaceful living have returned to the 344-unit complex. Children frolic in
clean courtyards, on manicured lawns or in.the development's recreation center.
The pillows and stuffed animals that once sat in apartment windows to slow down
stray bullets are gone, replaced in some units by flower boxes.
Families gather at cookouts, and youngsters cool off in the summer months
under the spritz of hoses set up on the very grounds that once were littered
with discarded syringes, crack vials and shell casings. Too often there were
dead bodies.
�PAGE
3
The Washington Post, May 8, 1994
Corner units, which many tenants refused to rent for fear of being exposed to
gunfire on two sides, are occupied. Overall, the number of vacant apartments has
dropped from 46 to five.
Within the fence, there is praise for the security it brings and despair for
the things it symbolizes.
Some residents decry the fence for creating a prison atmosphere. Teenagers
refer to Potomac Gardens as "The Cage" or "Little Lorton." Others say it
reminds them of the large number of black men incarcerated or of the danger of
living in public housing.
Still others say they are not bothered by the barrier, pointing out that many
among the wealthy choose to live in communities that are walled off from the
rest of the world. They contend that the fence has created a stronger sense of
community within the housing complex. "It's pitiful that we have to be locked in
ith guards all around us like we are in jail," said Yvonne Blakely, 50, who has
lived at the complex for eight years. "But I'd rather be living like this than
dead."
~~
In 1991, the year before the fence was built, police made 150 drug-related
arrests at Potomac Gardens. That number plunged to seven the year after
construction of the barrier. So far in 1994, police have made three arrests for
drug offenses at the complex.
The dramatic decline in arrests partly reflects the eviction and removal of
drug dealers. It is also the result of a smaller police presence at the
development. What little remains of the drug business there has been pushed
inside to apartments, police and residents say.
Public housing officials said the drug activity that was rife at Potomac
Gardens has shifted to other public housing developments, particularly the
East Capitol Dwellings, Lincoln Heights and nearby Hopkins and Kentucky Courts.
Potomac Gardens is one of the few successes in D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt
Kelly's ambitious plans for public housing. Despite the 1990 campaign pledges
she made to improve subsidized housing in the District, the system continues to
be plagued by high crime and vacancy rates. A congressional hearing on the
department's troubles is scheduled for Tuesday.
Turning around Potomac Gardens required transforming it into a virtual
urban redoubt that includes 3,200 feet of fencing made from the same grade of
wrought-iron used at Lorton Correctional Complex. There are 86 high-beam halogen
lights and 17 surveillance cameras perched atop the development's buildings.
Armed security guards patrol round the clock, and four D.C. police officers
live in the development as part of a citywide initiative under which they
provide additional security in return for reduced rent.
1,737-foot inner fencing system divides the complex into quadrants, each of
whi
·
own entrances and exits that are guarded by security officers.
Residents must show identification cards to gain access to buildings; guests
must be signed in.
�---,--
--
PAGE
4
The Washington Post, May 8, 1994
By dividing the development into four self-contained sections, the flow of
people can be more easily controlled. "This place is under control," said
Jacqueline West, president of the Potomac Gardens Residents Council. "It's
easy to observe; everything is in one block of quadrants."
Lucy Murray, a spokeswoman for the D.C. Department of Public and Assisted
Housing, said that the fencing system along with the surveillance cameras,
lights and guard booths cost the agency $ 871,500. Expenses also included repair
work done to the barrier after protesters tried tearing it down during
construction.
The fence was one part of a security plan called "Operation Rebound" that
Kelly started in 1991. In addition to Potomac Gardens, Greenleaf Gardens in
Southwest Washington and the Arthur Capper complex in Southeast Washington were
chosen for the program, which also included renovations. The District's public
housing department plans to put up fences at the Hopkins and Park Morton
developments in Northeast Washington.
The fences at Greenleaf Gardens and Arthur Capper have had less impressive
results than those at Potomac Gardens. Police records show that the number of
drug-related arrests at Arthur Capper, for instance, fell by only three to 76 in
1993, the year after the construction of fences at two of the family buildings
at the development. So far this year, there have been 28 such arrests. Part of
the problem, housing officials said, is that there is no surveillance gear set
up at Arthur Capper because the security guard booths are too dilapidated to be
equipped with monitors.
At Greenleaf Gardens, the number of arrests for drug offenses declined from
nine to four the year after the fence was built in 1991. In 1993, there were
three arrests. So far this year, there have been three, according to police
records.
Police attributed the overall low number of arrests at Greenleaf to the
closing several years ago of one of the family buildings where most of the drug
dealing occurred. In 1990, it was reopened as a seniors building.
For residents and merchants in neighborhoods around Potomac Gardens, where
the poor cross paths with young professionals, there is less fear. "There are
fewer people milling around and walking through back alleys," said Brad Johnson,
whose law practice is across the street from Potomac Gardens.
But some area residents remain bothered by the fence. "It's as though the
children in there are being prepared for incarceration, so when they put them in
a real lock-down situation they'll be used to being hemmed in," said Lance
Laney, 61, who lives across the street.
\l
Jacqueline West rejected the prison metaphor used to describe her home of 27
years, saying that tenants are free to come and go any time of day through the
fence's four entrances, on 12th, 13th, G and I streets SE. 01 For me, the fence
represents growth, security and hope for our children," West said. But she
added, "We don't plan for this fence to stay, particularly the inner fencing,
because it divides and separates."
GRAPHIC: PHOTO, DAVID DREW PLAYS ON THE FENCE SURROUNDING POTOMAC GARDENS,
WHERE HE LIVES. MANY CREDIT THE FENCING WITH MAKING THE D.C. PUBLIC HOUSING
�
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Title
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Don Baer
Creator
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Office of Communications
Don Baer
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1994-1997
Is Part Of
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<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36008" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431981" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
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2006-0458-F
Description
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Donald Baer was Assistant to the President and Director of Communications in the White House Communications Office. The records in this collection contain copies of speeches, speech drafts, talking points, letters, notes, memoranda, background material, correspondence, reports, excerpts from manuscripts and books, news articles, presidential schedules, telephone message forms, and telephone call lists.
Provenance
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
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537 folders in 34 boxes
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Title
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Crime
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Communications
Don Baer
Identifier
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2006-0458-F
Is Part Of
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Box 28
<a href="http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/2006/2006-0458-F.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7431981" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
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Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
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1/12/2015
Source
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42-t-7431981-20060458F-028-003-2014
7431981