Proclamation 6712

by Bill Clinton

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation

Crime, in one way or another, affects every individual in every community in America. The loss of one parent touches all of our families. The death of one child breaks all of our hearts. But by reaching out to each other in a gesture of courage and cooperation, law enforcement officers and the citizens they serve forge a shield of safety-our greatest weapon in the fight against crime.

Robert Kennedy once said that each time one of us "stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." Tonight, millions of Americans across the country will join their neighbors in turning on lights from 9:00 to 10:00 o'clock p.m. in front of their homes. "National Night Out" provides communities the opportunity to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, to encourage participation in anti-crime programs, and to strengthen the relationship between local police and private citizens. Already, we have seen how important these simple steps can be in avoiding tragedy. In big cities and small towns throughout our Nation, police rely on the active involvement of community members to help identify potential problems before they explode into violence. As we resolve tonight to end the violence, the message of this event is clear: Crime in America will not be tolerated.

One of the primary duties of any government is to work to keep its citizens safe from harm. I welcome this responsibility, and I am determined to fulfill it. But no government program will be truly successful without the help of

each American. I hope that the lights coming on across America this evening will serve as a signal of both warning and hope. With shared responsibility and a willingness to change, we can turn the tide on the wave of crime in America. Working together, we can build a brighter, more secure future for all of our people.

The Congress, by House Joint Resolution 374, has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation observing August 2, 1994, as "National Neighborhood Crime Watch Day."

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim August 2, 1994, as National Neighborhood Crime Watch Day. I call upon the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of August, 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.

William J. Clinton

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:16 a.m., August 3, 1994]