WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR AN
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW.
>> WHAT'S STRIKING TO ME IS THAT
DESPITE THE UNRELENTING
OPPOSITION DURING THE FIRST
THREE YEARS OF THIS
ADMINISTRATION, THE PRESIDENT
HAS BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SO
MUCH.
IN MY AREA OF LAW ENFORCEMENT,
FOR EXAMPLE, SINCE HE CAME INTO
OFFICE, WE BEEN ABLE TO PUSH
DOWN VIOLENT CRIME.
WE'VE EXPANDED ENFORCEMENT
AGAINST FIREARMS, AND I'M
ANNOUNCING A CRACKDOWN ON
VIOLENT CRIME IN THE NUMBER OF
CITIES THAT HE DIRECTED ME TO DO
ONCE THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS
STARTED AND THE ABILITY TO COME
TO SOME COMPROMISE ON A VIOLENT
CRIME BILL FELL APART, HE
DIRECTED ME TO DO WHATEVER WE
CAN WITHOUT THAT LEGISLATION.
>> WITH REGARD TO WHY YOU WERE
HERE IN DETROIT, YOU WROTE A
PIECE THIS WEEK THAT TALKED
ABOUT THE LACK OF RESPECT FOR
POLICE OFFICERS IN THE
UNITED STATES, SOMETHING THAT
YOU ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT.
YOU SAID, WHEN WE SHOW OUR
RESPECT AND APPRECIATION FOR
POLICE, IT SAYS MORE ABOUT OUR
LEVEL LIBERTY AND JUSTICE THAN
ANY OTHER ACT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN
FUELING ANTI-COP FEELING IN SOME
PARTS OF THE UNITED STATES?
>> IT'S A MYSTERY TO ME.
WHEN YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT
IT, WE RELY SO MUCH ON OUR
POLICE TO KEEP US SAFE.
WE LEARNED A LESSON AFTER
VIETNAM THAT OUR HEROES WHO
FIGHT MORE WARS TO PROTECT US TO
RESERVE OUR RESPECT.
AT LEAST WE NOW SHOW THEM THE
RESPECT THEY ARE DUE.
WHEN YOU STOP AND THINK ABOUT
IT, THE POLICE ARE DOING THAT
ALSO AND THEY HAVE THE TOUGHEST
JOB IN THE UNITED STATES.
THERE IS NO JOB TOUGHER THAN
BEING A POLICEMAN.
WE DON'T SEEM TO SHOW THEM THE
SAME RESPECT AND RECOGNIZE THE
SACRIFICES THEY MAKE.
IT'S A HEAVY TOLL OF THAT JOB,
AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PULL
DOWN THEY POINT OUT ANY A FULL
EMPLOYMENT ECONOMY, THERE ARE
MANY OPTIONS FOR THESE PEOPLE.
THERE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE
PEOPLE OF THIS CHARACTER WHO ARE
WILLING TO STEP UP AND TAKE
THESE JOBS AND THERE IS A
SHORTAGE OF POLICE THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY.
I THINK AS A COUNTRY, JUST AS WE
DID SOUL-SEARCHING AFTER VIETNAM
ABOUT HOW WE TREAT OUR MILITARY,
I THINK WE HAVE TO DO SOME
SOUL-SEARCHING ABOUT HOW WE
TREAT OUR POLICE.
>> YOU GAVE A DINNER PARTY TO A
COUPLE OF HUNDRED POLICE
OFFICERS, TREATING THEM TO A BIG
ITALIAN DINNER IN NEW YORK.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO DO THAT?
>> AS I SAID, I THINK -- THERE
IS NO MORE NOBLE JOB THEN
SERVING AS A POLICE OFFICER.
I WANTED TO CONVEY TO THEM THE
RESPECT I HAD AND THE
APPRECIATION I HAD FOR THE JOB
THEY DO.
I GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY, NYPD
IS A POLICE FORCE OF MY YOUTH.
NOT ONLY NEW YORK'S FINEST, BUT
THE COUNTRY'S FINEST, AND I
THOUGHT GOING AND HAVING DINNER
WITH A LARGE GROUP OF POLICE
OFFICERS WOULD BE A GOOD WAY TO
SEND THAT MESSAGE.
>> YOU TALKED IN YOUR PIECE
ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE D.A.S AND
PUT "SOCIAL JUSTICE" AND COURTS
THELMA QUOTES.
WHAT DID YOU MEAN BY THAT?
>> THERE'S THIS RECENT
DEVELOPMENT OR GEORGE SOROS HAS
BEEN COMING IN IN LARGELY
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES WHERE THERE
HAS NOT BEEN MUCH VOTER TURNOUT
AND PUTTING IN A LOT OF MONEY TO
ELECT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VERY
SUPPORTIVE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND DON'T VIEW THE OFFICE AS
BRINGING TO TRIAL AND
PROSECUTING CRIMINALS.
BUT PURSUING OTHER SOCIAL
AGENDAS.
THEY HAVE STARTED TO WIN AND A
NUMBER OF CITIES AND THEY HAVE
IN MY VIEW NOT GIVEN THE PROPER
SUPPORT TO THE POLICE.
THEY ARE FOLLOWING POLICIES THAT
ARE ULTIMATELY GOING TO LEAD TO
AN INCREASE OF VIOLENT CRIME AND
MORE VICTIMS.
>> DO YOU THINK YOU PEOPLE DO
NOT TREAT THE POLICE OFFICERS
BETTER IN COMMUNITIES THAT THEY
ARE GOING TO SORT OF BITE OFF
THEIR NOSE TO SPITE THEIR FACE,
THAT THEY'LL END UP WITH YOUR
POLICE OFFICERS, FEWER PEOPLE
WHO WANT TO PROTECT THEM?
>> YEAH.
I WAS ACCUSED OF SUGGESTING THAT
THE POLICE ARE GOING TO WITHDRAW
PROTECTION.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M GOING
SAYING.
MOST POLICE FORCES ARE GOING TO
HAVE A HIGH NUMBER OF VACANCIES,
THE PROSECUTORS ARE POLITICAL
LEADERS IN THE JURISDICTION ARE
NOT SUPPORTING THEM, THEY CAN
EITHER STOPPING POLICE OR THEY
CAN MOVE TO A JURISDICTION MORE
HOSPITABLE.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD
FIND OURSELVES IN A POSITION
THAT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE NOT