STATEMENT BY ATTORNEY GENERAL JOHN ASHCROFT
ON TODAY'S RELEASE ON SCHOOL CRIME

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Attorney General John Ashcroft today in response to the release of a study on crime and victimization in the nation's schools by the Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Department of Education issued the following statement:

"While it is heartening to see that the occurrence of crime and victimization in our nation's schools has been declining, there is still much work to do. Our schools should be a haven for our young people where they can learn without fear of violence. We will do all we can to make sure that their environment at school, home or play is a safe one."

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