Editorial - A10, Saturday, April 24, 1993

    CRIMESTRIKE HITS TOWN

    With the chilling reality of crime at the hands of urban terrorists
    that were noted above (a high school student and gang article in the
    same column), we welcome into the ranks of those dedicated to re-
    moving criminals from the streets the National Rifle Association's
    new CrimeStrike project, engineered by Arizona's former chief assist-
    ant attorney general Steven J. Twist.

    CrimeStrike is working to reverse the disturbing trend of daily
    crime.  It is promoting solutions that can be applied nationally,
    including tough and honest sentencing of the sort that Arizona is
    applying with its Truth in Sentencing law; funding construction and
    staffing of appropriate prison space; ensuring that the system is
    primed to punish serious youthful offenders; strict attention to the
    rights of victims; and citizen and community involvement.

    Phoenix will be the home for this national organization.

    The Gazette has vigorously opposed many NRA policies on issues of gun
    control, and will be resolute in promoting prudent laws that seek
    reasonable regulation of firearms.

    But CrimeStrike is an appropriate creation, a response to a clear
    need for more robust vigilance in holding legislators and judges ac-
    countable when it comes to swiftly and surely punishing criminals.

    When an organization has an issue, it has an issue, and Crime-
    Strike has it - especially when it is willing to direct its dollars
    to getting criminals off the street.