Cities: he Malignant Enemy

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The President declared that "the starting point for such efforts is the individual citizen. Law enforcement cannot succeed without the sustained interest of all citizens." Calling for some citizen help, Johnson announced that he will appoint two commissions. One would study crime in the District of Columbia, where serious crimes have increased more than twice as fast as the national rate. The other would conduct "a comprehensive, penetrating analysis of the origins and nature of crime in modern America," and report by mid-1966. Said Johnson: "The staggering cost of inaction makes it imperative that the task be undertaken."