The Associated Press
Washington -- Some top crime-fighters and others want Congress to say no to proposed cuts in anti-gang funding.
According to a group called Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, the White House is proposing a 40 percent cut in funding to anti-gang programs.
Fight Crime president Sanford Newman says with gang violence on the rise, now is not the time to cut money to proven programs that cut gang killings and shut off the pipeline that funnels children into gangs.
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton says it’s a mistake not to put money into anti-gang programs, such as community policing and violence prevention.
Fight Crime says gang killings in the U-S are up more than 50 percent since 1999.