mr. chairman , i yield myself such time as i may consume . 
mr. chairman , we all know that gangs are no longer just an urban problem . 
they affect every community . 
as law enforcement officials from big cities to small towns will tell you , to combat the problem we all need to work together , share information , and identify the issues that will help us strike at the heart of gang violence . 
my amendment gives us the means to do just that . 
it would establish a national gang intelligence center at the fbi to help law enforcement officials across the country share information about gangs and gang members so that we can identify emerging problems before they take root . 
last year , $ 10 million was appropriated for the center , an effort led by the gentleman from virginia ( mr. wolf ) xz4004350 , who has long been a strong supporter of law enforcement . 
my amendment would simply authorize the creation of the center . 
mr. chairman , by helping law enforcement share information , we will be giving our police on the streets a powerful tool in the fight against violence and help them better protect our citizens . 
