The Council is one of eight basic components of the Violent Crime Act of 1993, which aimed to provide a coordinated, well-defined, and measurable strategy to address violent crime. The Council's efforts in 1996 will focus on juvenile homicide and domestic assault. It notes that Florida's leaders will have to balance limited resources between punishment and prevention and emphasizes the need to solve and mitigate damage from violent crimes committed by youth, while acting on the knowledge of the direct link between violence in the home and later criminal behavior. The Council's recommendations for 1996 relate to grant funding, replenishment of the violent crime emergency account, witness protection, forging partnerships with higher education, regional investigative service centers, and other topics. The Council also held a workshop in October to discuss a 1995 report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Murder in America, and to develop a report and recommendations concerning murder in Florida. Overall, the Violent Crime Council has been instrumental in providing coordination, definition, and strategies crucial to reducing violent crime in Florida. Tables and figures