The hearing focused on whether the program in fact represented the unprecedented level of commitment described by the Department of Justice the previous August. An opening statement by Congressman Glenn English, subcommittee chairman, noted that the committees had rarely met since their formation in 1981 and that consistency did not exist regarding policy areas being addressed. Speakers included a representative of the Department of Justice, two county attorneys, a district attorney, and the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum. The Associate Attorney General defended the concept and implementation of the program, noting that many LECC's operated mainly through subcommittees. Questions from committee members focused on the lack of resources and guidelines devoted to the program. The representative from the Police Executive Research Forum praised the concept and expressed concerns regarding the implementation, calling for a monitoring system and more specific objectives for each LECC to follow. Written statements and appendixes presenting letters, a report by the National Forum on Criminal Justice, and a Department of Justice audit report on LECC's are supplied.