He focused on criminal justice research, recent developments in the changing world of information technology and the sharing of criminal justice research, and the emerging police role in democratic societies. Particular attention was paid to the commitment of the Federal Government to invest the necessary resources to reduce crime; the importance of research and evaluation; innovations supported by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 in the areas of community policing, violence against women, boot camps, and drug courts; and research priorities related to juvenile handgun violence, sentencing and punishment, and the relationship between drugs and crime. In the area of information technology, the NIJ Director discussed features of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service, especially its international document exchange function. He also spoke about the implications of community policing for problem-solving in democratic societies around the world.