Attorney General Ashcroft and other Bush Administration officials have talked in general terms about how the government's concentration on terrorism will
limit its abilities to enforce the law against other kinds of criminals. A related factor contributing to the expected decline is the government's plan to devote more resources to the time-consuming
job of preventing terrorist attacks before they occur. Associated Press reporter David Pace, with the active support of Assistant Bureau Chief John Solomon, decided to see if these announced changes
could be quantified. Pace asked TRAC to do a special study comparing the referrals made during the same period in two previous years. The study found that referrals for prosecution were down by two
thirds.
