The Omnibus Crime Act was created to increase safety among citizens in efforts to reduce crime in America.

"Congress finds that the high incidence of crime in the United States threatens the peace, security, and general welfare of the Nation and its citizens. To prevent crime and to insure the greater safety of the people, law enforcement efforts must be better coordinated, intensified, and made more effective at all levels of government. Congress finds further that crime is essentially a local problem that must be dealt with by State and local governments if it is to be controlled effectively."

The OCCSSA contained four major elements designed to address the crime problem:

1. It created the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) to provide financial assistance to state and local government law enforcement.
2. It included provisions regarding the admissibility of confessions in criminal trials (through an amendment to the act in the Senate).
3. It established procedures to allow wiretapping by law enforcement authorities.
4. It included provisions that placed regulations on firearm sales and possession.