NCJ Number
183422
Date Published
1998
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the reasons for declines in crime in New York City, Fort Worth, Tex., and other cities notes that police claim credit for reducing violent crime through crackdowns on offenses like public drinking and aggressive panhandling; skeptics credit the declines to the improving economy, reduced crack wars, and the demographic changes.
Abstract
These experts argue that the only way to reduce crime over the long term is to improve social conditions, particularly the racial and class disparities in education and employment. Crime began declining nationwide in 1992; serious crimes have declined more rapidly in New York City than in the country as a whole. New York City’s police department argues that its focus on quality-of-life crimes is responsible for city’s crime reductions. Kelling’s 1996 book titled "Fixing Broken Windows" argues that stopping people for minor crimes such as squeegeeing actually prevents them from escalating to more serious crimes. Other criminologists disagree. Moran argues that the lively economy, increasing use of imprisonment, and declining crack market have produced similar crime decreases in cities without the type of policing used in New York City. More criminologists regard the crime trend as real; researchers disagree regarding the possibility of a future youth crime wave. 19 references