NCJ Number
242832
Date Published
July 2012
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This study from the Research and Evaluation Center at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice examined decreases in homicide rates in neighborhoods in New York City.
Abstract
This study on the decrease in homicide rates in neighborhoods in New York City (NYC) focused on two factors that have been found to contribute to the dramatic decline in violence: misdemeanor policing and the transformation of drug markets. The study examined how these two factors related to the decrease in gun-related homicide rates and found that in some precincts in the city, an increase in misdemeanor policing was related to a decrease in homicide. The study also found that a decrease in drug use was not consistently related to the decline in homicide rates, except for cocaine consumption which showed a consistent relationship to drug arrest rates. Data for the study were obtained from three sources: the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of NYC, the NYC Police Department (NYPD), and the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The data was analyzed by police precinct to determine the degree to which increased misdemeanor policing and the transformation of drug markets contributed to the declines in gun-related homicides across the city. The mixed results from this study suggest that other factors might be affecting gun-related homicide rates, such as the quality-of-life initiative that was instituted citywide and an increase in the number of felony arrests which could affect the rate of misdemeanor arrests. Study limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed. Tables, figures, references, and appendix