NCJ Number
183079
Editor(s)
Richard C. Monk
Date Published
1998
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A writer attributes the effectiveness of New York City's crime reduction to efforts in the late 1980's to increase community policing and to halt petty street crimes, while New York City's former mayor maintains that crime control in the city is out of control and that the streets are not safe for citizens, especially citizens of color, due to harm caused by the police.
Abstract
The writer notes that felonies in New York City have declined by 80 percent since 1990 and that the homicide rate is the lowest it has been in 30 years. He attributes these trends to the community policing approach that focuses on "quality of life" offenses, but he acknowledges the dramatic gains in public safety are also the result of a complex combination of political reform, ethnic politics, and police accountability. The former mayor of New York City, David Dinkins, recognizes that crime is down in the city but points out that many residents feel less safe than they did a few years ago. He also notes that citizen complaints against police use of excessive force increased by 61.9 percent between 1993 and 1995, that abuse of authority allegations soared by 86.2 percent, and that allegations of illegal searches skyrocketed by 135 percent. The former mayor concludes that encouraging police officers to be more assertive against crime is good but that fostering an environment in which they feel they can ignore the rights of the innocent erodes public safety and people's trust in the law.