Tag: Crime

Vital City | Want to Fix the Subway? Stop Asking It To Be What It’s Not

It’s a New York tradition for politicians to refer to the subway system as “the lifeblood of the city” and the “economic engine of our region.” They’re right, but they’re hardly stepping out on a ledge: The New York City subway is the largest in North America, moving millions of people each day and allowing the city to generate billions in economic activity. The system is inarguably the most important entity in the city — more important than any roadway, bridge, financial institution, single employer or other economic driver. 
— Read on www.vitalcitynyc.org/articles/want-to-fix-the-subway-stop-asking-it-to-be-something-its-not

Certainty as a foundation for justice – Niskanen Center

Certainty of punishment is not only a tool of deterrence but a structural necessity for an effective justice system. When consequences are clear and predictable, many offenders avoid crime, while those who persist reveal themselves to need more intensive responses.
— Read on www.niskanencenter.org/certainty-as-a-foundation-for-justice/

Why “Rehabilitating” Repeat Criminal Offenders Often Fails | Manhattan Institute

This report seeks to add much-needed perspective to America’s debate over criminal rehabilitation policies. Crucially, we document what is known and not known about the efficacy of rehabilitation programs in curtailing recidivism. We start by highlighting the psychological challenge of altering criminal behavior. We then review U.S. efforts to develop and deliver rehabilitation programs over […]
— Read on manhattan.institute/article/why-rehabilitating-repeat-criminal-offenders-often-fails

Crime Trends in U.S. Cities: Year-End 2024 Update – Council on Criminal Justice

Key Takeaways

This study updates and supplements previous U.S. crime trends reports by the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) with data through December 2024. It examines yearly and monthly rates of reported crime for 13 violent, property, and drug offenses in 40 American cities that have consistently reported monthly data over the past six years. The 40 cities are not necessarily representative of all jurisdictions in the United States. Not all cities published data for each offense (see the Appendix for which cities reported which offenses); trends in offenses with fewer reporting cities should be viewed with caution. Not all crimes are reported to law enforcement. In addition, the data collected for this report are subject to revision by local jurisdictions.

Reported levels of 12 of the 13 offenses covered in this report were lower in 2024 than in 2023; shoplifting was the only offense higher in 2024 compared to 2023.
— Read on counciloncj.org/crime-trends-in-u-s-cities-year-end-2024-update/

Fixing ‘Broken Windows’ theory: Smart — not harsh — policing is the key to a safe and orderly city

If you’re familiar with the Broken Windows theory of policing, you may have learned of it, perhaps indirectly, from Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller “The Tipping Point,” published 25 years ago.
— Read on nypost.com/2025/01/05/opinion/fixing-broken-windows-theory-smart-not-harsh-policing-is-the-key-to-a-safe-and-orderly-city/

Broken Windows Policing Is Still the Best Way to Fight Crime

If you’re familiar with the Broken Windows theory of policing, you may have learned of it, perhaps indirectly, from Malcolm Gladwell’s bestseller The Tipping Point, published 25 years ago. In the book’s most-discussed chapter, Gladwell sought to explain why New York City, in the 1990s, suddenly experienced the greatest drop in violent crime ever recorded. True, other cities saw crime declines in this period, but nowhere else did crime plunge so significantly and so swiftly. In just a few years, New York went from being one of the most dangerous and frightening big cities in America to one of the safest. Why?

Gladwell surveyed various possibilities having to do with the economy, changing demographics, and the waning of the deadly crack trade, but found them unpersuasive. The real difference-maker, he said, was the NYPD’s commitment to Broken Windows policing—the disarmingly simple idea that serious crimes are more likely to occur in disorderly environments than orderly ones. By upgrading people’s surroundings, the theory says, you can improve their behavior.
— Read on www.city-journal.org/article/broken-windows-policing-crime-malcolm-gladwell