The credit is given to Compstat, a statistical system for tracking crime, that decreased crime in New York by 75 percent making it the safest big city in America. Compstat is a management system initiated in the New York Police Department that combines state-of-the-art management with crime analysis and geographic information systems technology. The computer statistics are used as a measure to control and prevent crime to improve the quality of life.
Chiefs and lead officers of the NYPD have worked aggressively toward successful crime prevention and holding their unit members accountable. In a recent weekly Compstat meeting, NBC reporters were welcomed to sit in and observe a question-and-answer setup between the bosses and the precinct commanders. Two commanders assigned to the 40th and 43rd precincts in the Bronx were questioned about their work activity or the lack thereof, that opened the door for a surge in robberies and burglaries which the both of them and their units are responsible for. Chief James O’Neill reportedly told NBC that the point of the forum is not to embarrass anyone, it is to ensure their entire operation is efficient and he knows the inspector is capable of and will turn this around. This meeting reflected the efforts of the NYPD with effective utilization of Compstat, to curb crime and take pride in the significant decrease they’ve achieved thus far. In 1993, New York City had 1,947 murders, an equivalence of more than 5 murders a day. Last year, the city had 352 murders. The decrease is nothing short of a huge accomplishment and sense of relief for the city as a whole, its residents, the NYPD, and the local government. Since Compstat’s peak in efficacy, its use has been implemented in other cities like Philadelphia and Los Angeles. As long as the system continues to prove with the results that it did in New York, I hope it is exported in every city to reduce and prevent crime country-wide.