Data Bases • Custom Term Papers • Free Term Papers • Free Research Papers • Free Essays • Free Book Reports • Plagiarism? Links • Top 100 Term Paper Sites • Top 25 Essay Sites • Top 50 Essay Sites • Search 97,000 Papers @ DirectEssays.com • Search 101,000 Papers @ ExampleEssays.com • Search 90,000 Papers @ MegaEssays.com Free Essays • Term Paper Sites • Chuck III's Free Essays • Free College Essays • TermPaperSites.com • My Term Papers • Get Free Essays • Essay World • Planet Papers	Search Lots of Essays Back to Subjects - Physics None Provided3 None Provided3 The national crime rate has been dropping for the past several years. Over a 38% drop has been reported since 1993. The drop in the crime rate of America is mainly because of three top reasons. These reasons include the involvement of the community, the offenders of small crimes are being interrogated to come up with leads of larger crimes, and the new computer technology available today. Many citizens have become annoyed with the crime in their neighborhoods. They have organized block watches, citizen patrols, along with neighborhood cleanups, and started harassing slumlords that allow drug dealers to use their properties. (Brown Art. 122). Among many of the crime fighting tools, the involvement of the community has proved the most effective. In many residential areas, people serve as the eyes and ears to the police. In addition, the commercial areas have begun to raise funds to pay for programs that include uniformed patrol, and sanitation forces (Giuliani Art. 108). Giuliani tells us that, “Today the police departments work with more than 1,000 block associations, operating drug and gang education programs, as well as citizen’s police academies for young people and adults” (Giuliani Art. 108). Another top reason for the decline is that many police forces have started interrogating small offenders like those crimes that are more serious. This tactic has generated a number of leads, which in turn provides search warrants, multiple gun and drug arrests, and even homicide arrests (Giuliani Art. 108). Giuliani acknowledges that “the broken window theory of, James O. Wilson of Harvard University, has been applied successfully in America’s largest cities. Wilson says a broken window that goes unrepaired is a visible sing that no one cares. It attracts additional vandalism, which soon escalates into serious crimes” (Giuliani Art. 108). Giuliani also adds “graffiti, blurring car radios, street prostitution, drag racing, public drinking and urination, squeegee window cleaners, and other aggressive beggars are, in effect, society’s broken windows” (Giuliani Art. 108). These broken windows can and usually will lead to larger problems. The third top reason responsible for the decline is the new computer technology available today. In the past, computer systems lagged behind with criminal activity data by three months or more, unlike today where as the crime statistics are updated continuously” (Giuliani Art. 108). Giuliani explains, “computer technologies allow the mapping of patterns and the establishment of casual relationships among different categories of crime. In a truly interactive use of computers, crime pattern maps are displayed on large screens in the meeting room, assisting and guiding the development of new tactics and solutions” (Giuliani Art. 108). The new system also allows for the precinct commanders to meet with police commissioners, chief of departments, chief of detectives, and other top leaders at semi-weekly meetings where they identify local crime patterns, select tactics, and allocate resource (Giuliani Art. 108). The community involvement, interrogation of the smaller crimes, and the computer technology along with many others has caused a dramatic drop in the crime rate. It is expected that the crime rate will continue to fall over the next few years. The battle to lower the crime rate will take a lot of help from the citizens along with the police forces to really be truly effective. Bibliography: Work Cited Brown, Tom. “Why is crime dropping? Pick from the list theories.” The Record June 1997: RO-1. Rpt. in SIRS: Art. 122. Giuliani, Rudolph W. “How New York is becoming the safest big city in America.” USA Today Jan. 1997: 28-31. Rpt. in SIRS: Art. 108. Word Count: 547
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