Customer Reviews

NYPD Battles Crime: Innovative Strategies in Policing

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NYPD Battles Crime is a scholarly review of a process that not only affected New York City but is being adopted by many other police departments. Prof. Silverman has "insider" access, and gives the reader a detailed view of the politics behind the procedures. This book is also a fascinating look at the way change is implimented in a large organization. I have put NYPD Battles Crime on the reading list for my classes--it is a "must-read" for anyone who is interested in current trends in the criminal justice profession.

Professor Silverman's presents an excellent account of the crime reduction (especially the reduction of murders) attained by the NYPD in the middle and late 1990's. Professor Silverman, while working with the NYPD and researching the crime reduction phenomena as an objective scholar, details the external historical factors and broad organizational policy changes of the NYPD which led to the dramatic crime reduction. A must read for policing policy makers and academics alike.

Mr. Silverman does a wonderful job here. The author makes a very complicated subject easy to understand and read. Silverman brings you right into the workings of the NYPD. The breakdown of the strategies that the NYPD implemented to combat crime was remarkable. Silverman explains Compstat so that the reader can fully understand its meaning and usefulness. This book was not written just for the police world but, for the communities that they serve. If you want to see how the real boys in blue catch the bad guys this book is a must.

I envy the students of Law, Criminal Justice etc. who will be using Dr. Silverman's book as a text book. It is a very well written, exciting account of how the largest police departement in the world used enlightened management techiques and a sophisticated computer system to drastically reduce crime in New York City. Business students and corporate managers can benefit from reading the book as well.The Deming-like management techniques used by the NYPD would benefit any organization.This book is for anyone who wants to be well informed.

It's rare for an scholarly work to be so timely. Lay and academic readers alike will learn a great deal about the capacity for organizational change to aid in the reduction of crime.

A fair, thorough and a non-ideological look at policing in NYC.

This is the best book on the NYPD I've ever read. You have to get it

This research book about the inner workings of the New York Police Department and how they brought down the crime rate is very well written. It is a good read whether you are a professional crime fighter or a lay person like myself. If you live in a community whose crime rate is exceptionally high, there are ideas in this book that you can explore with your local police officials and politicians. If you live in an area where the crime rate has dropped, it is probably because your community has embraced the concepts of the New York Police Department that Professor Silverman covers so brilliantly.

As a long-time New Yorker, I found this book intelligent, thoughtful, and perceptive. It gave me a new understanding of both the people and the systems of the NYPD. It's also well-written and accessible to those of us unfamiliar with this subject.

As a member of the NYPD, I found this book extremely informative and insightful. Eli Silverman was able to get an "insiders" look at the NYPD and describe accurately the organizational changes that brought about sweeping reductions in crime in New York City. It is a must read for any person in the criminal justice system.

During the mid-1990s NYC experienced a dramatic drop in crimes. "NYPD Battles Crime" begins by examining several alternative (non-police) explanations for this improvement. One alleged that the number of youths 14-17 had declined - actually it increased slightly. Simultaneously, the prison population did increase at an annual rate of 7.8%, and the unemployment rate rose. Another "explanation" is that crime was declining across the U.S. - however, the author shows that NYC represented about 80% of that national decline. Thus, Silverman is convinced that improved management is the key factor in NYC's improvement - the essential ingredient being that management no longer tacitly accepted an ever-growing crime rate, and now believes crime can be fought and beaten back.

Chief Bratton, the individual most credited with the improvements, began office benefiting from 3,500 (of an eventual 6,000) new cops already on the street courtesy of his predecessor's efforts. His first month brought the replacement of 7 top-ranking officers, and the first year led to replacing over two-thirds of 76 precinct commanders. Everyone at the top now bought into the possibility of double-digit crime reduction.

Follow-up on gun seizures became an early priority. Those arrested with weapons were aggressively questioned regarding the source of the weapons, and the sources (and their sources) also pursued. A second priority was locating and returning truants to school - reducing their contribution to crime. A third was reporting major crimes on a weekly basis (had taken 3-6 months), using mapping and showing trends, and identifying areas with greatest and least improvement. Day of the week, time of day, and arrests/individual (named) officers) were also reported.

Probably the biggest contributor, however, was Comstat - weekly meetings between precinct commanders and top brass where detailed and challenging questions were posed regarding the latest results; minutes were also taken, and followed up.

Compstat also facilitated gathering criminal activity data for nuisance complaints - allowing closing down eg. drug and prostitution locations, instead of just periodic sweeps and arrests. "Johns" began having their cars seized, reducing the demand for prostitution as well. Bar owners were "persuaded" to stop underage drinking (police showed them how to detect fake IDs), reducing loud outside crowds and neighborhood drag-racing. Cars playing loud music were confiscated, aided by the Dept. of Environment Protection's measuring sound levels.

Nuisance Abatement Laws were a particularly effective deterrent because advance notice was not required for temporary (up to one year) closing orders and $1,000/day public nuisance fines. Fire, health, and occupancy codes were also used as crime-reduction tools. (Store and apartment closings served to also reduce any perception that the NYPD was "on the take.")

Eventually Compstat was also used to focus on reducing drug dealing - the origin of numerous habit-supporting crimes. Cooperation and delegation among police and between other agencies also improved via Compstat.

Bottom Line: Silverman presents a solid case that replacing old thinking (eg. fast police response, and "time-in-grade" were key to crime control and promotion) with the new action-based approach brought about NYC's 50+% crime reduction.