What New York’s 1990s crime drop can teach police today

Over the past 30 years, American cities have seen crime rates surge and fall — sometimes dramatically. No city illustrates this swing better than New York, where murders dropped from more than 2,200 in 1990 to under 300 by 2017.

In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, former Baltimore cop and current John Jay professor Peter Moskos discusses the story behind that decline, as told in his new book, “Back from the Brink: Inside the NYPD and New York's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop.” The conversation covers leadership, accountability, crime data and the lessons law enforcement leaders can apply today.

Host Jim Dudley interviews Moskos about the origins and impact of New York’s historic crime decline in the 1990s. Moskos explains how NYPD's shift in focus — from scandal and corruption control to crime prevention — was spurred by leaders like Bill Bratton and Jack Maple, along with innovations like CompStat. He outlines how data, accountability and political will converged to create a seismic shift in policing outcomes, and why understanding this history matters for today’s police leaders.

About our sponsor

This episode of the Policing Matters Podcast is brought to you by Lexipol, the experts in policy, training, wellness support and grants assistance for first responders and government leaders. To learn more, visit lexipol.com.