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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.
Tune in to discover:
- Why New York’s historic 1990s crime drop defied academic predictions — and what really drove it
- How CompStat, leadership accountability and a mission shift transformed the NYPD’s focus on violent crime
- What former cops say about the pride, urgency and teamwork that powered real change
- Why data alone doesn’t solve crime — and why understanding place, behavior and people still matters
- How today’s police leaders can apply lessons from the past to reduce violence and rebuild public trust
Key takeaways from this episode
- Leadership made crime reduction a mission: Bratton’s bold goal — cutting crime 15% in his first year — and Jack Maple’s CompStat system forced commanders to own crime stats and create results-driven strategies.
- Policing priorities shifted from scandal control to violence prevention: Before the 1990s, NYPD focused more on avoiding riots and corruption than crime reduction. The crime drop began when the department started tracking shootings and holding precincts accountable.
- Good policing matters more than police volume: Moskos notes that adding more officers helps — but leadership, strategy and purpose are more important than numbers alone. Redeployment and focus made the difference.
- Data-driven policing worked — but trust mattered too: CompStat helped identify problem areas, but change happened because officers and city leaders cared about victims and took ownership of crime problems.
- Crime control requires political will and clarity of purpose: Moskos stresses that while reforms are important, cities must avoid swinging too far toward permissiveness or decarceration. Public safety efforts must focus on both prevention and accountability.
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