CREDIT FOR CRIME DROP

As fast as the politicians and thumbsuckers are running away from blame for
the Northeastern blackout this month, various politicians and experts are
taking credit for news that crime continues to drop.

But there is no one politician, interest group or even anti-crime strategy
deserving of all of the applause. Instead, the drop in crime is the result
of a great many factors.

The U.S. Justice Department reported Sunday that during 2002, violent
crimes and property crimes dropped to their lowest levels in the 30 years
that records have been kept. There were approximately half as many crime
victims in 2002 as there were in 1973, when these crime studies began.

The good news came from all around the country, from every region, in both
cities and small towns, for people of all ethnic and racial groups. Crime
is down significantly, especially in the past decade.

Attorney General John Ashcroft immediately credited the criminal justice
system. And the Associated Press quoted proponents of alternatives to
incarceration taking credit for themselves. No doubt a line of politicians
will form before the TV cameras in coming weeks to claim that they,
personally, made this happen.

Ashcroft is certainly correct in saying that police, judges and prosecutors
helped make this happen. In the past decade, the federal and state
governments have spent enormous amounts of money building more prisons.
It's an expensive way to fight crime, but prison gets violent criminals off
the streets. They've also spent to hire more police, prosecutors and
judges, and give them better equipment.

Across the country, police departments found more effective ways to combat
crime. In New York City, former Mayor Rudy Giuliani led efforts at greater
community policing and a no-tolerance policy on petty criminals.

Credit also goes to those who proposed structured sentencing laws, because
they create more certainty in punishment. And credit goes to those who
argued for alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders. Those
alternatives are less expensive, thus saving money to imprison more
dangerous inmates, and they work better with first-time offenders.

Credit should also go to a society that has come a long way in recent years
in understanding that there should be opportunities for success open to all
citizens, regardless of race and ethnic background.

There are probably many more groups who deserve applause. So, maybe it is
best said that all of American society deserves the benefits of safer
streets because all Americans played some role in this improvement. The
challenge ahead is to continue the work so that our towns, cities and rural
areas become even less dangerous.