EDITORIAL: BEATING CRIME

Surprised Experts May Not Like Them, But Tough Measures Are Paying Off

Defying the experts' predictions, America's crime rate is down again. In fact,
crime hasn't been this low since the keeping of national records on property
and violent crimes began in 1973. The decline over the past decade was a
stunning 50 percent.

It seems abundantly clear that law enforcement has improved in both prevention
and the capture of lawbreakers, and that sending record numbers of people to
prison for lengthy sentences is working. After all, if you are behind bars, you
are not on the street doing bad things.

It's sobering that so many Americans -- mostly young men -- are being
imprisoned, and there should be continued efforts keep them from breaking the
law in the first place. An extra incentive in this cause is money. Prisons are
expensive, and many states are strapped.

Obviously, though, states should be careful about taking shortcuts; it must not
be assumed that crime itself does not have huge costs. Plus, if crime rates do
not head up again, prison populations eventually will decline.

In the meantime, the fact that Americans responded to rising criminal behavior
by beating it down inspires confidence in our capacity to deal with social
issues.