Ray Kelly

Assaults up as much as 42% in some lower Manhattan Precincts.

I've been worried about this for some time now.

Thank You Very Much Michael Bloomberg.

On the heels of murder going up for the first time in 18 years, Tsar Bloomberg has decided to roll back a central component of the NYC Crime Miracle:

SOME petty crime is apparently too petty for the NYPD.

The department is edging away from a highly successful model of attacking all minor offenses to focus more on major crimes and counterterrorism....

The decline highlights the department's struggle to maintain the "broken windows" theory of crime prevention - that fixing problems such as a broken window right away will prevent bigger problems later.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani modeled his "zero tolerance" policy in part on that theory, leading to widespread reductions in minor and major crimes.

The broken-windows theory helped bring about the NYPD's CompStat program, the city's crime analysis and accountability system. CompStat keeps track of crime in each neighborhood - and puts each commanding officer's feet to the fire....

The decline highlights the department's struggle to maintain the "broken windows" theory of crime prevention - that fixing problems such as a broken window right away will prevent bigger problems later.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani modeled his "zero tolerance" policy in part on that theory, leading to widespread reductions in minor and major crimes.

The broken-windows theory helped bring about the NYPD's CompStat program, the city's crime analysis and accountability system. CompStat keeps track of crime in each neighborhood - and puts each commanding officer's feet to the fire.

This is incredibly dangerous, considering that the same people commit petty and violent crime.  The reforms of the Giuliani years demand eternal vigilance.  I fear this lesson has been forgotten.

Is it too late for a draft Rudy movement?

Thank You Very Much Michael Bloomberg.

In other news (same link), the NYPD cut it's 2009 recruiting class by 500.  I've seen more graffiti in the past day (even in my parents' neighborhood) than any time in the last five years.  New York is on the precipice of a return to the bad old days.

We need to keep the cops and fire a bunch of teachers, nurses, and social workers.