facts and nonpartisan perspectives on the issues

IN THIS ISSUE

Crime Prevention

The violent crime rate, which had been declining for years, went up from 2004 to 2006 and is no longer on a downward trend. Among the explanations for the crime spike is that emphasizing terrorism prevention has left less money and manpower for community policing.

The federal government, and the presidential candidates, can take the lead in providing states with innovative ways to combat crime.

Experts from the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center can provide facts and nonpartisan perspectives on why the crime rate has gone up and how to improve public safety, including preparing prisoners for release to help reduce recidivism and investing in better criminal justice data collection.

Read more in the reports linked below and listen to an interview with UI expert John Roman on the right.

KEY FACTS

• The violent crime rate declined every year from 1992 to 2004, falling from 757.7 per 100,000 people (1,932,274 violent crimes) to 463.2 per 100,000 people (1,360,088 violent crimes). This drop came despite a 15 percent increase in population.
• From 2004 to 2006, the violent crime rate increased from 463.2 per 100,000 people (1,360,088 violent crimes) to 473.5 per 100,000 people (1,417,745 violent crimes).
• The federal government spent about $1.2 billion annually from 1995 through 1999 to help city and county police departments hire more patrol officers through the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).
• Federal spending on COPS fell to an average of nearly $400 million per year from 2002 through 2006. The decline signals a policy shift away from proactive community-oriented policing (where officers work within neighborhoods to address the causes behind crimes) toward reactive security-oriented policing (where officers respond to crimes after they have already occurred and policing is not neighborhood specific).
• The number of sworn federal officers swelled between 2000 and 2004, with greater than 15 percent increases in the United States Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and the United States Marshals Service. Local police chiefs report that experienced officers are leaving local police agencies for federal positions.
• In 2004, the U.S. Capitol Police employed 1,525 officers, about 300 more officers than in 2002. They provide police services for the U.S. Capitol grounds and buildings, an area covering approximately one square mile. This force is nearly equivalent to the police force for the entire city of Cleveland, with its 1,560 officers.

Additional analysis is available in UI reports:

• Trends in Work Supports for Low-Income Families with Children—Sheila R. Zedlewski and Seth Zimmerman
• How Have Asset Policies for Cash Welfare and Food Stamps Changed Since the 1990s?—Signe-Mary McKernan and William Margrabe
• The Effect of State Food Stamp and TANF Policies on Food Stamp Program Participation—Caroline Ratcliffe, Signe-Mary McKernan, Kenneth Finegold
  
  

UI in the News

“Hopefuls Don't Talk Crime—Much,” Philadelphia Daily News—quotes UI expert

“Are iPods to Blame for Rising Crime?” The New York Times—about UI report

“Chicago's Critical Crime Wave,” ABC News: Good Morning America—interview with UI expert

Decision Points '08 is published weekly by the Urban Institute, a nonpartisan social and economic research organization.
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