Myth: Rudy responsible for low NYC crime rates

When it comes to crime reduction in New York City, about the only thing Rudy Giuliani can take credit for is the hiring of William Bratton as Police Commissioner. Upon his hiring in 1994, Bratton devised and instituted the "Compstat" crime tracking system that allowed NYPD officers to pinpoint where crimes are happening and deploy strategies to combat crime in areas with rising crime. Bratton also decentralized decision making and placed more responsibility at the precinct level where those most familiar with the individual precinct could better create strategies that would work within that precinct. It was Bratton, not Giuliani, that was responsible for the dramatic decrease in crime in New York City.

In 1996, after a personal conflicts reportedly developed, Bratton resigned as Commissioner of the NYPD. Was Rudy Giuliani jealous of Bratton's success and decided to push Bratton out? Bratton's success led to a case study performed by a professor at Harvard Business School and many business schools use Bratton's tactics and success to teach their students organizational design and change. Police departments across the nation have adopted Bratton's Compstat program to successfuly fight crime. Rudy gets the credit, Bratton deserves it.

"Bratton's Compstat program singlehandedly used technology to change the face of crime fighting and the effectiveness of not just one police department, but hundreds," says Eli Silverman, a professor at the City University of New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. (Link)