Having the latest crime statistics wouldn't have mattered one bit if those in charge were not being held accountable for acting on them. Using CompStat-generated statistics, the top brass in the NYPD held a weekly meeting with Commanders from the 76 NYPD precincts, 12 Transit Districts, and 9 Housing Bureau Service Areas to review the crime reports from their respective areas. If crime went up, the Commanders were grilled about why. If arrests were up on some days and significantly lower on other days, the commanders were asked why. Performance was rewarded and failure was penalized.
Between 1993, when Giuliani took office, to 2001 when he left, murders dropped by an astonishing 66%. Rape went down by 45%, robbery by decreased 67%, and aggravated assault, larceny, and motor vehicle theft each decreased by at least 39%. In recognition of its success, the CompStat program won the “Innovation in Government Award” from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Ford Foundation in 1996.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the CompStat program has been well praised. Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angeles, London and numerous other cities have adopted programs similar to CompStat to help them protect their citizens.
Long before 9/11, Rudy Giuliani was demonstrating leadership through results-driven government and by holding government accountable. Giuliani will use the same principles that led to the creation of CompStat and other similar programs that helped transform New York City to reform the federal government. Our national government needs a CompStat-like program to help improve the Federal government's performance and protect the taxpayers' wallets as well. Rudy never listened to the skeptics who said New York City was ungovernable, and he won't listen to the naysayers who say the same about the Federal government.