Using a groundbreaking "CompStat" program so successful it received Harvard University’s prestigious Innovations in Government Award, Rudy and his Police Department systematically took down the criminals who had stolen the streets of New York. Murders went down 66 percent, shootings by more than 70 percent. Robberies, burglaries, and violent crimes in general all dropped so dramatically that New York, once considered by many to be the crime capital of America, became - according to the same FBI I ran for more than eight years - the safest large city in America.
It’s hard to overstate the sheer effort and force of will it took to accomplish such a feat, both from the rank-and-file police officers and their leaders. Nor should we underestimate the effect Rudy had on crime nationwide, as the tactics Rudy and the NYPD used to such great effect were copied by Mayors and Police Departments across the nation, contributing heavily to the widespread reductions in crime our nation enjoyed in the 1990’s.
Most importantly, we should never forget or obscure what these results meant for the people of New York. Rudy’s New York City was once again a place defined by its best qualities, not overwhelmed by its worst. It was once again a city that epitomized the hope and opportunity that have for so long been the driving force behind America’s national successes.
Count me as one who believes that crime is an issue that deserves top billing in this presidential election, and that Rudy Giuliani’s record of transforming New York City gives him the credibility to talk about making our entire country safer for our families.