Escape to New York

Escape to New York
(Original publication: December 22, 2007)

New York City is such a busy mishmash of ethnicities, nationalities, races and cultures that hardly anyone expends much energy focusing on the trivial differences among the many groups, notwithstanding the flare-ups from time to time over specific incidents, or Rudy Giuliani. That New York basically works is important to all of us who live, work or play there. An underappreciated news story earlier this week showed how it takes some brains to make New York prosper -and perhaps some rhetorical restraint as well.


The good news is that, no matter what the 6 o'clock news or tabloids scream, New York is on track to have fewer than 500 murder this year, the lowest number since reliable record-keeping began in 1963. The figure as of Dec. 11 of 457 killed was about 16 percent fewer than reported over the same period last year. In 1990, there were a mind-numbing 2,245 murders. Rapes, robberies and burglaries are also down this year, and felony assaults have been holding steady at 16,200 for the last two years. The statistics solidify New York's standing as the safest big city in America.


So how does this melting pot, polyglot and so-called "sanctuary city" continue to make such gains against violent crime? By using incendiary rhetoric whenever there's an exploitable tragedy? By harping on inconsequential differences among its citizens or noncitizens? By inviting Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, failed GOP presidential candidate, to sing "Dixie" outside City Hall?


(Point of reference: Tancredo, the one-note anti-illegal immigration candidate who dropped out of the White House race on Thursday, sang "Dixie" before a gathering of white supremicists in South Carolina last year; this past summer, he traveled to New Jersey to blast New York and other cities' so-called "sanctuary city" policies for illegal immigrants, this after the fatal shootings of college students, allegedly by illegal immigrants. The pro-gun lawmaker did not remark upon the fact that the college-student victims were shot.)


The answer would be no - even if former mayor and city crimefighter Giuliani sounds more like Tancredo now that he seeks the GOP nomination for president. As The Associated Press reported, the city's big drop in murders continues to be attributable to smart and evolving policing, solid law enforcement training and public awareness, and not any dopey rhetoric. The city still relies on CompStat, the crime-tracking computer program, to study crime statistics and spot trends - perhaps better than any other jurisdiction. It helps, too, that Commissioner Raymond Kelly assigns nearly two-thirds of all graduating police to high crime areas; the graduates used to be spread across the city.


Smarter still, the city reduced domestic-violence murders by 55 percent in five years - that translates into some 34 fewer slayings so far this year - by instituting more proactive policing; there is at least one domestic violence officer assigned to each city precinct. They are specially trained to respond to such complaints. An enhanced 911 system also checks whether there have been multiple domestic violence complaints from a specific address -information that helps beat officers gauge how to respond. Accordingly, domestic-violence arrests are up, while such murders are down. That's heady thinking - something communities don't get to when they are mired in what we usually get: mean-spirited and meaningless rhetoric. Oh, the latter might score someone some votes, but don't count on it keeping our families safe.


A Journal News editorial



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Damn what a record huh? only 457 killed ..holding steady at only 16200 ASSAULTS..
My god man that is one heck of a record , All because of who ??
Maybe the fact they know ICE will be looking for them they are keeping a low profile.. if you can call this a low number

(Point of reference: Tancredo, the one-note anti-illegal immigration candidate who dropped out of the White House race on Thursday, sang "Dixie" before a gathering of white supremicists in South Carolina last year; this past summer, he traveled to New Jersey to blast New York and other cities' so-called "sanctuary city" policies for illegal immigrants, this after the fatal shootings of college students, allegedly by illegal immigrants. The pro-gun lawmaker did not remark upon the fact that the college-student victims were shot.)

Who wrote this drivel? I was in that room, The Confederacy room at the SC State Musuem in September of last year when Tancredo made his speech. I sat at the table right in front of the podium and when it was over someone jumped up and began to sing Dixie. Tancredo did not sing one word because I had my eye on him the entire time. In fact he looked very unconfortable while it was being sang. And there might have been a few "white supremecists there as you call them but I never noticed them. Because most of us that were there were concerned South Carolininians, worried about the direction that our state is headed in regards to the tsunami of illegal aliens flooding in. Whoever wrote this needs to get their facts straight first!