Abstract:
The dramatic reduction in crime in New York City during the 1990s grabbed the attention of the US and the world, seeming to provide evidence that new policy and management approaches could make an enormous difference for the better. This case tells the story of key management decisions that the New York Police Department itself credits with the successful attack on the city's crime rate. Specifically, it describes the approach of Police Chief William Bratton in assembling a core, reform-oriented management team and the development of a computerized crime tracking system used as the foundation for the targeting of police manpower. The epilogue raises the dramatic question of whether the goal of minimizing the misuse of force by police officers is also amenable to the measurement techniques successfully employed to the activity of criminals. This case, in addition to the questions it raises, provides a powerful telling of one of the most successful public sector management initiatives of recent times.
Learning Objective:
This case tells the story of key management decisions that the New York Police Department itself credits with the successful attack on the city's crime rate. In addition to the questions it raises, this case provides a powerful telling of one of the most successful public sector management initiatives of recent times.
