Crime remains a top concern for Americans. Yes, murder rates have come down from their pandemic-era highs \u2014 but they are still far above where they should be.\u00a0At the same time, cities are running out of money.<\/p>\n
From New York to Los Angeles, budgets are tightening as federal aid disappears and revenues soften. Police departments are being asked to do more \u2014 with fewer officers.<\/p>\n
That reality isn\u2019t changing \u2014 so the question isn\u2019t whether we can spend more. It\u2019s whether we can get smarter about how we use what we already have.\u00a0The answer is yes \u2014 because we\u2019ve done it before.<\/p>\n
Between us, we\u2019ve spent decades leading two of the nation\u2019s largest police departments \u2014 the NYPD<\/a> and LAPD<\/a> \u2014 and we\u2019ve seen firsthand how performance can vary within policing.<\/p>\n When one of us (Corey) joined the NYPD in the late 1980s, the job was largely reactive. Officers responded to calls, took reports, and moved on.<\/p>\n By the time the other (Bratton) became commissioner in 1994, that mindset began to change \u2014 and it changed fast. We introduced CompStat<\/a>, a system using real-time data, accountability, and focused deployment. Precinct commanders were expected to know what was happening in their areas \u2014 and to act.<\/p>\n That shift \u2014 from reactive to proactive policing \u2014 transformed New York City. Crime, including murder, dropped by more than 80% over the next two decades. And disorder decreased greatly.\u00a0We saw the same thing in L.A.\u00a0When those same principles were applied at the LAPD, violent crime fell dramatically. Different city, same lesson: how you manage matters.<\/p>\n And here\u2019s the key point \u2014 those gains weren\u2019t driven by massive increases in spending.\u00a0They were driven by better use of existing resources.\u00a0That lesson matters more now than ever.<\/p>\n Today, departments across the country are stretched thin. In Los Angeles, staffing shortages have forced difficult decisions about coverage. In New York, overtime costs continue to climb even as headcount struggles to keep pace.<\/p>\n Cities cannot spend their way out of this problem.\u00a0But they don\u2019t have to.\u00a0There is still enormous inefficiency in the criminal justice system. Some departments achieve far better results than others with the same \u2014 or fewer \u2014 resources. The same is true for courts and prosecutors.<\/p>\n Take pretrial decisions. Judges must determine whether someone is likely to reoffend or fail to appear in court. Too often, low-risk individuals are detained while higher-risk individuals are released.\u00a0That\u2019s not just a fairness issue. It\u2019s a public safety issue \u2014 and a resource issue.\u00a0That tells us something important: high performance is not about luck. It\u2019s about leadership, training, and systems.<\/p>\n That\u2019s the idea behind the Policing Leadership Academy<\/a>, a partnership with the University of Chicago Crime Lab<\/a>. The program equips police commanders with the tools to run modern, data-driven organizations.<\/p>\n The early results are promising. Departments are showing that when leaders use data effectively, deploy resources strategically, and hold teams accountable, crime can be reduced.\u00a0And the cost? Minimal compared to what cities already spend.<\/p>\n This approach shouldn\u2019t stop at policing. Courts, prosecutors, and public defenders should be held to the same standard: better outcomes with smarter use of resources.<\/p>\n Americans want safer streets. Cities need to control spending.\u00a0Those goals are not in conflict.\u00a0We\u2019ve seen what works \u2014 in New York, in Los Angeles, and across the country.\u00a0The tools are there. The playbook is proven.\u00a0Now it\u2019s time to use it.<\/p>\n Bratton twice served as NYPD commissioner, LAPD chief, and serves as an advisor to the Policing Leadership Academy. Corey served as NYPD chief of department and is the executive director of the Policing Leadership Academy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Crime remains a top concern for Americans. 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