The Crime Numbers Game (Advances in Police Theory and Practice)

Eterno and Silverman, have done a great service to the NYPD and Police departments everywhere by writing this book. They expose the perils of over dependence on statistics in effective policing. Compstat is removing the human element from the equation and the long term ramifications will be disastrous. A must read for every member of the NYPD and any department ruled by statistics based models. Don't become a drone, think before you act. Remember sometimes "Discretion is the better part of valor".

It's a good book, so critic about this policing model, but the interesting it's other overview about this system.

Excellent book on the shortcomings of Compstat, it's what NY experienced and what Chicago is experiencing with Compstat. A must read for law enforcement it exposes Compstats weaknesses

I'll first of all admit that I have not read this book yet, but I have been reading the articles and research by these authors that has led to this book.To sum up: NYC cops from the beat to the chief's level have been under enormous pressure under the CompStat system for over 15 years. CompStat uses statistical analysis in conjunction with highly detailed map breakdowns of NYC to track and halt crime trends as they emerge. The system holds officers and commanders VERY accountable for reducing crime in their precinct. Public humiliation and career threats are the main tools of accountability.The problem: since the whole system is dependent on watching crime statistics, cops and commanders can stay out of trouble (or be rewarded) by fudging the statistics. This makes logical sense - the authors provide some of the evidence.How? By showing how reclassifying crimes or not reporting crimes works. A stolen pocketbook becomes a lost item. A burglary becomes minor vandalism. A victim of a minor assault is dissuaded from filing a report. No one who follows financial or political scandals need be persuaded that numbers can be made to do very bizarre things that hide huge problems.Bigger problem: CompStat has been adopted all over the country and all over the world - with much the same weakness to incentivize cooking the books.I'm a big supporter of the police, and it is the police officers themselves being pressured into focusing on how their stats come out rather than how their precinct is actually doing. Honest reporting of crime statistics is punished. Those who fix the stats get rewarded.CompStat is a fantastic system. But what it lacks is a way of getting cops and commanders to both report crimes accurately while also being accountable for reducing crime.The defenders of CompStat have done it a great disservice by not honestly addressing this flaw. This book will show you what's going on and how it can be fixed.

It seems that the NYPD are trying to make as many arrests as they can for petty crimes, like trespassing, and reduce the figures for bigger crimes, like burglary. Why else would a burglary be downgraded to trespass, and attempted murder become "reckless endangerment," while more and more summonses are given out for quality-of-life offenses?Raymond Kelly has done, in my view, a terrible job. But it was Mayor Bloomberg who gave him the job, so I think he holds the blame too.

Excellent, well-researched, & well-written exploration of the way Comstat has been used--& misused--in New York City policing. Eterno & Silverman present a clear picture of the way the push for `better' crime stats has led to distortion of crime data & deception of the public. They clearly know their matierial & have excellent sources in the NYPD. I'm also impressed by the authors' appreciation of (and sympathy for)the pressures placed on NYPD officers. Many officers seem to be struggling with ethical & morale issues because of what the Mayor, Commissioner, & NYPD management are pushing them to do. That's probably one reason why some have been willing to break through the blue wall of silence.It's very troubling that this book hasn't received the publicity it deserves! The public deserves to know this information.

This volume exposes the underbelly of policing gone awry. The authors vividly document how a valuable policing management system has been turned on its head adversely affecting the cop on the street and citizens alike.I highly recommend this valuable book to all interested in issues such as crime statistical manipulation, stop and frisk, racial profiling and quotas in policing in New York City and elsewhere. It is very well written.

This is a very important book because, while focusing on the NYPD, it illustrates very well how public policy generally can be determined by the desire of policy makers to present the public with a positive image of their work, rather than focusing on accurately evaluating and improving their policies. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of law enforcement and criminal justice in America.