The county’s law enforcement agencies reported a four percent decrease inserious crime during the first six months of 1997, including a drop of fivepercent in violent crime — this according to figures released by the FBIlast month. The figures are just the latest in what many big city mayorsand police chiefs are hailing as proof that their anti-crime policies areworking. But what is behind the drop in crime figures?

Guests:

• Eric Monkkonen, who has a joint appointment in the history department andthe school of public policy at University of California in Los Angeles.
• Bill Chambliss, professor of sociology at George Washington University.
• Ronald Hampton, the executive director of the National Black PoliceAssociation, an advocacy group of and for African American police officersand the African American community. He was a Washington DC police officerfor 23 years and retired from the force in 1994.

Related links:

• What Is The Truth About Violent Crime In America?
• National Center for Policy Analysis

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