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Comment by b_emery | Hacker News Reader

The decrease in crime in NYC over the lase few decades is just remarkable. I remember reading about the problems of AIDS and crack, and just thinking there was no hope. I would have never thought it could turn around like it did. Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" had some pretty good evidence that crime can be thought of as an epidemic. I'd love to read more on the subject if anyone has suggestions.

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I think in Freakonomics a study is cited that claims what actually curbed the rise of crime was a change in abortion laws (rather than the "no broken windows" theory). Not sure if that was one of the things in Freakonomics that was later shown to be false, though.

yes it has been disputed. See: http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB113314261192407815-HL...

and http://www.economist.com/node/5246700?story_id=5246700

Thanks for those. The dispute has an interesting source:

"In other words, Messrs Donohue and Levitt did not run the test they thought they had—an “inadvertent but serious computer programming error”, according to Messrs Foote and Goetz"

Here's the murder graph from 1920 to present. Amazingly bad spike from 65-95.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_murders.PNG

I'd vaguely expect the rise in ATMs to be a factor.

The ability to exist with a minimum of cash would tend to make casual theft much less appealing.

Maybe, but I doubt it. In fact, an outdoor ATM is probably an appealing location in which to rob someone. And now we have ipods, iphones, laptops, etc that almost everyone is carrying. Casual theft is still appealing and there's much to be stolen.

You might want to read Jane Jacobs "The Death and Life of Great American Cities".

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