Restoring a Safe New York (1990)
This report, released at a time when crime in New York City had reached alarmingly high levels, warned that unchecked criminal activity posed a significant threat and made several recommendations to address the problem. The Commission advised the city to adopt crime-fighting strategies based on the “broken windows” theory of policing, which called for law enforcement to move away from reactive 911-based policing towards a more proactive crime prevention and maintenance of order approach. It also advised adding 5,000 police officers to the force and the creation of community courts. In the mid-1990s these recommendations began to show significant results, leading to New York City’s historic recent reduction in crime and a dramatic improvement in the quality of life in the community.