Providence Journal: What works to stop violent crime
Monday, March 19, 2007
Andy Rosenzweig
THERE IS A PHENOMENON in Providence that deserves to be on the top of America’s crime-prevention agenda. Nationally, we lost over 16,000 people to violence last year and the prospects are looking bleak. A recent article by Kate Zernike in The New York Times — “Violent Crime in Cities Shows Sharp Surge, Reversing Trend” — tells how most cities in America are victim to dramatic increases in violent crime; especially murder, aggravated assault and robbery.
Providence is experiencing the opposite and the manifestation of that is evidenced in the economic, social and cultural health of the city.
There are two reasons for this. First is a police department that for four years has had the inspired leadership of one of America’s great police chiefs, supported by a reform mayor with the vision, wisdom and integrity to let the men and women of the department do their jobs without political interference.
The second reason is more subtle but perhaps just as important. In the article Ms. Zernike quoted Police Chief Chris Magnus, of Richmond, Calif., one of the many cities plagued by increases in murders and gun violence, “We seem to be dealing with a lot of people with zero conflict-resolution skills.” Policing in Richmond and many other cities is all about conflict-resolution. It is probably missing a key ingredient of Providence’s reduction in violent crime and violence — the Street Workers Program, led by Teny Gross.
