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Originally Posted by Graham
"The relationship between the level of policing and the level of crime in a community is by no means clear. Some cities have both low crime rates and low per capita policing levels. Others have high crime rates and high police staffing levels. In addition some cities have achieved significant reductions in crime without embarking on a zero tolerance policing strategy with the associated increase in police staff levels."
Note that last sentence well. It's easy to claim that the reduction in crime was due to Zero Tolerance, but if you're going to put a large number of extra Police on the streets, that, in itself, will have an effect!!
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I think from what you say the relationship between the level of policing and the level of crime IS clear.
In some cities they are able to keep crime rates down at a low cost because the police are being effective.
In other cities, crime is high despite high staffing levels because the police are ineffective.
Therefore having Zero tolerance doesn't necessarily require more police or greater spending, it just requires that the police employed are effective.
Perhaps some of the higher spending authorities could learn lessons from their more cost effective neighbours with regard to the management of crime and the methods and tactics used to control it.