I agree with BG, and I do hate to nitpick, but the dates and the credit are partially inaccurate, however the conclusion is correct. 1990-1993 was perhaps the highest crime rate locally and nationally. Yes, those programs were invented in the 70’s and 80’s, but they didn’t get implemented on a large scale until the early 1990’s, combined with three strikes and later DNA and technology (cameras, cashless society, cell phones) each took another bite, the trends all started heading downward in the mid 1990’s. Today, despite horrible economic conditions, we are in the 1960’s and in some categories, the 1950’s as far as crime statistics go. However the media exploded with technology at the same time, so the perception began to seperate from the reality at about the same time. Locally we lay claim to being the jeruselum of meth production and in the late 80’s, was its local heyday and it caused the creation of task forces that drove the production from the region, but it took a decade and we are still dealing with the aftermath but not on quite the scale. I hate to get into politics, those that know me, know this to be true. But it was during the Clinton years (1993-2001) that the community policing grants and the officer next door program were given priority(where cops got cut price housing in the worst areas but had to live there). Luckily, after the the terroist attacks and the funding drying up for domestic uses, the crime rates didnt reverse direction.
I don’t want to get into a protracted argument, just want to point out that we haven’t enjoyed low crime rates since the 70’s or 80’s, in fact those years and the early 90’s were the worst in history, that’s where the bars come from. But I do agree with BG, it’s nothing is like it once was, dont get too bent out of shape by the bars, I lived in two of those zip codes in the 80’s, I lost a couple of car steros, big deal.
Now Mexico, different story. What once was a fantastic place for the under 21 students on a budget and without a fake i.d., has gone to hell in a handbasket. Keep him out of there until they get a handle on their little “issues.”
