"Using data about patterns, trends, and statistical associations over the past two decades, Andrew Karmen's research uncovers the real reasons that brought about the crash. Providing both a local and a national context for New York's plunging crime rate, Karmen tests - and debunks - the many self-serving explanations for the decline. Is there clear and convincing evidence to support widely held beliefs and the most insistent claims for credit? Are there important underlying developments in the City and across the country that have been overlooked?"--BOOK JACKET.