Social Justice In My Life

When I think of social justice, I often think of the world around me, especially in my city.  So, I decided to look into the crime and safety aspects of New York City.  What I found was fascinating.  Many people make it seem like NYC is an incredibly dangerous place.  While it is not perfect, our city is the safest big city in the United States.  According to the New York Post article “Nothing Rivals NYC’s Crime Drop,” by Heather MacDonald, New York’s crime rate seems tame compared to many other cities.  The murder rate in Boston is twice as large, and Baltimore’s is five times worse.  Less serious crimes are also on the decline.  Felonies are down thirty-one percent from 2001, and it’s still dropping.  This is due to a more vigilant approach by the NYPD.  Overall, it would seem that these new strategies have made the city safer.

            An interesting point made by MacDonald was about our new mayor, Bill DeBlasio.  He has made attacking the police department an important part of his campaign.  However, there is clear evidence that the police are doing their job better than in any other major city.  So DeBlasio trying the change the ways of the police could have a negative effect on our city’s safety.  I think it would be for the best if he kept our streets safe, and leaving the police department alone would do just that.  As you can see, our city is getting safer every year, and we can hope it stays that way.