"In fact, the violent crime decline is happening much more dramatically in the less affluent sections of the city."

He has kept the city's budget balanced (as required by law), won new taxes to hire thousands of police officers, extended library hours and seen crime decline.

The other is this: Much of the American public looks at the stories about crime decline, says, well, maybe for you, not me.

"Almost one-half (43.6 percent) of the total crime decline during high-alert periods is concentrated in District 1," the economists wrote.

The crime decline was probably the only significant public benefit of the 1990s that favored the disadvantaged rather than the privileged.

In addition, researchers found that as a person ages, the chances of being a victim of violent crime decline more rapidly than life expectancy.

"The national crime decline is over."

"We squeezed all the air out of the balloon after having seven good years of crime decline," Mr. Fox said.

The crime decline in New York surely happened the same way.

"He didn't take credit for the crime decline across the country, at least."