New York is considerably more multicultural than London and serious
crime has been falling there for the last decade or so. What has been
behind this success has been tackling relatively minor crimes such as
vandalism, graffiti, drunken disorderliness and littering with the
full force of the law. The effect this has had is improving the
general atmosphere within the city, making decent citizens feel safer
and the criminal element more frightened.
Vandalised property is promptly repaired, burned out vehicles removed
etc. This sends out the message that the city authorities care. It's
know in criminology as the "broken window" approach- if vandals break
a window and it does not get repaired promptly, then other vandals
will add to their "work", gangs start getting involved along with hard
drugs...