Back from the Brink: Inside the NYPD and New York City's Extraordinary 1990s Crime Drop

by Peter Moskos

With crime of heightened concern in the country's largest cities, Peter Moskos brings readers behind the Blue Wall of the NYPD, offering insight into policing solutions directly from the law enforcement officers who went to war against crime in New York in the 1990s, and won.

From the 1970s to the early 1990s, New York City was seen, justifiably, as out of control. The city approached bankruptcy, the subways were covered with graffiti, and murders were at a record high. Right-wing fearmongering and vigilante justice were countered by liberal pleas to end poverty and provide drug treatment--none of which happened. Then, in a surprising break from the past, new NYPD leadership decided to focus on crime. Between 1993 and 1996, New York City's murder numbers were cut in half, dropping to under 1,000 for the first time in decades. Eventually New York City would have fewer than 300 murders, fewer than Chicago, with one-third the population. Fewer than Baltimore, even, with one-fifteenth the population.

In Back from the Brink, Peter Moskos takes readers behind the Blue Wall, telling the story of "The New York City Miracle" from the men and women who were on the job. Moskos, a sociologist and former police officer, weaves together this rich narrative with extensive research and conversations with police officers, civic leaders, academics, and reporters. Delving deep into the behind-the-scenes workings of the NYPD, Moskos shows how leadership changed the rank-and-file's dealings with crime, quality-of-life issues, criminals, and the public. The city's police, political, and civic leaders provided a unified front that allowed cops to "do their job," and, in doing so, New York became the safest big city in America.

Back from the Brink is an unofficial NYPD history that spans three decades of crime and crime fighting in the Big Apple. With crime, especially gun violence, a perennial problem in America, Moskos offers insight into effective law enforcement directly from the police officers who went to war against crime in New York in the 1990s, and won.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Crime, American History

312 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2025

Reviews

[Steven Svymbersky · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, Peter is a friend of mine and I did have a small hand in helping to transcribe and copyedit this book, but during that whole process it was impossible to contain my enthusiasm for this project. I lived in Boston throughout the 80's but visited NYC a few times a year during that decade and it was always kind of scary to me. All my friends who lived there had stories of being mugged or stabbed or seeing violent crimes before their eyes. The idea that the city could go from a couple thousand homicides a year to a few hundred within a decade is hard to grasp. How the hell did they do it? This book, the first-hand accounts by the police officers who took on the task in the 80's & 90's is a ripping good story and as good an explanation as you will find. I'm a big fan of oral histories to begin with, so I found the format perfect for this account. The first part of the book lays out out just how bad the city had gotten in the 70's, how disheartened the police force had become in the face of no support from the government or the citizens. Then we slowly see how they begin with the cleaning up of the transit system, the cooperation of the neighborhood groups and the emphasis on collecting data and zeroing in on the core problems. By the 90's the changes come fast. Having the people who were there tell the stories first-hand we not only get to meet some incredible characters, but we get to understand what the police were up against and how they went about bringing concrete change. The interviews and the way they are presented is masterful and Peter brings years of work to this amazing account. It is a great read, as exciting and funny and thrilling as the best cop stories. This book deserves to be included amongst the great histories of New York City.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and highly-entertaining book. The author uses interviews with former NYPD officers and officials as well as other individuals to tell a remarkable story of the strategies and tactics that led to a significant, measurable drop in crime in NYC starting in the mid-90's.

You can just hear the New York City accent coming out in these interviews, and I found myself laughing repeatedly. Jack Maple, Louie Anemone, Billy Gorta were among the most colorful interviewees. To wit: "Look, you gotta realize we're not going to pay cops more to work, so you inspire them with little titles. And if they're inspired, cops will work very, very hard. You give them jackets with 'Fugitive Absconder' or something. Men will die for a piece of ribbon. Napoleon found that out." - Jack Maple, Deputy Commissioner of Operations. I am a student of leadership strategies and organizational development, and this book was a gem in those areas. Yes, you can inspire people to work hard in alternative ways beyond hiking their pay.

This book will no doubt also spike the reader's interest in policing and city management. One takes away many valuable lessons to benefit one's own community, whether that's the application of the Broken Windows concept (clean up the aesthetic disorder such as graffiti to get the crime to start dropping), getting funding for improvement initiatives outside of public sources, the use of data and analytics (CompStat) to measure what is happening and how well tactics are working, rapid deployment of resources to crime scenes, holding people accountable, and so much more. And, if you are dealing with a strong union environment, you find benefit from reading this book.

[Sam Lively · Rating 4 out of 5]

I follow the author on social media and the subject matter was exactly up my alley so I didn't do any research before buying. I was initially disappointed to find out that it wasn't the author's analysis but his presentation of his interviews with a wide range of the major players. Once I got over the disappointment, I began to appreciate its powerful combination of intimacy and scope. I hope there is eventually a companion volume from the author with his critical appraisal of the turnaround and the policies and factors that played the most decisive roles in bringing the crime down so dramatically.

[Henrique Soarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

That the book is essencially a patchwork of interviews makes it a piece of art. Moskos almost doesn’t appear on the book. It’s basically all cops talking. A very fine work of writing! Loved the read.

[Mark Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of familiar names and events. It'll keep your attention, very enjoyable.

[Conor Durkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read, did not realize it’d be an oral history so was very pleasantly surprised! Very cool firsthand accounts of Compstat and the Bratton era (and from Bratton himself)

[Stephen G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

great narrative history of the late 80s and early 90s and what it took to get crime under control in NYC

[Muwaffaq Salti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book as told purely by people involved. Thoroughly recommend.