The most common solution, and the one adopted by the authors of the chapters of this book, is to center in on homicide. Criminologists have long taken it as an article of faith that, while victims can easily hide being raped, only a limited number of bodies can be concealed forever. If homicide rates are not perfect, they are the best crime rates we have. The debate over the causes of the crime drop has been especially ideological. Conservatives argue that there is no need to look at the root causes of crime, and that massive policing and imprisonment can cut back on crime.
Liberals argue that there is no evidence that police actions reduce crime.
They do not endorse or even discuss the critical or liberal call for major changes in society, but they do not blindly carry a banner for ideological conservatives, casting instead a searching eye on claims that massive imprisonment or zero tolerance policing has been effective. They tend to be mathematically sophisticated criminologists who have produced a fine book that can at times be intimidating to read. Simply put, however, as with all top mathematical works, their arguments are made clearly and even the more innumerate should be able to benefit from this book easily. Given its relatively low price, it is an important resource for all sides on this political debate to own. The book itself does not take on many political issues.