[bluecollarman]

"They didn't need someone to protect their lives from rampant crime?"

Violent Crime was on the decrease BEFORE Rudy took over. Rudy just got rid of the homeless people and such. He used over 70,000 strip searches to harass them. The guy is a little dictator but that's what you want I guess.

Make the trains run on time Papa Rudy!

[BohDaThone]

Hre's the data on Murders in NYC before, during and after Rudy's terms as mayor

1985 1384
1986 1582
1987 1672
1988 1896
1989 1904
1990 2262
1991 2154
1992 1995
1993 1946
1994 1561
1995 1178
1996 983
1997 769
1998 633
1999 676
2000 708
2001 649 (not including the September 11 terrorist attacks).
2002 575
2003 597
2004 572
2005 530
2006 596

You can see a peak just before he became mayor in 1993, but not much of a drop (down 300 in 3 years). It then fell 900 in the next 3 years and 300 more in the next 3. It certainly does not look like a steady down trend before his terms.