The nyc history from 1980 to the present in terms - Essay Example

20 December New York from the 1980s to the Present Times Widelyregarded as the world’s capital city (NYC, “About New York City”), New York City has witnessed a modest growth and a freezing point during the 1980s, and a major development during the 1990s. The period between the 1980s and the present has been a stage of increasing and decreasing crime rates, improved policing, infrastructure development, and a period of a key revitalization of its immigration system, following some major terroristic attacks, particularly the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre that tremendously impacted the city.

Racial strains flooded the city as organized crime became prevalent with the highly-exposed killings of three African Americans in the white residences in New York. Rape, gang bags, and shooting cases soared from the 1980s to the end of the 20th century (Langan and Durose, 17). Also, during the time of Mayor Edward Koch, the “crack epidemic” – the outpouring of crack cocaine in large US cities – inspired a rapid increase on the crime rates in the city. But, perhaps, the most major crime that took place in New York was the 9/11 attack that killed thousands of lives and called for the revamp of the city’s security force.

Many police officers had been laid off by 1980. Hiring freeze was also implemented for the next five years (Citizens Crime Commission, “History of the Crime Commission”). The concentration of the NYPD dropped from 31,000 officers to 22,000. By the end of 1980s, crimes escalated to the extent that it was almost impossible for the NYPD to control it. By 1990, following the implementation of the “Broken Windows” and the “Safe Streets” program that calls for the hiring of more police officers, crimes had dropped tremendously up to the present with its new approach against terrorism, improved juvenile crime and illegal gun crime.

New York City has been historically regarded as a main entry point of immigrants to the US. Since the 1980s, following the revitalization of its immigration system, the city experienced a transformed degrees of high immigration. Population has risen up remarkably. By the start of the 1980s, the population of New York City was 7,071,639 (Campbell, “Population of the 100 largest”; the city’s population as of 2010 is 8,175, 133 (US Census Bureau, “Annual Estimates”). The reinvigoration of the city’s immigration system has inspired cultural diversity, which contributed a lot to its political and economic success.

The city has seen a resurgence of the Wall Street and the city has regained its position as the world’s financial centre. Social and economic recovery was inspired by urban developments in its five boroughs. Modern skyscrapers were erected in the city, especially in the districts of Manhattan where headquarters of most Fortune 500 companies are situated. Housing programs in New York aimed at providing cheap public housing for low- and moderate-income families. The New York Housing Authority’s public housing stands for the 5.

2% of the city’s population. Works Cited"About New York City." nyc. New York City: Latin and Entertainment Commission, 2011. Web. 20 December 2012.Langan, Patrick, and Matthew Durose. "The Remarkable Drop in Crime in New York City." Bureau of Justice Statistics 21 October 2004: 1-33. US Department of Justice. Web. 20 December 2012."History of Crime Commission." nycrimecommission. Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, 2012. Web. 20 December 2012.Campbell, Gibson. "Population of the Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990." census. United States Census Bureau, 1998. Web. 20 December 2012.

"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties of New York: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011." census. United States Census Bureau, n.d. Web. 20 December 2012.