Jack Maple
Encyclopedia
Jack Maple served New York City as the Deputy Police Commissioner for Crime Control Strategies. He created the CompStat
methodology of crime fighting and law enforcement strategy. He coauthored the book The Crime Fighter, and inspired the television series The District
.
on the corner of Forest Park at 108th Street and Park Lane South. He was taught to be honest, stern, and had a brazen sense of humor.
He attended Brooklyn Technical High School
for four years and followed the Aeronautical Engineering major. He worked odd jobs during the day and earned his high school diploma equivalence at night.
officer, considered one of the most dangerous jobs
in New York. Maple rose from an undercover detective patrolling Times Square
and the 42nd Street train station at 8th Avenue
to the rank of Lieutenant in the New York City Transit Police.
Bill Bratton
, head of the New York transit police department while Maple worked as a lieutenant, noticed that Maple’s way of crime fighting showed a dramatic decrease in robberies. When Bratton was promoted to police commissioner in 1994, he took Maple with him as Deputy Police Commissioner to One Police Plaza. Maple called his strategy computer analysis of computer statistics—COMPSTAT.
The COMPSTAT program revolutionized the department and became a symbol of police accountability. Maple would have weekly COMPSTAT strategy meetings. COMPSTAT has become innovative in police departments across the nation. Almost every mid to large city in America has implemented COMPSTAT in their department’s crime fighting.
aired a special on the new crime fighting technique, including Maple and Bratton. Maple and Bratton became known as the Crime Fighting Kings. Maple and one of Bratton’s aides, John Linder, founded a police consultant
business and traveled around the country to help police departments with their crime problems.
The New Orleans Police Foundation, a group concerned about crime and police ineffectiveness in New Orleans, hired Maple and Linder for $1 million in consulting fees. New Orleans' per-capita murder rate was five times that of New York, with almost one person murdered each day. In 1994, Mike Wallace
and 60 Minutes
did a segment called “NOPD
Blues” and branded New Orleans as “the number 1 city in the nation for police brutality
and corruption”.
Maple implemented COMPSTAT in New Orleans. In 1996, crime statistics in New Orleans went down 22 percent in nine months and kept going down for four and half years. In late 1997, Ed Bradley
returned to New Orleans for another 60 Minutes special. He did a glowing report, reporting that with COMPSTAT in New Orleans, it is becoming one of the safest cities in America.
More cities hired Maple and Linder as consultants, including Newark, New Jersey, Baltimore and Istanbul, Turkey
. In 1999, Maple co-wrote a book, The Crime Fighter: Putting the Bad Guys Out of Business, published by Doubleday. Maple also began to co-write the prototype for the weekly television series The District
.
During this time, Maple was diagnosed with colon cancer
. He still had a sense of humor, dismissing it as a bump in the road. The cancer progressed very rapidly though. Maple said that he wanted his funeral in the late afternoon, and he wanted the procession to go up 42nd Street, past Grand Central Terminal
right around rush hour
. He knew it would tie up traffic, saying “For once they could wait for the fat cop". At Maple’s funeral, Mayor Giuliani hailed him as a great innovator in law enforcement who helped make New York City
the safest large city in America.
CompStat
CompStat—or COMPSTAT— is the name given to the New York City Police Department's accountability process and has since been replicated in many other departments...
methodology of crime fighting and law enforcement strategy. He coauthored the book The Crime Fighter, and inspired the television series The District
The District
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...
.
Early life
Jack Maple was born in 1952 and grew up in Richmond Hill, New YorkRichmond Hill, Queens
Richmond Hill is a neighborhood in central-southern Queens, New York City, USA. It is bordered by Kew Gardens to the north, Woodhaven and Ozone Park to the west, South Ozone Park to the south and South Jamaica to the east...
on the corner of Forest Park at 108th Street and Park Lane South. He was taught to be honest, stern, and had a brazen sense of humor.
He attended Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly called Brooklyn Tech or just Tech, and also administratively as High School 430, is a New York City public high school that specializes in engineering, math and science and is the largest specialized high school for science, technology, engineering, and...
for four years and followed the Aeronautical Engineering major. He worked odd jobs during the day and earned his high school diploma equivalence at night.
Career
He became a transit policeTransit police
Transit police are a specialized police agency or unit employed by a common carrier, which could be a transit district, railroad, bus line, other transport carrier, or the state...
officer, considered one of the most dangerous jobs
Workplace safety
Workplace safety & health is a category of management responsibility in places of employment.To ensure the safety and health of workers, managers establish a focus on safety that can include elements such as:* management leadership and commitment...
in New York. Maple rose from an undercover detective patrolling Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
and the 42nd Street train station at 8th Avenue
Eighth Avenue (Manhattan)
Eighth Avenue is a north-south avenue on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City, carrying northbound traffic. Eighth Avenue begins in the West Village neighborhood at Abingdon Square and runs north for 44 blocks through Chelsea, the Garment District, Hell's Kitchen's east end, Midtown and the...
to the rank of Lieutenant in the New York City Transit Police.
COMPSTAT
Robberies were the majority of violent crime in the subways. Maple tracked the robberies by pinpointing them on several hundred maps on his wall. Some officers called the maps "wall paper." Maple called the maps the “charts of the future”. He used them to discern underground crime patterns and dispatched police officers accordingly. Maple noticed by placing officers at these locations, the robberies were being displaced to other areas of the subway. He dispatched officers in what he called a "rapid response". Robberies were reduced in the subway from 1200 a year to 12 a year.Bill Bratton
William J. Bratton
William Joseph "Bill" Bratton CBE is an American law enforcement officer who served as the chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department , New York City Police Commissioner, and Boston Police Commissioner....
, head of the New York transit police department while Maple worked as a lieutenant, noticed that Maple’s way of crime fighting showed a dramatic decrease in robberies. When Bratton was promoted to police commissioner in 1994, he took Maple with him as Deputy Police Commissioner to One Police Plaza. Maple called his strategy computer analysis of computer statistics—COMPSTAT.
The COMPSTAT program revolutionized the department and became a symbol of police accountability. Maple would have weekly COMPSTAT strategy meetings. COMPSTAT has become innovative in police departments across the nation. Almost every mid to large city in America has implemented COMPSTAT in their department’s crime fighting.
Later career and death
60 Minutes60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
aired a special on the new crime fighting technique, including Maple and Bratton. Maple and Bratton became known as the Crime Fighting Kings. Maple and one of Bratton’s aides, John Linder, founded a police consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
business and traveled around the country to help police departments with their crime problems.
The New Orleans Police Foundation, a group concerned about crime and police ineffectiveness in New Orleans, hired Maple and Linder for $1 million in consulting fees. New Orleans' per-capita murder rate was five times that of New York, with almost one person murdered each day. In 1994, Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
and 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
did a segment called “NOPD
New Orleans Police Department
The New Orleans Police Department has primary responsibility for law enforcement in New Orleans, Louisiana. The department's jurisdiction covers all of Orleans Parish, while the city is divided into eight police districts....
Blues” and branded New Orleans as “the number 1 city in the nation for police brutality
Police brutality
Police brutality is the intentional use of excessive force, usually physical, but potentially also in the form of verbal attacks and psychological intimidation, by a police officer....
and corruption”.
Maple implemented COMPSTAT in New Orleans. In 1996, crime statistics in New Orleans went down 22 percent in nine months and kept going down for four and half years. In late 1997, Ed Bradley
Ed Bradley
Edward Rudolph "Ed" Bradley, Jr. was an American journalist, best known for twenty-six years of award-winning work on the CBS News television program 60 Minutes...
returned to New Orleans for another 60 Minutes special. He did a glowing report, reporting that with COMPSTAT in New Orleans, it is becoming one of the safest cities in America.
More cities hired Maple and Linder as consultants, including Newark, New Jersey, Baltimore and Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
. In 1999, Maple co-wrote a book, The Crime Fighter: Putting the Bad Guys Out of Business, published by Doubleday. Maple also began to co-write the prototype for the weekly television series The District
The District
The District is a television police drama which aired on CBS from October 7, 2000 to May 1, 2004. The show followed the work and personal life of the chief of Washington, D.C.'s Police Department .-Premise:...
.
During this time, Maple was diagnosed with colon cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
. He still had a sense of humor, dismissing it as a bump in the road. The cancer progressed very rapidly though. Maple said that he wanted his funeral in the late afternoon, and he wanted the procession to go up 42nd Street, past Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
right around rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. He knew it would tie up traffic, saying “For once they could wait for the fat cop". At Maple’s funeral, Mayor Giuliani hailed him as a great innovator in law enforcement who helped make New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
the safest large city in America.