The New York Times article was largely anecdotal.  The peg on which
the story dangled were the impressions of a Cleveland, Ohio, police
officer, in his mid-60s.  By the way, another explanation offered for
the decline in the homicide rate (in which adults did the killing)
was the improvement in emergency medical services: fewer victims died
of their wounds.
 
David M. Fahey
History Department
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056-1618, USA
tel. 513-529-5134
FAX 513-529-3841
e-mail: <[log in to unmask]>