“I can cut crime in half in any city in this country.” So uttered are the first words of Police Chief Jack Mannion, played by Craig T. Nelson in CBS’ new series “The District”. The premise of this new show is an aggressive Police Chief who uses innovative tactics to reduce crime through analysis involving mapping. The first shows ends with Mannion unveiling COMPSTAT, a crime-mapping tool that allows the fictional Washington D.C. police department the ability to view crime patterns. While the show is fictional, it is loosely based on the real-life events of former New York Deputy Police Commissioner Jack Maple. COMPSTAT is also a real-life crime program, which was first created by the New York City Police and Transit Authority to help cut crime. During his short-tenure, Jack Maple was able to help turn New York from a crime-ridden city to a place where people felt comfortable jogging in Central Park again.
