Crime has decreased everywhere since then (not just NYC) while the US prison population has increased 500% over the past 40 years.

> Certainly we can decrease brutality by sending police into areas with no conflicts but that defeats the whole purpose of policing.

Thanks for pointing out very clearly what you believe to be the purpose of policing. For a lot of cops as well, brutality is the goal. What we're seeing right now is Americans re-aligning those priorities.