Answer No. 4: The Crime Rate?

Lowering crime in Philadelphia has been the unalloyed success of the last 10 years.

After record highs in the 1980's and into the 90's, the number of major crimes has steadily declined since 2000; a 30-percent drop overall.  Homicides, after peaking at 406 in 2006, have gone down as well, as accompanying graphic shows.

One problem with crime -- from a public policy standpoint -- is that its pattern remains unpredictable.  Experts used to think crime was tied to the economy: when times got bad, crime went up.  But, that has not turned out to be the case, at least not during the last two recessions.

When crime does down, the police tend to credit their policing.  When it goes up, they tend to cite externals.

The only troubling sign on the horizon is a projected uptick in the number of homicides this year.  Homicides are considered the most reliable barometer of crime because while you can fudge statistics, you cannot hide a body.

But, there is no doubt that Philadelphia is a safer place today than it was 10 years ago and in 2008, the beginning of Nutter's first term.