Enforcement Drops Crime in Major Cities Some of the nation's biggest cities, with the strictest prohibition on lawful ownership of firearms, have had some of the worst crime problems for many years. Now, with a focus that targets illegal behavior and not the legitimate ownership of a legal product, crime-fighters are proving that controlling criminals is the key to controlling crime. Chicago's change in emphasis, including embracing the firearms industry-supported Project Safe Neighborhoods crime prevention program, resulted in about a quarter fewer murders in 2004. Read more in The Chicago Tribune and The New York Times.