Project Summary: Controlling Crime Since the 1980s, the policy response in the United States has been to “get tough” on crime. In recent years, however, this approach has been revisited for a variety of reasons, including the inability to continue funding such an expansive correctional system. More recently political rhetoric has moved from being “tough on crime” to being “smart on crime." Law enforcement has moved from being reactive to being proactive, with an emphasis on community policing in an effort to prevent crime. The future is likely to bring more such changes. Criminal justice professionals can improve the criminal justice system by continually monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of crime control policy.