One of Bratton's first initiatives was the institution in 1994 of CompStat, a comparative statistical approach to mapping crime geographically in order to identify emerging criminal patterns and chart officer performance by quantifying apprehensions. The implementation of CompStat gave precinct commanders more power, based on the assumption that local authorities best knew their neighborhoods and thus could best determine what tactics to use to reduce crime.
Bratton's first endeavor was the creation in 1994 of CompStat, a statistical approach for mapping crime geographically to identify emerging patterns and evaluate officer performance through apprehension data. This initiative empowered precinct commanders, based on the premise that local authorities were most knowledgeable about their neighborhoods and could devise effective countermeasures.