Why are fewer NFL players being arrested?

Just a year after one of its biggest public-relations disasters ever, the NFL has reason to believe that its players have gotten the message.

NFL players have been arrested or charged with crimes 35 times this year — the lowest annual number on record since 2000 and less than half of what the league had nine years ago, according to a database of player arrests and citations kept by Paste BN Sports.

The reduction marks the first year of results since the league revised its personal conduct policy in response to a rash of high-profile domestic violence incidents last year, including the brutal case of running back Ray Rice, who was shown on video punching his then-fianceé in an elevator.

"We are encouraged by this progress but understand we have more work to do," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told Paste BN Sports. "It is a positive reflection on the players and our educational, preventative and deterrence programs. The overwhelming majority of people associated with the NFL have always met our high standards, but our unwavering commitment to improving and being a leader in this area continues."

Database: NFL player arrests and details since 2000

History still shows that crime and punishment in the NFL tend to happen in cycles. Previous crackdowns have led to reductions that didn’t last. Experts say this one might not last, either, although that’s not necessarily the league’s fault. To the contrary, they say the league arguably has become much better or stricter than U.S. society in terms of crime prevention and punishment. The league historically also has had around half the arrest rate of the general population.

“There’s always going to be ebbs and flows in very short time periods,” said Alex Piquero, a professor of criminology at the University of Texas at Dallas who has studied NFL arrests.  “Whether or not their policies are working, it’s too soon to tell.”

`Repetitive message’

The latest lull in player arrests is reminiscent of a previous cycle starting in 2006-07, when the league had nearly 80 player arrests or citations over a 12-month period. Several high-profile repeat offenders kept making news that year, notably cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones with a string of party and nightclub-related incidents.

“They are tainting the league,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in 2007, shortly before the league reacted with a new conduct policy that included tougher punishments for players and teams.

The changes seemed to work at first. Arrests and citations went down from 71 to 2006 to 52 in 2009, according to the Paste BN Sports database, which tracks active NFL player arrests or citations that are more serious than common traffic violations.

But then came a new spate of criminal cases in 2013 (62) and 2014 (51), lowlighted by Rice and tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was charged with murder in 2013 before being sentenced to life in prison this year.

In Rice’s case, the NFL initially suspended him for two games in 2014 — consistent with how the league punished domestic violence cases in the past. Several weeks later, the elevator video went public, unleashing a thunderstorm of outrage over the NFL’s perceived leniency against domestic violence.

This time, the league reacted by suspending Rice indefinitely and eventually revising its conduct policy in December 2014. The changes included establishing a committee to oversee the policy, increasing education and prevention efforts and threatening baseline suspensions of at least six games for some violations, including domestic violence.

The arrest reduction is “a credit to guys coming in and getting the right education,” Denver Broncos safety David Bruton said this week. “It's not just the rookie symposium. Veterans still get it. Having the repetitive message definitely helps.”

Among other measures, players saw a video before this season featuring former NFL player Donte Stallworth, who killed a pedestrian while driving drunk in 2009. His message was about making better choices.

Arrests are down even for drunk driving, which historically has been the league’s biggest criminal problem, accounting for nearly 30% of more than 800 player arrests or citations since January 2000. There were at least six DUI arrests in 2015, down from 18 DUI arrests in 2012 and 16 in 2013.

With domestic violence, the league had at least six related arrests in 2015, compared to at least five last year and seven in 2013.

“It’s cyclical,” said Harry Edwards, a sociologist and consultant to NFL management. “It’s expected. When (cycles) happens, it doesn’t mean the NFL is doing a poor job. The NFL does a better job than society.”

McCarthy said the NFL's internal figures show that there have been 11 arrests for violent offenses and 28 for nonviolent offenses (39 total) since Jan. 1, a 44 percent decrease in total arrests from the historic average, and a 39 percent decrease in total arrests as compared to the same period in 2014.

The league’s internal data skews slightly higher than Paste BN Sports' data, in part because the NFL includes players who were on expanded rosters before the season but who might not have been on a team roster when arrested. Some arrests also may have eluded media attention.

`They are going to find out’

By both measures, arrests are down considerably. One reason could be that the NFL has become arguably tougher with crime in some ways than regular society.

For example, the criminal justice system in New Jersey dismissed domestic violence charges against Rice after he received anger management counseling and paid $125. By contrast, the NFL suspended him for most of the 2014 season, and no team has been willing to sign him since his reinstatement. Likewise, NFL players receive education on drunk driving and domestic violence from the league now that many young adults their age never get.

NFL players also are subject to more public shaming and have become more aware that video cameras might be capturing their every move.

“Ray Rice is not in the league now, and he was a heck of a player,” Green Bay Packers cornerback Casey Hayward said. “And I’m pretty sure he still can play. But when you get some of those (stigmas) and things like that, it’s going to be hard on you.”

NFL players always will be a population with risks — newly wealthy men in their 20s and 30s, many from single-parent homes, many who like to party and many who might be repeating behaviors they learned at a younger age.

“If you go to a strict Mother Teresa standard for picking athletes, you’re going to have athletes who are not going to commit those kinds of crimes,” said Edwards, the sociologist. “But they probably won’t be able to play football very well, either.”

Edwards predicts another flare-up down the road as current players leave the league and new ones come in carrying new baggage. He said it’s a reflection of the larger culture, which includes its misogyny, income inequality, societal divisions, alcohol abuse and guns. It’s just amplified by the news media because of the popularity of the NFL. To help maintain that popularity with fans and sponsors, the league in turn holds players to a higher standard, cracking down on crime and revising policy when the cycle gets too noisy.

Historically, roughly a third of NFL criminal cases end up with acquittals or charges being dropped, according to incidents in the Paste BN Sports database with known resolutions. The rest generally end up with discipline in the criminal justice system, including diversion programs, probation and jail.

“You’ve got to realize that anywhere and everywhere you go there are eyes on you in some form,” Arizona Cardinals cornerback Justin Bethel said. “If you do something and it isn’t with charity, if it’s negative, they are going to find out. You’ve got to be careful. And even things that aren’t like horrible things, something a normal person could do, because you’re in the limelight, there are certain things you can’t do.”

Contributing: Lindsay H. Jones in Englewood, Colo., Weston Hodkiewicz in Green Bay, Wisc., Kent Somers in Tempe, Ariz.

Follow sports reporter Brent Schrotenboer on Twitter @Schrotenboer. E-mail: bschrotenb@usatoday.com