Explanation

The argument—that the reorganization did not lead to more crime—hinges upon statistics compiled from reports of crime, and therefore assumes that such reports
are indicative of the actual incidence of crime. Something that weakens this connection between reports and incidence of theft, then, would challenge the mayor’s argument. Choice A does exactly that, so it is the correct answer. Choices B and E would strengthen rather than challenge the mayor’s argument, so they are incorrect. Choice C might give one reason to question the mayor’s conclusion, but it does not speak to his argument, which does not involve other cities, so it is not the correct choice. Choice D is incorrect because the mayor’s argument makes no claims regarding the economics of the reorganization, only its effectiveness at crime reduction.