BROKEN WINDOWS

Broken Windows: The Police and Neighbourhood Safety

Broken Windows: The Police and Neighbourhood Safety

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to enlighten and explore the broken windows concept pioneered by Wilson and Kelling. The objective of this paper is to analyze the hypothesis in light of different conceptions in order to evaluate its continuing relevance. In addition, the paper also focuses to elaborate the continuing relevance of the hypothesis suggested by Wilson and Kelling. There are distinct sources used in this paper to elaborate the broken windows concept. The broken windows hypothesis suggested by Wilson and Kelling is a very diverse concept. There are several social, political and criminal studies that expanded the concept in order to review its validity and reliability. According to diverse sources, the broken windows theory can be very useful for the society as its implications focus on social welfare and prosperity. As originally introduced in the early 1980s, the broken windows theory addresses the means of obtaining order and control in a civilized society. The theory posits that if law enforcement entities tolerate or fail to take seriously minor misdemeanour criminal offences, the potential criminals will recognize such tolerance or leniency which, in turn, leads to the commission of additional, and possibly more serious, crimes. The minor misdemeanour offences in question, for example, are those such as littering, loitering, public drinking, panhandling, public urination, vandalism, and prostitution.

In order to resolve this societal breakdown, the broken windows theory emphasizes that severe punishment acts as the most effective deterrent to prevent further crime. Thus, a law enforcement entity acting in accordance with the broken windows theory would probably adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward minor misdemeanour offences, also known as quality-of-life crimes. Accordingly, the broken windows theory, which holds that visible disorder fosters more crime, requires wide-spread enforcement of various municipal ordinances that prohibit minor misdemeanour offences. Rudolph Giuliani adopted one of such approach in his well-known position as the 107th mayor of New York City. Rudolph Giuliani offered his service when high crime, poverty, and poor educational system dominated New York (Hale, 1987, 72). The enthusiastic Giuliani committed himself to changing things for the better.

The first Republican mayor elected to the position in over twenty years. Giuliani is perhaps best known for taking an extremely tough stance on crime. In the wake of his election in 1993, Mayor Giuliani, along with then Police Commissioner William Bratton, began a quality-of-life campaign that targeted, amongst others, jaywalking offenders, individuals that failed to leash their dogs while walking them in violation of the pertinent ordinances, and those who walked along the streets of New York blaring their stereos or alleged boom boxes. This tough stance on crime, like many of Giuliani's policies, however, was not without its critics (Wilson, Kelling, 1982, 29).

The Broken Windows Theory

Wilson and Kelling pioneered the concept of the broken windows theory, and developed the hypothesis to provide rationales for neighbourhood safety measures. They presented it in an article that first appeared in 1982 in the magazine, Atlantic Monthly, ...