Broken Window Theory Essay

1450 Words3 Pages

Broken Windows Theory
In 1982, authors James Wilson and George Kelling present their seminal article entitled “Broken Windows”. The article posits that there is essentially a chain of events that leads to an increase in the occurrence of serious crimes. Specifically, Wilson and Kelling argue that social disorder (e.g., public drunkenness, prostitution, and aggressive panhandling) and physical disorder (e.g., abandoned buildings, trash and graffiti) lead to a decrease in informal social control, urban decay and ultimately, a rise in serious crimes. In order to combat the rise in serious crimes, Broken Window theory hypothesizes that if police officers engage in order-maintenance policing it will lead to a decrease in serious crimes. Order-maintenance …show more content…

Research also supports use of order-maintenance policing in communities were members view their neighborhoods as orderly (Gau & Pratt, 2010). Additionally, informing communities of planned crackdowns (CITATION HERE), tailoring crime reduction efforts to the specific types of crime the police are trying to reduce(NEED CITATION), cultivating a working relationship between the community and police officers (Committee to Review Research on Practice and Policy, 2004) and informing citizens of the reason for increase police activity (NEED CITATION) are effective strategies for the application of aggressive order-maintenance …show more content…

City administrators’ concerns about the citizens’ increase in fearfulness of crime and the application of a broken windows approach not significantly reducing crime will be addressed. Additionally, the police administrators’ idea to apply a broken windows approach to the worst neighborhoods in the community will be addressed and a final recommendation for use of the broken windows approach will be presented.
The Publics’ Concern
In my opinion, the publics’ concern about the negative impact taking a broken windows approach to crime reduction is a quite reasonable. In many communities taking a broken windows approach has been associated with ------------?. It does usallly have a negative impact especially the relations between police and the community---seen as a outside aggressor etc.
City Administrators’ Concerns It won’t significantly reduce crime in the city because BW theory hasn’t been shown to reduce serious crimes such as the violent and property crimes exhibited in this city. Also, BW theory has a strong and significant association with an increase in fearfulness in

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