Broken Windows Theory Essay

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The idea behind the Broken Windows Theory is simple, small things can turn into big problems. When a window gets broken, or litter covers the sidewalk and streets or graffiti covers a wall in an alley it is not a big deal as long as it is cleaned up and attended to promptly by the neighborhood. The problems begin when the broken windows, litter and or graffiti is left alone and more follows it. Once a neighborhood becomes neglected, only more neglect follows it.
When people in a neighborhood fail to care about the neighborhood it shows. The people who like to engage in bad things begin to feel safe in indulging in bad practices. Kids begin misbehaving and when not corrected just continue to be bad and cause more damage to the neighborhood, more litter, more graffiti and more broken windows. Vandalism can run rampant and uncontrolled. Anti-social behaviors will become the norm and crime will breed from petty small crimes to crimes like murder.
James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling made the Broken Windows Theory famous in the March 1982 issue of Atlantic Monthly in an article titled Broken Windows: The Police and Neighborhood Safety.
They say once a property has become abandoned and the grass and weeds continue to grow and a window has been broken that adults will stop correcting their children’s bad behaviors. Families will move away from the neighborhood and unattached adults will move in to replace them. Teenagers will begin to gather in groups and refuse to disperse when asked by adults. Litter collects on the sidewalks and in the streets. Drunks begin hanging out in front of stores and begin sleeping the alcohol off wherever they want. Panhandlers feel free to panhandle wherever they choose.
Many residents will begin to ...

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...can watch out for each other and families. The neighborhood can provide funds for a safe place for teens and youths to hang out instead of being left at home and alone. Keeping neighborhoods free of excess trash and graffiti lets outsiders know that the community is well maintained and watched over by those that live there. Community policing with help from the police officers that patrol that area will help residents learn what and who to look out for in regards to what is considered an undesirable person.
With police funding cuts on the rise and looking to continue it is going to have to be up to every resident in every neighborhood and community to begin looking out for each other to help keep crime in their area to a minimum. The police will still be there to help people and respond to calls and emergency’s but people need to learn to help each other out too.

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