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Is the "broken windows" theory of crime responsible for helping police forces in many cities to cut crime rates? Or has new research pointed to flaws in the theory?
The most recent responses appear first
"It is often said that there are two types of persons who enter academe -- those who strive to make the world a better place through innovative research, and those who spend their careers examining the minutiae of the work performed by the former..."
"The 'Broken Windows' article amply illustrates the complexity and challenge of criminological inquiry. It also reveals the interdisciplinary excitement of the field..."
"'The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.' This, the ninth of Sir Robert Peel's Principles..."
"I find it interesting that the primary criticism regarding the 'Broken Windows Hypothesis' centers on the assertion that it has not been empirically validated..."
"The words 'broken windows' are but a proxy for the real underlying problem: 'broken families.' However, repairing the broken windows in a neighborhood (or equivalent action in other matters) is a good start. ..."
"Once again, someone has taken a 'crime related' theory as gospel and is now criticizing something that has not been remotely substantiated by quantifiable data. When Kelling and Wilson wrote 'broken windows'..."
"If the 'broken windows' approach to policing deters serious crime, where does the deterred crime go? Do the deterred felons now give up criminal behavior..."
"Order increases, crime decreases. Perhaps disorder is merely derivative of 'root' factors such as poverty and instability. Nonetheless, disorder is factor that police can identify..."
"While there is no question that there are great benefits to society when 'broken windows' are tended to, that is not the issue that should concern criminal justice professionals. The only issue that matters..."
"Only when we educate and inform the masses that the greatest responsibility is that of parenthood, will we ever come to terms with really reducing crime. In pursuit of capitalism..."
"Chief Cummings may have hit the nail on the head. Many of the root causes of crime the police can't and shouldn't do anything about. What we can and should do..."
"I tend to agree that the impact of the theory has been overrated. Although the activity of 'cleaning up' a neighborhood raises awareness..."
"Just as an aside, I had noticed that when the number of cars with broken side windows increased, the area seemed to have an increase in crime rate..."
"I enjoyed Mr. Miller's thoughtful, careful, and encompassing article on 'poking holes in broken windows.' I have only two corrections and one amplification..."
"Common sense should tell people that if small problems are left to fester, they will become big problems..."
"There are several problems with quantifying broken windows that need to be addressed before we can hope to validate the theory..."
"The issue here ...'broken windows' -- the idea that neighborhoods where minor signs of decay are neglected open the door to more serious crime. I agree..."
"It is necessary to go back behind the broken window. It is also necessary to recognize that there are criminal acts by criminally ordained persons..."
"I have not read the recent literature and will reserve commentary for now. However as a former police officer..."
"'Broken windows' treats the symptoms of disorder in an effort to stop the evolution of disorder into chaos..."
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Copyright © 2001 by The Chronicle of Higher Education