Question

In recent studies, some criminologists suggest that the "Broken Windows Theory" actually does not address the crime problem. A November 1, 2016 NPR podcast offers some background on the emergence of this theory in New York City in the early 1990s and the recent studies indicating the problems with the theory in practice; How A Theory Of Crime And Policing Was Born, And Went Terribly Wrong.

https://www.npr.org/2016/11/01/500104506/broken-windows-policing-and-the-origins-of-stop-and-frisk-and-how-it-went-wrong?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=202701

The following link also offers an article on the Business Insider that suggests that this model will continue and why. The most hotly debated policing strategy of the last 20 years is far from finished.

Based on the information presented in How A Theory Of Crime And Policing Was Born, And Went Terribly Wrong, as well as on any other research like that you'd like to visit, outline the pros and cons of “broken windows” policing.

Answer 1

PROS

1. Troublesome juveniles may learn to clean up their act.

By searching for smaller crimes like vandalism, jumping turnstiles, and littering, police could catch young troublemakers early, allowing them to realize the implications of illegal behavior while they are young, which, according to the Pacific Standard, could save them from making worse decisions in the future. Communities can also create programs and events that can involve learners and kids to maintain them off the streets.

2. Crime rates drop.

While dispute evolved over the approach, petty and severe crime fell in the 1990s, according to Everyday Sociology, when the broken window police scheme was introduced in New York City. Murders dropped 19 percent and in the first year, car thefts dropped 15 percent. However, a decline in crime at the moment was a trend across the nation.

3. It provides for motivated leadership in communities.

City leaders and law enforcement can focus on keeping communities safer and cleaner from all kinds of crimes, not just the larger misconducts, with the implementation of the broken windows police.

CONS:

1. Juveniles who get caught and punished may have a hard time later.

Minors sometimes create errors, and those heavily punished for vandalism or littering get a record that might harm their chances of going to college or finding a job.

2. People’s perceptions of social and physical disorder differ from each other’s.

The Pacific Standard mentions an argument against the broken windows methodology by criminologists Joshua Hinkle and Sue-Ming Yang as they wonder who chooses what is an acceptable quantity of litter or what is ordinary neighborhood behaviour.
"People with distinct demographic backgrounds and life experiences could respond in very distinct ways to the same setting," stated the Pacific Standard. “Social disorder is a social construct, rather than a concrete phenomenon.”