APUS CLE _ CMRJ203 MidTerm Quiz - Chapter 6 Police Officers...

Part 1 of 1 ­ 100.0 Points
Question 1 of 3
34.0 Points
Identify and Describe Broken Windows Theory and how it can be used to reduce crime.
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the theory.
Of the weaknesses you've identified above, Explain what you consider as the main criticism of the Broken
Windows theory and explain your reasoning as to why.
In
1990, when William Bratton joined the New York Police Department as police commissioner, he faced the
challenge of bringing down the crime rate in the city. The underground transit system of New York was a symbol of
the offense, disorder, and underground graffiti; however, by 2013, Bratton brought a remarkable reduction in the
crime rate of the city. Bratton credited his achievement to the broken windows theory . This theory was proposed by
Wilson and Kelling in 1982, and it suggested that” If the first broken window in a building is not repaired, the
people who like breaking windows will assume that no one cares about the building, and more windows will be
broken. Soon the building will have no windows” (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). The broken windows theory advocates
to control the minor disorders in the beginning and “nip them in the bud” to avoid blooming of serious crime.
However, the link between minor disorders and severe crimes has not been entirely established, and the theory needs
to be tested with a particular design to prove its validity.
Broken windows theory assumes that minor offenses are the generator of more severe crimes. If the nuisance
behavior such as vandalism, public drinking, and loitering are ignored, they give birth to more serious crimes.
Further, this theory states that prevalence of social incivilities (e.g., verbal harassment, public drinking, and
prostitution) and physical incivilities (e.g., vacant lots and abandoned buildings) together cause fear in the minds of
residents and results in decreased informal social control. Such a situation provides an opportunity for more serious
crimes. Thus, proponents of the theory suggest that both physical, social disorders provide important environmental
cues that entice potential predators ( Sampson & Raudenbush, 1999).
The theory has a profound impact on policing strategies to bring down crime rates around the world. The theory has
its advantage over other methods of restraining crime, as it produces results by merely alerting police for on­road
disorders. Social disorganization theories talk about poverty and inadequate education as reasons for crime;

however, this approach provides a simple way to eradicate the offense through attacking minor disorders.
Even though the method has been widely appreciated and practiced, there are some serious critics towards its
implementation. The validity of the theory has been challenged by many unfavorable opinions. Application of the
method in New York City by NYPD has been called as merely “stop and frisk’ initiatives. Evaluations of the crime
control effectiveness of broken windows policing strategies also yielded conflicting results (Braga & Welsh). It is