THE BROKEN WINDOWS THEORY

According to Wikipedia, “In criminology, the broken windows theory states that visible signs of crime, antisocial behavior, and civil disorder create an urban environment that encourages further crime and disorder, including serious crimes.[1] The theory suggests that policing methods that target minor crimes such as vandalism, loitering, public drinking, jaywalking, and fare evasion help to create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness”. The layman interpretation of the theory states that if there is even one broken window in a neighborhood, and it is not fixed, it could trigger the creation of other broken windows that could eventually lead to the deterioration of the community. The first lesson here is to stop early signs of vandalism before it spreads and worsens. The second lesson here is for police departments to become more vigilant in monitoring and detecting early signs that would indicate that the conditions for crime might already be growing or emerging in a neighborhood or community, instead of waiting for the actual crimes to happen, before they would take action. The broken windows theory also applies to the preservation of real estate values. What that means is that the more deteriorated and vandalized a neighborhood is, the more likely that the real estate prices will go down. The safer the community is, the more housing starts there will be, and the more that the economy will grow. IKE SENERES/02-17-2024