Standards for law enforcement

The theory of Broken Windows was first introduced in May 1982 by George L. Kelling and James Q. Wilson published by “The Atlantic Monthly” in an article titled Broken Windows:  The police and Neighborhood safety. The theory convey the idea that one broken window can become many. Kelling and Wilson argued that by reinforcing the security in selected neighborhood  and taking measure for minors offenses police can reduce the crime rates.

In the seventies the city of New Jersey presented a program that could help to maintain and promote the life quality of communities. As part of this program police were assigned to foot patrol in selected neighborhoods. This act was taken by some departments as a punishment, because of the difficulties that policemen had to face. Some experts claimed that foot patrol didn’t have a big impact in reducing crime rates but it help with the improvement of the feeling of safety in some residents.  The main purpose of this policemen were to maintain the order in places where people feel so unprotected that they had to put piece of glass and razor in their windows to prevents vandals to enter their properties and harm them. In this kind of neighborhoods the main people on the streets were the regulars ones and strangers which pass everyday in their way to work. There were some regulation that were implemented to help in the community’s order and safety. The majority of which were not talking or bothering people who were waiting for the bus or lottering. People were told not to drink on main streets but they were allowed to in sidewalks and the bottles had to be in paper bags. Anyone who violate this rules were taking down to the police station. Residents help to enforce this rules by alerting the patrols officers and later make the violator feel ashamed of their acts. Wilson and Kelling believed that they could modify vandals behavior by imposing rules that not only minimize their act but control them. This face to face act with residents give them the sense of security and protection, changing their silence to actual words that helped the police identify violations and vandalism.

In the actuality the broken windows theory and other policing strategies despite of their effectiveness have remained controversial. Arguments have been made for critics that applying the broken window’s style of policing have negative or insignificant impact for the resident living in the impacted areas. Many reformers and especially tempted to reduce the corruption in the police departments. In the last ten years what Kelling and Wilson called “the safe and clean program” have deteriorated. It is important to note that some reformers have take advantages of this decline. It been said that in the new government of Trump this theory have been helping the new immigration policies.  Durkin from the New York daily post claim that “The city should stop making arrests for minor offenses like fare beating to avoid setting more people up for deportation”. Once people get arrested the police send their fingerprints to the feds if they are charged with criminal offenses. For this new government that is call cleaning but for many families that is unfair. Many others problems have been presented within the last years, and there is no one willing to stand up to this form of policing.

Work cited

Durkin, Erin. “Pol: NYC's Broken Windows Policing Helps Trump Deport Immigrants.” NY Daily News, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, 22 Feb. 2017, www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/nyc-broken-windows-policing-helps-trump-deport-immigrants-article-1.2978783.   Web 3 nov 2017

Kelling, George L, and James Q Wilson. “Broken Windows.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, Mar. 1982, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/03/broken-windows/304465/. Web 3 nov 2017

McMaken, Ryan. “The Broken Windows Theory of Policing Has Failed.” Mises Institute, 14 July 2016, mises.org/blog/broken-windows-theory-policing-has-failed. Web 3 nov 2017