Y Sunday, April 06, 2008Y
1:37 pm
In 1982, two sociologists named James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling proposed a hypothesis about urban disintegration, and called it the “broken window theory.” The idea became the basis of policing efforts in many cities, most notably New York, where a dramatic, almost unbelievable drop in crime rates followed its implementation.The sociologists observed that if a window on a building is broken and left unrepaired, other windows on the building will soon be broken. Disorder invites more disorder. If nothing is done about signs of negligence such as broken windows, graffiti, litter, or abandoned cars, then vandals are emboldened to commit acts that further add to the appearance of deterioration. This has a net effect of raising the anxiety of law-abiding citizens,who sense that such physical decline makes an area unsafe. Thus,good citizens stay away, and the area attracts unsavory businesses, criminality, and more visual chaos.