Fixing Broken Neighborhoods: How Police Can Ensure Neighborhood Safety and Community Well-Being

摘要

The "broken windows" theory (Kelling & Wilson, 1982) is among the most studied and applied ideas in the United States criminal justice system. Broken windows policing played an important part in getting police to pay attention to physical and social disorder and other lower-level offenses. While it did effect rates of crime and disorder, its misapplications also had detrimental effects on communities most in need of police intervention. This paper reexamines the original exposition of the broken windows theory and explains its misuse. By drawing on theories of procedural justice, police legitimacy, and collective efficacy, as well as recent developments in the use of data to understand the situational correlates of crime and disorder, this paper argues that police should re-commit to their basic order maintenance function to ensure neighborhood safety and increase community well-being.