Prior to the creation of theories that stressed the importance of civil order in communities and law enforcement agencies, they tended not to be concerned with serious crimes. For example, the police would focus on crimes that were more serious and potentially fatal for the victim. Broken windows theory was however, an academic idea of James Q. Wilson in 1982. According to this theory, violent crime was caused by a long chain. Theorists believe that crime is a result disorder, and that removing disorder would reduce serious crime rates. The theory also suggests that disorder in society can cause fear among citizens, who believe their neighborhood is unsafe. Social control that was previously used to reduce crime can be lost when people withdraw from their communities. Social control, which was once a way to keep crime under control, is now eliminated because of disorder. Broken windows, dirty streets, and abandoned cars are all signs of physical disorder. Social disorder, however, can be seen in noisy neighborhoods or large groups of young people congregating on the streets. Because experts differ on the classification of acts like prostitution or drug dealing as disorder, there is a delicate line between disorder and crime. Broken windows theory is a good strategy for crime control. This is due to the fact it is much easier than dealing with the greater evil caused by severe crimes. Broken window policing was a common practice in New York City in the 1990s. Police focused on minor offenses like turnstile jumping on the highway or smoking marijuana in public. The city saw a dramatic drop in crime rates due to this policing strategy. However, crime fell across the country, even in areas that did not use this policing strategy. This has led to controversy about the positives and negatives of this law enforcement approach. Breaking windows theory can lead to a reduction in crime and data-driven strategies. Studies have shown that small problems are often able to decrease the crime rate in a society. This was demonstrated by New York’s case study. Some criminals are often arrested for minor misdemeanors, but end up being wanted by law enforcement for more serious crimes. This makes it clear that the reduction in crime rates in neighborhoods can be attributed to a decrease in disorder within the community. Statistics have also been used to predict crime. Police departments often allocate funds to the broken windows approach for crime prevention. This method involves using data from the street and other sources to prevent crime, rather than dealing with the larger issue of controlling it once it has been established. Broken windows policing has been a topic of concern over the years. These include the definition and training of police officers, as well as misconduct by police. It is important to define disorder because one person’s definition of disorder may differ from another. Studies also show that crime is rooted in private conflict, not social confusion. This puts into question the concept of policing that is based on disorder within society. This policing strategy also led to a deterioration in the relationships between the police and the communities. The people felt the police were too busy dealing with minor offenses. This raised concerns about the quality of police training. Police officers could not go out to restore order without having guidelines to guide their work. Some argue that broken window police gives officers more authority to hold people. They are also given the mandate of maintaining law and order. Many summonses are issued for minor crimes such as disorderly behavior, urinating openly, rowdy drink and possession of small amounts. This argument was that although this strategy was not intended to eliminate all crime, it targeted minor offenders so that they could be punished for more serious offenses. This policing strategy is a controversial topic. While its supporters claim that police enforce law and order, their opponents argue that it goes too far, particularly in minority communities.
