Study Finds Merit In 'Broken Windows' Policing

Researchers in California have affirmed the "broken windows" theory of policing, finding: "There is a significant link between targeting minor crime and a drop in serious crime, even when community factors such as unemployment and the number of young people are considered." The study was done by the California Institute for County Government at California State University, Sacramento. "Does 'Broken Windows' Law Enforcement Reduce Serious Crime?" examined all California counties from 1989 to 2000 and found "a generalizealble statistical tie" between strongly enforcing minor crimes like graffiti and property damage and a drop in felony property crime. The study controlled for a number of social and economic factors. Its authors say it is one of the few to look at the strategy on a large scale, rather than a neighborhood or community level... Previous studies have tended to focus on single jurisdictions, and haven't been able to discount numerous other possible factors when they discovered drops in serious crime.This new study compared both misdemeanor arrests and misdemeanorcharges filed to the overall number of arrests and charges. More misdemeanor arrests and charges were taken to indicate a local law enforcement tendency to engage in broken window policing. That tendency was then compared to the felony property crime rate to see if a link existed. Editor's note: This link is to a PDF file.

Thanks to Dateline APA