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  • Essay / Unexplained Advantages and Benefits of Broken Windows Theory

    Broken Windows Theory is a criminological theory whose essence is that explicit disorders such as crime, antisocial attitudes, and civil unrest auspiciously affect a urban environment which causes even more crime and disorder, including serious crimes. Since the theory was announced, it has seen success. The theory therefore has obvious advantages. However, it could have been poorly implemented, developing negative effects, and it still has unrevealed characteristics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay First, the broken windows theory deals with minor crimes such as vandalism, jaywalking, turnstile jumping, littering, etc., either by special directions of the authorities or by the attention of the community. The authorities should undoubtedly take this into account: it is clear that the violation of social norms can develop like a snowball, and the fight must be waged from the first demonstrations because antisocial behavior can quickly become habitual for many. By preventing small signs of disorder, a chain reaction can be stopped and serious crimes avoided. An example of this is the decline in crime in New York in the 1980s and 1990s, when the city administration adopted some tenets of the broken windows theory. Subway quickly changed that when the New York Transit Authority hired George L. Kelling as a consultant. The subway cars were cleaned every time someone boarded them, trash was removed, turnstile jumpers were arrested by the police and thanks to this, the subway service became clean and safe. Therefore, the policy change regarding the subway led to a drop in crime and required fewer resources compared to arresting criminals one by one. Additionally, policies based on the broken windows theory can make neighborhoods more tourism-friendly; rally community; develop real estate, and therefore cause gentrification, just as premeditated gentrification can cause a drop in crime. By repairing broken windows, regions will become less crime-ridden, more attractive to the wealthy, and more favorable to investment. As a result, the city's economy will grow. For example, Ceccato and Wilhemson (2011) suggest in their article that the feeling of security increases the prices of apartments and houses. Using the example of Stockholm, a study shows that an increase in the total crime rate in a particular area by 1 percent leads to a fall in apartment prices by 0.04 percent. Furthermore, the broken windows theory was introduced inappropriately, as it caused rather negative effects. The positive effects assumed by the theory have not been obtained and policies should be directed in other directions. For many years, the theory was considered a favored instrument of crime prevention, by giving more authority to the police. As a result, the police became violent towards minorities, especially blacks, because they were seen as criminals and treated like criminals indiscriminately. It is for this reason that persistent stereotypes about black people have arisen and they have been discriminated against. The adoption of this specific policy is now considered a mistake, because it was not effective. Alternatively, another policy theory should be implemented. According to Kleinenberg (2018), the government should fight.