Detroit Police Launch 'Broken Window [Theory]' Program - Polidicks

[I]Detroit Police along with the Grandmont Rosedale community on the city's west side plan to announce details of pilot program this afternoon aimed at reducing crime.[/I] [quote]May 22--Detroit Police along with the Grandmont Rosedale community on the city's west side plan to announce details of pilot program this afternoon aimed at reducing crime. Police say the initiative stems from the Broken Window theory, an idea that revolves around the thought that if a window in a building is broken and not repaired, it leads to other windows soon being in the same condition. Additional details of the program that launches today will be released today at 2 p.m. Detroit Police Chief Ralph L. Godbee and George Kelling, Ph.D, who wrote a book Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order and Reducing Crime in Our Communities will be at the news conference along with other community members.[/quote] [url=http://www.officer.com/news/10720058/detroit-police-launch-broken-window-program]Source[/url] [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory]theory explained (Wikipedia)[/url] -- I hope that this works, even in the slightest bit. [sp]Lankist not welcome[/sp]

I don't get it.

So basically upping enforcement in high crime areas to reduce crime across the board?

the theory is that if you have a physically ugly environment (broken windows, smashed out cars, litter everywhere), it lowers the threshold for how easily people will do criminal activities. the experiments that showed this were interesting, I'll see if I can find them [url=http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1971-08069-001]found it[/url] tl;dr Clean neighbourhood -> "there's a social taboo against littering and smashing cars" -> "I won't do either of those things" Dirty neighbourhood -> "there's no taboo against those things, perhaps it is even expected of me" -> "I will do both of those things" Here's an article written about it, since I can only find the abstract of the original journal article not the full text [url]http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/03/broken-windows/4465/[/url] [quote]Philip Zimbardo, a Stanford psychologist, reported in 1969 on some experiments testing the broken-window theory. He arranged to have an automobile without license plates parked with its hood up on a street in the Bronx and a comparable automobile on a street in Palo Alto, California. The car in the Bronx was attacked by "vandals" within ten minutes of its "abandonment." The first to arrive were a family—father, mother, and young son—who removed the radiator and battery. Within twenty-four hours, virtually everything of value had been removed. Then random destruction began—windows were smashed, parts torn off, upholstery ripped. Children began to use the car as a playground. Most of the adult "vandals" were well-dressed, apparently clean-cut whites. The car in Palo Alto sat untouched for more than a week. Then Zimbardo smashed part of it with a sledgehammer. Soon, passersby were joining in. Within a few hours, the car had been turned upside down and utterly destroyed. Again, the "vandals" appeared to be primarily respectable whites. Untended property becomes fair game for people out for fun or plunder and even for people who ordinarily would not dream of doing such things and who probably consider themselves law-abiding. Because of the nature of community life in the Bronx—its anonymity, the frequency with which cars are abandoned and things are stolen or broken, the past experience of "no one caring"—vandalism begins much more quickly than it does in staid Palo Alto, where people have come to believe that private possessions are cared for, and that mischievous behavior is costly. But vandalism can occur anywhere once communal barriers—the sense of mutual regard and the obligations of civility—are lowered by actions that seem to signal that "no one cares."[/quote] Though this is just a small part of the full idea, it involves having more police officers on the streets as well I think

[QUOTE=ultra_bright;36057567]I don't get it.[/QUOTE] If there's a haven for crime somewhere, it will spread? Nevermind, it's not actually an analogy...

Upon rereading, my other guess would be that by managing smaller crimes, there won't be room for them to 'grow' into bigger crimes.

I seem to remember them doing this in New York, removing the graffiti from the trains, I seem to also remember it reduced a lot of crime on the NY train system.

Looks like Detroit won't be the urban exploration capital of the United States anymore. What could the city possibly do to to curve urban decay anyway? The city doesn't have the money to demolish every single abandoned building, and developers don't want to invest in projects with massive rehabilitation costs.

If there were ever a place to test this, it would definitely be Detroit.

Its been tested before. I also want to see this and the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_preventive_patrol_experiment]Kansas City Experiment[/url] ran together.

[QUOTE=areolop;36057772]Its been tested before. I also want to see this and the [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas_City_preventive_patrol_experiment]Kansas City Experiment[/url] ran together.[/QUOTE] Interesting experiment. I think my city is doing the opposite of that - they've wiped out 99% of all the markings on police cars. They've given them extremely slip lights that at a short distance just resemble roof racks. They're painted completely white save for saying "POLICE" on the sides in small, plain text. Makes tense any time I'm speeding slightly and I see any white car on the road now.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;36057847]Interesting experiment. I think my city is doing the opposite of that - they've wiped out 99% of all the markings on police cars. They've given them extremely slip lights that at a short distance just resemble roof racks. They're painted completely white save for saying "POLICE" on the sides in small, plain text. Makes tense any time I'm speeding slightly and I see any white car on the road now.[/QUOTE] Do you live in Detroit?

I still think the key to solving Detroit's crime rate is by building that Robocop monument.

[QUOTE=areolop;36057866]Do you live in Detroit?[/QUOTE] I live in South Jersey. I meant my city is doing the opposite of the Kansas City experiment.

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;36057623]the theory is that if you have a physically ugly environment (broken windows, smashed out cars, litter everywhere), it lowers the threshold for how easily people will do criminal activities. [/QUOTE] yeah which is why I greatly support projects that help the local community.

[video=youtube;Ny4a-oxOndo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny4a-oxOndo[/video]

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;36057847]Interesting experiment. I think my city is doing the opposite of that - they've wiped out 99% of all the markings on police cars. They've given them extremely slip lights that at a short distance just resemble roof racks. They're painted completely white save for saying "POLICE" on the sides in small, plain text. Makes tense any time I'm speeding slightly and I see any white car on the road now.[/QUOTE] That's what unmarked cars are for to be honest which most police departments tend to have. But standard police patrol cars should be as visible as possible even under adverse conditions.

[QUOTE=wraithcat;36060595]That's what unmarked cars are for to be honest which most police departments tend to have. But standard police patrol cars should be as visible as possible even under adverse conditions.[/QUOTE] Police cars should be well marked and identifiable at all times. They should be preventing crime instead of being reactive. A police officers being present alone is a deterrent. Unmarked cars should be used still, but not the entire fleet of cars should be like that.

[QUOTE=MR-X;36060651]Police cars should be well marked and identifiable at all times. They should be preventing crime instead of being reactive. A police officers being present alone is a deterrent. Unmarked cars should be used still, but not the entire fleet of cars should be like that.[/QUOTE] Wrong. Police do not "prevent" crime. They are only there to react to it. Preventing crime would involve needing to foresee the future.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;36060940]Wrong. Police do not "prevent" crime. They are only there to react to it. Preventing crime would involve needing to foresee the future.[/QUOTE] They are also not secret police.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;36060940]Wrong. Police do not "prevent" crime. They are only there to react to it. Preventing crime would involve needing to foresee the future.[/QUOTE] Police can prevent crimes easily by just being seen. When some guy is about to steal something, then sees a cop and decides not to, that cop just prevented a crime.

[QUOTE=Cmx;36061269]Police can prevent crimes easily by just being seen. When some guy is about to steal something, then sees a cop and decides not to, that cop just prevented a crime.[/QUOTE] And if the guy just waits a few more minutes for the cop to walk down the road, and goes and commits the crime regardless? And for your thing to work, there has to be a policemen every five feet. They are a reaction, not a prevention.

[QUOTE=Cmx;36061269]Police can prevent crimes easily by just being seen. When some guy is about to steal something, then sees a cop and decides not to, that cop just prevented a crime.[/QUOTE] Thats the beauty of community policing. Its about preventing crime from happening, not just cleaning up after it happened.

[QUOTE=DainBramageStudios;36057623]the theory is that if you have a physically ugly environment (broken windows, smashed out cars, litter everywhere), it lowers the threshold for how easily people will do criminal activities. the experiments that showed this were interesting, I'll see if I can find them [url=http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1971-08069-001]found it[/url] tl;dr Clean neighbourhood -> "there's a social taboo against littering and smashing cars" -> "I won't do either of those things" Dirty neighbourhood -> "there's no taboo against those things, perhaps it is even expected of me" -> "I will do both of those things" Here's an article written about it, since I can only find the abstract of the original journal article not the full text [url]http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1982/03/broken-windows/4465/[/url] Though this is just a small part of the full idea, it involves having more police officers on the streets as well I think[/QUOTE] I think even on a more basic level, being surrounded by urban decay would be subtly depressing and pessimistic environment.

Urban decay is a symptom of poverty, not a cause of crime. It doesn't really matter how nice shit looks, if people are poor as fuck and can't get legitimate work then they're going to be finding illegitimate work, no matter how pretty things are. Broken Window theory is the political equivalent of sweeping dirt under the rug. It doesn't solve anything, it just hides it from plain view. Wealthy bastards in suits and armchairs feel crime has been solved if they can't see it happening. Case and point: Mexico City is an absolutely beautiful, very modern, art-nouveau kind of place. That hasn't stopped the crime rate from skyrocketing due to crushing poverty. They've tried this kind of thing, though their way was to push the slums further and further away and spruce up the central points of the city. Crime still runs rampant.

[QUOTE=Mingebox;36062223]I think even on a more basic level, being surrounded by urban decay would be subtly depressing and pessimistic environment.[/QUOTE] I hate it where I live. We're so small, and all the dumbasses and fucks are moving to here from L.A, and the neighboring ghetto town that's already in shit poor condition. It used to be so peaceful, and calm here. A retirement settlement for the older folks. Now it's a bustling hive that stinks of the smell of long-gone businesses, abandoned super markets, weeds growing from the cracks in the ground, and the putrid essence of the "G4ngstas 'fo LIFE" generation of know-it-all kids who try their hardest to make everyone hate them---but people don't. These kids actually praise these dumbasses. THIS IS OUR FUTURE? WELL, I GUESS WE'RE FUCKED! Now, I can't even take my eyes off the fucking street without getting my house/my neighbor's house tagged up by a bunch of knuckledragging wasteheads who can't tag for shit in their gangster-attire. I used to leave my house often, but now with all this shit, I can't even walk down the sidewalk alone.. *sigh* Hopefully I can leave this shithole and move somewhere more civil. I'd move to Canada, but I heard politics there are shitting up the place pretty fast. I'd move to Mexico, but I don't want my head cut off and stuffed with baggies of cocaine. There's nowhere to go anymore....

[QUOTE=BlackCrow;36062314]I hate it where I live. We're so small, and all the dumbasses and fucks are moving to here from L.A, and the neighboring ghetto town that's already in shit poor condition. It used to be so peaceful, and calm here. A retirement settlement for the older folks. Now it's a bustling hive that stinks of the smell of long-gone businesses, abandoned super markets, weeds growing from the cracks in the ground, and the putrid essence of the "G4ngstas 'fo LIFE" generation of know-it-all kids who try their hardest to make everyone hate them---but people don't. These kids actually praise these dumbasses. THIS IS OUR FUTURE? WELL, I GUESS WE'RE FUCKED! Now, I can't even take my eyes off the fucking street without getting my house/my neighbor's house tagged up by a bunch of knuckledragging wasteheads who can't tag for shit in their gangster-attire. I used to leave my house often, but now with all this shit, I can't even walk down the sidewalk alone.. *sigh* Hopefully I can leave this shithole and move somewhere more civil. I'd move to Canada, but I heard politics there are shitting up the place pretty fast. I'd move to Mexico, but I don't want my head cut off and stuffed with baggies of cocaine. There's nowhere to go anymore....[/QUOTE] [img]http://studentweb.cencol.ca/wtsang15/COMP%20213/Midterm/world-map.gif[/img] Oh man, there is [i]clearly[/i] no other place to go besides North America!

[QUOTE=BlackCrow;36062314]I hate it where I live. We're so small, and all the dumbasses and fucks are moving to here from L.A, and the neighboring ghetto town that's already in shit poor condition. It used to be so peaceful, and calm here. A retirement settlement for the older folks. Now it's a bustling hive that stinks of the smell of long-gone businesses, abandoned super markets, weeds growing from the cracks in the ground, and the putrid essence of the "G4ngstas 'fo LIFE" generation of know-it-all kids who try their hardest to make everyone hate them---but people don't. These kids actually praise these dumbasses. THIS IS OUR FUTURE? WELL, I GUESS WE'RE FUCKED! Now, I can't even take my eyes off the fucking street without getting my house/my neighbor's house tagged up by a bunch of knuckledragging wasteheads who can't tag for shit in their gangster-attire. I used to leave my house often, but now with all this shit, I can't even walk down the sidewalk alone.. *sigh* Hopefully I can leave this shithole and move somewhere more civil. I'd move to Canada, but I heard politics there are shitting up the place pretty fast. I'd move to Mexico, but I don't want my head cut off and stuffed with baggies of cocaine. There's nowhere to go anymore....[/QUOTE] I'd suggest you go to Norway like I plan to but I don't want other people hogging all the butter

[QUOTE=areolop;36062212]Thats the beauty of community policing. Its about preventing crime from happening, not just cleaning up after it happened.[/QUOTE] it also has a tendency to turn into vigilantism

[QUOTE=Nipa;36063318][img]http://studentweb.cencol.ca/wtsang15/COMP%20213/Midterm/world-map.gif[/img] Oh man, there is [i]clearly[/i] no other place to go besides North America![/QUOTE] Pretty sure it costs a lot more to move overseas than it does over land.