To me, Broken Windows ultimately claims that everyone in the community plays a vital role in the war on crime. The Theory is based on the old adage, “If a window is broken and left unrepaired, passersby will assume that no one cares and no one is in charge”(Wilson & Kelling, 1982). According to the Broken Windows Theory, physical deterioration in a community leads to greater delinquency, vandalism, and crime. If everyone understood, accepted, and implemented measures consistent with this hypothesis, crime rates in the area should decrease. The broken window notion fascinates me because it does not necessitate large projects or funds to implement (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). The broken window idea is founded on the principle that small things count. If a person going down a littered street takes a few minutes to pick up the trash, they are helping the “war on crime” (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). Something as minor and essential as it appears to be trivial turns out to be rather substantial. Therefore, it is evident that the broken window theory is sound and can be adopted by any society to solve their underlying crime rates.
From my perspective, I would rather reside in a neighborhood that I knew was going to have only one homicide a year but was free of any other type of crime. This is because, in such a neighborhood, one may easily apply the relevant recommendations suggested by the Broken Windows theory to eliminate the homicide case (Corbett, 2019). Additionally, the police apprehend young juveniles and inform them of the repercussions of their actions. Dealing with crime concerns early on helps to shape their perceptions, eventually leading to a decline in homicidal conduct (Corbett, 2019). To help the juveniles, even more, communities can create programs that ensure the adolescents are actively involved.
References
Corbett, R. (2019). “Broken Windows” probation: The next step in fighting crime. Civic Report 7. Center for Civic Innovation at the Manhattan Institute, 45(7), 103–108.
Wilson, J. Q., & Kelling, G. L. (1982). Broken windows. Atlantic Monthly, 249(3), 29-38.