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Fixing Broken Windows: Restoring Order And Reducing Crime In Our Communities

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Disorderly behavior damages communities, so goes the central theme of Kelling & Coles's <em>Fixing Broken Windows</em>, a book about "restoring order and reducing crime". Kelling & Coles proceed to back this assertion up with both logical argument and evidence from a small but impressive set of studies of community policing. Their arguments tend to be rather persuasive, and will likely resonate with anyone who's fond of Etzioni's Communitarianism.

Disorder, Kelling & Coles argue, breeds many things in a community: fear on the part of residents; further disorder; and eventually "serious" crime. Disorder promotes decay as streets cease to be areas where community standards are enforced, or where those standards are to the detriment of the majority of the members of the community.

From Kelling & Coles perspective, before the 60's, police were far more integrated with the communities they served, in part by virtue of regular contact with residents as they walked beats. This enabled them to have a much better understanding of the particular needs and standards of the communities they work in. Even more importantly, it allowed them to prevent crime, rather than simply respond to it.

The police of today, Kelling and Coles argue, are not only not efective at reducing disorder, they are ineffective at preventing crime, and not terribly good at responding to crime. The 911 model limits police contact with the general citizenry, and prevents them from developing the kinds of relationship that allow them to intervene effectively without resorting to overtly coercive or threatening behaviors.

One particular study cited by Kelling and Coles stands out to me, in which they looked at fear, one of the crucial factors in their model. Robert Trojanowicz(1982), they report, found that officers alone on foot patrol were less fearful that officers patrolling two to a car in the same areas.

Kelling & Coles supply not only examples of what they consider successful and unsuccessful attempts at order maintenance proograms, they also review the legal foundation for such activities, as well as the legal challenges to such efforts as "aggressive panhandling" ordinances. Their analysis helps a lay reader understand different burdens that a law might come under in order to show that it is attempting to meet a compelling government interest, as well as how limitations on personal behavior may be legally justified in the interest of preserving safe & orderly public fora.

The main weakness of the book, and the argument, in my opinion, is the lack of adequate examination of how community power struggles and class issues will likely play out in the development of community standards of behavior for an area. It is a very significant concern that the order police may have helped in the past, while they were more integrated into their communities, was a much more segregated one, where being the wrong color in the wrong neighborhood was disorderly enough to merit attention. This is not a fatal flaw in the book, nor in the idea of community policing, but establishing adequate internal controls and external oversight deserves much more attention.

In 1982, Wilson and Kelling proposed a link between disorder and crime that they expressed through the metaphor of the "broken window." Leave the broken window unrepaired and soon the rest of the windows will be broken as well. Leave all the windows broken and the building becomes a signal to offenders that this place -- this street, neighborhood, city -- is a place in which disorder is accepted, or at least tolerated. Victimization and crime take root in such places. Malcolm Gladwell has more recently expressed this as the power of "context." (Tipping Point)

"Broken windows" over the intervening 18 years has become a commonplace of public policy. Most writers neglect even to cite Wilson and Kelling as its creator. However, as is the case when an attractive idea migrates from the terrain of scholars to the public marketplace, the notion has come to mean many different things for many different commentators.

IN FWB, Kelling & Coles set the definition stratight, in lucid, concrete policy analysis and writing. Most importantly, the book serves as a highly-readable manual for practitioners. The power of the idea is expressed through the success stories it has spwawned, from the NYC subways to the streets of Seattle. All serious students of public safety policy and the policing process must read it.

In this book the authors provide a great historical overview of why social disorders are a precursor to more serious crime and need to be addressed by the "community" before more serious crime occurs. Given the wholesale movement to Community Based Policing this book is a great primer to those not yet exposed to the principles and uses some real life examples from the hard core. I'm a bit disappointed that the authors didn't explore more of the 'new' movement of Community Based Policing and how disorder plays a vital role in this philosophy. Also for any student of the movement some of the info is old hat and not as current as I would have liked to seen. The authors make a great case for how individual liberties may have to be curtailed for the good of the community and explores this dilemna quite fully. Great reading for a practioner

This book was required for a course on civic engagement, and comes highly recommended. I found it a little difficult to read, but the message presented by the authors on a holistic strategy of order restoration is important. This book should be required reading for any student, academic, lawmaker or law enforcement official interested in learning more about why traditional crime-fighting strategies have failed.

The concept of Broken Windows is finally gaining traction and this text by the author of the origial concept is well written and should be required reading for every urban pioneer.

one of the books that people should read to save their communities. Also give a copy to your city or county officials for their use.

This book is basically a follow up to the famous 1982 article by Wilson and Kelling which invented the Broken Windows theory. I really recommend this book as it is highly informative and it discusses the broken windows theory in great detail. It discusses various police operations across a number of cities which use the broken windows model in order to combat neighbourhood problems. They highlight throughout the book that broken windows methods are not about crack downs and sweeps (although do not actually mention the term "zero tolerance."). Highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about broken windows theory.

This item arrived within in the time frame and the buyer made a quick respond to my questions.

Having worked in both Policing & Crime Prevention,I have long had doubts about the magical Cure all power attributed to Broken Windows Policies.

Fixing Broken windows not only casts considerable doubt on claims that "Broken Windows" is the THE answer to Crime & Violence reduction, it also gives alternatives.

I wish that I could afford to bulk order this book and send it to all 43 of England's Chief Constables and the Home Office...as they seem to have adopted the Broken windows policies "hook line & sinker" .
As George Kelling points out...Its not the economy ....Its the outcomes we should be watching and planning for..

This book is a wonderful read from beginning to end. It elucidates specific examples of effective goal achievements in crime reduction.