Broken Window Theory Essay

Turnstile jumping, a once common occurrence in New York, has dropped significantly since the implementation of the Broken Window Theory. Within 4 years of implementing this policy, felony crime on the subway decreased 46.3% (Lockdown America) and within 25 years, the number of people who rode the subway grew by 2 million per day (Sheppard). By cracking down on turnstile jumping, the subways became significantly safer and more people started to ride them. This helped cause an influx of tourism and significant business growth. People who had not previously taken the subway were now inclined to because they didn’t have to fear being berated by the homeless or having their wallet stolen by a thief.

Public intoxication is a problem in every major city,

Alcohol causes a lot of people who would not otherwise have committed a crime to commit one. When people are drinking in public or are visually intoxicated in public it scares families away. Intoxicated people are more likely to start arguments and physical altercations. Alcohol is a factor in 40% of all violent crimes, and offenders of violent crimes are significantly more likely to have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they committed the crime (“Alcohol, Drugs and Crime”). This puts innocent bystanders at risk and causes tourists to avoid the area where the intoxicated person is, which hurts the local businesses because they are not bringing in customers.

Squeegeeing, once a major cause of annoyance for New Yorkers and tourists was largely taken care of with the implementation of Broken Windows Policing. In the 1980’s, Rudy Guiliani, New York City’s Mayor fought against aggressive panhandlers, such as squeegee men. The squeegee men would disrupt traffic by going out into the streets when cars were stopped at a red light and