Zero tolerance policing

What is the broken windows theory (Wilson and Kelling, 1982)?

- visible signs of disorder and misbehavior in an environment encourage further disorder and misbehavior, leading to serious crimes

The effectiveness of police patrol: broken windows

- 1970s/80s research suggested little impact on crime rates

- police resources put into emergency response/serious crime

Links between disorder and crime, what effect does it have on communities? : broken windows

- disorder raises the fear of crime

- law abiding citizens avoid public spaces/leave the area

- erosion of informal community controls - nobody to enforce it if they leave

- graduation from incivilities to serious crime

Spirals of decline: broken windows

- communities reach 'tipping points'

- disorder and crime spiral out of control and feed off each other

Community controls and order-maintenance policing, what are the types of maintenance policing?: broken windows

- broken windows policing

- order maintenance policing

- quality of life policing

Community control and order-maintenance policing, what do the police do?: broken windows

- act to 'reclaim' the streets

- clamp down on incivilities/disorder

- trigger 'virtuous circle' of reduced disorder

- reduce fear of crime

- more informal social control via citizen confidence

- reduce serious crime rates

What are concerns about the broken windows theory?: empirical evidence for disorder-crime relationship

- no clear connection

- disorder and crime both related to more deprived neighbourhoods

- varied findings depending on style of policing intervention

Crime reduction may be due to what, rather than the 'developmental sequence' suggested by BW theory?

- traditional deterrence e.g. greater police presence

- incapacitation

What are concerns about the broken windows theory?: conceptual concerns

- simplistic dichotomies e.g. orderly/disorderly behaviour

- disorder/incivility as a political/social construction

Who enforced zero tolerance policing in police departments?

- Bill/William Bratton

How did zero tolerance policing impact NYC policing style?

- charismatic leadership

- media management

- 'quality of life' policing

- devolved accountability and COMPSTAT (a performance management system)

- expansion of police numbers (36K - 47K, 1990 - 1995)

How did zero tolerance policing in NYC change crime rates?

crime rates dropped:

- homicide: 2,262 in 1990 to 767 in 1997 (-66%)

- car theft (-70%)

- burglary & robbery (-61%)

- rape (-35%)

What lead to a drop in crime levels?

- general decline across US cities from early 1990s

- economic trends

- demographic shifts

- imprisonment

- changes in drug markets (decline in crack)

- policing

How did zero tolerance influence policing in Britain?

- limited enforcement in UK policing policy (small number of forces focusing on minor crimes)

- focus on disorders and incivilities became a core part of reassurance policing and the neighbourhood policing programme

How has 'broken windows' been influential in Britain?

- the ideas have been influential in the broader political arena

- particular in relation to law and order debates

What is the symbolic use of zero tolerance terminology in Britain?

- particularly associated with Tony Blair and 'new labour': reflects a desire for discipline, order, resolve and control

- used extensively by conservative politicians in recent times

What acts/orders came about due to zero tolerance policing?

- the crime and disorder act, 1998

- anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)

- the anti-social behaviour act, 2003

What is the ongoing debate about zero tolerance in the UK?

- august 2011 riots: caused by a black man being shot by police based on suspicion

- "we haven't talked the language of zero tolerance enough": David Cameron

What is the ongoing debate about zero tolerance in the USA?

- academic debate continues

- killings by police in US cities from 2012 re-ignite debate

- summer 2020: police murder George Floyd

Strengths of zero tolerance policing?

- symbolic/expressive value

- policing and crime reduction

Limitations of zero tolerance policing?

- limited impact

- treating symptoms not causes

- police brutality and corruption

- poor community relations

- labelling