Final Part 1
Define the “Broken Windows Theory:. How was this theory operationalized into “Quality of Life” policing and “Stop and Frisk” policies? IN you answer, explain how these policing models disproportionally affect specific groups of people. How have police officers’ response to these policing models? Use examples form class materials
Broken Windows: you see a broken windows, it shows that the community is not well maintained or looked after thus more susceptible to crime, conflates non-violent crime with violent crime
Disorder and violence are linked
Invites more police presence, preventative policing
Goals: identifying physical indicators for crime
Identifying social disorder that leats to violent/serious cimre
Broken Windows: Stop and Frisk
Policing Social Problems as Criminal problems
● Drugs/substance use in low-income urban areas
○ legacy of “War on Drugs”
● Social & mental problems
● Recycling of individuals through the carceral system
2)Police Hypervigilance of Communities with Social & Physical
Disorder
● Impacted by Historical stereotypes, segregation & discrimination
● Racist ideology & structure impact policing everyday
Broken Windows Theory:
Developed by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling.
Argues that visible signs of disorder (e.g., broken windows, graffiti, loitering) signal neglect.
Suggests that addressing minor disorders prevents escalation into serious crime.
Operationalization into Policing Models:
Quality of Life Policing:
Aggressively targets minor offenses like public drinking, loitering, graffiti, and fare evasion.
Aimed to reclaim public spaces and improve neighborhood safety.
Transformed New York politics by focusing on order maintenance rather than addressing root social causes (Vitale, 2008).
Stop and Frisk Policy:
Allows police to stop, question, and search individuals based on “reasonable suspicion.”
Often justified by minor disorderly conduct or suspicious behavior linked to Broken Windows Theory.
Used heavily by NYPD, especially in neighborhoods like Harlem (Popper, 2014).
Disproportionate Impact on Specific Groups:
Targets marginalized communities, particularly Black and Latino populations.
Leads to racial profiling and criminalization of poverty.
Social media surveillance used to monitor and criminalize youth networks (Popper, 2014).
Media portrayals reinforce racial biases, affecting public perception of victims (Stampler, 2014).
Quality of Life policing targets behaviors often linked to poverty, such as panhandling, sleeping in public, or public urination.
Because poverty disproportionately affects racial minorities, these laws effectively criminalize survival behaviors common in marginalized populations (Vitale, 2008).
Stop and frisk Terry v. Ohio racial profiling in police, highly discretionary, reflective of poor training, training doesn’t translate to real-world
Police Officers’ Responses:
Some officers view these models as essential tools for reducing violence and maintaining order.
Example: Chicago police focusing on a “list” of individuals likely involved in violence to prevent shootings (Gorner, 2016).
Others criticize these approaches for damaging police-community relations and fostering distrust.
Broader Consequences:
While aiming to improve safety, these policing strategies often exacerbate racial inequalities.
Spark ongoing debates about justice, fairness, and the role of policing in society.
Highlight the tension between enforcing order and respecting community dignity.
Explain the concept of “Pervasive Penality”. How do “move-along orders”, citations and the 'infestation rhetoric’ used in local news contribute to a cycle of homelessness that is difficult to escape?
Law, design & language pushes/force unhoused out of public spaces
● Objects, technology & language participate in large-scale collective ends
○ Technology & design are not neutral
○ Anti-Homeless Design/Hostile Architecture
○ Multistability
○ Expansionary v. Restrictionary Design
● Anti-homeless technologies are examples that reinforce socio-class
racial social hierarchies
● News Media and language used reproduce criminal moral panic on
homelessness
Pervasive Penality:
Concept describing the systematic criminalization of poverty and homelessness.
Involves legal and social mechanisms that trap homeless individuals in cycles of punishment.
Focuses on controlling homeless populations rather than addressing root causes like lack of housing or social support (Herring et al., 2020).
Move-Along Orders:
Police directives requiring homeless people to leave public spaces repeatedly.
Disrupts any stability (resting, storing belongings).
Prevents access to services, health maintenance, and job opportunities.
Contributes to ongoing homelessness (Herring et al., 2020).
Citations and Fines:
Issued for minor offenses (loitering, public sleeping, panhandling).
Fines accumulate, creating financial burdens homeless individuals cannot pay.
Leads to warrants, arrests, and further legal trouble.
Criminalizes survival behaviors, deepening the cycle of homelessness (Herring et al., 2020; Couloute, 2018).
Infestation Rhetoric in Local News:
Homeless people framed as “infestations” or “nuisances” threatening public safety.
Dehumanizing language fosters public fear and justifies harsh policies.
Reduces empathy and support for systemic solutions.
Enables punitive enforcement and social exclusion (Citations Needed, 2019).
Hostile Urban Design:
Public spaces designed to exclude homeless people (e.g., benches with armrests, spikes).
Sends message that homeless individuals are unwanted.
Pushes homeless into marginal, isolated spaces (Rosenberger, 2017).
Cycle of Homelessness:
Constant displacement, fines, surveillance, and stigma trap homeless individuals.
Legal penalties and social exclusion make escaping homelessness difficult.
Compounds challenges in securing housing, employment, and healthcare.
What is a Derailing strategy? According to the course materials on “derailing Strategies’ how is the argument of “black-on-black crime” often used in discourse regarding police brutality? Explain why this is considered a derailing tactic and how Xhercis Mendez suggests confronting such rhetoric.
Derailing Strategy:
A rhetorical tactic used to divert or distract from the main issue in a discussion.
Shifts focus away from systemic injustice or inequality to confuse or weaken the original argument.
“Black-on-Black Crime” Argument in Police Brutality Discourse:
Used to suggest that violence in Black communities is primarily caused by internal crime.
Implies police violence is less significant or justified due to community crime.
Deflects attention from systemic racism and police accountability.
Why It’s a Derailing Tactic:
Shifts blame onto Black communities instead of addressing police misconduct.
Minimizes the urgency of police violence by redirecting focus.
Ignores systemic racism and historical oppression.
Creates a false equivalence that distracts from calls for justice.
Used to silence or discredit activists demanding police reform.
Xhercis Mendez’s Suggestions to Confront the Rhetoric:
Directly challenge and refuse to accept the “Black-on-Black crime” narrative as valid.
Contextualize crime within systemic issues like poverty, segregation, and structural racism.
Highlight that police violence is a separate, urgent issue requiring accountability.
Expose the narrative as a distraction tactic designed to derail conversations on justice.
Reclaim the narrative to focus on state violence and systemic oppression rather than internalized blame.