"Broken Windows" = Next step for DPD?

[DTFellow]

This afternoon, Detroit Police Chief Godbee participated in an online town hall / chat through the Free Press. Several readers indicated that one potential solution to the senseless violence in the city is a change in from a reactive system to a prevention based system, particularly the "Broken Windows" theory.

See, http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/kelling.htm

When asked about utilizing this system, Chief Godbee stated that:

"We are working with Dr. George Kelling and the Manhattan Institute to in fact do just that. It is a proven methodology and for the next 18 months we are re-engineering our model from a response to crime driven model to one that is more [geared] around geographic integrity/accountability as well as strong enforcement of quality of life issues. It is not a zero-tolerance methodology as is widely believed."

Chief Godbee also stated in response to a question about the racial and economic inequality of some kind of zero tolerance system such as "broken windows" that the change to this methodology can be accomplished within the current federal consent judgments.

Does something like this make sense in Detroit and can we expect to see the same kind of long term results that places like New York and Boston have experienced?

[mwilbert]

It makes sense, but requires resources and organization that the DPD may not have.

Initiatives along the lines of HOPE would also be a good idea. [[see http://www.hopeprobation.org/) However, that requires coordination with probation and judicial folks. There is also the David Kennedy drug market intervention approach [[for an article see: http://www.economist.com/node/21548989.)

[Crumbled_pavement]

http://www.manhattan-institute.org/video/

[Modusvivendi]

I like the broken window theory, but it seems a little late to apply it to Detroit, a city with tens of thousands of abandoned buildings.

[jtf1972]

Better late than never...

[detroitsgwenivere]

It seems to me that "broken windows theory" has become a buzz word as of late. People like to throw those types of phrases around when they want to look like they know something about something.

[compn]

wasnt there a study that showed the broken window theory didnt do squat?

next step for DPD = MORE OF THE SAME. nothings gonna change. more corrupt mayors, more corrupt wayne county execs.

[iheartthed]

I personally think the broken windows theory is bullshit [[coming from the Man. Inst. doesn't help the case either). It also doesn't really explain why NYC's crime rate dropped in tandem with nearly every other big city in the country.

[Jason]

Yeah, from my understanding the broken windows theory was discredited.

I'm not an expert on it of course, but there are a lot of programs out there like the ones mwilbert posted that have shown to be effective at reducing crime, while traditional policing and prison hasn't shown to be all that effective.

[laphoque]

The good thing about the broken windows policy is that at least if crime doesn't go down we'd have prettier & cleaner buildings, windows, less trash, swept streets; really things that should be happening anyway.

It would also force the police out into the streets and get them interacting with the community more rather that zipping about in cars.

On the other hand, we'd have fewer buildings from whence to produce ruin porn. The homeless would be taken off the streets and cleaned, put into treatment programs and rehabilitated: resulting in fewer charming folks asking for change. We wouldn't be able to collect stray tires or boats for art. Stuffed animal shrines would be cleaned off poles. We'd lose a lot of character.