Disorder Begets Disorder; A Case for Broken Windows Policing

City Journal
January 10, 2025

In the City Journal, John McMillian revives the case for the “broken windows” theory of policing, which emphasizes dealing with minor offences such as disorderly behaviour because, if left unpunished, such violations beget more and worse crimes. McMillian retells the history of broken windows’ stunningly successful implementation in New York City in the 1990s – and calls for the policy to be applied once again.

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