The broken Windows theory: how to win the crime in new York Bashny.Net

In 1980's years new York city was a hell. There, there were more than 1 500 serious crimes every day: 6-7 murders a day. In the streets at night was dangerous to walk and subway ride risky even during the day. Thieves and beggars in the subway were common. Dirty and wet platform barely covered. The car was cold, underfoot was debris, the walls and ceiling are completely covered with graffiti.

The city was in the grip of the most ferocious epidemic of crime in its history. But then the inexplicable happened. After reaching a peak in 1990-th year, crime has sharply gone on recession. Over the next few years the number of murders decreased by 2/3, and the number of serious crimes – half. By the end of the decade in the metro were made at 75% less crime than in the beginning. For some reason, tens of thousands of psychos and muggers stopped to violate the law.





What happened? Who pressed the magic of stop valve and what kind of faucet?

It's called "broken Windows Theory". Canadian sociologist Malcolm Gladwell in his book "the Tipping point", says:

"Broken Windows" is the brainchild of criminologists Wilson and Kelling. They argued that crime is the inevitable result of the lack of order. If the window is broken and not glazed, then passing by deciding that nobody cares and nobody is responsible for anything. Soon will be broken and the other Windows, and the sense of impunity will spread all over the street, sending a signal to the whole district. The signal calling for more serious crimes."

Gladwell deals with social epidemics. He believes that a person violates the law, not only (and not even mainly) because of bad heredity or improper upbringing. Huge value it has is what he sees around. Context.

Dutch sociologists confirm this idea. They conducted a series of interesting experiments. For example, such. With Bicycle Parking near the store and removed the boxes on the handlebars of bicycles hung flyers. Began to see – how many people throw the flyers on the pavement, and many hesitate. Wall store near where parked bicycles, was perfectly clean.

The leaflets thrown to the ground 33% of cyclists.

The experiment was then repeated, pre-daubed wall of meaningless figures.

Namusorili already 69% of cyclists.

But back to new York in the era of wildlife crime. In the mid-1980s in the new York subway has changed leadership. The new Director, David Gunn started with... the fight against graffiti. Not to say that the entire urban community was delighted with the idea. "Boy, take care of serious issues – technical issues, fire safety, crime... don't waste our money on nonsense!" But Gunn was insistent:

"Graffiti is a symbol of the collapse of the system. If you start the process of restructuring the organization, the first should be a victory over graffiti. Do not winning this battle, no reforms will take place. We are ready to introduce new trains at a cost of $ 10 million each, but if we don't protect them from vandalism – you know what happens. They will last one day, and then they will spoil."

Gunn oschischat cars. Route by route. The composition of the composition. Every fucking car, every single day. "For us it was a religious act", — he told me later.

At the end of the routes installed washing points. If the car came with graffiti on the walls, drawings were washed away during the turn, otherwise the car in General decommissioning. Dirty cars, which are not washed away graffiti, in any case do not mix with the clean. Gunn conveys to vandals clear message.



"We had a depot in Harlem, where the cars stood in the night, he said. – On the first night were teenagers and broke in walls of cars with white paint. The next night, when the paint has dried, they came and surveyed the contours, and the next day everything is painted. That is, they have worked 3 nights. We were waiting when they finish their "work". Then we took the rolls and all painted over. The boys were upset to tears, but it was filled from top to bottom. It was our messidzh to them: "do you Want to spend 3 nights to deface a train? Let's. But nobody will see"...

In 1990-m to year to the post of chief of the transport police was hired, William Bratton. Instead of having to do serious business – serious crimes, he took up close... stowaways. Why?

The new chief of police believed – like the problem of graffiti, a huge number of "rabbits" could be a signal indication of the lack of order. And it encouraged the Commission of more serious crimes. At that time, 170 thousand passengers made their way to the subway for free. Teenagers just jumped over the turnstiles, or break through by force. And if 2 or 3 people cheated the system, the surrounding (which in other circumstances would not break the law) joined them. They decided that if someone doesn't pay, they won't. The problem grew like a snowball.

What did Bratton? He held near the turnstiles 10 plainclothes policemen. They snatched the hares one by one, put handcuffs on them and lined up in a chain on the platform. There were stowaways, has not yet completed the "big catch". Then they escorted to a police bus, which was searched, fingerprinted and punched on the database. Many proved to himself weapons. Others have found problems with the law.

"For the cops it was a real Eldorado, said Bratton. – Every arrest was like a bag of popcorn, which is a surprise. That the toy will fall to me now? A gun? The knife? Is there a solution? Wow, you murder!.. Pretty soon the bad guys wised up, started to leave the weapons at home and pay the fare".

In 1994 mayor of new York city elected Rudolph Giuliani. He took Bratton of the transport Department and appointed chief of police of the city. By the way, Wikipedia says that for the first time Giuliani used the broken Windows Theory. Now we know that it is not. However, the mayor is undeniable merit – he gave the order to develop a strategy throughout new York.

The police took a fundamentally tough stance against petty offenders. To arrest anyone who drank and brawled in public. Who threw the empty bottle. Painted the walls. Jump through the turnstiles, begging money from drivers for Windows. If someone was peeing on the street, he would go straight to jail.

The level of urban crime began to fall sharply – as fast as the subway. Police chief Bratton and mayor Giuliani explained: "Small and insignificant at first glance, misconduct served as a signal for serious crimes."

The chain reaction was stopped. Through the criminal new York by the end of 1990-ies became the safest metropolis in America. published

 

P. S. And remember, only by changing their consumption — together we change the world! ©

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Source: prointerest.ru/teoriya-razbityh-okon/