Janibell Perez Professor Mark Criminal Justice Systems and the Community Broken Windows Critique This critique is based on the “Broken Windows” The policy and neighborhood safety by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling. After reading this article I have come to the conclusion that the authors overall purpose and meaning was to show how disorder is capable of sustaining and generating serious crimes in a neighborhood. The authors James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling want to let the reader know that disorder is not the main factor of crime itself. When there is disorder in a neighborhood the residents seem to withdraw to their houses and participate less in the community, because of this crime starts to happen when residents don’t participate in the area. The overall purpose and meaning of this article is to send the message that police officers can play a unique part in disrupting the disorder process.
This theory focuses on the lack of social control, gang activity, disadvantaged neighborhoods and the many conflicting social values as factors that cause people to commit crime. When people are living in a gang infested neighborhood with gang violence, it is tough for them to imagine getting out of that neighborhood. When people become accustomed to a situation, it becomes normal for them to think it is o to live where they are. There is little to no structure or organization in some of these deteriorated neighborhoods and some look forward to this activity in their lives. Conflicting social values contribute to the gangs and gang violence we see in society.
Essentially, the police will base their use of assets in a manner to reduce crime by building ties within the community and having a presence in neighborhoods. This can be an effective method because many argue that seeing the police in an area a majority of the time deters criminals from acting in those areas. A downfall of the COP theory is that political influence can force a department to pool resources in an area where crime is not as prevalent in order to keep good relations with a major tax base. Often times the poorer neighborhoods do not feel as though they are receiving enough of a police presence. The contingency theory is based on the approach to achieve specific goals, such as crime control.
Some Crimes include Muggings, burglaries, carjackings, and drug related shootings. Just living in such An environment leaves young people at risk of falling victim to aggressive behavior. Decent And street both socially organize
The ‘broken windows’ hypothesis suggests that maintaining order through the management of minor offenses is an essential function of public police (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). In their article, Wilson and Kelling argue that if minor instances of crime and disorderly behavior are not addressed, more serious forms of disorder and increased levels of crime will follow. “Disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked, in a kind of developmental sequence,” (Wilson & Kelling, 1982). This hypothesis was based on the findings from observations of foot patrol officers managing the occurrences of disorder on their beats, and led the authors to suggest that in order to combat crime, police must refocus their efforts on neighborhood disorder. The concept of ‘broken windows’ is appealing to police departments attempting to reduce crime and restore order in their communities.
The problem for any society is that these boundaries are unclear and change over time. While a certain, limited amount of crime may perform positive functions for society, according to Durkheim, too much crime has negative consequences. His most well known concept was that of 'anomie', which has been widely used in sociology. According to Durkheim, society is based on people sharing common values which form the basis for actions. However, in periods of social change, people may be freed from the social control by collective conscience and start to look after their own self need rather than following social values.
In this research paper I will analyze the break down the officially recognized races in the US, crimes specifically relate to these urban areas that are not present in more rural and suburban areas, finally how are crimes handled both at the judicial and executive levels in poverty-stricken communities as opposed to upper class communities. All communities are affected by crime and the criminal justice system designed to prevent it. However, impoverished urban areas with a large minority population are disproportionally impacted. Why is that? In order to be able to answer this, you must first examine a few additional questions.
City Demographics and Crime Profile Heide M. Banks, Shayla Blair, Neil Lammons, Daniel Stevens, Maria Torres AJS/542 April 14, 2014 Marcela Morales Abstract The effects of crime are serious for a society. Unfortunately, most cities and towns in the United States experience some form of illicit behavior by their citizens. Information concerning the number of vandalisms, burglaries, assaults, and murders of an area can sway prospective buyers from purchasing homes or businesses from settling in a select community. Some believe that urban areas struggle with higher crime rates than suburban areas. Historically, crowded, low-income neighborhoods were thought of as crime capitals.
The social disorganization theory is the theory that deviant behavior is more likely in communities where social institutions such as the family, schools, and the criminal justice system fail to exert control over the population. In other words, a factor to criminal behavior can be defined by the environment in which someone is associated with depending on the surrounding circumstances. The disorganization of one’s environment can put them at a risk of criminal behavior for life. There is a main ongoing cycle of the social disorganization theory which proves this theory to be true. It first starts with the problem of the formation of isolated impoverished areas, racial and ethnic discrimination, and lack of legitimate economic opportunities for the people whom live in those areas.
One of the most common arguments deals with respecting the Constitution. Racial profiling should be eliminated in routine traffic stops because it leads to a violation of civil rights, poor relationships between police officers and citizens, and decreased urban safety. Racial profiling violates citizens’ rights in a few different ways. The fourth amendment reads, “The right of people to be secure in their persons, houses, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated”, as recited by West Des Moines’ police captain, Scott Wiegert. A traffic stop on the basis of race violates the fourth amendment because the officer can make the victim feel violated instead of secure.