Public Order Maintanence Policing Theory of Broken

Public Order Maintanence Policing

Theory Of Broken Windows

The "Broken Window" theory has enthused police departments in the United States while extending community policing, since its conception in 1982 by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling. The "Broken Windows" theory suggests that neglecting smaller issues would attract bigger issues. The proponents of the theory consider that "at the community level, disorder and crime are usually inextricably linked, in a kind of developmental sequence" and that "one unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares and so breaking more windows costs nothing" [Wilson, Kelling, 1982]

However, 'Broken Window' is "only a theory." [Miller, 2001] Controlling crime in a society cannot be as simple as fixing broken windows. The reason for crime in a society is not just about the way the community is maintained; it is a very complex issue with many dimensions. In fact, a criminal mind is at times prone to destroying things when they look the best, reason being attributable to his general unrest in an orderly society. If the 'broken window' theory should hold good, the process of 'fixing' would need to extend beyond its literal sense to a more figurative sense - fixing the basic reasons for the crime. Miller suggests that it is not the application of the theory that has brought down the crime rate, but rather other factors have conjointly influenced society towards a more positive living.