As abortion became more available, "the decline in the birth of unwanted, often poor and fatherless children in the '70s led to a decline in the number of juvenile delinquents in the '80s and hardened criminals in the '90s' (Brooks 2006). The logic behind broken windows theory is thus: "fighting the seemingly minor indicators of neighborhood decay and disorder-broken windows, graffiti, even litter-helps prevent major crimes" (Brooks 2006). Broken windows theory suggests that visual 'clues' that the neighborhood is 'bad' results in criminals perpetrating actual crimes, and then more serious crimes. "Kelling and Wilson conjured a vision of untended neighborhoods quickly reduced to crime-infested wastelands. First local boys rob a passed-out drunk on a lark; then muggers start robbing anyone who looks like he might have a few big bills in his wallet. Residents begin to view their neighborhood as unsafe, and retreat into their homes-or to the suburbs-abandoning the declining neighborhood to criminals" (Brooks 2006). However, ultimately, broken windows theory, when analyzed, is merely another variation of the logical fallacy known as the slippery slope argument which suggests that when you allow some small exception to a rule or law, this will...

A Department of Housing and Urban Development relocated inner-city housing residents to new neighborhoods without the conventionally-accepted markers of disorder like graffiti and broken windows. The residents, however, had no change in their income and employment status and "contrary to what broken windows would suggest, there was no decrease in criminality among the relocated public-housing tenants: They continued to offend at the same rates in their new, more orderly neighborhoods as they did in their disorderly ones" (Brooks 2006).
Works Cited

Brook, Daniel. "The cracks in broken windows theory." The Boston Globe. February 19, 2006.

[September 14, 2011] http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2006/02/19/the_cracks_in_broken_windows/

Hunter, Andrea. "Marijuana a 'gateway drug?'" CBS News. September 2, 2011.

[September 14, 2011] http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20015429-10391704.html