The document summarizes research on the broken windows theory. It discusses how three studies found that residents' perceptions of neighborhood disorder were influenced more by the racial demographics moving into the area rather than actual physical disorder. A second study found that people were more likely to commit petty crimes in visibly disorderly neighborhoods. However, the broken windows theory alone cannot account for New York City's crime drop in the 1990s, as other policing strategies targeting serious crime were also implemented. In conclusion, the document suggests that a combination of cleaning up neighborhoods and increased policing may help improve community safety.

1. A CRACK IN THE BROKEN-WINDOW THEORY
Deanna Peters CJUS-4411-02

2. THE RESEARCH – ARTICLE 1
• “They found that race and class may be more important than the actual
levels of disorder in shaping how whites, blacks, and Latinos perceive the
health of a neighborhood” (Morin, 2005, 3).
• The article explains how, according to the three races, they are more
concerned about who is moving into the neighborhood than how it looks.
• All three races said that when more African Americans moved into their
neighborhood their thought of disorder soared.
• There were more calls about misconduct because they were more worried
about something terrible happening even though their neighborhood was
not dirty or ramshackle any more than it use to be before the African
Americans moved in.

3. THE RESEARCH – ARTICLE 2
• In another article it talks about an experiment done where they stuck a
white envelope out of a mailbox with money inside. They then seen how
many people would steal the envelope with the money. They did this 3
times, each time causing more “disorder” and disaster around the area.
When there was more trash and graffiti around the surrounding area the
percentage of people that stole the envelope jumped up 14%. (Claidiere,
2008, 3).
• This article says that cleaning up your neighborhood might make you feel
more confident to go outside, to feel safe again, or to make people want
to stay.
• This article shows that people are more prone to criminal activity in run -
down and poverty striken neighborhoods.

4. BROKEN-WINDOW THEORY
• “Bad areas, not bad people, caused crime and delinquency” (Lilly, Ball, &
Cullen, 2011, pg. 319). This is the main point behind the broken-window
theory. But in my first article it is proven that sometimes it’s much more
than the look of the place, it also depends on the people in the
neighborhood.
• The book says that, in New York, they took the concept of the broken
window theory and started cracking down on minor forms of crime and
that, “…the city’s rate of homicide and violent crime decreased
dramatically,” (Lilly, Ball, & Cullen, 2011, pg. 321).
• This is great except “during the drop in crime, other policing strategies
were employed that targeted serious crime directly” (Lilly, Ball, & Cullen,
2011, pg. 321).
• So even though the police aggressively went after those committing minor
offenses it is hard to know if that was the only reason homicide and
violent crime decreased.

5. RECAP
• In the first article it explains how residents are more concerned with the
people moving in rather than the look of the neighborhood. They feel with
more African American’s moving in that the crime rate is automatically
going to sky rocket. They feel that this is the crack in the broken window
theory.
• In the second article it explains how through experiments crime is higher
in a dirty, disorderly neighborhood than in a nice, cleaner neighborhood.
People are more likely to commit crimes in a bad neighborhood because it
is perceived that it’s ok to do since the neighborhood is in disrepair
anyway.
• In the book they support that the broken window theory did work in New
York, but that this was not the only solution that was put into place at that
time. So it isn’t 100% proven that the broken window theory was the only
cause of decrease in the crime rates.

6. THOUGHTS
• The second article makes me think that maybe yes cleaning up
neighborhoods might make the residents feel more confident to go
outside, to feel safe again, or to make more people want to stay. But it
seems that both the book and article agree that more action needs to be
taken by the police.
• A combination of force and community could bring the good back into the
neighborhood, but fixing some windows or cleaning some graffiti off the
wall will not help unless you have the backing of your police force.
• I believe more policing and a cleaner environment will help the community
get back to being a safe place to live.

7. REFERENCES
• Claidière , N. (2008). Savage minds experimental evidence for
the broken window theory. Retrieved from
http://www.cognitionandculture.net/index.php?option=com_cont
ent&view=article&id=366:experimental-evidence-for-the-broken-
window-theory&catid=52:nicolas-claidieres-blog&Itemid=34
• Lilly, J. R., Ball, R. A., & Cullen, F. T. (2011). Criminological
theory, context and consequences. Sage Publications, Inc.
• Morin, R. (2005, January 30). Washington post. Retrieved from
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46381-
2005Jan29.html