ght for the day: “Broken Windows” Revisited // Steven Hayward

We should remember that “broken windows” policing was once the best way to deal with urban disorder and crime, which is why they are so prominent in our minds these days. It is worth recalling the James Q. Wilson/George Kelling argument, which focuses on broken windows policing and how it was distorted by the left.

One of the benefits of enforcing rules against minor offenses such as jumping the turnstile, peeing in public places, and carrying open containers of alcohol is that it is easy to visually verify who is following the rules. Police officers can stop and search anyone who isn’t following the rules. If they find someone with an illegal gun, they can arrest them. This low-level stop is not enough to remove illegal guns from the streets. Instead, police officers can search and stop people randomly. This could be racial profiling. This is bad. People have a legitimate right to not be stopped and fouled merely because they belong to a certain demographic. Progressives have gone too far in expanding this consideration to people who actually commit crimes, which is exactly what you want to stop.