Broken Windows Theory Case Study

The broken windows theory has been discussed in several criminal justice courses and the effect that it has on the community. There is without doubt that once there is an appearance of deterioration within a community the problem will continue to fester into something larger. It is obvious that crimes that go unchecked, no matter how small, when noticed within the community will be a breeding ground for further criminal activity. Vandalism will occur anywhere once communal barriers are lowered and where it is noticed that no one cares (Wilson & Kelling, 1982, p. 110). When police are involved, as well as residents, there is an understanding of social order. Police officers utilize discretion in the execution of their duties on a daily basis. There seems to be a geographical relationship as to officer electing to or not to arrest suspects when confronted with the choice. The decision not arrest in St. Petersburg, Florida was more than three times higher than an officer encounter in Indianapolis, Indiana (Paoline III & Terrill, 2007, p. 319). There is a driving factor behind these statistics that can be drawn from the two form of policing and methods utilized by the two different police departments. Indianapolis Police Department utilized an aggressive order to their policing, whereas the St. Petersburg utilized a
First, those suspects that treated officers with dignity and respect were more likely not to be arrested (Paoline III & Terrill, 2007, p. 319). This has always proven to be a good idea when confronted by an officer that can very quickly execute his arrest authority to those who become disrespectful and belligerent. Secondly, those suspects that did not display the use of alcohol or drug use were more likely to avoid arrest as well. These decisions not to arrest, in many cases, there was evidence that was detected, but