Hi everybody! I’m back at it! Better late than never, right?
This month on Copcorner.net I am presenting the second essay submitted by my friend and current events writer Mr. Jeffrey Haire. This one is also timely considering what we are seeing due to the economic downturn. Again, I believe that his insightfulness and keen eye for developing trends in society will be readily apparent. The place names included in this article are in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County, an affluent yet mixed social and economic fabric on which to base these observations. I trust that you will enjoy Jeffrey’s current essay as well as his future contributions. Enjoy, and feel free to comment!
Urban Decay and Incivility Drive Fear of Crime, by Jeffrey Haire
Social disorder and rampant incivility impact crime rates as well as the fear of crime. The key to preserving our communities may be paying attention to the little things.
“The Broken Window Theory of Urban Decay” was set forth in an article in The Atlantic Monthly in 1982 by political scientist James Q .Wilson and criminologist George Kelling. Broken Windows examined fear of crime vs. actual crime rates, police \ community relationships, and various police social experiments to reduce crime. Wilson and Kelling observed that “community disorder and crime are linked in a developmental sequence”, and “. . . . that the key to social decay is a rising level of disorder that residents fail to challenge in time.” It’s an interesting and relevant piece not just for cops and sociologists, but for anyone who is a community stakeholder in an era of high foreclosures and abandoned properties.
“Broken Windows” became a metaphor for community decay. Once the first window is broken and not repaired, it follows that other windows will be broken, and the community goes downhill from there. Graffiti, uncollected trash, abandoned cars, shopping carts, and people loitering define the level of disorder until it becomes apparent that no one cares. The community suffers psychologically, and the result is apathy and despair. The fear of crime becomes prominent. Because of these hopeless feelings, landlords don’t make repairs, city agencies aren’t notified of infrastructure problems, vandalism spreads, and property values and businesses suffer. Can this happen in our communities?
For twenty five years, “The Broken Window Theory” has been the cornerstone of progressive policing efforts nationwide, and we are fortunate in the South Bay to have community- based policing philosophies implemented in most of our police departments.
Community decay begins with minor transgressions that go unchecked. An example is the situation that existed in the 1990’s in and around Alondra Park. For years, Alondra Park had accumulated “broken windows”. There was widespread disorder and petty crime because the word had traveled that this was tolerated; more serious criminals were attracted to the area because basic municipal codes weren’t enforced and community stakeholders were absent.
Alondra Park, after years of inattention by authorities on minor code violations, was rendered unsafe for use by local residents. The large parking lot bordering north Torrance and El Camino Village became a non-stop circus of parolees, drunks, thieves, and the mentally ill. Property values dropped in the neighboring communities and families moved away.
It took a concerted community-based effort by the Torrance Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and local homeowners’ groups to reverse the level of decay and lawlessness in the Alondra Park area. Enforcement actions for drinking, camping and littering were conducted; parking regulations were enforced and the perception developed that people did care. The fear of crime was reduced, measured by fewer calls for police service, the absence of vagrants, and the renewed presence in the park of ordinary, law-abiding citizens and families.
Another interesting concept relating social disorder to crime is the “incivility hypothesis”. Criminologists, as well as politicians such as Tony Blair, have come to believe that pervasive social incivility, the open displays of discourtesy, rudeness, profanity, and other coarse behaviors, contribute not only to the fear of crime, but to actual violent criminal activity. A local example is the recent brawl at the lifestyle wing of the Del Amo Mall, which left many in the community surprised and shaken; however, the antecedents of the event become obvious once one examines the general level of incivility of the crowd that evening.
The actual crime rate at Del Amo Mall is low. Rather, it is the fear of crime, based on such displays of incivility that may be more significant to shoppers. It is the subjective fear of crime that determines how freely people live.
How do we ensure civility and decorum across communities? These values were traditionally taught in the home, and reinforced in our schools as good citizenship. Popular culture has eroded these values over the last generation, and today I believe that it would take a national campaign, such as the programs promoted by the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, and Britain to establish courtesy and decency as core national values.
We enjoy a high quality of life in the South Bay due to our responsive city governments, proactive police strategies, and communities that still share consensus on what behavior is disorderly and unacceptable. In order to preserve our quality of life, and reduce the fear of crime, we must be constantly vigilant for any signs of decay or disorder——- “broken windows” in our communities.
Many thanks to our guest author this month, and to you, dear readers, for checking out what we have to say here at Copcorner.net!
See you again soon! Until then, all the best!
Tim