In earlier postings, I have noted that sometimes ethics and compliance can be contradictory in the real world. Recently, I was watching one of the “news” channels where a discussion of the ineffectual broken windows theory in NYC clearly demonstrated by the recent “blue flu” with respect to reduced citations.
These experts went onto state the obvious conclusion that since the crime rate in 2015 was lower than it was in 1994 when the broken windows theory was initially applied in the city.
The broken windows theory states that maintaining and monitoring urban environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and other similar violations create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening.
Rather than get into a discussion of criminological theory about the pros and cons of slicing and dicing crime data, extrapolations about community and racist policing, and what are the norms in particular communities, I would like to simply discuss the ethics and compliance aspects of broken windows.
First the ethics, is vandalism ethical behavior? Is public drinking ethical behavior? Is toll jumping ethical behavior? As they said in high school prior to the 1960s; the solution is left up to the student.
Now the compliance, are there laws prohibiting vandalism? Are there ordinances and regulations prohibiting publications? Is toll jumping a form of theft?
Maybe, in the case of the broken window theory, ethics and compliance are not contradictory.
For New Yorkers, it is a simple decision, Mayors like Giuliani, deBlasio, or perhaps ultimately Snake Plissken.
These experts went onto state the obvious conclusion that since the crime rate in 2015 was lower than it was in 1994 when the broken windows theory was initially applied in the city.
The broken windows theory states that maintaining and monitoring urban environments to prevent small crimes such as vandalism, public drinking, and other similar violations create an atmosphere of order and lawfulness, thereby preventing more serious crimes from happening.
Rather than get into a discussion of criminological theory about the pros and cons of slicing and dicing crime data, extrapolations about community and racist policing, and what are the norms in particular communities, I would like to simply discuss the ethics and compliance aspects of broken windows.
First the ethics, is vandalism ethical behavior? Is public drinking ethical behavior? Is toll jumping ethical behavior? As they said in high school prior to the 1960s; the solution is left up to the student.
Now the compliance, are there laws prohibiting vandalism? Are there ordinances and regulations prohibiting publications? Is toll jumping a form of theft?
Maybe, in the case of the broken window theory, ethics and compliance are not contradictory.
For New Yorkers, it is a simple decision, Mayors like Giuliani, deBlasio, or perhaps ultimately Snake Plissken.
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