What if vandals broke a window in one of your neighbourhood buildings, and it took ages before it was fixed? And what on earth, you may wonder, does this have to do with Mirella and Rick, whom you met on this blog last week?
Well, Broken Window Theory is a criminological theory adopted by New York’s mayor Rudy Giuliani in his quest to create better quality of life for New Yorkers, who were plagued by rampant crime in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Simply put, the theory stipulates that if a neighbourhood building’s window is broken, it needs to be fixed immediately. If not, people will assume that no one cares, and, over time, crime rates in the neighbourhood will rise due to a shift in people’s perception of the prevailing social order.
Giuliani began enforcing the law against a range of seemingly minor infractions, all of which until that time had been considered inevitable irritants associated with life in a big city. The police began tackling subway fare evaders, public drinkers, urinators, and “squeegee men”. Over the next decade, New York experienced a sharp decline in crime rates that was attributed to the city’s new policy of Broken-Windows Policing. Following Giuliani’s success, Broken Window Theory was implemented in other communities, with similar results.
Can you guess how this theory might be relevant to Mirella and Rick?
Stay tuned….
Need help with challenges in your organization? Don’t hesitate to contact us.
