After two decades of decline, crime-rates have been rising, including in Midwestern cities such as Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Indianapolis. Among the explanations being offered: increasing police reluctance to act against disorderly conduct.

At one time, police forces typically operated by responding to crimes they witnessed or that were reported to them. But in the 1980’s, they adopted an additional approach: stopping people who were not necessarily breaking laws, but whose actions made neighborhoods seem unsafe, even dangerous. These steps, known as “broken-windows policing,” were expected to reduce the conditions that permitted more serious crimes to occur, and did.

Most researchers credit this new tactic with playing a role in lowering crime-rates. But they have also worried that it might, as one study put it, lead to “damage to citizen perceptions of the legitimacy of police.” After several highly publicized confrontations, particularly in minority communities, suspicions have arisen that police are hesitating to use the kind of visible and aggressive efforts the “broken windows” approach requires — and that crime is rising again as a result.

That is why deciding what to do about panhandling on Kirkwood Street is important. Hassling passer-bys, drunkenness, and other forms of public misbehavior, including by IU students, have many causes and should be addressed in a variety of ways. But neighborhoods, whether in big cities or Bloomington’s downtown, that tolerate such conduct are likely to find even worse problems in its wake.

Sources:

Megan Banta, “Forum addresses crime, panhandling on Kirkwood,” The Herald-Times, June 11, 2015.

Heather McDonald, “The New Nationwide Crime Wave,” The Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2015.

Broken Windows Policing, Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, George Mason University.