Zero Tolerance Policing
Crime rates and particularly the rates of violent and gun related crimes are rising in most rich countries. Targets for blame include higher drug use, higher inequality and greater availability of weapons. While Liberal politics tends to favor rehabilitation and structural improvement to combat crime the right wing has always seen criminality as a rational choice that can be combated by deterrence. Zero Tolerance policing aims to stop serious crime by clamping down on the minor crimes like graffiti that the practitioners believe lead to further crimes and using custodial sentences for first offences. It includes set responses to particular crimes by the police although the courts maintain some discretion. Zero Tolerance is not necessarily exclusive of urban regeneration, social investment or community policing. Its exponents, however, often rule them out because of their political philosophy. In the following paper, I will provide a definition of Zero Tolerance Policing, a brief history of the idea and outline several pro's and con's often used in arguments for or against the method.
According to the official New York City website, Zero Tolerance Policing is defined as the policy "instituted over ten years ago as a full-scale strategic attack on all crime and disorder in the City. In particular it focuses on the enforcement of quality of life offenses' such as drinking alcoholic beverages in the street, urinating in public, panhandling, loud radios, graffiti and disorderly conduct. By quickly addressing and correcting these minor problems, the Department sends the message that more serious crime will not be tolerated" (NYPD, FAQ #1).
The idea of Zero Tolerance Policing is based on ideas developed by two criminologists in the United States, James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, who, in 1982, published a seminal article entitled "Broken Windows" in the Atlantic Monthly magazine. They argued that an ambience of unrestrained petty crime creates the impression that "no
According to the official New York City website, Zero Tolerance Policing is defined as the policy "instituted over ten years ago as a full-scale strategic attack on all crime and disorder in the City. In particular it focuses on the enforcement of quality of life offenses' such as drinking alcoholic beverages in the street, urinating in public, panhandling, loud radios, graffiti and disorderly conduct. By quickly addressing and correcting these minor problems, the Department sends the message that more serious crime will not be tolerated" (NYPD, FAQ #1).
The idea of Zero Tolerance Policing is based on ideas developed by two criminologists in the United States, James Q. Wilson and George Kelling, who, in 1982, published a seminal article entitled "Broken Windows" in the Atlantic Monthly magazine. They argued that an ambience of unrestrained petty crime creates the impression that "no
Cited: Ayers, Rick. Zero Tolerance, Resisting the Drive for Punishment. New York: New York, 2003. Dennis, Norman. Zero Tolerance, Policing a Free Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2001. Grabosky, P.N. "Zero Tolerance Policing." www.aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi102.html. January, 1999. Kelling, George and James Q. Wilson. "Broken Windows." The Atlantic Monthly Monthly Magazine, 1982. Webmaster. "New York City Official Website." http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/portal/index.jsp?front_door=true. Frequently Asked Questions, # 1, 2005.