U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Shattering "Broken Windows": An Analysis of San Francisco's Alternative Crime Policies

NCJ Number
180616
Author(s)
Khaled Taqi-Eddin; Dan Macallair
Date Published
1999
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Data from Federal and California sources were used to compare crime rates in San Francisco to those in more traditional or conservative jurisdictions that used the "broken windows" approach to law enforcement by establishing zero tolerance for even the lowest-level offenses, including jaywalking, vagrancy, and public intoxication.
Abstract
The broken windows approach is a crime control theory developed by Wilson and Kelling. The study resulted from recognition that New York City received attention as a national model as a result of its dramatic drop in overall crime; however, San Francisco also experienced crime reductions while using less strident police policies that reduced arrests, prosecutions, and incarceration rates. The research compared San Francisco with Boston, Charlotte, N.C., Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Fla., New Orleans, New York City, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. The study also compared San Francisco with the three largest California cities (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Jose) and to the eight largest California counties. Results revealed that San Francisco experienced a larger decline in reported crime than most comparable national cities while using alternative sentences and community involvement rather than the conservative "broken windows" approaches. Since 1992, San Francisco has outperformed New York City in declines in violent crime rates, but it has received almost no media attention. Findings indicated that importing a "broken windows" approach to San Francisco is unnecessary and suggest a new evaluation of popular assumptions and crime policy. Tables, figures, and 5 references