Clean and Safe

By Joan Kaup

In a neighborhood or city, relatively minor crimes like graffiti and public disorder are invitations to more serious crimes. The environment is perceived as unmonitored, a place where destructive behavior and minor crimes will not be noticed.

This "Broken Window" theory of crime reduction is the brainchild of criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. They learned that crime is the inevitable result of disorder and apathy. If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. The environment is perceived as unmonitored, a place where destructive behavior and minor crimes will not be noticed.

Muggers and robbers, whether opportunistic or professional, believe they reduce their chances of being caught or even identified if they operate on streets where potential victims are already intimidated by prevailing conditions. If the neighborhood cannot keep a bothersome panhandler from annoying passersbys, the thief may reason, it is even less likely to call the police to identify a potential mugger or to interfere if a mugging actually takes place.*

In a neighborhood or city, relatively minor crimes like graffiti and public disorder are invitations to more serious crimes. In Cincinnati, the Vortex Unit, commanded by a CPD lieutenant, works according to this concept. Vortex is a highly visible proactive unit that has a zero-tolerance approach to street crimes, drug trafficking, and quality-of-life issues. It seeks out and physically arrests minor and major criminal offenders by enforcing every law available and using every tool at its disposal to inconvenience criminals. By utilizing uniform patrols, bicycle officers, plainclothes officers and confidential informants, Vortex has made a positive impact. Vortex has assisted all districts by targeting hot spots and providing additional police presence during high-profile events. (http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/police/pages/-7849-/)