Wednesday 28 March 2007

Anyone still believe in the "broken windows" theory of crime?

I believe that the "broken windows" theory is pretty sound - if you stamp out the minor inconveniences that so annoy the honest and upright citizen, you help to stamp out crimes that are more serious.

I don't think that belief is shared by my local coppers.

There is a small empty bit of land between the cop shop and the local supermarket - it's maybe big enough to park one car on it (and a small car at that). It's usually full of rubbish, and the cops make no effort to clean it up.

Clearly, that rubbish got there by people littering. You'd need to be reasonably game to chuck rubbish away next to a Police station, but around here you don't have to be concerned as there is never a cop actually outside wandering around who might bust you. In their wisdom, the cops have papered over all the windows so that we, the taxpayer, can't see in (and see all the empty desks) and the cops of course can't see out.

What a lovely state of affairs.

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