Photo by big man: out of shape It might seem like a big jump, but there’s a theory that believes that the cleaner you keep an area the less likely you are to see crime there. Know as the Broken Windows Theory, it was popularised by Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point, where the author linked fixing small problems to decreasing the murder rate in New York in the 1990s. What is the Broken Window Theory? Put simply, the Broken Window Theory states that if one small thing is left unfixed or unpunished then bigger and bigger problems will follow. Broken windows left damaged on a building will lead people to believe no one cares about that property, which will bring graffiti and vandalism to the area. The longer the graffiti stays on the building, the more tags that accumulate and soon the problem gets out of control, with drug dealers, burglars and other criminals attracted by this unpatrolled area. In his book, Gladwell states that the murder epidemic in New York of the 1990s was brought under control not by focussing on the big crimes, which had long been the tactic, but instead by stopping smaller things like graffiti on trains and people jumping the turnstiles on the subway. By not letting people get away with these crimes, it meant they were less likely to step up their game. How does this relate to car parks? At the very essence of the theory is that a lack of care invites further problems. If a car park is constantly dirty, filled with rubbish or has cars that overstay their welcome, passers-by will soon pick up on this neglect. The assumption is that no one … Continue reading How a tidy car park can reduce crime