The Broken Window’s Theory was developed by Professor James Q. Wilson and Professor George L. Kelling. Wilson and Kelling examined the relationship between disorder in a community and the criminal activity in that community. Their theory is based on the idea that one broken window in a building is a signal to potential criminals that the building and the community is not cared about. This leads the potential criminals to think that criminal deviancy is invited because no one appears to care about the community. The Broken Window Theory has been widely accepted by police departments, especially those who put a strong emphasis on building a relationship with the community they protect and serve. Police departments who use community policing oftentimes use the Broken Window’s Theory as their basis.
