Broken Windows Create Broken Dreams
Although legislation has come and gone on policing in underdeveloped communities, most tactics and ideologies are kept alive. And with heavy police presence in communities where many Americans might not know their rights, it is quite easy for police to be able to extend their authoritative powers. Police, not only target those living in these areas now, but also set up a culture that will affect further generations to come if nothing is changed.
The Broken Windows theory refers to terminology used within the criminal justice and sociological realms that states that visual signs of civil disobedience, anti-social behavior, and just crime in general, all contribute to the creation of an environment that encourages further crime and civil disobedience. Because of this, police engage in these areas more often in hopes of jumping on a crime before it happens. They do this by keeping closer watch on those who they have “reasonable suspicion.” The term “reasonable suspicion” has also been regarded to be a tool used by officials to be able to legally profile people based on stereotypes.
Throughout the last couple of decades (arguably since the War on Drugs) have have seen an increase in the discussion on the school-to-prison pipeline. What this means is that the youth that reside within underfunded communities find themselves without many options on being able to survive due to job limitations, and an education system that is not able to keep them in schools. Most of these youth don’t see another way to survive except for engaging in crime. And as most of us know, once you become incarcerated once, it is extremely difficult to be able to live a stable life after that. Millions of dreams continue to be crushed.
