Malcolm Gladwell once wrote a bestseller praising “broken windows” policing for cleaning up New York City. Now he’s changed his tune. Gladwell claims he was wrong to support policies that focused on small crimes to prevent bigger ones. He says these tactics hurt minority communities. But was he really wrong?
Conservatives know better. Broken windows worked. Crime dropped fast in the 1990s when police cracked down on graffiti, loitering, and petty crimes. Safe streets matter to regular folks trying to live their lives. Gladwell caved to the woke mob instead of sticking with what keeps neighborhoods secure.
The liberal media loves Gladwell’s apology. They want you to think all policing is racist. But broken windows isn’t about race. It’s about order. When cops ignore public drinking or vandalism, criminals get bold. Letting small crimes slide tells thugs no one’s in charge. That’s how cities spiral into chaos.
Gladwell mixed up broken windows with “stop and frisk.” That’s a mistake. Stop and frisk let cops question anyone suspicious. Broken windows focuses on cleaning up neighborhoods. It gave cops flexibility to handle situations wisely. Most officers want to protect communities, not harass people.
Cities that ditched broken windows saw crime surge. Look at San Francisco and Portland. Streets filled with drugs and tents. Stores closed because of theft. Letting criminals off easy hurts the poor and working class the most. They can’t escape the chaos like rich liberals can.
Some say cops should ignore minor crimes to focus on “real” issues. That’s naive. Gang members start with petty crimes before moving to murder. Drug dealers loiter on corners before expanding their turf. Stopping crime early saves lives. Taking back the streets piece by piece works.
Gladwell’s flip-flop helps activists who want to defund police. These radicals push soft-on-crime policies that get people killed. Murders spiked after the 2020 riots. Cops got demoralized. Good officers quit. The victims? Mostly black kids in inner cities. Real justice means stopping criminals, not making excuses.
Conservatives believe in safe streets and supporting law enforcement. Gladwell’s reversal abandons common sense. Cities need cops to enforce laws firmly and fairly. The left’s anti-police crusade risks returning us to the bad old days. Americans deserve safety, not apologies to woke mobs.
