Capital New York: Police critics on Bratton’s Broken Windows push

Critics of the Bloomberg administration’s police policies say they’re concerned about the direction of the department under Bill de Blasio after learning that NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton planned to hire an author of the Broken Windows theory.

The theory emphasizes strict enforcement of quality-of-life crimes as a way to deter more serious and violent crime…

The executive director for Bronx Defenders, a nonprofit group that works with poor and minority residents in that borough, warned against strict enforcement of what they consider minor offenses. “’Broken windows’ can be fixed in many ways,” said the group’s executive director, Robin Steinberg. “The NYPD version of arresting and locking up thousands of low income New Yorkers for minor offenses that cause devastating consequences outside the criminal court – like eviction, job loss and even deportation – is causing more harm than good for individuals, families and communities.”

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