Zero Tolerance and the ‘Broken Windows’ Theory

The announcement that former mayor of New York Rudolph Giuliani had been brought in as a public safety adviser seemed like good news after the government and private sector had come to an agreement, with their sights on creating sweeping reform in state policy. Giuliani gained notoriety when while serving as mayor of the main American metropolis, he applied the “zero tolerance” policy, which substantially reduced all incidences of crime in New York City.

The New York mayor based his strategy on the “Broken Windows Theory,” a criminological theory that tries to solve issues when they are still small. The strategy consisted of creating clean and orderly communities, not allowing violations of the law or rules of urban communal living.

Many specialists maintain that a large part of delinquency problems in El Salvador are related to marginalization and the scarce presence of the state in the most problematic communities. Therefore, gangs dominate large areas, and police officers have basically lost authority to the point that they don’t even enter those areas.

If Giuliani will be hired, we hope for the best possible results. U.S. politics have been successful in other places, and should have the support of the entire society to be successful here as well. But Giuliani is only an adviser. The government and society as a whole have much more to do in order to increase security.