Criminal Justice POL 217

Step 1. Read Peter Moskos “Cop in the Hood” and consider the following questions:

• What is Moskos’ experience with the effectiveness of modern Urban American policing in deterring crime?
• What does Moskos believe is the effect of the 911 system?
• What factors affect an officer’s decision of whether or not to arrest, according to Moskos?
• What does Moskos believe is the effect of law enforcement’s “war on drugs”, has it been successful? What other alternatives does he consider? What kind of policing does he propose?

Step 2. Read Wilson and Kelling’s 1982 article “Broken Windows” and consider the following questions What role do norms, particularly local norms play in the author’s argument about policing and public order?

• What role can foot patrol play in addressing local resident’s concerns?
• What role does social disorder play in the creation of a crimogenic environment?
• By whose standards should police activity be shaped?
• What is the difference between law enforcement and order-maintenance?
• What types of interventions do the authors explicitly suggest in their article?
• What impact has this argument had on modern policing and the criminal justice system? Consider the advantages and disadvantages of their theories for modern policing.

Listen to “Reply All The Crime Machine Part I and II and read the following two articles

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/76h967

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/n8hwl7

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-30/nyc-s-rise-of-low-level-arrests-worry-critics-of-broken-windows-era
• https://www.nysfocus.com/2022/03/03/nypd-plainclothes-anti-crime-unit-neighborhood-safety-team-ccrb-complaints-lawsuits/

Step 5.

• Using the above sources, explain how elements of Moskos’ arguments as well as Wilson and Kelling’s have influenced the NYPD.
• In your opinion what factors accounted for the crime decrease in New York City since the 1990’s? Compare the arguments used in the Brennan Center report as well as Zimring
• What has been the net effect of “CompStat” on police behavior in NYC? Did CompStat lead to stop and frisk? Is it possible to have CompStat and accountable policing without having over-policing or an increase in crime?
• Given the changes in crime, the perception of disorder, public opinion, and the change in Mayoral administration since the pandemic, is a return to Broken Windows policing coming? Would this be a good thing, or a bad thing for New York City?