Cleaner streets and safer neighborhoods: Testing the broken windows thesis in Redlands, California

Many programs designed to reduce crime and disorder are based on the assumption, predicated on the broken windows thesis, that relatively minor offenses (e.g., graffiti, panhandling, litter, etc.) invite crime. Using longitudinal data taken from the U.S. Census and the Redlands Police Department, this study aimed to (1) evaluate a neighborhood improvement initiative; and (2) test two assumptions of the broken windows thesis-namely, that increases in neighborhood disorder levels lead to increases in crime and that social disorganization facilitates disorder. Results obtained using regression analysis suggested that the Redlands' neighborhood improvement initiative significantly reduced violent and property crime, but not disorder. Consistent with the broken windows thesis, furthermore, levels of disorder in 1990 were associated with increases in violent and property crime between 1990 and 2000; but for property crime, this relationship disappeared after controlling for neighborhood structure. Finally, measures of neighborhood structure, particularly disadvantage and stability, were significant but not necessarily powerful predictors of disorder. The implications of this study are discussed and recommendations for future research are offered.