Mark Kleiman PhD, (author of "When Brute Force Fails") UCLA Public Policy Analyst led a panel discussing the legacy of James Q. Wilson who died earlier this year. He was a self-described conservative but a product of Harvard in the '60's and an advisor to Herbert Humphrey in the same decade. He co-authored the 'broken windows theory" of combating crime by maintaining order and focusing on minor infractions. His theory has been credited to reshaping LAPD policy. He has also written on bureaucracy and morality.
The other panelists were Charlie Beck, LAPD chief, Angela Hawken PhD, Pepperdine University economist, public policy analysis in the School of Public Policy and former student and colleague of Wilson, and Mark Peterson PhD also of UCLA school of public policy and author of "The Time was Right" about the ACA (Affordable Care Act). Also in attendance was former mayor, Richard Riordan.
Charlie Beck said that people misunderstand the "broken windows" theory. It is not uber policing, it is about connecting to the community standards and enable the community standards and values to address the safety issues.
Angela Hawken marveled at Wilson's focus on the data coming from research to direct his beliefs. He was a conservative scholar but if the data changed, his beliefs changed accordingly. She also praised his teaching style which she described as extracting smart thinking from his students. He help the student move along in their understanding of the issues to brilliance. He did this by starting with a students response and though questioning, the student would gain a more in debth understanding. The students would feels so smart...then later realized that Wilson led them to brilliance. She said that he did not have the need to show how smart he was and give the answers. He extracted them from the students.
Mark Peterson said that Wilson wrote about organization theory and bureaucracy. He was skeptical about government but optimistic and believed in a community of order that followed laws and government's role it making that happen. He identified mass incarceration as a problem. Although he believed that jail kept people who will commit more crimes off the street and safely locked up, he did not believe that the threat of jail was a deterrent to crime.
Mark Kleiman said that serious crime propensity varies like the ability to play competitive basketball....by age 40, it greatly decreases.
There was some discussion that Wilson was uncomfortable with the belief in the genetic/biological connection to crime. Although he believed that the research has shown that it is a major factor, he believed that intervention with the family and child early could greatly reduce crime. Angela Hawken sited the research that shows early RN home visiting to mothers of new born babies is the most successful in improving outcomes for children. Wilson believed that families with support can keep children protected.
The discussion of the effectiveness of imprisonment led to a reference to Governor Brown's realignment of prisoners to jails and local responsibility. Chief Beck and others said that it is a mistake...just like the closing of mental health facilities 30 years ago and will have the same bleak result.
Beck gave the reason for reduced crime is much more than community policing and the "broken windows" approach. He sited the reduction of the crack cocaine epidemic and less gang crime as major contributors to lower crime rates. He warned that some communities are now seeing the crime rates begin to edge up again.
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