"Broken windows" follow-up

[dougo]

Just for completeness, here's some attacks on the broken windows theory, or at least New York City's application of it:

Brutal Verdict (Salon.com)
Shattering "Broken Windows": An Analysis of San Francisco's Alternative Crime Policies
Broken Theory: "Broken Windows" Policing Carries Potentially High Costs At No Clear Benefit

And an unrelated, but amusing, Google hit from Ariana Huffington: America's apostrophe catastrophe

Think of it as the literary equivalent of the broken-windows theory of crime fighting, which holds that by fighting small quality-of-life crimes like graffiti and vandalism, police send a persuasive message that antisocial behavior, of any scale, will not be tolerated. In this case, putting an end to the chronic misplacement of apostrophes could eventually lead to a better-educated populace, a greater sense of harmony and order, more fuel-efficient cars, a slimmer, trimmer you, cleaner air, an end to the heartbreak of psoriasis, the cancellation of "The Bachelor," and, who knows, maybe even world peace.

Amen!