Giuliani's Zero-Tolerance Approach

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's implementation of a mandatory police response to various quality-of-life violations. The paper describes the enforcement of minor infractions and reveals that the implementation of this zero-tolerance approach under Giuliani achieved its objectives, but at a price that many citizens considered oppressive and in a manner that many police officers felt eliminated their power of discretion. The paper concludes that nevertheless, the quality-of-life focus is widely regarded as a successful program that achieved its major objectives.

Outline:
Introduction
The Relevance of the Broken Windows Concept to a Bustling Metropolis
Post-Giuliani Enforcement of Minor Violations

From the Paper:

"In 1993, New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani implemented a zero-tolerance approach to criminal code enforcement that included mandatory police response to various violations, the lowest level of infraction set forth in the criminal code, below misdemeanors (Conlon, 2004). According to Giuliani, low-level violations, particularly those that relate to the so-called broken windows concept, detract from the overall quality of life of ordinary citizens.
"That initiative included a crackdown on minor infractions like squeegee solicitations, spitting in public, playing music that is audible to others on public transportation, unlawful assembly, and even "improper use of a milk crate" (i.e. sitting on it) that were appreciated more by some than others (Conlon, 2004)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Conlon, E. (2004) Blue Blood. Riverhead, NY: Bantam
• Nolan, J., Conti, N, McDevitt, J. Situational Policing. Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Bulletin. Vol. 74 No. 11 (Nov/05).
• Schmalleger, F. (2001) Criminal Justice Today: An Introductory Text for the 21st Century. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

More papers on Giuliani's Zero-Tolerance Approach:

• Analytical Essay # 147525 : "Itsa-Lichii and Zero Tolerance Policy"
• Persuasive Essay # 127075 : "Zero-Tolerance Policy in Schools"
• Research Paper # 106158 : "Literature Review on Zero Tolerance"

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