The "broken-windows" theory argues that small indicators of neglect, such as broken windows and unkempt lawns, promote a feeling that an area is in a state of decay.

One reason crime declined in New York is that officials put into practice the much-debated broken-windows theory, which held that if subways were cleaned of graffiti and windows were repaired, people would begin to obey the law.

The broken-windows theory, which got great play in the Giuliani administration, states that when smashed panes aren't quickly repaired, it signals neglect and decline.

So, in a broad sense, the broken-windows theory and the 9/11 transformation pushed police in the same direction: to act quickly.

He learned about George Kelling and James Q. Wilson's "broken-windows" theory, which argued that minor, visible neighborhood disorder breeds major crime.

The Economist on experimental proof of George Kelling's broken-windows theory of social order.

Never mind the broken-windows theory of crime; in the New York of the crack-epidemic eighties the true sign of neglect was a faded tape X on intact but dirty glass, into the Dinkins Administration.

The same, of course, could be said about Mr. Wilson's broken-windows theory of crime prevention.

Initially based on a 1982 article by James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling, the broken-windows theory of police enforcement holds, in rough terms, that aggressive pursuit of minor crimes will lead to a reduction of major crimes.

He said he wanted policing based on the so-called broken-windows theory.