by Jerome Pinder
In his book “The Tipping Point,” Malcolm Gladwell speaks extensively about social epidemics and how changing little things can make a big difference. He speaks to the rise and fall of crime in New York City. Most of us have heard about the crime wave that impacted New York City, with rising murder rates and violent crimes, just like we read about crime everyday in our local papers.
An interesting point in the book suited for Nassau is the Broken Windows Theory, which was the work of criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling. Their argument is that crime is the result or will escalate from disorder. The theory as discussed by Gladwell, “If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge.” This leads to more broken windows, disorder, chaos, and anything goes.
Under the Power of Context, Gladwell argues that “Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur.” A perfect example, as highlighted in the book, is that of New York City and the escalating violent crime on the subways. In the 1980s the subway cars were dirty, filled with trash, and covered with graffiti. Beating fares and jumping turnstiles was common practice. Therefore, the subway system itself created a sense of chaos, disorder, and lawlessness. This led to a rampant escalation in crime. How did the authorities tip this crime epidemic? They put into practice the Broken Window Theory. They won the war against graffiti. They cracked down on fare beaters. They kept the subway clean. They cracked down on drunkenness and bad behavior. Police made their presence known. The result: They cleaned up the subway system and thus cracked down on many other crimes and criminals. When Rudy Giuliani was elected as Mayor, he transferred this theory to the City at large and the rest is history.
What lessons can we learn for the Bahamas?
What does it say when street lights are not maintained? When unlicensed vehicles are seen on the streets? When drivers run red lights? These small individual infractions create a complete sense of lawlessness on our streets. So people will think nothing about running through a yellow or red light and blocking the intersection, restricting the flow of traffic.
What happens when down town is left dirty and smelling of urine? When school kids fight in front of our tourist? When buildings are left in a shabby state? When fowl language and drunkenness is a normal occurrence? It creates a sense of lawlessness, where people will engage in petty theft and offer drugs to our tourist.
What happens in our education system when school campuses are dirty? When graffiti is left on the walls? When a small population of students disrupts the educational process for everyone? When parents do not take the time to monitor their children’s homework and insist that failure is not an option? We end up with a broken education system and a national grade average of D.
What happens when the court system is broken? When thugs walk the streets on bail and recommit crimes? When the Government fails to ensure that the law is enforced? When the Government fails to carry out the wish of the people and enforce capital punishment? When persons accept the proceeds of crime and protect family and friends involved in crime? When the Government and its Minister of National Security talk big on dealing with crime and imposing a zero tolerance strategy, yet they back it up with little action? When the Government and Opposition cannot work together to advance the Country? When two major political parties engage in petty politics? You end up with violent crime as an everyday occurrence. Where people live in fear. Where criminals think nothing of gunning someone down in broad daylight. You create a society where criminals have no fear and respect for the law and the judiciary. The list could go on……
As in New York, the elected leadership took the initiative and created an environment that led to a tipping point in crime. Likewise, our elected leadership should take the initiative to lead the way and set an example for us all. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. However, can we as individuals create tipping points in this country?
Here are a few thoughts: Can we all take the initiative to get involved in our children’s education? Can we clean up our individual properties and thus clean up our neighborhoods? Can we not accept and tolerate the proceeds of crime? Can we not cover for our children and family members when we know they are involved in crime? Can we not harbor criminals and those out on bail that are still committing crimes? Can we begin to lift up one another and not tear each other down by gossip? Can we hold our elected leaders accountable and not allow them to buy us out? Can we treat each and every tourist like a king or queen to ensure that they spend their scarce dollars here in the Bahamas? Can we impose hefty penalties for crimes such as the possession of illegal firearms? The list of questions could go on and impact every aspect of our lives.
Without leadership, change can happen and it can start with each of us! The message could spread quickly.
Facebook Page
Twitter Page
