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This is the broken window theory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory The (somewhat controve
by mathattack 12y ago
This is the broken window theory. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory
The (somewhat controversial) idea is that if you go out of your way to punish smaller crimes, people don't do the bigger ones. It wasn't cost effective for police in NYC to stop the smaller crimes (people spraying water on your windshield and asking for a dollar to wipe it off) but larger crimes dropped with it.
If you view police as a fixed cost, then perhaps it is worthwhile.
That said, there are plenty of holes in the theory.
Gary Becker writes a lot about the economics of crime too. http://chicagomaroon.com/2012/05/25/the-economics-of-crime-with-gary-becker/ http://chicagomaroon.com/2012/05/25/the-economics-of-crime-w...