Heather Mac Donald writes for National Review Online a defense of "broken windows" policing, and a critique of NYT columnist Charles Blow's whining about it. I've read both columns - hers and his - and I find Mac Donald has the better argument.
Her point - those who agree with Blow are largely the young - is very sensible. Police play close attention to the young because they are the most likely to engage in unlawful behavior.
I remember well the feeling from decades ago when, as a teen, I was hyper-aware of cops and their sometimes-justified suspicions of me and my friends. We were not young hoodlums but also were not always entirely in conformity with the law, either in our driving or our consumption of sold-only-to-adults substances.
That said, we are young only briefly, not-young for decades. Therefore the prejudices of the young should not drive public policy.
