Is This the Future of Law Enforcement in Australia?

Youth crime is out of control in Australia. It is not just in Alice Springs and Queensland like some politicians and media would have you believe. Every state is experiencing the same crisis. And it is not just youth who have a problem.

As a former prison officer at Goulburn Gaol, we were aware that to maintain order, you need to crack down on minor offences.

Take William J Bratton for example. When he became Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), crime was running rampant. Police officers were underpaid and lacked motivation. Crime rates in New York City were amongst the highest in the entire United States.

Bratton introduced the “broken windows theory” of law enforcement. The “broken windows theory,” suggests that maintaining order by addressing minor offences can help prevent more serious crimes. This approach has been both praised for its effectiveness and criticised for contributing to aggressive policing tactics.

Between 1994 and 1996, on Bratton’s watch, felony crime in New York City fell 39%; murders, 50%; and theft, 35%. Gallup polls reported that public confidence in the NYPD jumped from 37% to 73%, even as internal surveys showed job satisfaction in the police department reached an all-time high.

New York City became the safest major metropolitan area in the entire country. Bratton replicated his New York City success in Los Angeles and Boston, proving that the broken window theory works.

Of course, Bratton didn’t achieve this on his own. He had support from 1994 to 1996 under Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and then from 2014 to 2016 under Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Police Commissioners in Australia would need the same sort of support from State Premiers, the Federal Government and the courts. And of course they would need to be trained to be like Bratton.

Bratton’s turnarounds are textbook examples of what we call tipping point leadership. The theory of tipping points, which has its roots in epidemiology, is well known.

It hinges on the insight that in any organisation, once the beliefs and energies of a critical mass of people are engaged, conversion to a new idea will spread like an epidemic, bringing about fundamental change very quickly.

The theory suggests that such a movement can he unleashed only by agents who make unforgettable and unarguable calls for change, who concentrate their resources on what really matters, who mobilise the commitment of the organisation’s key players, and who succeed in silencing the most vocal naysayers. Bratton did all of these things in all of his turnarounds.

Law enforcement training throughout Australia could do worse than to adopt these principles. The principles need to be instilled at all levels of training for law enforcement officers, both new officers and for those already in the job.

If Bratton could turn things around in New York City in just two years, and also Boston and Los Angeles, it is not beyond the realms of possibility for the same to happen in Australia’s capital cities and regional areas.

Australia’s politicians need to stop hurling insults at each other and start addressing the problems that really affect society. Perhaps they too need similar training.

Reference: Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (2003). Tipping point leadership. Harvard Business Review, 81(4), 60-69.

Visit the Australian Business and Leadership School

www.abls.com.au