What is “Zero-Tolerance” policing?
“Zero-Tolerance” was instituted over ten years ago as a full-scale strategic attack on all crime and disorder in the City. In particular it focuses on the enforcement of “quality of life offenses” such as drinking alcoholic beverages in the street, urinating in public, panhandling, loud radios, graffiti and disorderly conduct. By quickly addressing and correcting these minor problems, the Department sends the message that more serious crime will not be tolerated. To meet the specific needs of their individual communities, local Police commanders have been granted significantly more authority and latitude in deploying there resources and implementing their own operations to help carry out this initiative.
