The idea behind broken windows theory is simple: small things can turn into big problems. When a window breaks, or trash covers the sidewalk and streets, or graffiti covers a wall in an alley, it's no big deal as long as it's cleaned up and taken care of promptly by the neighborhood. Problems start when broken windows, trash and/or graffiti are left alone and others follow. Once a neighborhood is neglected, only further abandonment ensues. When people in a neighborhood don't care about the neighborhood, it shows. People who like to engage in bad things begin to feel safe by indulging in bad practices. Children start to misbehave, and if they are not corrected, they continue to misbehave and cause more damage to the neighborhood, more litter, more graffiti, and more broken windows. Vandalism can be rampant and uncontrolled. Antisocial behavior will become the norm and crime will move from petty crimes to crimes such as murder. James Q. Wilson and George L. Kelling made the broken windows theory famous in the March 1982 issue of Atlantic Monthly in an article titled Broken Windows. : Police and neighborhood safety. They say that once a property has been abandoned and grass and weeds continue to grow and a window has been broken, adults will stop correcting their children's bad behavior. Families will move away from the neighborhood and unattached adults will move in to replace them. Teenagers will begin to gather in groups and refuse to disperse when asked by adults. Waste accumulates on sidewalks and streets. Drunk people start frequenting shops and start disposing of alcohol wherever they want. Beggars feel free to beg wherever they want. Many residents will begin to... middle of paper... care for each other and their families. The neighborhood can provide funding to create a safe place for teens and young adults to gather instead of being left at home and alone. Keeping neighborhoods free of excess trash and graffiti lets outsiders know that the community is well maintained and policed ​​by those who live there. Community policing, with the help of police officers who patrol that area, will help residents learn what and who to look for regarding what is considered an undesirable person. With police funding cuts mounting and looking to continue, it will have to be up to every resident in every neighborhood and community to start looking out for each other to help minimize crime in their area. The police will still be there to help people and respond to calls and emergencies, but people must also learn to help each other.