Final answer:
The zero tolerance policy is a strict law enforcement strategy requiring officers to pursue and penalize all crimes, which led to the Stop and Frisk policy in New York. Although it's credited for decreasing crime rates by proponents, critics debate its effectiveness and highlight its adverse effects on certain communities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The zero tolerance policy in policing is a strategy that mandates law enforcement to crack down on all crimes, no matter how minor they may be. The belief is that by being strict on small crimes, such as graffiti, petty theft, and fare evasion, individuals will be deterred from committing more serious offenses. Zero-Tolerance Policing offers little discretion to officers in the pursuit of these crimes and demands that even minor transgressions be met with formal legal action.
In New York City, this approach evolved into the Stop and Frisk policy, where the number of individuals stopped and questioned by the police significantly increased. While supporters of the policy credit it for the drop in crime rates, critics argue that this reduction cannot solely be attributed to zero tolerance, as other cities saw similar declines in crime without such aggressive tactics. Moreover, some suggest that improving neighborhood conditions might reduce crime while avoiding the negative impact on communities of color that results from intensive policing strategies like Stop and Frisk.