Among other things Bill Bratton will be remembered for helping mastermind what is known as "broken windows" policing. Coined in 1982 by two college professors,the "broken windows" theory held that a police force can construct communities safer from major crimes by cracking down on minor ones things like broken windows.
George Kelling, now senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, or co-wrote the seminal 1982 article in the Atlantic,“Broken Windows,” discussed prevailing misconceptions of his theory and how NYPD Chief James O'Neill, or protégé of Bill Bratton,developed the Neighborhood Coordinating Officer program and is promoting the growth of community policing.
Source: wnyc.org