Broken Windows + Pink Tickets is an installation created in March 2018 using criminal court summonses data. It explores geographic patterns of broken windows policing* in New York City. In the installation, parachute cords represent violations in NYC's 78 police precincts. The colors map to the different violations, which include a wide range of infractions (trespassing, spitting in public, and having an unleashed dog are just a few). The length of the cord correlates to the number of summonses issued in that precinct. The cords are bundled by their precinct number and hang in a pattern that reflects their geography, with a map of the precincts on the floor. Visitors are encouraged to walk through the installation to traverse the city and immerse themselves in the information. Where there are a great number of summonses, the strings will reach the floor; where there are fewer, the strings will hang above the visitors’ heads.
*The concept behind the broken windows theory is that maintaining an orderly urban environment and cracking down on low-level crime will deter the advent of more serious crime.