New York City is the birthplace of graffiti, a globally beloved art form. It is also the birthplace of the "Broken Windows" theory of policing, which has succeeded in arresting a lot of panhandlers and subway dancers. Which is worse, do you think?

If you ask NYPD commissioner Bill Bratton, the architect of the "Broken Windows" policing model, he'll tell you that it is "outrageous" that a museum in our fair city would hold an exhibit of graffiti art, because graffiti art is a thing that has at some point in history caused headaches for the NYPD commissioner, which is the standard that should be used to judge all art exhibits. The Wall Street Journal reports:

"I find it outrageous that one of the city's museums is currently celebrating graffiti and what a great impact it had on the city," Commissioner William Bratton said Monday during a meeting with Wall Street Journal editors...

Mr. Bratton further objected to "having New York City school kids at the impressionable age of 12 years old walking through looking at this stuff and having it advertised as 'Isn't this great?' "

I dunno, man... 12-year-old kids also walk by NYPD recruiting posters all the time, but they don't all start throwing random pedestrians into fatal chokeholds. Give the kids some credit.

[Photo: AP]