--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Arresting a single drunk or a single…" description: "\"Arresting a single drunk or a single vagrant who has harmed no identifiable person seems unjust, and in a sense it is. But failing to do anything about..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/james-q-wilson-16701_arresting_arresting-a-single-drunk-or-a-single-vag_2379237.jpg" --- # Arresting a single drunk or a single vagrant who has… ![“Arresting a single drunk or a single vagrant who has harmed no identifiable person seems unjust, and in a sense it is. But failing to do anything about a score of drunks or a hundred vagrants may destroy an entire community.” quote by James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/james-q-wilson-16701_arresting_arresting-a-single-drunk-or-a-single-vag_2379237.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/james-q-wilson-16701_arresting_arresting-a-single-drunk-or-a-single-vag_2379237.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/72d/james-q-wilson-16701_arresting_arresting-a-single-drunk-or-a-single-vag_2379237.jpg) > “Arresting a single drunk or a single vagrant who has harmed no identifiable person seems unjust, and in a sense it is. But failing to do anything about a score of drunks or a hundred vagrants may destroy an entire community.” [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Arresting one harmless offender feels unfair, yet ignoring many offenders can harm the whole community. **In simple terms:** Punishing one seems unjust; ignoring many harms all. Key Takeaway Balance justice with community safety. Themes justice community policy ethics Mood concerned reflective Type policy ethical When to use this quote - law enforcement - urban policy - public safety - community health Key Concepts deterrence social order collective responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect communities without over‑penalizing individuals? - What alternatives to arrest exist for low‑level offenses? A Different Perspective Punishment alone may not address root causes of disorder. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Arresting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arresting/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Drunk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunk/) [Drunks Vagrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drunks-vagrants-5887853/) [Failing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failing/) [Hundred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hundred/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Person Unjust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-unjust-5887854/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) [Score](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/score/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Unjust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unjust/) [Vagrant Harmed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vagrant-harmed-5887855/) [Vagrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vagrants/) [Vagrants Destroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vagrants-destroy-5887856/) ## Related quotes > [ \[In the case of\] dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states, who are parties thereto, have the right,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/in-the-case-of-dangerous-exercise-of-other-powers-not-granted-by-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/improvident-habits-slovenly-systems-of-agriculture-sluggish-methods/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The evil eye is the fascinum, it is that which has the effect of arresting movement and, literally, of killing life. At the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-evil-eye-is-the-fascinum-it-is-that-which-has-the-effect-of/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries. Besides the fanatical frenzy which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/how-dreadful-are-the-curses-which-mohammedanism-lays-on-its-votaries/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers. In the street, in broad daylight. It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/what-and-that-means-arresting-ordinary-factory-workers-in-the-street/) [Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/) > [First they came for the Jews, but I did nothing because I'm not a Jew. Then they came for the socialists, but I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/first-they-came-for-the-jews-but-i-did-nothing-because-i-m-not-a-jew/) [Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/) > [If ideas are what feed serious literature and arresting language, who today is writing a novel of ideas (which can often mean comedy)? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/if-ideas-are-what-feed-serious-literature-and-arresting-language-who/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [“And at that instant, I was six and half years old again, watching the two arresting officers - a man and a woman dressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sana-krasikov/and-at-that-instant-i-was-six-and-half-years-old-again-watching-the/) [Sana Krasikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sana-krasikov/) > [I want every man on the force to try his best, his level best, to try to avoid arresting anyone. I know that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chill-wills/i-want-every-man-on-the-force-to-try-his-best-his-level-best-to-try/) [Chill Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chill-wills/) > [Well, I'm not saying that we're solving every problem or arresting every person that ought to be arrested and deported, but we're doing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thad-cochran/well-i-m-not-saying-that-we-re-solving-every-problem-or-arresting/) [Thad Cochran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thad-cochran/) > [An arresting testimony to the haunting power of friendships, THE AFTER GIRLS is a story that understands what it is to be passionate, confused,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micol-ostow/an-arresting-testimony-to-the-haunting-power-of-friendships-the-after/) [Micol Ostow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micol-ostow/) > [In Fascism, if you were a Jew, you were simply killed. Nobody had the idea of arresting Jews and torturing them to confess the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/in-fascism-if-you-were-a-jew-you-were-simply-killed-nobody-had-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [I should love to do a novel, about one abnormal character seeing present-day life, very ordinary life, yet arresting through it, abnormality, until at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-should-love-to-do-a-novel-about-one-abnormal-character-seeing/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [Let's get the government stay out of our private lives, once and for all, and stop arresting smokers. Let's take a stand for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/let-s-get-the-government-stay-out-of-our-private-lives-once-and-for/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [Contemporary scholars have little explored the preconditions of genocide. Still less have they asked whether a society's weapons policy might be one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/contemporary-scholars-have-little-explored-the-preconditions-of/) [Daniel D. Polsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-polsby/) ## More by James Q. Wilson > [What most needs explanation is not why some people are criminals, but why most people are not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/what-most-needs-explanation-is-not-why-some-people-are-criminals-but/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [I believe we ought to subsidize some health care for the poor, but Medicare subsidizes everyone's health care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/i-believe-we-ought-to-subsidize-some-health-care-for-the-poor-but/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [Character is not the enemy of self-expression and personal freedom, it is their necessary precondition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/character-is-not-the-enemy-of-self-expression-and-personal-freedom-it/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [In the long run, the public interest depends on private virtue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/in-the-long-run-the-public-interest-depends-on-private-virtue/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [I believe that the high rates of property crime (and some of the increase in violent crime) are part of the price you pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/i-believe-that-the-high-rates-of-property-crime-and-some-of-the/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [I will have an administrative system where there is no way to extricate red tape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/i-will-have-an-administrative-system-where-there-is-no-way-to/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [In terms of other functions, we are making a mistake about insisting on a public school monopoly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/in-terms-of-other-functions-we-are-making-a-mistake-about-insisting/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [Community-based policing has now come to mean everything. It's a slogan. It has come to mean so many different things that people who endorse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/community-based-policing-has-now-come-to-mean-everything-it-s-a/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [There are no more liberals Theyve all been mugged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/there-are-no-more-liberals-theyve-all-been-mugged/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [Crime is the price society pays for abandoning character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/crime-is-the-price-society-pays-for-abandoning-character/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [A government without the power of defense! It is a solecism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/a-government-without-the-power-of-defense-it-is-a-solecism/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [Public order is a fragile thing, and if you don't fix the first broken window, soon all the windows will be broken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/public-order-is-a-fragile-thing-and-if-you-don-t-fix-the-first-broken/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [Boys are more likely to develop a masculine personality and acquire strong moral standards when they have a loving and nurturant rather than a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/boys-are-more-likely-to-develop-a-masculine-personality-and-acquire/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [The most remarkable change in the moral history of mankind has been the rise - and occasionally the application - of the view that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/the-most-remarkable-change-in-the-moral-history-of-mankind-has-been/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) > [I mean that the function of the police is to solve problems that have law-enforcement consequences in a way that is based on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-q-wilson/i-mean-that-the-function-of-the-police-is-to-solve-problems-that-have/) [James Q. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) [Explore all 39 James Q. Wilson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-q-wilson/) ## More Arresting quotes > [ \[In the case of\] dangerous exercise of other powers, not granted by the said compact, the states, who are parties thereto, have the right,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/in-the-case-of-dangerous-exercise-of-other-powers-not-granted-by-the/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [Let's get the government stay out of our private lives, once and for all, and stop arresting smokers. Let's take a stand for personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-nelson/let-s-get-the-government-stay-out-of-our-private-lives-once-and-for/) [Willie Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-nelson/) > [I should love to do a novel, about one abnormal character seeing present-day life, very ordinary life, yet arresting through it, abnormality, until at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-highsmith/i-should-love-to-do-a-novel-about-one-abnormal-character-seeing/) [Patricia Highsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-highsmith/) > [In Fascism, if you were a Jew, you were simply killed. Nobody had the idea of arresting Jews and torturing them to confess the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slavoj-i-ek/in-fascism-if-you-were-a-jew-you-were-simply-killed-nobody-had-the/) [Slavoj Žižek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slavoj-i-ek/) > [An arresting testimony to the haunting power of friendships, THE AFTER GIRLS is a story that understands what it is to be passionate, confused,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micol-ostow/an-arresting-testimony-to-the-haunting-power-of-friendships-the-after/) [Micol Ostow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micol-ostow/) > [Well, I'm not saying that we're solving every problem or arresting every person that ought to be arrested and deported, but we're doing a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thad-cochran/well-i-m-not-saying-that-we-re-solving-every-problem-or-arresting/) [Thad Cochran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thad-cochran/) > [I want every man on the force to try his best, his level best, to try to avoid arresting anyone. I know that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chill-wills/i-want-every-man-on-the-force-to-try-his-best-his-level-best-to-try/) [Chill Wills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chill-wills/) > [“And at that instant, I was six and half years old again, watching the two arresting officers - a man and a woman dressed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sana-krasikov/and-at-that-instant-i-was-six-and-half-years-old-again-watching-the/) [Sana Krasikov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sana-krasikov/) > [If ideas are what feed serious literature and arresting language, who today is writing a novel of ideas (which can often mean comedy)? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-ozick/if-ideas-are-what-feed-serious-literature-and-arresting-language-who/) [Cynthia Ozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-ozick/) > [First they came for the Jews, but I did nothing because I'm not a Jew. Then they came for the socialists, but I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/first-they-came-for-the-jews-but-i-did-nothing-because-i-m-not-a-jew/) [Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/) > [What, and that means arresting ordinary factory workers. In the street, in broad daylight. It's more like Guantanamo Bay out there. Donna, by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-noble/what-and-that-means-arresting-ordinary-factory-workers-in-the-street/) [Donna Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-noble/) > [How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries. Besides the fanatical frenzy which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/how-dreadful-are-the-curses-which-mohammedanism-lays-on-its-votaries/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The evil eye is the fascinum, it is that which has the effect of arresting movement and, literally, of killing life. At the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lacan/the-evil-eye-is-the-fascinum-it-is-that-which-has-the-effect-of/) [Jacques Lacan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lacan/) > [Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/improvident-habits-slovenly-systems-of-agriculture-sluggish-methods/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [Contemporary scholars have little explored the preconditions of genocide. Still less have they asked whether a society's weapons policy might be one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-d-polsby/contemporary-scholars-have-little-explored-the-preconditions-of/) [Daniel D. Polsby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-d-polsby/) [Browse all 46 Arresting quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arresting/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Arresting a single drunk or a single vagrant who has harmed no identifiable person seems unjust, and in a sense it is. But failing to do anything about a score of drunks or a hundred vagrants may destroy an entire community.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Q. 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