Broken windows, baby!

I'm ok with stopping people for small crimes, like say littering or sidewalk bike riding and, if it is discovered they have a warrant for armed robbery, arresting them on the spot. But to stop someone for littering and discover they have a warrant for riding their bike on the sidewalk should not lead to arrest. That's just dumb.

Without consequences for failure to appear in court then lots of people will ignore the summons.
If you are not arrested and given a summons and then fail to appear in court and then get stopped again and it's discovered you didn't go to court on a past summons.
What should be done?
Give them a summons for not answering the other summons and then have them ingore that summons too?

Isn't that the point of zero tolerance?

Getting a ticket for passing out on the subway while taking up just one seat is absurd. That isn't broken windows. It's just a cop being an ass for no reason. How about giving a ticket instead to the guys asleep on the floor in a puddle of their own piss? How about the guys aggressively threatening everyone on the train? How about the pack of 7-12 year olds yelling "white bitch!" at everyone who gets on the train around 2am at Nevins St. Yeah, these are real anecdotes, and any of us probably has a list of at least hundreds just like them... hundreds a month depending on your riding habits.

A ticket for falling asleep? Are you kidding me?!?

welcome to bloomberg country. his fiscal policy appears to be give out as many tickets as possible and screw over outer boroughs residents most. this morning on john gambling he was advocating free mass transit that should be paid for by giving out more tickets to motorists. thanks mike!