I suspect is is the “broken windows” model that Giuliani and Bratton used in the nineties to bring down the crime rate in New York. Idea being (I think — it’s been about fifteen years since criminology class) that those who commit “minor offenses” are more likely to commit major ones. I believe there was some thought also that these could be used as leverage to get them to talk about other no-goodnik friends of theirs, and that if the police can’t find your neighbor when they come to serve him with a warrant, you might get irritated seeing them three or four times ina day and mention where he could be found.
Never took a criminology class, but imo that is close...but not quite right. I think it was more a case of those who commit major crimes commit lesser offenses without a thought. People who have no regard for the law have no regard for ANY law. Instead of just issuing summonses to the "turnstile jumpers", the cops started verifying their identities. If that couldn't be done on the spot, they would be brought in. Solved a lot of older crimes and caught a lot of bail jumpers and parole violators.