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>In my mind, actual thefts (that deprive people of property and rights) are a substantially higher priority than resolving social disputes. You do know that "d

>In my mind, actual thefts (that deprive people of property and rights) are a substantially higher priority than resolving social disputes. You do know that "domestic dispute" isn't just an argument and is usually a euphemism for assault/battery, right?

cmdrfred 10y ago
In that case, police arrive on the scene where someone is or was being assaulted and arresting the attacker isn't a desirable outcome?
- zimzam 10y ago
  That is generally sub-optimal. Domestic violence is rarely a one-time event, rather it is a pattern of the relationship (and often the violence is reciprocal, so arresting just one of the two doesn't make sense). Some form of social service intervention for the whole family would be far better than arresting one person. After all, somebody abusing someone else likely doesn't handle stress and anger appropriately: nobody's life gets easier and more manageable after being arrested.
  - cmdrfred 10y ago
    >After all, somebody abusing someone else likely doesn't handle stress and anger appropriately: nobody's life gets easier and more manageable after being arrested. So longer prison sentences for domestic abusers then? Put them away long enough so the other party is forced to start their own life and no longer be in a situation where they are dependent on the abuser and thus unable to leave.
    - macintux 10y ago
      Don't forget that there's a significant chronological gap between being arrested and being imprisoned, and the latter is far from guaranteed.
      - cmdrfred 10y ago
        Would a psychologist have a more immediate effect?
    - mikeash 10y ago
      It's hard to prove what happened beyond a reasonable doubt when the crime is, pretty much by definition, performed in private, often with no witnesses, and when there are witnesses they're often subject to a tremendous conflict of interest. Long prison sentences might help a few cases, but not most, because most won't be convicted in the first place. It's important to help the victim directly, not just focus on removing the perpetrator, because the latter is likely never to happen. Note also that because the situation is often so unclear to the police, sometimes both people involved to be arrested, or the victim is arrested and the perpetrator goes free. The latter is especially common when the victim is male. So no, police arriving and arresting who they think is the attacker isn't necessarily desirable.
    - tripzilch 10y ago
      prison in the US is punitive, not rehabilitative.

cmdrfred 10y ago

In that case, police arrive on the scene where someone is or was being assaulted and arresting the attacker isn't a desirable outcome?

zimzam 10y ago
That is generally sub-optimal. Domestic violence is rarely a one-time event, rather it is a pattern of the relationship (and often the violence is reciprocal, so arresting just one of the two doesn't make sense). Some form of social service intervention for the whole family would be far better than arresting one person. After all, somebody abusing someone else likely doesn't handle stress and anger appropriately: nobody's life gets easier and more manageable after being arrested.
- cmdrfred 10y ago
  >After all, somebody abusing someone else likely doesn't handle stress and anger appropriately: nobody's life gets easier and more manageable after being arrested. So longer prison sentences for domestic abusers then? Put them away long enough so the other party is forced to start their own life and no longer be in a situation where they are dependent on the abuser and thus unable to leave.
  - macintux 10y ago
    Don't forget that there's a significant chronological gap between being arrested and being imprisoned, and the latter is far from guaranteed.
    - cmdrfred 10y ago
      Would a psychologist have a more immediate effect?
  - mikeash 10y ago
    It's hard to prove what happened beyond a reasonable doubt when the crime is, pretty much by definition, performed in private, often with no witnesses, and when there are witnesses they're often subject to a tremendous conflict of interest. Long prison sentences might help a few cases, but not most, because most won't be convicted in the first place. It's important to help the victim directly, not just focus on removing the perpetrator, because the latter is likely never to happen. Note also that because the situation is often so unclear to the police, sometimes both people involved to be arrested, or the victim is arrested and the perpetrator goes free. The latter is especially common when the victim is male. So no, police arriving and arresting who they think is the attacker isn't necessarily desirable.
  - tripzilch 10y ago
    prison in the US is punitive, not rehabilitative.