5 ms·

That is a real shame. If the police are not going to mediate property disputes between people, they take a lot of risk those disputes will escalate into violenc

That is a real shame. If the police are not going to mediate property disputes between people, they take a lot of risk those disputes will escalate into violence. Perhaps really-good passive defense is enough (e.g. package lock boxes) but I also hope the police understand the deeper reasoning around their position and role.

netsharc 8y ago
Having lived in a "3rd world" country, I know the police there is useless, but it's interesting how things like resource issues (not enough manpower) is slowly turning living standards of rich countries like the US and UK towards "3rd world" levels.
- Jyaif 8y ago
  Robbers and burglers basically have immunity now because the police is busy with... I'm not sure what.
  - roseburg 8y ago
    Most departments are understaffed. Turns out all the negative press against police is having long term impacts on how many kids want to grow up and become a police officer. Also property crimes always take a backseat to more violent crimes.
    - chrisdhoover 8y ago
      In many cases the police and sheriffs themselves are not hiring because they are faced with choice of keeping high pension payouts or hiring more people
    - omegaham 8y ago
      Also, the background check process is intense, (and deals with the exact same understaffing problems) and it turns out that most people aren't willing to wait for nine months to get vetted for an entry-level job.
      - kristofferR 8y ago
        It's insane that police officer is an entry level job, no wonder you have so many issues with the police in the US.
    - netsharc 8y ago
      Not sure if you're blaming the press for doing their jobs...
  - 0xfeba 8y ago
    Depends wildly on the area, but property crimes rarely go about a 20% clear rate. That is, 80% of the time criminals get away with it. Some areas even murder is 60%. A healthy society keeps people from committing crimes, not a giant police force.
  - dragonwriter 8y ago
    > Robbers and burglers basically have immunity now because the police is busy with... I'm not sure what. Robbers and burglars usually get attention. Petty theft that does not involve robbery or burglary doesn't, but there is a world of difference between the three crimes.
- rootusrootus 8y ago
  In some areas perhaps. In my neighborhood the police respond to any property crime, and pretty fast at that. But ... maybe we are just boring. Perhaps there are some areas in the US where this is a problem, but I don't know if it's safe to generalize that the US is degrading to third-world status just yet.
  - raverbashing 8y ago
    Well given the police in the US works at city level, if you are in a suburb that's not "the capital city" your police might be bored enough to go for every call, things like "suspicious person walking on street"
    - iamdave 8y ago
      "suspicious person walking on street" My dad used to say "there's few things more dangerous in the suburbs than a bored cop". Been involved in some of those interactions while walking home in my own neighborhood. They're not pleasant. One involved handcuffs and a 30 minute sit on the curb while my backpack was searched. Yes I'm referring to these past incidents in plural for a reason. No, the complaints to the city and precinct didn't do anything.
      - rootusrootus 8y ago
        Ha, that's probably true. Though the last time I was walking down the street when a city cop rolled past, he waved. I waved. I have lived some places where the police culture was more toxic, definitely.
        iamdave 8y ago
        It's definitely a YMMV kind of thing. I'm not going to go on some kind of "all cops are bastards" bend here, cause that's not the case and this isn't the forum for it, but I've had more bad experiences with the police than good ones. None of them resulted in an arrest or charges filed (this is excluding moving violations because death, taxes and speeding tickets; I was a 23 year old driving a Mustang lol) since none of the interactions involved me doing anything illegal. After a few experiences like that you learn to keep an eye on a police officer when you see one, but there's no urge to make your presence overtly known to them either.
- learc83 8y ago
  Itst not really a lack of manpower. It's that most of the time, evidence is grainy security camera footage. What are they going to do with that?
  - yarox 8y ago
    Enhance?
- jiveturkey 8y ago
  there's enough manpower. there isn't enough budget.
reaperducer 8y ago
If the police are not going to mediate property disputes between people, they take a lot of risk those disputes will escalate into violence. They're too busy training on their new hand-me-down military gear. Local cops need tanks to keep you safe, citizen.
cwkoss 8y ago
Police inaction is the main reason that I can't get behind political calls to ban guns: cops are not required to protect or defend you.
dragonwriter 8y ago
> If the police are not going to mediate property disputes between people The police exist to maintain order on behalf of the State, the civil justice system exists to mediate property disputes between people. There is sometimes some synergy between the functions, but they are very different.

netsharc 8y ago

Having lived in a "3rd world" country, I know the police there is useless, but it's interesting how things like resource issues (not enough manpower) is slowly turning living standards of rich countries like the US and UK towards "3rd world" levels.

Jyaif 8y ago
Robbers and burglers basically have immunity now because the police is busy with... I'm not sure what.
- roseburg 8y ago
  Most departments are understaffed. Turns out all the negative press against police is having long term impacts on how many kids want to grow up and become a police officer. Also property crimes always take a backseat to more violent crimes.
  - chrisdhoover 8y ago
    In many cases the police and sheriffs themselves are not hiring because they are faced with choice of keeping high pension payouts or hiring more people
  - omegaham 8y ago
    Also, the background check process is intense, (and deals with the exact same understaffing problems) and it turns out that most people aren't willing to wait for nine months to get vetted for an entry-level job.
    - kristofferR 8y ago
      It's insane that police officer is an entry level job, no wonder you have so many issues with the police in the US.
  - netsharc 8y ago
    Not sure if you're blaming the press for doing their jobs...
- 0xfeba 8y ago
  Depends wildly on the area, but property crimes rarely go about a 20% clear rate. That is, 80% of the time criminals get away with it. Some areas even murder is 60%. A healthy society keeps people from committing crimes, not a giant police force.
- dragonwriter 8y ago
  > Robbers and burglers basically have immunity now because the police is busy with... I'm not sure what. Robbers and burglars usually get attention. Petty theft that does not involve robbery or burglary doesn't, but there is a world of difference between the three crimes.
rootusrootus 8y ago
In some areas perhaps. In my neighborhood the police respond to any property crime, and pretty fast at that. But ... maybe we are just boring. Perhaps there are some areas in the US where this is a problem, but I don't know if it's safe to generalize that the US is degrading to third-world status just yet.
- raverbashing 8y ago
  Well given the police in the US works at city level, if you are in a suburb that's not "the capital city" your police might be bored enough to go for every call, things like "suspicious person walking on street"
  - iamdave 8y ago
    "suspicious person walking on street" My dad used to say "there's few things more dangerous in the suburbs than a bored cop". Been involved in some of those interactions while walking home in my own neighborhood. They're not pleasant. One involved handcuffs and a 30 minute sit on the curb while my backpack was searched. Yes I'm referring to these past incidents in plural for a reason. No, the complaints to the city and precinct didn't do anything.
    - rootusrootus 8y ago
      Ha, that's probably true. Though the last time I was walking down the street when a city cop rolled past, he waved. I waved. I have lived some places where the police culture was more toxic, definitely.
      - iamdave 8y ago
        It's definitely a YMMV kind of thing. I'm not going to go on some kind of "all cops are bastards" bend here, cause that's not the case and this isn't the forum for it, but I've had more bad experiences with the police than good ones. None of them resulted in an arrest or charges filed (this is excluding moving violations because death, taxes and speeding tickets; I was a 23 year old driving a Mustang lol) since none of the interactions involved me doing anything illegal. After a few experiences like that you learn to keep an eye on a police officer when you see one, but there's no urge to make your presence overtly known to them either.
learc83 8y ago
Itst not really a lack of manpower. It's that most of the time, evidence is grainy security camera footage. What are they going to do with that?
- yarox 8y ago
  Enhance?
jiveturkey 8y ago
there's enough manpower. there isn't enough budget.

reaperducer 8y ago

If the police are not going to mediate property disputes between people, they take a lot of risk those disputes will escalate into violence. They're too busy training on their new hand-me-down military gear. Local cops need tanks to keep you safe, citizen.

cwkoss 8y ago

Police inaction is the main reason that I can't get behind political calls to ban guns: cops are not required to protect or defend you.

dragonwriter 8y ago

> If the police are not going to mediate property disputes between people The police exist to maintain order on behalf of the State, the civil justice system exists to mediate property disputes between people. There is sometimes some synergy between the functions, but they are very different.