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> This last year has involved a lot of blind hatred of policing and poorly thought out calls to reduce police funding all based on very rare anecdotal incidents

> This last year has involved a lot of blind hatred of policing and poorly thought out calls to reduce police funding all based on very rare anecdotal incidents which have been spun as data. This is interesting, because the evidence for your claim is anecdotes and “posts on NextDoor” — what statistical evidence do you have that crime is increasing more in “more permissive” cities vs “less permissive” ones? I would also invite you to consider that COVID may have more to do with this than anything else. I also invite you to consider people who commit crimes as human beings with needs like you and I — needs that are often unmet: housing, healthcare, community, and which are not resolved by locking them up.

throwawaysea 5y ago
I don’t have broad statistical evidence on this at this moment, but this has been an issue well before COVID. I was able to find a past article highlighting data about crime following homeless accommodations in a particular neighborhood in Seattle (https://www.q13fox.com/news/crime-rate-rose-103-in-a-two-city-block-radius-of-tiny-home-village-in-north-seattle-according-to-data https://www.q13fox.com/news/crime-rate-rose-103-in-a-two-cit...). Business associations in Seattle have also published reports with data about these issues for several years as well, and numerous articles have been written about it (example https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/tourismhospitality/downtown-seattles-rising-crime-rate-stings-citys-hospitality-sector https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/tourismhospitality/downto...). You might be able to dig up more and find the actual reports with some dedicated Googling. But regardless, truth starts with observations and anecdotes. In Seattle, reliable data measuring crime is hard to come by since people have become jaded and simply don’t report crime any longer. The police are understaffed (well below median police officers per capita in the country) and are directed by city leadership to deprioritize such investigations, so residents don’t see a benefit from reporting. I’ll admit I am part of the problem - the other day I saw a homeless person expose herself in front of children and I didn’t bother reporting it to any authority because nothing will be done and I am just exhausted by all of it. The only time residents bother is if they are victims of property crime that is large enough to make the insurance deductible worth it. In the case of police shooting unarmed blacks, we already have the data. The Washington Post has maintained these records (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/polic...). It gives us a clear sense of the magnitude of the issue at hand. This is also why surveys are able to say that people overestimate the frequency of police brutality. > I also invite you to consider people who commit crimes as human beings with needs like you and I — needs that are often unmet They are free to meet those needs the way anyone else does, by showing personal responsibility for their life choices. I have little sympathy for those who decide to live a drug centric lifestyle. And likewise, people shouldn’t move to a desirable, expensive location unless they have a plan on how to make it work. Existing residents should not have to subsidize either group, with their money or by giving up their quality of life.
- door101 5y ago
  > They are free to meet those needs the way anyone else does, by showing personal responsibility for their life choices. I have little sympathy for those who decide to live a drug centric lifestyle. And likewise, people shouldn’t move to a desirable, expensive location unless they have a plan on how to make it work. Existing residents should not have to subsidize either group, with their money or by giving up their quality of life. Look up “just world fallacy”

throwawaysea 5y ago

I don’t have broad statistical evidence on this at this moment, but this has been an issue well before COVID. I was able to find a past article highlighting data about crime following homeless accommodations in a particular neighborhood in Seattle (https://www.q13fox.com/news/crime-rate-rose-103-in-a-two-city-block-radius-of-tiny-home-village-in-north-seattle-according-to-data https://www.q13fox.com/news/crime-rate-rose-103-in-a-two-cit...). Business associations in Seattle have also published reports with data about these issues for several years as well, and numerous articles have been written about it (example https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/tourismhospitality/downtown-seattles-rising-crime-rate-stings-citys-hospitality-sector https://www.seattlebusinessmag.com/tourismhospitality/downto...). You might be able to dig up more and find the actual reports with some dedicated Googling. But regardless, truth starts with observations and anecdotes. In Seattle, reliable data measuring crime is hard to come by since people have become jaded and simply don’t report crime any longer. The police are understaffed (well below median police officers per capita in the country) and are directed by city leadership to deprioritize such investigations, so residents don’t see a benefit from reporting. I’ll admit I am part of the problem - the other day I saw a homeless person expose herself in front of children and I didn’t bother reporting it to any authority because nothing will be done and I am just exhausted by all of it. The only time residents bother is if they are victims of property crime that is large enough to make the insurance deductible worth it. In the case of police shooting unarmed blacks, we already have the data. The Washington Post has maintained these records (https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/polic...). It gives us a clear sense of the magnitude of the issue at hand. This is also why surveys are able to say that people overestimate the frequency of police brutality. > I also invite you to consider people who commit crimes as human beings with needs like you and I — needs that are often unmet They are free to meet those needs the way anyone else does, by showing personal responsibility for their life choices. I have little sympathy for those who decide to live a drug centric lifestyle. And likewise, people shouldn’t move to a desirable, expensive location unless they have a plan on how to make it work. Existing residents should not have to subsidize either group, with their money or by giving up their quality of life.

door101 5y ago
> They are free to meet those needs the way anyone else does, by showing personal responsibility for their life choices. I have little sympathy for those who decide to live a drug centric lifestyle. And likewise, people shouldn’t move to a desirable, expensive location unless they have a plan on how to make it work. Existing residents should not have to subsidize either group, with their money or by giving up their quality of life. Look up “just world fallacy”