5 ms·

Wouldn't the solution be to automatically repeal any laws that are not regularly enforced? A "use it lose it" rule. We could regularly commission studies to see

by jmckib 5y ago

Wouldn't the solution be to automatically repeal any laws that are not regularly enforced? A "use it lose it" rule. We could regularly commission studies to see which traffic laws are not being enforced.

finiteseries 5y ago
Sounds similar in concept to the Sunset Commission in Texas, which automatically abolishes any state agency unless the legislature passes a bill to continue its existence after review every 12 years. https://www.sunset.texas.gov/how-sunset-works https://www.sunset.texas.gov/how-sunset-works Surely an equivalent for automatically abolishing laws/regulations has been tried somewhere?
zdragnar 5y ago
It is a question of even enforcement, not whether or not it is enforced at all. Take the turn signal law. In suburbs or rural areas where you are probably pulling over a soccer mom whose next worst crime is being disorganized, it may not be worth the time for the stop. If, however, the same cop is in a neighborhood where stopping someone has a reasonable chance of finding a greater crime- possession of drugs, unregistered weapons, driver has warrants for their arrest for missing court dates etc- they are more likely to enforce the turn signal law. This is the heart of the Broken Windows theory which leads to disproportionate negative police encounters and claims of racism- presuming one stop will be more fruitful than another leads to stricter enforcement. Substitute "race" for "area" if you prefer; they are sometimes, but not always, linked. I live just south of the meth capital of my state, and it is very white and rural. Because of that, you wouldn't know that it has much stricter enforcement of various laws than other parts of the state, but it doesn't get much attention because the whole county's population could fit inside a few blocks of NYC.
- sitkack 5y ago
  > reasonable chance of finding a greater crime- possession of drugs Cops shouldn't be using selective enforcement of laws like this to go trolling for crimes.
  - loopz 5y ago
    It's how we get systemic racism / discrimination.
  - zdragnar 5y ago
    I wasn't suggesting that they ought to; I was responding to the idea that there are "unenforced laws" when the reality (for laws that are relevant to the parents point) is that they are enforced, just not evenly.
    - sitkack 5y ago
      Apologies, I realize that now.
SilverRed 5y ago
How would that work? You would have to track all of the times it should have been enforced but wasn't. And what about laws that do not have to be enforced because their existence prevented infractions?

by jmckib 5y ago

finiteseries 5y ago

Sounds similar in concept to the Sunset Commission in Texas, which automatically abolishes any state agency unless the legislature passes a bill to continue its existence after review every 12 years. https://www.sunset.texas.gov/how-sunset-works https://www.sunset.texas.gov/how-sunset-works Surely an equivalent for automatically abolishing laws/regulations has been tried somewhere?

zdragnar 5y ago

It is a question of even enforcement, not whether or not it is enforced at all. Take the turn signal law. In suburbs or rural areas where you are probably pulling over a soccer mom whose next worst crime is being disorganized, it may not be worth the time for the stop. If, however, the same cop is in a neighborhood where stopping someone has a reasonable chance of finding a greater crime- possession of drugs, unregistered weapons, driver has warrants for their arrest for missing court dates etc- they are more likely to enforce the turn signal law. This is the heart of the Broken Windows theory which leads to disproportionate negative police encounters and claims of racism- presuming one stop will be more fruitful than another leads to stricter enforcement. Substitute "race" for "area" if you prefer; they are sometimes, but not always, linked. I live just south of the meth capital of my state, and it is very white and rural. Because of that, you wouldn't know that it has much stricter enforcement of various laws than other parts of the state, but it doesn't get much attention because the whole county's population could fit inside a few blocks of NYC.

sitkack 5y ago
> reasonable chance of finding a greater crime- possession of drugs Cops shouldn't be using selective enforcement of laws like this to go trolling for crimes.
- loopz 5y ago
  It's how we get systemic racism / discrimination.
- zdragnar 5y ago
  I wasn't suggesting that they ought to; I was responding to the idea that there are "unenforced laws" when the reality (for laws that are relevant to the parents point) is that they are enforced, just not evenly.
  - sitkack 5y ago
    Apologies, I realize that now.

SilverRed 5y ago

How would that work? You would have to track all of the times it should have been enforced but wasn't. And what about laws that do not have to be enforced because their existence prevented infractions?