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> ... signals the decline of the local government police forces. I don't think it's something you can lay at the feet of the SF Police Department. I asked Pete

> ... signals the decline of the local government police forces. I don't think it's something you can lay at the feet of the SF Police Department. I asked Pete McLaughlin, SFPD (retired), why the police don't go after bike thieves more aggressively. "Our hands are tied," he said. "They [the thieves] know the most we can do is give them a citation, and they'll be out that afternoon." California has a history of being lenient with non-violent crime, which is appropriate in some cases, but maybe not in others. Maybe leniency is the wrong approach for some of these bike thieves. But it's complicated. I heard Jerry Brown (former California Governor) talk about how ~10% of the state budget goes to prisons, and he's not comfortable with such a large amount, and I agree--throwing people in jail is expensive! Lastly, when the SFPD was needed, they move fast: I had a home invasion a couple of years ago (a guy kicking in my window, trying to break in), and five police were in my apartment within minutes of the 911 call. Worth 20 stolen bikes IMHO.

asdff 4y ago
Another issue is the police can only ever tackle the very leading edge of the problem due to the scope of their jurisdiction. Realistically the trafficking of stolen bikes, bike parts, cars, car parts, etc, takes place over city lines, county lines, state lines, probably also national lines. Good luck ever making a dent on organized crime if a key piece of that operation takes place within a jurisdiction staffed in the low dozens (quite often the case in fact with cartel drug labs and illegal grow operations in rural California). You really need the FBI, but their hands are full just indicting local government officials in my city for corruption, let alone going after the bike thieves. That being said there is a lot to be done at that leading edge, especially when its not uncommon to see someone with a dozen bikes in varying states of disrepare piled amongst the detritus outside their dwelling. It seems like that should be considered probable cause to me and worthy of more investigation vs just letting that continue unhindered. There is some line between the cops I was familiar with in the midwest (who would search your vehicle and throw everything on the side of the road on the grounds of smelling of pot if they just didn't like the look of you), and the ones here in california who are more concerned with catching snorelaxes (1) than enforcing the law. 1. https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5q593/lapd-officers-ignore-robbery-in-progress-to-catch-snorlax-in-pokemon-go https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5q593/lapd-officers-ignore-...

asdff 4y ago

Another issue is the police can only ever tackle the very leading edge of the problem due to the scope of their jurisdiction. Realistically the trafficking of stolen bikes, bike parts, cars, car parts, etc, takes place over city lines, county lines, state lines, probably also national lines. Good luck ever making a dent on organized crime if a key piece of that operation takes place within a jurisdiction staffed in the low dozens (quite often the case in fact with cartel drug labs and illegal grow operations in rural California). You really need the FBI, but their hands are full just indicting local government officials in my city for corruption, let alone going after the bike thieves. That being said there is a lot to be done at that leading edge, especially when its not uncommon to see someone with a dozen bikes in varying states of disrepare piled amongst the detritus outside their dwelling. It seems like that should be considered probable cause to me and worthy of more investigation vs just letting that continue unhindered. There is some line between the cops I was familiar with in the midwest (who would search your vehicle and throw everything on the side of the road on the grounds of smelling of pot if they just didn't like the look of you), and the ones here in california who are more concerned with catching snorelaxes (1) than enforcing the law. 1. https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5q593/lapd-officers-ignore-robbery-in-progress-to-catch-snorlax-in-pokemon-go https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5q593/lapd-officers-ignore-...