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As a country we have played around with private policing (the Pinkerton detective agency) after the civil war. We decided we didn't like it. Privatization of p

As a country we have played around with private policing (the Pinkerton detective agency) after the civil war. We decided we didn't like it. Privatization of police is bad because only those with money get the benefits. What's this article does not talk about are the countless neighborhoods and streets that don't have security guards protecting them. The article puts security guards in a very pretty light and maybe this is true, but even so: they can only go where they're paid to go. The whole point of socialization is to make sure that everybody gets a benefit, poor or rich.

jbotdev 4y ago
Well, if the problem they’re addressing is largely petty crimes against businesses like shoplifting, you really only need private security in the business districts. Preventing crime in private homes seems like it’s a much harder task for either private or public security, given the coverage area required.
- germinalphrase 4y ago
  Law enforcement doesn’t prevent crime (and there is no legal expectation for them to do so). They disincentives crime by seeking to punish those who previously committed a crimes, and they disincentivize vigilante justice by offering a (ideally) non-emotional legal system alternative to retribution.
  - jbotdev 4y ago
    Technically this is talking about “private security” rather than “law enforcement. The primary goal of private security is typically the security of their clients, not enforcing the law. The article in particular talks about private security preventing crime by addressing root cause (e.g. helping those in need).
ryder9 4y ago
[dead]
flandish 4y ago
Thank you for this reply. It’s scary to see how many are so ready to “defund police” by “funding corporate ability to murder” (my quotes re sentiment) - which is what happened with Pinkertons, etc. If those homeless camps have drug problems - the lowest hanging fruit may seem like enabling a private police force, but the hanging fruit will be in actually helping the drug problem…
- prottog 4y ago
  > by “funding corporate ability to murder” (my quotes re sentiment) I don't know about the discussion, but what I'm taking away from the article is actually what policing could be if the shield of immunity that fuels the "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude is taken away.
  - flandish 4y ago
    For sure - but any cohort that’s capable of escalation will escalate on a long enough timeline. Police are more and more “mini militaries” (I am sure there are cities with more $ in police than some nations have in military $) I think social services, crisis intervention, and mental health/drug help will benefit more and for longer. That, though, goes against another deep seeded inherent “bonus” to keeping homeless homeless, addicts addicted, and police forces of all styles (pub/priv) in action: Those “homeless” types scare an entire low/middle class of labor into accepting any wage no matter how exploitative, out of a fear if becoming one of “them.”
- zuzu89 4y ago
  > will be in actually helping the drug problem… while this should be obvious to anyone who has seen the camps, we still get articles that claim "the obvious answer to homelessness" is just more housing. Of course we need more housing but how do cheaper rents convince addicts to change their lifestyle? it's the conventional argument that's being brought up all the time while claiming "everyone's ignoring it". doing some novel reporting on homelessness without leaving their homes: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-democrats-causes/672224/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/homeles...
kneebonian 4y ago
There's an alternative to that as well. When the poor couldn't pay for the private police they didn't just give up on security they just created their own police force, the Italian Mafia the Irish mob, etc. Almost all of these started to provide security to communities that were otherwise not being provided for.
- MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
  The Bloods being another infamous example of gang starting out as self-protection.
  - kodyo 4y ago
    That’s how police departments started out, too.
BobbyJo 4y ago
It talks about that near the end.
scifibestfi 4y ago
“People who voted to defund the police are now paying for private security.” This is what happens when luxury beliefs are realized.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
kodyo 4y ago
Do you believe that government police equally benefit all populations? That’s a really weird thing to believe.

jbotdev 4y ago

Well, if the problem they’re addressing is largely petty crimes against businesses like shoplifting, you really only need private security in the business districts. Preventing crime in private homes seems like it’s a much harder task for either private or public security, given the coverage area required.

germinalphrase 4y ago
Law enforcement doesn’t prevent crime (and there is no legal expectation for them to do so). They disincentives crime by seeking to punish those who previously committed a crimes, and they disincentivize vigilante justice by offering a (ideally) non-emotional legal system alternative to retribution.
- jbotdev 4y ago
  Technically this is talking about “private security” rather than “law enforcement. The primary goal of private security is typically the security of their clients, not enforcing the law. The article in particular talks about private security preventing crime by addressing root cause (e.g. helping those in need).

ryder9 4y ago

[dead]

flandish 4y ago

Thank you for this reply. It’s scary to see how many are so ready to “defund police” by “funding corporate ability to murder” (my quotes re sentiment) - which is what happened with Pinkertons, etc. If those homeless camps have drug problems - the lowest hanging fruit may seem like enabling a private police force, but the hanging fruit will be in actually helping the drug problem…

prottog 4y ago
> by “funding corporate ability to murder” (my quotes re sentiment) I don't know about the discussion, but what I'm taking away from the article is actually what policing could be if the shield of immunity that fuels the "shoot first, ask questions later" attitude is taken away.
- flandish 4y ago
  For sure - but any cohort that’s capable of escalation will escalate on a long enough timeline. Police are more and more “mini militaries” (I am sure there are cities with more $ in police than some nations have in military $) I think social services, crisis intervention, and mental health/drug help will benefit more and for longer. That, though, goes against another deep seeded inherent “bonus” to keeping homeless homeless, addicts addicted, and police forces of all styles (pub/priv) in action: Those “homeless” types scare an entire low/middle class of labor into accepting any wage no matter how exploitative, out of a fear if becoming one of “them.”
zuzu89 4y ago
> will be in actually helping the drug problem… while this should be obvious to anyone who has seen the camps, we still get articles that claim "the obvious answer to homelessness" is just more housing. Of course we need more housing but how do cheaper rents convince addicts to change their lifestyle? it's the conventional argument that's being brought up all the time while claiming "everyone's ignoring it". doing some novel reporting on homelessness without leaving their homes: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/homelessness-affordable-housing-crisis-democrats-causes/672224/ https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/homeles...

kneebonian 4y ago

There's an alternative to that as well. When the poor couldn't pay for the private police they didn't just give up on security they just created their own police force, the Italian Mafia the Irish mob, etc. Almost all of these started to provide security to communities that were otherwise not being provided for.

MonkeyMalarky 4y ago
The Bloods being another infamous example of gang starting out as self-protection.
- kodyo 4y ago
  That’s how police departments started out, too.

BobbyJo 4y ago

It talks about that near the end.

scifibestfi 4y ago

“People who voted to defund the police are now paying for private security.” This is what happens when luxury beliefs are realized.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

kodyo 4y ago

Do you believe that government police equally benefit all populations? That’s a really weird thing to believe.