4 ms·
If you expect to be caught for committing a crime then it is a deterrent. But that is hard to maintain, and once you hit a tipping point and it’s out of control
by dumbfounder 4y ago
If you expect to be caught for committing a crime then it is a deterrent. But that is hard to maintain, and once you hit a tipping point and it’s out of control, it is much harder to get it back under control. Then it’s a question of is the juice worth the squeeze? Because you need to squeeze hard. If you have no reason to commit a crime that is the better way to go (eliminate poverty, inequities), but way more complex and and way more political. It’s easy for people to say just add police.
- brookst 4y agoThat’s all true for premeditated crimes by someone mentally healthy enough to be processing likely outcomes and consequences, and making a very rational decision whether to crime or not. Fact is, the vast majority of criminals are dumb, or mentally ill, or both. They aren’t doing an ROI analysis.
- tdehnel 4y agoUtter nonsense. Anyone driving on the highway will check their speed when passing a police car.
- brookst 4y agoIf you think speeding and murder are mere differences in degree, at that a mental model of a typical speeder also applies to a typical murderer, I guess I could see a “highway patrols deter speeding, therefore beat cops deter murder” argument. It’s a little hard to keep a straight face though.