2 ms·

If this were true, we wouldn't have homeless encampments, open drug use and street crime in major American cities.

by PKop 3y ago

BeFlatXIII 3y ago
Those don't inconvenience cops. They drive right on by until someone else throws enough of a fit for them to do an anti-homeless sweep.
- wpietri 3y ago
  Exactly. If anything, I think homeless encampments are proof of this. It's not like homeless people are generally eager to cluster together; as both cause and effect, the level of mental illness and general dysfunction among the homeless is off the charts. In my neighborhood, the homeless are pretty well distributed, one or two people here and there. But I'd expect that in cities with more of an anti-homeless bias, there's a strong incentive to collect in places that are out of the way for cops.
  - PKop 3y ago
    I don't understand how any of you can see this as a lack of will from police rather than political policy coming from above them. Here is thorough documentary outlining over and over again police prevented from enforcing law by politicians, who also don't charge or incarcerate criminals who cops arrest repeatedly. https://youtu.be/bpAi70WWBlw?si=yovLyNLoQzjHmomo https://youtu.be/bpAi70WWBlw?si=yovLyNLoQzjHmomo Similar policies exist in other cities like San Francisco.
    - wpietri 3y ago
      I never said it was a lack of will from police. And I also don't think a 5-year-old pants-wetting video from a company well known for pushing right-wing views will convince me of much of anything. Especially that Seattle was dying 5 years ago, given that it doesn't seem to be dead. [1] Homelessness is not a problem that will get solved with violence, which is what police have the monopoly on. It won't get solve with criminalizing homelessness, either, because it's mostly not a choice people make, but a situation they end up in. So I think it's generally good that cops generally ignore the homeless, because as this article shows, bad things can happen when they don't. [1] except for comedic value: https://theneedling.com/2023/09/20/after-courageous-3-year-battle-with-right-wing-media-seattle-dead-at-age-172/ https://theneedling.com/2023/09/20/after-courageous-3-year-b...
- PKop 3y ago
  They are not allowed to do homeless sweeps which they would prefer vs letting their cities degrade as they have. They also get restricted by DAs and politicians when they arrest criminals, who then have same criminals released back on the street. The problem is one of political constraints on police's ability to enforce law and order. It is why organized retail theft is just allowed to occur over and over again unimpeded.

If this were true, we wouldn't have homeless encampments, open drug use and street crime in major American cities.

by PKop 3y ago

If this were true, we wouldn't have homeless encampments, open drug use and street crime in major American cities.

Those don't inconvenience cops. They drive right on by until someone else throws enough of a fit for them to do an anti-homeless sweep.

wpietri 3y ago
Exactly. If anything, I think homeless encampments are proof of this. It's not like homeless people are generally eager to cluster together; as both cause and effect, the level of mental illness and general dysfunction among the homeless is off the charts. In my neighborhood, the homeless are pretty well distributed, one or two people here and there. But I'd expect that in cities with more of an anti-homeless bias, there's a strong incentive to collect in places that are out of the way for cops.
- PKop 3y ago
  I don't understand how any of you can see this as a lack of will from police rather than political policy coming from above them. Here is thorough documentary outlining over and over again police prevented from enforcing law by politicians, who also don't charge or incarcerate criminals who cops arrest repeatedly. https://youtu.be/bpAi70WWBlw?si=yovLyNLoQzjHmomo https://youtu.be/bpAi70WWBlw?si=yovLyNLoQzjHmomo Similar policies exist in other cities like San Francisco.
  - wpietri 3y ago
    I never said it was a lack of will from police. And I also don't think a 5-year-old pants-wetting video from a company well known for pushing right-wing views will convince me of much of anything. Especially that Seattle was dying 5 years ago, given that it doesn't seem to be dead. [1] Homelessness is not a problem that will get solved with violence, which is what police have the monopoly on. It won't get solve with criminalizing homelessness, either, because it's mostly not a choice people make, but a situation they end up in. So I think it's generally good that cops generally ignore the homeless, because as this article shows, bad things can happen when they don't. [1] except for comedic value: https://theneedling.com/2023/09/20/after-courageous-3-year-battle-with-right-wing-media-seattle-dead-at-age-172/ https://theneedling.com/2023/09/20/after-courageous-3-year-b...
PKop 3y ago
They are not allowed to do homeless sweeps which they would prefer vs letting their cities degrade as they have. They also get restricted by DAs and politicians when they arrest criminals, who then have same criminals released back on the street. The problem is one of political constraints on police's ability to enforce law and order. It is why organized retail theft is just allowed to occur over and over again unimpeded.