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20 might be hyperbola but in SF cops ignore lots of drug use on the streets. They used to care up until the end of the Brown mayorship. Once Newsom and the ne
by mc32 1y ago
20 might be hyperbola but in SF cops ignore lots of drug use on the streets. They used to care up until the end of the Brown mayorship. Once Newsom and the new wave of progressives took control over the city they began pulling back from enforcement incrementally —it peaked with Breed and is now slightly retrenching but very very slowly.
Willy might have been corrupt but at least he took care of crime meaningfully.
- hsbauauvhabzb 1y agoYeah! Lock up the meth heads, that’ll fix crime!
- mc32 1y agoSlippery slope. They can start tightening things down and make it unacceptable lawfully as well as socially. Portugal after experimenting with permissiveness is tightening down. We can do it too and save people from perdition.
- tiagod 1y agoPortugal is not tightening it down based on data, but based on perceptions. A shift to populism reverting previous progressive changes proves nothing. Also, we didn't experiment with permissiveness, we fixed a heroin crisis that was completely out of control. You have no idea how bad it got before we stopped throwing addicts in jail and started providing them with rehab. Source: I've lived here all my life.
- Levitz 1y agoPortugal after having massive success with actually dealing with addictions is backing down because of the budget.
- bitlax 1y agoIt literally does and it's good for the meth heads.
- SturgeonsLaw 1y agoYeah, nothing improves their prospects quite like adding a criminal record onto their drug addiction
- bitlax 1y agoWell you'd be adding a charge and hopefully mitigating the addiction, which is a rational tradeoff. And this is assuming this person doesn't already have a record.
- hsbauauvhabzb 1y agoI personally would prefer to do 6+ more jail and not have a record. Having a record punishes unnecessarily by destroying a persons future.
- bitlax 1y ago> Having a record punishes unnecessarily by destroying a persons future. As opposed to doing drugs in a public park?
- hsbauauvhabzb 1y agoYou’re right, we really should throw the baby out with the bath water. Edit: 6 *months more in jail, in above post
- bitlax 1y agoExcept I believe the person is better off with a record than continuing to do meth. You'd turn your back as the baby drowns in the tub. You might even open the faucet before doing so.
- hsbauauvhabzb 1y agoWeird strawman but okay.
- immibis 1y agoPolicing drug use is a waste of taxpayer money as well as a waste of labour (of both the drug users when they're not doing drugs, and the cops). The results of drug use should be policed, not the use itself; safe environments for occasional drug use should also be created (the free market would do this if it wasn't illegal, and in some places if you know where to look, has already quietly done this). I have to disclaim I don't know what meth is like, what meth users are like, or what it's like to be on meth, but if 20 people are doing meth and not bothering anyone, and the police officer is keeping watch to ensure they don't bother anyone, that is fine by me. We should treat them like drunk alcoholics, not like murderers (unless they murdered someone). Separately, we could encourage people to try less harmful drugs than meth. That isn't really possible as long as we give out the same penalties for weed as for meth.
- mc32 1y agoWhile I’m not and would not propose the drastic measures that Singapore or Japan take, but there is much less drug use in those two places among others and they prove that enforcement, if you’re willing to address the problem, can greatly reduce use of illegal drugs. Meth is very addictive and debilitating. It’s worse than crack. It takes people down. They are no longer able to be productive citizens. They become a burden for families and for society.
- Libcat99 1y agoAnd arresting the users solves none of that. Maybe it hides it from casual observers, but if you actually want to help people, treatment programs and assistance, not cops, are what you need.
- mc32 1y agoObviously you have to go after supply … but both Japan and Singapore successfully tackle outdoor usage. You don’t see people openly using illegal drugs in either place. Obviously if you are able to procure and do your illegal drugs at home the police can’t stop you unless your neighbors rat you out.