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I think we just have too many bored cops. After crime fell dramatically in the US, we should have laid off a few. Instead we just hired more and more and more

I think we just have too many bored cops. After crime fell dramatically in the US, we should have laid off a few. Instead we just hired more and more and more. Now we're seeing the effects of over-policing. http://i.imgur.com/vjqZQO4.png http://i.imgur.com/vjqZQO4.png

happyscrappy 12y ago
You realize that the drop in crime may be related to increased policing.
- jackmoore 12y ago
  A lot of things may factor into that. Even if the increased police numbers are 100% responsible, we would still have to have a discussion about the diminishing return on that investment in order to maximize social good.
adanto6840 12y ago
What is this graph showing? Is it "Sworn officers per civilian"? Or is it absolute data, just from a single state? It's interesting, for sure, but certainly difficult to understand or draw any conclusions from without further context.
- pyre 12y ago
  Just from reading the graph: Figure 1 -- This one I'm not too sure about. It says "Cumulative percent growth in number of full-time sworn personnel." Figure 2 -- It says "Full-time state and local law enforcement employees, 1992-2008". Each bar has "Civilians" "Sworn Officers" and "Total". I'm guessing that this is the break-down of "Sworn Officers" vs "Civilians" from the pool of "Full-time state and local law enforcement employees." Not all of those employees are sworn officers. Figure 3 -- Just like Figure 2, but the numbers are "per 100,000 residents."
LordKano 12y ago
I agree. Police have too much free time. Basically, their career path requires that they bring in money or arrests and if crime is down, they'll find ways to meet the unofficial quotas that are held over them. Crime is down. This is the predictable result of having more police officers to handle less crime. Add in other factors like increasing militarization of law enforcement and the disqualification of people with high IQs and we get the mess that we have today.
- cauterized 12y ago
  Disqualification of people with high IQs?
  - LordKano 12y ago
    Yes. Sounds ridiculous, right? Search for Jordan V. New London.
dethstar 12y ago
George: Cops. I don't even care about cops. I wanna see more garbage men. It's much more important. All I wanna see are garbage trucks, garbage cans and garbage men. You're never gonna stop crime, we should at least be clean. Jerry: I tell you what they should do, they should combine the two jobs, make it one job, 'cop\garbage man'. I always see cops walking around with nothing to do. Grab a broom! Start sweeping. You sweep sweep sweep... catch a criminal, get right back to sweeping. http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheChineseRestaurant.htm http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheChineseRestaurant.htm

happyscrappy 12y ago

You realize that the drop in crime may be related to increased policing.

jackmoore 12y ago
A lot of things may factor into that. Even if the increased police numbers are 100% responsible, we would still have to have a discussion about the diminishing return on that investment in order to maximize social good.

adanto6840 12y ago

What is this graph showing? Is it "Sworn officers per civilian"? Or is it absolute data, just from a single state? It's interesting, for sure, but certainly difficult to understand or draw any conclusions from without further context.

pyre 12y ago
Just from reading the graph: Figure 1 -- This one I'm not too sure about. It says "Cumulative percent growth in number of full-time sworn personnel." Figure 2 -- It says "Full-time state and local law enforcement employees, 1992-2008". Each bar has "Civilians" "Sworn Officers" and "Total". I'm guessing that this is the break-down of "Sworn Officers" vs "Civilians" from the pool of "Full-time state and local law enforcement employees." Not all of those employees are sworn officers. Figure 3 -- Just like Figure 2, but the numbers are "per 100,000 residents."

LordKano 12y ago

I agree. Police have too much free time. Basically, their career path requires that they bring in money or arrests and if crime is down, they'll find ways to meet the unofficial quotas that are held over them. Crime is down. This is the predictable result of having more police officers to handle less crime. Add in other factors like increasing militarization of law enforcement and the disqualification of people with high IQs and we get the mess that we have today.

cauterized 12y ago
Disqualification of people with high IQs?
- LordKano 12y ago
  Yes. Sounds ridiculous, right? Search for Jordan V. New London.

dethstar 12y ago

George: Cops. I don't even care about cops. I wanna see more garbage men. It's much more important. All I wanna see are garbage trucks, garbage cans and garbage men. You're never gonna stop crime, we should at least be clean. Jerry: I tell you what they should do, they should combine the two jobs, make it one job, 'cop\garbage man'. I always see cops walking around with nothing to do. Grab a broom! Start sweeping. You sweep sweep sweep... catch a criminal, get right back to sweeping. http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheChineseRestaurant.htm http://www.seinfeldscripts.com/TheChineseRestaurant.htm