Barely. And the population of federal prisons grew 3 percent. But still… “Fewer State Prisoners” is a headline that hasn’t been seen since 1972.
Month: March 2010
Isn’t killing people a crime?
I have lots of smart readers. Can someone please explain to me why it’s not a crime to kill somebody if you’re driving. If it were any other situation, it would be crime, right? Hell driving drunk safelyis a crime. But killing somebody sober isn’t? I don’t get it. Here’s just the latest example.
Foot Patrol Working in Philly
It’s always tough when you knowsomething but can’t convince others. I know foot patrol works. At least I think I know. I’ve done it. But there’s so little research out there. There’s no reason we should all still be quoting a study from 30 years ago (which did show that foot patrol reduced public fear). Foot patrol has worked in…
I got a plan. It can’t go wrong.
This story blows me away both in terms of chutzpa and stupidity. Say you’re NYPD and need some extra money. Work overtime in the three-four? Naw. You don’t play that game. Instead… rent five vans, hire 16 day laborers, and then go to a perfume warehouse in Jersey where you have a connection. Then wave your real badge and gun…
Off Duty and Black in Montgomery County
I recently received this from a (black) Baltimore police officer: If you want to know what an Eastside drug dealer feels when confronted by Baltimore Police, show BPD ID to Montgomery County police. They tossed me out of a restaurant in Bethesda because my shirt rode up and my holstered weapon with the badge adjacent were visible. According to the…
It’s Baltimore, hon!
Lest people think Baltimore is all ghetto, I’ll link to a Sunfeature showing some of the homes in nice neighborhoods. [The low prices listed for these neighborhoods almost make me want to move back!] Funny that Greektown, where I lived, didn’t make the cut.
Fewer Prisoners, Less Crime
While the prison population keeps going up, not many know that in some states it’s going down. Kansas, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York have reduced their prison populations by five to twenty percent since 1999 (without any increases in crime) while the national prison population increased by another twelve percent. The Sentencing Project explains.
The Homeless, Broken Windows, and Quality-of-Life Crimes in San Francisco
Since there’s no good newspaper left in San Francisco, I guess it’s up to the Washington Post to report stories like this. Today, in 2010, the difference between New York City and San Francisco (or Santa Monica) is amazing. I’m always a little shocked out west and think, “Wow, I thought we figured out how to deal with this problem…
Flint needs police!
You may know Flint, Michigan, from “Roger and Me“. In many ways, Flint is typical of America’s struggling small cities. It’s 2000 population, just over half African-American, was 125,000 (so it’s probably down to about 110,000 right now). Flint has about 35 homicides a year, disproportionatly concentrated in its north side ghetto. Thirty-five homicides puts Flint in the same league…
Why you never chase
Karen Schmeer, a friend of a dear friend, was killed on January 29 while carrying groceries home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. She was killed by a speeding car filled with drug-shoplifting hoodlums fleeing the police. The impact knocked her out of her boots and flung her through the air, half a city block. Karen’s death is more than a…