Police

Hate mail (1)

I’m amazed that the mere thought of my book would get people so riled up that they would write me. It’s hard to take criticism of my book seriously from people who haven’t read my book. But here’s the first email: Mr. Moskos, three years. Count them (3) years!! Wow! How in the world did you stand being on that…

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It’s all about the numbers

There’s a quota system in place for attorneys working in the office of U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien in Los Angeles. As reported in an articlein the L.A. Times, O’Brien says: “This office does not and never will have quotas for its criminal prosecutors…. To suggest that any attorney in this office must charge a certain number of defendants each…

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Read my book?

Then write a review for Amazon. There are still no reader reviews. Especially if you’ve already told mehow much you liked my book… tell the world… in that 5-star-review kind of way. No Amazon reader reviews makes me think of that B.B. King line: “Nobody loves me but my mother, and she could be jivin’ too.”

Police

In the Economist

I’m quoted prominently in an excellent article about Baltimore in the current Economist. But it’s a real shame he didn’t plug my book (Cop in the Hood). Or my school (John Jay College of Criminal Justice). But it is still a very good article. A big problem for the police (and more so for respectable ghetto residents) is the unfortunate…

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Police

Lies, damned lies, and DEA statistics

The DEA and other prohibitionists have a long history of lying about drug facts. In the past, they’ve claimed that the Netherlands drug policy was a “disaster,” despite all statistics to the contrary (especially compared to the United States). Here’s the latest. The DEA claims that a ballet measure softening enforcement of low-level marijuana crimes in Colorado is leading to…

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Bright light! Bright light!

Bright lights don’t reduce crime. Goodlighting might. Too often people reflexively think that the brighter the street light, the safer the streets. I don’t buy it. Lighting sets the tone. Street lighting is no different. If you light the streets well at night (not just bright, but well), people will go out and, without even knowing it, help keep things…

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The raw excitment of criminal-justice

I was interviewed tonight by a good writer from a prominent local magazine. I ate and drank very well, thank you very much. It was a nice chat. Toward the end, I was asked a softball question and couldn’t really make contact. “What’s the most exciting thing happening right now in the criminal justice field right?” I couldn’t really think…

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