Let me summarizes the entire article:
Ethical cops decrease crime. So less of them are needed.
Corrupt cops increase crime. So people think they need more cops. Which increases crime some more...etc...
Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy... or job security.
Fewer cops over is best case fewer corrupt cops, worst case, fewer ethical cops, or in all cases less cops. Sounds like a net win.
Nice work everyone, one more half to go
Instead of fighting to retain police officers who feel threatened by accountability and perpetuate that distrust, cities might consider just letting them leave.
Sounds good to me. Police who won’t respect the people they’re supposed to “protect and serve” have no business being police.
I can see how that would work in some places, but where I live, the opposite would happen. There actually is crime for them to police. Hell, with organized crime going up after California turned certain types of stealing from a Felony to a misdemeanor, theft and smash and grabs have skyrocketed in some places.
Plus, in the rural areas, Cartels are moving in and setting up illegal weed farms and such and threatening the local government and communities.
I'm not saying that the police aren't a bunch of racist, sexist, militant fascists: they are. But if we could reform the police, they have a use protecting people from actual crime. The one benefit of having actual crime to police is that over the years, I've noticed much fewer cops harassing or ticketing normal people for stuff like minor traffic violations or "just because". Probably because they actually (for once) have better things to do.
Cartels are moving in and setting up illegal weed farms and such and threatening the local government and communities.
Solution: Legalize drugs already.
And tax the fuckers
Weed's legal in CA (don't get me wrong, it should absolutely be legal federally. I actually fully expect Biden to campaign on it).
Any time there's a highly regulated market, there's going to be a black market. The best way to get rid of that is try to decrease the financial overhead said regulations create over time, lowering the incentive for people to buy off the black market. Obviously that's not something that's feasible to do overnight though.
I actually fully expect Biden to campaign on it.
Fucker ran on it last time!
Legalizing marijuana is far too progressive for a conservative like Biden.
He cares a lot more about winning the white house again than whether weed's legal
Edit: sp
They said they expect him to campaign on it, not "fix" it.
I don't expect a thing. He only needs to be better than Trump, again. As an incumbent. Against a literal criminal who tried to overthrow the government.
Lowest bar in history, Jack.
I wish I had your confidence
It was intended as sardonic with overtones of bitter rage. I don't actually know if the bar is low enough
As if the president could waive a wand and make it legal. He pardoned everyone in federal prison on possession.
Caveat: there wasn't actually anyone in prison on possession at the time. Which isn't to say it didn't send a message to supporters of the drug war.
As if that'd be the first time a candidate has campaigned on something they can't actually do
The problem in my area is that the cops refuse to actually do anything. 20 or 20,000 makes no difference if they won't actually do any policing.
Hell, with organized crime going up after California turned certain types of stealing from a Felony to a misdemeanor, theft and smash and grabs have skyrocketed in some places.
Question: why are people stealing? Isn't it because they need money, because they are poor? Maybe the solution is to make people less poor, rather than to have a bunch more "racist, sexist, militant fascists" patrolling the streets.
Cartels are moving in and setting up illegal weed farms
Again, the obvious solution to this problem does not involve police.
But if we could reform the police
I'm not sure we can.
Where I live, we didn't lower criminal penalties for anything like that, smash and grab crimes are also up, and cops still don't do anything about them. They also have stopped doing any traffic enforcement, and have basically been quiet quitting since there was unrest about how they shouldn't commit extrajudicial violence.
The one thing they do still do, is hassle black men about weed, despite that actually being decriminalized in the city. Since they can still cite people under state law, they can ruin your whole day or weekend over a roach if they feel like it. Unsurprisingly, the statistics are literally 10 to 1 black to white people being cited for pot.
This is one of those instances where it seems that cops are contributing to crime in an area where the ambient crime doesn't cover it up as a rounding error. In that case they do more harm than good. That same ambient increase in high crime areas gets overcome by police force. The ideal state is that police don't contribute to crime at all. Like the artical states, public trust in police is the only way that's possible (the cause and effect go both ways here). That and actually, across the board, effective police work. They are paid the same as or more than engineers. We should expect the same or higher competency for on the job skill set. Otherwise, turn them loose like any respectable company would in the same situation.
People who advocate for defunding and disbanding the police have never lived somewhere that has happened.
I advocate for defunding and disbanding the current policing system. Back the blue till is happens to you!
New system you ask? No qualified immunity, require licenses and liability insurance, always on body-cams that are publically accessable. Phew, there goes nearly every problem.
Just remove guns from the public like every other country. Easy win.
Ya let’s use our magic wand to do it too. Easy peasy!
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