Reply to City people... when is enough enough re: crime

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is going to be the new reality everywhere because Americans behave like wild animals and progressive policies enable it:

https://cwbchicago.com/2023/05/new-anti-theft-walgreens-store-in-has-just-2-aisles-of-touchable-merchandise.html[/quote]

That story literally opens with the CFO of Walgreens saying the company has likely overstated the impact of "organized theft rings" on the business.

So much of the question about crime in cities is about perception, what people actually see and experience versus what is actually happening.

I do think crime is up in the city (I live here) and that in particular we have to do something about juvenile crime, which IMO is very obviously linked to extended school shut downs in DC and other major cities, that left too many high risk kids at loose for a long time, and created a sense of lawlessness among this population that is escalating. I do not understand why the problem is not being talked about in this way, which might enable us to actually do something about it.

There is also increasing mental health issues among the city's unhoused population that is creating a difficult and sometimes dangerous situation, especially for employees and patrons of retail level businesses, as well the conditions in these tent cities (which simply should not exist, it is not an acceptable even short term solution).

But the way critics talk about it is as though we just have random violence and lawlessness all over the city with no explanation or recourse. That's not it.

We need to address juvenile crime directly, from both the perspective of prevention/alternative paths for first time offenders, and creating stiffer penalties for repeat offenders who, yes I'm sorry, need to be made an example of. We have kids under age 17 who are committing multiple muggings and car jackings in a matter of months. That's extreme behavior and needs an appropriate response, even if the kid is 13 and there are reasons to understand why this is what he's become. You can't just let it go on. There is a point where empathy no longer works. You need these kids to understand that if you cannot reform at this age, you will be spending the rest of your early adulthood in prison. I know. It sucks. But these kids are running around with guns and hurting people and stealing cars. What is the alternative?

And mental health services for the unhoused, as well as substance abuse programming -- we need more. And advocates for unhoused populations need to get it together. Yes, we need to listen to the unhoused and try to meet them where they are at. But right now advocates just shut down any effort to address the serious public health and safety problem posed by tent cities and certain vagrancy issues, because the solutions don't magically solve all the problems for this population at once. We need to stop making the perfect the enemy of the good. Let's figure out SOMETHING we can do that takes the safety of all citizens into account, we should not be constantly placing the needs of unhoused people always above those of families, businesses, retail workers and pedestrians. Their well being also matters![/quote]

Juvenile crime is an issue, but I see more adults committing crime/murder than kids under age 17. [/quote]

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