From: stephen@sprunk.org

On 02-Aug-14 12:45, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> Stephen Sprunk  wrote:
>> The main factor [in crime rates] today is the number of cops per
>> capita.  For instance, among large cities, NYC has the most cops
>> per capita and the lowest murder rate, while Dallas has the fewest
>> cops (1/2x NYC) and highest murder rate (2x NYC).  And the number
>> of cops is determined by tax/economic policies, so again it boils
>> down to money.
>
> Do New York cops walk beats, or are they pulled away for special
> events and traffic, and all too often just acting like security
> guards and spooks? Cop walking a beat, if he's useful, may have some
> effect on crime, but the rest of it is window dressing.

Cops walking/driving a beat increases the _perception_ that criminals
will be caught, changing the subconscious risk/reward analysis.  Just as
important, though, are the detectives who investigate crimes and
_actually_ catch the offenders.

I don't know how it is in NYC, but in Dallas, if you report a crime,
they'll try to discourage you from filing a report (or even refuse to
accept it), and if you do manage to get one filed, they'll tell you that
they're so overworked that nobody will do anything about it.  I can't
believe that such a scenario has no impact on crime rates.

S

--
Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking

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