Comments on: The Crime That Shouldn’t Bother “Us” http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/02/the_crime_that.html The Law, the Universe, and Everything Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:59:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Maryland Conservatarian http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/02/the_crime_that.html/comment-page-1#comment-60454 Maryland Conservatarian Tue, 14 Feb 2006 09:20:09 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/02/the-crime-that-shouldnt-bother-us.html#comment-60454 ditto Ms. Litvak's comment...she wrote what I meant to convey but in a considerably less smarmy manner. ditto Ms. Litvak’s comment…she wrote what I meant to convey but in a considerably less smarmy manner.

]]> By: Kate Litvak http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/02/the_crime_that.html/comment-page-1#comment-60453 Kate Litvak Tue, 14 Feb 2006 07:16:07 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/02/the-crime-that-shouldnt-bother-us.html#comment-60453 The police chief’s comment sounds completely innocuous to me. “High-risk lifestyle” is not a nod to a person’s economic status, but a reference to individual behavior. Any involvement in drugs, prostitution, and illegal gambling; gang membership; participation in other criminal activities; excessive alcohol consumption (especially outside one’s home); hanging out in places where violent people hang out (gang nightclubs, bikers’ bars, etc.) are the kinds of lifestyle that increase one’s chances of becoming a crime victim. Furthermore, the chief’s phrase doesn’t sound like “let them kill each other,” but instead simply points to a common misperception with regard to crime statistics. When people hear that there are 2 murders in a city of 1M people, they conclude that their chance of being murdered is 2 out of 1M. This is incorrect: it assumes that everyone in that city has equal chances of being murdered. If the stats also show that, say, drug dealers or prostitutes are 100 times more likely to become crime victims, then, the “2 out of 1M” estimate is vastly understated for prostitutes and vastly overstated for the rest of us. In most cases, the risk to people outside “high-risk lifestyle” is truly negligible, even if the overall stats look disconcerting. It’s important to remind people about this statistical glitch to avoid overreaction and panic – which is exactly what the chief appears to be doing here. The police chief’s comment sounds completely innocuous to me. “High-risk lifestyle” is not a nod to a person’s economic status, but a reference to individual behavior. Any involvement in drugs, prostitution, and illegal gambling; gang membership; participation in other criminal activities; excessive alcohol consumption (especially outside one’s home); hanging out in places where violent people hang out (gang nightclubs, bikers’ bars, etc.) are the kinds of lifestyle that increase one’s chances of becoming a crime victim.

Furthermore, the chief’s phrase doesn’t sound like “let them kill each other,” but instead simply points to a common misperception with regard to crime statistics. When people hear that there are 2 murders in a city of 1M people, they conclude that their chance of being murdered is 2 out of 1M. This is incorrect: it assumes that everyone in that city has equal chances of being murdered. If the stats also show that, say, drug dealers or prostitutes are 100 times more likely to become crime victims, then, the “2 out of 1M” estimate is vastly understated for prostitutes and vastly overstated for the rest of us. In most cases, the risk to people outside “high-risk lifestyle” is truly negligible, even if the overall stats look disconcerting. It’s important to remind people about this statistical glitch to avoid overreaction and panic – which is exactly what the chief appears to be doing here.

]]> By: Maryland Conservatarian http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/02/the_crime_that.html/comment-page-1#comment-60452 Maryland Conservatarian Tue, 14 Feb 2006 06:51:58 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/02/the-crime-that-shouldnt-bother-us.html#comment-60452 "I'm not sure what the "high-risk lifestyle" is here." I dunno - maybe carrying a gun, hanging with others who carry guns and an involvement in certain money-making, albeit illegal, activities. "I'm sure this quote is taken out of context, but it smacks of "they're just killing each other, so why should we care?" " Well, if you're so sure it's taken out of context, why did you slam the guy anyway. I'm sure the law enforcement officer quoted is quite concerned about the increased violence - after all, beyond just talking about it, his job actually entails doing something about it. But I'm sure the people who actually have to deal with this problem on a daily, non-theoretical basis appreciate the helpful comments and support of the intelligentsia. “I’m not sure what the “high-risk lifestyle” is here.”

I dunno – maybe carrying a gun, hanging with others who carry guns and an involvement in certain money-making, albeit illegal, activities.

“I’m sure this quote is taken out of context, but it smacks of “they’re just killing each other, so why should we care?” ”

Well, if you’re so sure it’s taken out of context, why did you slam the guy anyway. I’m sure the law enforcement officer quoted is quite concerned about the increased violence – after all, beyond just talking about it, his job actually entails doing something about it.

But I’m sure the people who actually have to deal with this problem on a daily, non-theoretical basis appreciate the helpful comments and support of the intelligentsia.

]]> By: Matt http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/02/the_crime_that.html/comment-page-1#comment-60451 Matt Mon, 13 Feb 2006 18:41:13 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/02/the-crime-that-shouldnt-bother-us.html#comment-60451 I had a similar reaction, but to be fair, one statistic that I think they cited was that in most cases *both* parties (shooter and victim) had criminal records. The homicides were painted as predominantly disputes over disrespect or women between gang members, rather than gang members reacting to disrespect from others. That said, though, most of the anecdotes seemed to involve bystander victims. I had a similar reaction, but to be fair, one statistic that I think they cited was that in most cases *both* parties (shooter and victim) had criminal records. The homicides were painted as predominantly disputes over disrespect or women between gang members, rather than gang members reacting to disrespect from others. That said, though, most of the anecdotes seemed to involve bystander victims.

]]> By: Brian Duffy http://www.concurringopinions.com/archives/2006/02/the_crime_that.html/comment-page-1#comment-60450 Brian Duffy Mon, 13 Feb 2006 15:43:25 +0000 http://www.solove.org/archives/2006/02/the-crime-that-shouldnt-bother-us.html#comment-60450 Larger cities have larger and more competent local government. Contrast New York City after 9/11 with New Orleans and the hurricane. In NOLA, the local authorities were more concerned about covering their rear than acutally doing anything. New Orleans is an example of what happens where natural disasters confront a government riddled to the core with corruption and incompetence. In New York, the local government stepped up and handled the situation with professionalism. Larger cities have larger and more competent local government.

Contrast New York City after 9/11 with New Orleans and the hurricane.

In NOLA, the local authorities were more concerned about covering their rear than acutally doing anything. New Orleans is an example of what happens where natural disasters confront a government riddled to the core with corruption and incompetence.

In New York, the local government stepped up and handled the situation with professionalism.

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