An interesting experiment is underway in New York. As a result of two policemen being executed, for which we express all condolences to the families of all who have been murdered by guns, the Police are working-to-rule (a Union term for Going Slow), and their productivity has plummeted.
However, the already very low crime rate has not jumped by an equivalent amount.
There is a theory that violent crime was a direct result of in utero and early childhood exposure to lead from paint and gas, and the declining use of lead paint and leaded gas has a 20 years lag in crime reduction (children have to grow up to adulthood to become criminals).
Thus the police force size should be dropping, but is has not. Indeed the Police Department budget is the largest city department budget in any City in the US, and the police and jails building larger than any non-police city buildings.
How do we explain the failure of the police departments to shrink as the crime rate has shrunk?
Because the Police have harasses to poor, especially the non-white poor at every opportunity. by “criminal suppression” activity which only raise money for the City to pay for the bloated police departments.
The Police have submitted reams of reports on their activities, all designed to convey the impression they are effective at controlling crime with their activities while actually oppressing the citizenry selectively with a regressive f form of discriminatory taxes.
The example of Ferguson’s police come to mind where it is reported every citizen of Ferguson, MO, receive three police tickets yearly, and number which is probably orders of magnitude that the White Citizenry of St Louis County, Mo.
This seem to be supported by the result of the NY Police work-to-rule (Go slow). The police are bringing in less revenue, but the crime rate remains the same.
We have to congratulate the NY Police is demonstrating how to find the expense cuts the police slow down requires.
Cut down the number of police. Cut the revenue, cut the expense hopefully faster than the revenue, more money for the City. What’s not to like?
The benefit is that the Citizenry will feel less oppressed by the organized shake down of their communities by the Police, and the Court relieved of the burden of a large quantity of nonsense prosecutions.
We’d recommend this: Reduced costs, reduced revenue, possibly a net increase in revenue and a less discontent among the populace.
Now that’s Change We Can Believe In. O, who do we need to lead this change?