Re:In NY major crime complaints fell when cops stopped ‘proa...
by danenania on Friday May 29, 2020 @11:59AM
(#23351564)
It comes down to judgment. It's the difference between a cop writing a ticket to someone who's going 5 mph over the speed limit but driving safely and someone who's going 30 mph over while weaving in and out of traffic.
While both are technically illegal, one is low risk and socially accepted behavior, while the other presents a real threat to many people's safety.
When police seek out and punish the first kind of behavior, people see it as predatory. When it's the second, most people are thankful.
In many poor communities, police seem to have their priorities exactly backwards: they zealously seek out and punish petty victimless crimes, while not investigating serious crimes due to a lack of resources.
While both are technically illegal, one is low risk and socially accepted behavior, while the other presents a real threat to many people's safety.
When police seek out and punish the first kind of behavior, people see it as predatory. When it's the second, most people are thankful.
In many poor communities, police seem to have their priorities exactly backwards: they zealously seek out and punish petty victimless crimes, while not investigating serious crimes due to a lack of resources.