Re:Killings in the U.S. are dropping at a historic rate
by somenameforme on Monday October 23, 2023 @01:19AM
(#37981905)
> "More broadly violent crime has been falling for literally thousands of years."
El Salvador is such an extremely interesting study in violent crime. Until recently El Salvador had one of the highest homicide rates in the world. In recent times it has plummeted precipitously (>90% over the past decade) and in 2023, they may very well end up with a lower overall homicide rate than even the US.
What happened was a complete crackdown on gangs. [1] After declaring an emergency scenario, their government 'temporarily' suspended certain rights, and greatly empowered law enforcement. Anybody who even looked like a gang member was rounded up and thrown into prison. And instead of placing gang members together where they often manage to conspire even within prison, they eliminated all mobile service in the prisons and locked down the cells with members of different gangs placed in cells together. Happy times ensued, undoubtedly.
In short it's been the effective end of civil and human rights, yet it's been extremely effective at lowering crime. This system is far from ideal, because there's zero doubt that some, more or less, innocent individuals have suffered severe consequences at the hands of the government. Yet the overwhelming majority of criminals are also being eliminated, saving their innocent would-have-been victims. And, in the past, this sort of treatment of antisocial elements would have been perfectly normal.
When you look at studies of violent crime in the past, the evidence is hazy at best. You can find studies to say whatever you want, and then other studies to point out the flaws in those studies. Ultimately I think the vivid imagery we have, of the past as being especially violent, is because it's a set piece of practically all 'historic' media we consume. But the factual and logical support for it seems far less clear.
El Salvador is such an extremely interesting study in violent crime. Until recently El Salvador had one of the highest homicide rates in the world. In recent times it has plummeted precipitously (>90% over the past decade) and in 2023, they may very well end up with a lower overall homicide rate than even the US.
What happened was a complete crackdown on gangs. [1] After declaring an emergency scenario, their government 'temporarily' suspended certain rights, and greatly empowered law enforcement. Anybody who even looked like a gang member was rounded up and thrown into prison. And instead of placing gang members together where they often manage to conspire even within prison, they eliminated all mobile service in the prisons and locked down the cells with members of different gangs placed in cells together. Happy times ensued, undoubtedly.
In short it's been the effective end of civil and human rights, yet it's been extremely effective at lowering crime. This system is far from ideal, because there's zero doubt that some, more or less, innocent individuals have suffered severe consequences at the hands of the government. Yet the overwhelming majority of criminals are also being eliminated, saving their innocent would-have-been victims. And, in the past, this sort of treatment of antisocial elements would have been perfectly normal.
When you look at studies of violent crime in the past, the evidence is hazy at best. You can find studies to say whatever you want, and then other studies to point out the flaws in those studies. Ultimately I think the vivid imagery we have, of the past as being especially violent, is because it's a set piece of practically all 'historic' media we consume. But the factual and logical support for it seems far less clear.
[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvadoran_gang_crackdown