Would you be cool with greater police powers so long as the crime rate went down?
 

Would you be cool with greater police powers so long as the crime rate went down?

No. meowrz

I am taking a course in criminology right now, and I can tell you straight up that harsher punishment does not lead to a decrease in crime rate. In fact, education does.

I wanted to reach that! Only I was gonna speak about causality.

Despite being created by what seems to be a troll, I think it's a really good topic of discussion, but maybe I am biased since I am taking a course that discusses it.

Was the question about harsher punishments or about there being fewer restrictions as far as what police can and cannot do? I personally wouldn't be willing to give up freedoms in order to decrease crime rates and as pyre said harsher punishment does not decrease crime rates.

No, the police already have more power than they need to have, I'd really rather not give them more.

Besides, the crimes we hear about are only the tip of the iceberg. Everyone wants to talk about street crimes against young white people, but nothing more. There is so much white collar crime being committed that we not only never hear about, but the police force really has no power to control it because they never get caught. Police only solve around 10-15% of crime cases annually, and cracking down will not increase that number, but rather just incarcerate more people for petty crimes. Per capita, the U.S. has more prisoners in their jails and prisons than any other country. It's mostly the War on Drugs that has raised this number, even though the United States fails miserably at keeping drugs off the streets when they're constantly prescribing medication to children as young as two years of age for ADHD. Don't medicalize an unnecessary drug and then complain when it's abused.

No. Plus as many pointed out above, more police doesn't equal less crime. In fact, in pretty much every documented case throughout history when police state style tactics are used on a society they always end up with high levels of corruption, starting at the top, creating even higher levels of crime than originally existed.

I don't know about more policemen, but if they actually made sure they stuck around the busier mainstream clubs and at the taxi rank on Saturdays I know a lot of people here would feel safer.

Would more police power make us feel safe?

Yeah, sure.

Just ask Albert Mond.

I'd be cool with a greater crime rate so long as the police powers went down.

I'm gonna have to say "no". It would be nice for crime to go down, but I don't think giving more power to any government-employed position is the answer. :/

You guys, you aren't really answering the question right.
It's a hypothetical situation in which crime DOES go down when the police have more power. I realize that isn't the way it is in reality, but as far as the question is concerned, it does work that way.

The real question is: would you be willing to give up some freedoms/be surveillenced if crime DID go down?

No. (black text)

Thats basically what Orwell asks in 1984 and Bradbury wrote about in Fahrenheit 451.

How far are you willing to go to live in a 'peaceful' society? What rights do you feel you don't deserve, or should be taken away for you to feel safer?

I think Thomas Jefferson put it best -

Those willing to give up a little liberty for a little security deserve neither security nor liberty.

Already lived in a place like that. And no, it's not something I would want to do without a hella good reason.

Also, it would depend on what crimes we're talking about, and in which country.

I already have a piss poor opinion of the police here. Giving them more power makes them bigger, useless, donut scoffing twats.

Again, I say: "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty." - Thomas Jefferson


I also agree with Pyre, who said that education lowers crime. Stop lowering the bar for education, America! Pull your heads out of your asses and raise the standards quite a bit! Our ability to write, our vocabulary and our spelling and punctuation have totally gone down the toilet since the 1700's! THAT IS SAD!!!

Pull your fat bastard children away from World of Warcraft & Grand Theft Auto for 45 minutes & make them do their spelling & math homework for once! It's not asking a lot!!!!

Police have too much power as it is... They definitely don't need any more!

Absolutely not. There is too much emphasis on authority and punishment now as it is.

This has probably already been said, but it's just what i think.

If everybody could carry a gun 23.934/7, there would be no crime. Education would surely help this process, but considering, would you go rob a store with a gun knowing that everyone else in there had a gun too?

Depends on what powers they gain. But more than likely, no.

This is the absolute worst fucking idea in the history of bad ideas.

This.
I haven't ripped my banjo string in sometime...

What are we calling crime?
Benefit fraud so that people trying to live on below-minimum wage can afford better food?
Posession of drugs with intent to supply?
Loitering?
Drinking in a public area such a park?

Most things we call crime aren't aggressive acts against others. Why not reduce the actual number of crimes on the books instead?

Reduce the numbers of police, reduce the numbers of defined crimes. Though some people may get skittish about it, there's nothing inherently wrong with sitting in a park with your friends after sunset, having a few beers/ciders/other. There's nothing dangerous to society about smoking marijuana quietly with housemates in your living room.
There's very little dangerous about taking mdma at a rave, except human stupidity in not drinking any water or drinking too much.


I'm fine with a greater number of 'crimes' if we have less aggressive policing.