crime in the days of Corona virus

[mountainmoma]

. I ****think**** (and I might be over my skis here so give me some latitude) it's more related to the generalized feeling that has nothing to do with pandemic that those of us who can write the check WILL write the check. And for those who can't write the check there are no rules. It's a frustration I share and it is very real.

Welcome to my world.

[mountainmoma]

Speaking of only having rules for those that can pay, they have now made our lockdown more draconian for the next week, or so they say, I have heard it is only temporary before, like this temporary lockdown that keeps getting extended. 

SO, they had closed down parking lots for all beaches and parks, but you could still walk there.  What this mostly did was keep crowds down and mostly only people who could walk there were there. Now they decided that these areas are totally shut down, no-one is allowed to go there, except the homeless and transients. Yes, that is what they said !  If you look clean and like you have money, you get a ticket. And they are not going to engage with or ask anything of the others, not only no ticket, but htey are not going to be asked to leave.

[Carver]

I do know a couple restaurant owners who have expressed a little dismay that if they opened their doors they'd be fined but if a miscreant kicks in the door and vandalizes the place the police won't give chase. I ****think**** (and I might be over my skis here so give me some latitude) it's more related to the generalized feeling that has nothing to do with pandemic that those of us who can write the check WILL write the check. And for those who can't write the check there are no rules. It's a frustration I share and it is very real.

I had another brush with the state of our security. During a hardware store run I passed an unmarked police car in one of the several speed traps near us. I was dumbfounded. Talk about a complete misallocation of resources. I'm no fan of my local police but that straddled from "bad job" to "public danger". We're all hunkered down in our houses with limited supply runs and his strategy is to peg a few people going a little over the limit? Interact with as many people as possible?

Hopefully all this gets ironed out in a sensible way. In a certain sense I'm sympathetic to the job the police have. I have no problem with the strategy of letting the by-the-book stuff slide a little and having officers politely remind people not to loiter and to stay safe. It's a strange time and adapting is tough for everyone.

Speaking of only having rules for those that can pay, they have now made our lockdown more draconian for the next week, or so they say, I have heard it is only temporary before, like this temporary lockdown that keeps getting extended. 

SO, they had closed down parking lots for all beaches and parks, but you could still walk there.  What this mostly did was keep crowds down and mostly only people who could walk there were there. Now they decided that these areas are totally shut down, no-one is allowed to go there, except the homeless and transients. Yes, that is what they said !  If you look clean and like you have money, you get a ticket. And they are not going to engage with or ask anything of the others, not only no ticket, but htey are not going to be asked to leave.

These two quotes redefine who the perpetrator is by recognizing that we can be victims of crimes committed not just by individuals but by the state.

[Carver]

https://www.wnd.com/2020/04/coronavirus-pandemic-creates-new-criminal-class-america/

The coronavirus pandemic has created a new class of criminals in America.

Among them are fathers playing T-ball with his young daughter, the hosts of a wedding and a woman out for a drive.

MSN reported two New Jersey residents were arrested for allowing other people in their home for a wedding "in defiance of social distancing orders."

They were reported by their neighbors.

[Greekman]

They were reported by their neighbors.

do not remember if I mentioned that, but in Italy anew kind of police appeared. It is called "the Balcony Police", which is obviouw who they are and what they do..

[LvsChant]

It's so much easier to sort out the criminals from the non-criminals when all the non-criminals are home. (ha)

[Ralph]

Early on when masks became a thing I thought now criminals wearing one wouldn't get a second look.  Two days ago I was looking at some video files from my security camera and at about 4:00AM someone wearing a mask was walking down the block checking all the car handles along the way, no doubt checking for unlocked ones.  Even though my motion light went on as he approached my driveway and walked up it he never flinched and just kept going along as if nothing happened.  It was hard to tell for certain but someone may have been doing the same on the opposite side of the street.

Sure enough soon after, the neighborhood web site reported a number of car break ins right about where I live.  They also said that when reported to the police department they were basically ignored and even hung up on.  The site also told people to lock their cars.  I can't imagine leaving a car on the street unlocked, but I guess enough people do it to make it worthwhile for criminals to check.  I guess that was the long winded way of saying don't rely on anyone to protect or keep you safe.