Having talked to many active and former law enforcement officers (including one ex-FBI agent), I have come to this conclusion about crime and violence in cities. It gets down to what a city and its citizens will TOLERATE. It's related to the "broken window' syndrome.

If a city tolerates lots of homeless and dysfunctional people in their midst, these kinds of crimes go up, it's no more complicated than that.

I live near (but not IN) a medium sized Southern city, but I live way out in the county away from the city limits. Out county law enforcement WILL NOT TOLERATE camps of homeless people and move them along. The city itself, although being a bit on the blue side, with a university downtown, also has LE folks who are not as tolerant as LA, Atlanta, and other inner-city shitholes.

Here is a recent example from the county, near where I live: One day about a year ago I was driving down a busy 4-lane road on my way to the gym. Overnight a homeless camp had sprung up off the side of the road in a grassy field near a church and some small businesses. One bold dude had erected his tent RIGHT ON THE SIDEWALK and sprawling over the curb to the street.

I made a resolution to call Codes Enforcement after the gym, as soon as I got home. But here's the kicker.... on my way back home, not only was that tent gone, ALL of the encampments were gone. In the space of 2 or 3 hours the county had acted and gotten rid of them somehow. I don't care how they did it, they just did it. It is a testament to our county and our county mayor who are stand-up people and not very tolerant of such foolishness. I will vote for my mayor again for sure.

Further, although the tents were all gone, there remained the inevitable litter that goes along with these people. Everywhere they go, they leave tons of litter, sort of like homeless spoor. They have absolutely ZERO respect for communities and the good people who live in them.

BUT (!!!) by the next day, all the litter was gone too.

Bottom line: You get what you tolerate. I am glad our county (and to a lesser degree the city within the county) don't tolerate much foolishness.

Thus endeth the lesson.

Symptom of cashless Bail?

Since January..... shish!

WWG1WGA