http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/2008/02/bottomfeeders/ or, High and Dry on the Streets of Elsewhere Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:03:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/2008/02/bottomfeeders/#comment-61 Kim Thomas Wed, 02 Apr 2008 06:09:45 +0000 http://bobarno.com/thiefhunters/2008/02/bottomfeeders/#comment-61 Being in the good guy profession, I so understand the way the courts work (or don't) and I understand that people think some (or all) of these suspects can be rehabilitated (my opinion: they can't, people have tried and they have failed). As an example, one suspect was recently convicted and given the status of small habitual (referred to on the street as the small bitch) with a sentence of 8-14 years before eligibility of parole could be granted and he was recently caught from inside the prison committing identity theft and credit card fraud -- so if we can't stop people from inside prison, what's the hope? Most cops will tell you that where just about any of the financial/property crimes are concerned, whether it's robbery, forgery, auto theft, or burglary, if a very small percentage of people (read criminals for that word) could be permanently dissuaded from plying their trade, crime would fall precipitously in any given area. In Vegas (population 2 million and surface area approximately 20X20 miles), that number for those committing forgery crimes might be as small as a hundred people. By incarcerating this number of criminals the city's crime might drop us from 1st or 2nd in the nation and 4th in the world to something way up the scale. Quality of life, which would include sense of security, would increase for the average Joe. The trade-off? 100 suspects times $38,000 in living expenses per year in prison times the number of years sentenced for each those suspects. This in an economy that is purported to be 898 million dollars in the hole. That deficit might require the release of 7000 non violent offenders (read burglars, car thieves, and forgers) from Nevada prisons. Being in the good guy profession, I so understand the way the courts work (or don’t) and I understand that people think some (or all) of these suspects can be rehabilitated (my opinion: they can’t, people have tried and they have failed). As an example, one suspect was recently convicted and given the status of small habitual (referred to on the street as the small bitch) with a sentence of 8-14 years before eligibility of parole could be granted and he was recently caught from inside the prison committing identity theft and credit card fraud — so if we can’t stop people from inside prison, what’s the hope?
Most cops will tell you that where just about any of the financial/property crimes are concerned, whether it’s robbery, forgery, auto theft, or burglary, if a very small percentage of people (read criminals for that word) could be permanently dissuaded from plying their trade, crime would fall precipitously in any given area. In Vegas (population 2 million and surface area approximately 20X20 miles), that number for those committing forgery crimes might be as small as a hundred people. By incarcerating this number of criminals the city’s crime might drop us from 1st or 2nd in the nation and 4th in the world to something way up the scale. Quality of life, which would include sense of security, would increase for the average Joe.
The trade-off? 100 suspects times $38,000 in living expenses per year in prison times the number of years sentenced for each those suspects. This in an economy that is purported to be 898 million dollars in the hole. That deficit might require the release of 7000 non violent offenders (read burglars, car thieves, and forgers) from Nevada prisons.

]]>