thanks, becka for that study, I did miss it the first time. It is an interesting study.
I will try to read the full study. What this summary seems to suggest is that a large increase in police (they suggest a 25% increase in one part of a city (Washington dc around the capital) will decrease crime in that area. I would be looking at the full study to see if it addressed some questions that I have. questions like - how many police does that make. Is it like the "Police State" that has been described in other studies, which is defined as always having an office in sight. Also what the resulting crime rate changes were in neighboring parts of the city. This is, does large police presence in one area, simply push drug dealers, prostitution, home break-ins, shootings etc. into other neighborhoods. Also, the cost of a 25% increase seems to be to be very large, perhaps in the order of magnitude nationally of our national pentagon budget. We are spending something line a billion dollars a day in Iraq, and would we be willing to spend that much on domestic policing, and would it be the best use of those resources. Good questions, I hope that the social science industry would continue to develop more data on this. I am more than willing to change my mind based on facts and research, but right now I come down on the side that more teachers, -reduced class size and increased student attention, is a better resource expenditure than more police. Coupled, of course with changing education pedagogy and techniques. I suspect that this may also be true of policing, and, in fact the evidence of community policing does suggest this. Although it to does tend to make crime to other neighborhoods. This argues towards universal systemic changes rather than isolated pilots. David Tilsen sell learning and thinking in Powerhorn REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
