Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Justice system should focus resources on "power few" criminals who drive most crime

I wonder if these two items are related?

First, over at Corrections Sentencing, Michael writes that:



Then, in the Dallas Morning News, I find this item: "Man held in hundreds of Dallas County burglaries." Certainly focusing on suspects who police believe committed hundreds of similar crimes makes a lot more sense than some of the more random enforcement tactics police engage in, e.g., conducting "fishing expeditions" at traffic stops.

OTOH, this could be emblematic of a different problem - the periodic tendency for Dallas County to charge and convict innocent people. "I've been late paying my mortgage every month for the last three years," said the suspect. "If I broke into 200 homes, I wouldn't be in bankruptcy. ... I'm barely eating." Good point.

Whatever the truth of the charges against this one defendant, it struck me as interesting to read both of these items and realize the Dallas burglary case, if the fellow turns out to have done what police say he has, more or less exemplifies the empirical data and theoretical conclusions in the study described by Science Daily ("Less is more in fighting crime," Nov. 26).

In any event, prioritizing enforcement resources and incarceration space for more serious offenders makes enormous sense from a public safety perspective. I've never understood why the idea is often portrayed as such a radical thing - as former House Corrections Chair Ray Allen used to say, it's smarter to focus limited criminal justice resources on people who we're afraid of, not on those whom we're only "mad at."


Anonymous said...

The fishing expeditions will give a better return return on investment in terms of dollars taken in per manhour than trying to catch a highly successful and very busy burglar. Fighting crime is a high-cost low-yield business.

Gritsforbreakfast said...

But the public safety benefit of catching that one burglar are much higher than from the low-hanging fruit caught at fishing expeditions. You get what you pay for, and we pay for a system that focuses more on easily convicted, low-risk threats instead of people who pose more serious risks.

Anonymous said...

But how could politicians run on "getting tough on crime"? Where would all the money go that law enforcement has come to depend on for souped up vehicles to chase "evaders",super powered radios, SWAT teams, (HA!), and other toys? I mean crime fighting equipment! Come on, common sense is rarely used when it comes to spending our money-on anything, not just crime. Law Enforcement is big business with LOTS of employees. And I am one!

Anonymous said...

It's called "net widening." That's or criminal justice process today. How much more empirical evidence to we need to prove the point. If only politicians and the public would listen. The MSM has to accept responsibility for a lot of this nonsense.

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Anonymous said...

Here is a low cost case, a public benefit, a case that focuses on low hanging fruit that yielded the city of Round Rock a hardend criminal at a very low expense, for now anyway. Let's review what Anonymous said below:

Anonymous 6:35 said...


Every law enforcemnt officer needs to read the below incident. Below is an example of "Politicians getting tough on crime and where taxpayers hard earned money is going for fighting crime (NOT). The incident below is something that should have never happend. When I read this I was incensed to do something.

Hopfully we all in law enforcement will check SO's and listen to both sides before arresting and putting someone through what this Vet has and is going through.


This fall a Disabled Veteran was mistaken for drunk inside a restaurant/club in Round Rock Texas, in the fine county of Williamson. It was mis-perceived by management that the DAV had to much to drink because of the manner in which he walked. They did not understand he walked the way he did due to an explosion that blew him off a Bradly Fighting Vehicle while serving our country.

Within 5 to 10 minutes of entering the establishment in Round Rock the DAVet was told to take it easy on the drinks or he needed to take a taxi home. He briefly explained he just arrived, he was not intoxicated. Later when moving out of the way of an employee the DAVet lost his balance and fell backwards to the floor where the employee then fell forward on him. The DAVet helped the employee up and apologized. The DAVet then decided to leave because he spilled his beer on his clothes falling backwards and he was embarrassed and felt bad about being perceived as drunk.



The Round Rock police arrived. The security guard and his associates then fabricated and told the RRPD Officer a TALL TALE that the DAVet tried to run him or them over. The diligent RRPD Officer using all those expensive resources and walked over to the DAVet and spun and pushed the DAVet against his $35,000.00 car. He then hand-cuffed the DAVet and told him he was being arrested for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. In shock the DAVet tried to explain to the RRPD Officer the truth but he refused to listen to the DAVet or his story because maybe his $3500.00 radio was on to loud. In fact the RRPD never wrote any comments made by the DAVet in the police report. The RRPD police report was all one sided for the suspended security guard. The RRPD Officers ($4500.00 Laptop) may have been down in order to write the DAV's side of the story. Later the DAVet learned from other law enforcemnt associates that RRPD Officers work part-time security at this establishment, to supplement their pay and re-energize themselves by getting "free ones."

1. The security guard realized after pepper spraying the DAVet and finally listening to the DAVet last explanation clearly, and standing straight, he knew he made a big mistake. Especially when the DAVet pointed to his DAV license plates.
3. The security guard has a criminal history similair to the actions above with other citizens.
5. The DAVet made the mistake of telling the security guard he was going to sue him for what he did to him for no legal reason. Blaming the DAVet for a crime was the security guards way of stopping that also.
6. The security guard had to come up with a way to cover-up what he did and his illegal suspended status to take the focus off himself away from further criminal trouble.
8. RRPD would not give the DAVet a breath test after requesting to prove he was not intoxicated %. Why? (Cost to much?)
9. This was nothing but a real screw up. A suspended lying security guard and an incompetent RRPD police officer. Both are out there probably planning to have a great holiday. Our DAVet probably won't. Most his money went to pay bill's brought on by others foolishness and lack of integrity. Our DAVet continues to pay a for another high price due to his injuries brought by the ignorance of others in(Law Enforcement). Our DAVet is the true victim in this incident, he is not nor ever was the offender.

This security guard had been suspended twice this year and again on 08/01/2007 and indefinately. He decided to work security anyway and illegally. This is what happens when we are victimized by one sided law enforcement mentality and a wannabe renta a cop.

This piece of trash has ruined even more of a difficult life for our DAVet. He also did a hell of a job of deception and lying, inorder to protect himself for now, assisted by a foolish Round Rock Texas Police Officer.

Due to the actions against our DAVet he received additional injury to existing injuries, sent to the hospital for those injuries and suffering a vertigo attack cause by the incident. At the hospital he was medically treated but also treated like a criminal by the staff. Our DAVet then spent 18 hours of painful agony at Wilco jail where he got none of his daily require medications even after it was brought to Wilco for him. Then our DAVet was placed in front of a Magistrate where he was told he had a $20,000 Bond, with more Court to follow for an offense that was made up. He now has much more in legal expenses to pay, including a damaged vehicle costing $7030.00. Seems like a RRPD did their job well and used resources well also!

What is wrong with our CJ system when things like this happen. Was or is this a good use of resources. To allow Officers with so much incompentence to have such resources and power at their disposal is questionable. The City of Round Rock, Williamson County Texas and RRPD you should be embarrassed and ashamed. This Veteran was wounded losing his ability to walk properly. He comes to Round Rock Texas to shop and enjoy himself and your city. Instead he gets treated like he was a drunken nuisance because of his gait disability. He is then persecuted for it by being arrested for something made up and irrelevant to the initial issue of misperception of drunkeness. This Veteran/citizen had NO criminal history, NO history of violence and has NO vehicle or DPS violation history. Those concerned send your coments to the City of Round Rock, RRPD and Williamson County Officials.

B. Pearson, esq., and H. Cromhill
True Injustice

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a mess. Talk about doin somebody wrong.