Life (and Crime) in the Big City

The urban landscape has seen a multitude of crimes of many kinds

proliferate beyond historical highs and historical ranges in recent

years. This negative phenomenon is due to many factors, including

DAs who won't prosecute certain crimes nor certain criminals,

slashing police budgets, and spineless mayors. Retail theft may not  

be as juicy a crime as, say, murder, rioting, and car theft complete

with police squad cars chasing the stolen cars, but it has had a 

devastating impact on cities and their economies. This type of crime 

has sucked much of the economic vitality out of Los Angeles and 

San Francisco, and is now doing the same in the Midwest and on

the East Coast, especially New York. Drugstores in the Big Apple 

now lock small items behind plastic shields so that they can be seen 

but not touched. Business owners hoped for positive changes coming 

about from plans from New York's still-new Mayor Eric Adams;

the best among them is a proposal to establish a registry of repeat 

offenders, for last year 327 committed over 6,000 thefts (!).

This table of information will shine light on the likeliest suspects

are, which will be the first step toward catching the perps. 

A silly idea was also in the mayor's mix; a proposal to have kiosks 

in stores which would allow would-be first-time thieves to contact 

social services whenever they feel the urge to pilfer something.

Isn't that lovely? A tempted would-be thief could just get word to

a social worker to say that he is deciding whether or not to make off

with some merchandise. What would happen next, will someone or

something talk him out of the theft? 

But what would make a positive difference is the New York State 

Legislature allowing judges to set bail on repeat offenders. Those 

disposed to stealing more than once from a store would have reason

to think twice before acting on their urge to steal, and those that don't 

would certainly end up in a jail cell, made to stay there before their 

trials unless they scraped together bail. 

Meanwhile, many retailers are picking up, packing up, and moving out.

Even major department stores are leaving these theft-ridden cities; 

Nordstrom's is leaving San Francisco. Walgreens is shuttering lots of

stores in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Peasant has recently 

heard that they are soon to close many of their stores in New York

as well.

This is the way to handle prolific pilferers. What excuses would a city

have for not instituting this common-sensical practice? Let the judges 

set bail! Let's clamp down on the continuation of crimes committed by

repeat criminals! This will start to make many city streets markedly

safer.

MEM