[jakelazaroff]

I actually wrote another comment in this thread about Singapore [1]. The subway there was particularly interesting to me. While the New York media has used subway deaths to drum up support for police, Singapore has entirely solved the root problem in a non-carceral way by investing in infrastructure.

Plenty of other countries have done the same, actually. The knee-jerk response of adding more cops actually makes society worse for all of us.

[1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33737563

[josephcsible]

Sure, infrastructure can stop people from being pushed onto the tracks. How did they solve shoplifting though?

[JamesianP]

I would have thought Singapore had more policing in all respects versus US cities.

Also the subway stories are probably more about general fear of whatever criminals are apparently lurking down there. It can get kind of scary in the subway when it's deserted. especially Upper Manhattan where it's so deep down. Meanwhile when I travel in developed Asian cities, it's not scary at all. Just really really crowded.

[thablackbull]

> I would have thought Singapore had more policing in all respects versus US cities.

You only see police occasionally doing their patrols, so it can be argued there is less of a police presence than say NY. There is no need, there are cameras everywhere and its a small Island, you can't run anywhere.

With respect to the parent's comment on subway deaths: > Singapore has entirely solved the root problem in a non-carceral way by investing in infrastructure.

There are barriers that only open when the train has arrived, so there quite literally cannot be deaths from people pushing others onto the tracks. I presume that is what he means by infrastructure.

[JamesianP]

I wouldn't call infrastructure the root problem when people are murdering others. My point was the murders are evidence that there's psychos down there. Hence people want more cops.

[MichaelCollins]

You know Singapore unabashedly beats the shit out of thieves, right?

[thablackbull]

> You know Singapore unabashedly beats the shit out of thieves, right?

They don't...first offense you basically get off with a warning. Recent headlines was a case of Australian school girls shoplifting [1]. Although they're foreigners, same goes for locals.

[1] https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/6-austra...

[Ekaros]

I have started to think that corporal punishment might not be actually worst option.

[DenisM]

I recall seeing research that immediacy and inevitability of punishment have way more effect on re-offense rates than harshness of the punishment.

That said, incarcerating people is liable to immerse them into the hardened criminal culture, which is not productive and calls for some alternatives.