Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by operatingthetan 1165 days ago
People breaking into cars in your area are driving to their thefts? In cities they just walk down the street looking for targets of opportunity.

You think that a few honey pots and cameras will slow them down? Imaginative but unrealistic thinking. Someone stole some wood from my yard, and I have them on camera. What am I supposed to do with their image? How do you suggest I find them? Is it worth my billing rate to walk around the neighborhood with their image asking people where they might be for $30 worth of wood? Say we have a database of petty criminals, if I find them do you think they have the assets to pay for the glass and items from an auto break-in?

The economic incentives are not aligned for a moonshot on stopping petty property crime.

4 comments

> People breaking into cars in your area are driving to their thefts? In cities they just walk down the street looking for targets of opportunity.

I've lived in multiple cities and can say that this is wrong.

I find that generally most people imagine these thefts are being done by homeless people on the streets but it's usually actually organized gangs driving in from Oakland.

Same thing when I lived in DC, organized criminals driving in from SE DC to rob the rich neighborhoods.

And even if your random smash-and-grab thief does get busted, he's just going to be back on the street in a week or two.

The US criminal justice system is not set up to handle these sorts of offenders, most of whom probably just require detox and social services.

Well let's flip this on its head. When I pass a car and see something of interest I don't smash the window and grab it. Why not? Sure, it seems wrong, but I also have a fear of being arrested and imprisoned. Is that an irrational fear? I'm confused you have video of someone robbing you and you're asking "what am I supposed to do?". Look, here's a website! https://www.sanfranciscopolice.org/get-service/police-report...
> People breaking into cars in your area are driving to their thefts? In cities they just walk down the street looking for targets of opportunity.

I assumed the same but based on reporting I've seen on SF local news, at least some of them are doing it out of cars. Pull up next to a likely target, dude jumps out of the passenger seat and takes a quick look, smash & grab if there's anything good, drive off.