A Simple Solution for Crime: What Could Go Wrong?

[walker2713]

I don't know why someone didn't think of this sooner!

Sacramento decides to pay criminals not to commit crimes.....

http://iotwreport.com/sacramento-votes-to-begin-paying-criminals-not-to-harm-them-thats-called-the-mafia/

[XXXsilverXXX]

So just a 3 or 4 year contract, for free school and a monthly stipend.... this will end with even smarter criminals who will keep this racket going forever.

[hufnagel]

I thought we called that system "welfare", and it doesn't work.

[GardoneVT]

In America,even the criminals need a Bachelors degree and 5 years experience for an entry level job.

[Guerrero]

Didn't they try this same sort of thing in Chicago, where it failed miserably?

[GuanoLoco]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect


The cobra effect occurs when an attempted solution to a problem makes the problem worse,[1][2] as a type of unintended consequence. The term is used to illustrate the causes of incorrect stimulation in economy and politics.[2]

Origin

The Indian Cobra
The term cobra effect originated in an anecdote set at the time of British rule of colonial India. The British government was concerned about the number of venomous cobra snakes in Delhi.[3] The government therefore offered a bounty for every dead cobra. Initially this was a successful strategy as large numbers of snakes were killed for the reward. Eventually, however, enterprising people began to breed cobras for the income. When the government became aware of this, the reward program was scrapped, causing the cobra breeders to set the now-worthless snakes free. As a result, the wild cobra population further increased. The apparent solution for the problem made the situation even worse.[2][4]

Rat effect

A similar incident occurred in Hanoi, Vietnam, under French colonial rule. The colonial regime created a bounty program that paid a reward for each rat killed.[3] To obtain the bounty, people would provide the severed rat tail. Colonial officials, however, began noticing rats in Hanoi with no tails. The Vietnamese rat catchers would capture rats, lop off their tails, and then release them back into the sewers so that they could procreate and produce more rats, thereby increasing the rat catchers' revenue.[5] Historian Michael Vann argues that the cobra example from British India cannot be proven, but that the rats in Vietnam case can be proven, so the term could be changed to the "rat effect".[3]

[mtnbkr]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobra_effect

I think that's mainly a 3rd World phenomenon as we have had bounties in the US (Coyotes, Nutria, etc) and you don't hear of people going through such machinations to turn a buck with the bounty.

Chris

[OlongJohnson]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/cities-have-begun-to-challenge-a-bedrock-of-american-justice-theyre-paying-criminals-not-to-kill/2016/03/26/f25a6b9c-e9fc-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html?utm_term=.39f6e326e80a

[blues]

I heard a rumor that Tom is going to placate evil-doers on this site with promises of gadgets and other swag to modify their unruly behavior.

(Ducking and running before any shots are fired. ;))

[ralph]

I have to ask, what happens if after a year or two the thugs start demanding more money, or else? When you start paying ransom to thugs it never stops, North Korea is a good example....

[MistWolf]

In the Olden Days, they called this "Paying Tribute". We saw how well that worked for the Roman Empire

How many good kids will turn to crimes so they can qualify for the stipend?

[Wondering Beard]

Dane-Geld by Rudyard Kipling


It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
To call upon a neighbour and to say: --
"We invaded you last night--we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you've only to pay 'em the Dane-geld
And then you'll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say: --
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we've proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say: --

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that pays it is lost!"

[Joe in PNG]

The fault lies in mindset. To some, crims are really good blokes, down deep, and are driven to a life of crime because of racism, lack of opportunity, white oppression, and so on.
Paying them to not be crims allows them to break that cycle, and become honest citizens.

This is laughable to anyone who actually knows criminals and the like. As was said about Jimmy "the Gent" Burke, if you offered to pay him a billion dollars to not steal, he'd turn you down, then figure out a way to steal it from you.

[blues]

This is laughable to anyone who actually knows criminals and the like. As was said about Jimmy "the Gent" Burke, if you offered to pay him a billion dollars to not steal, he'd turn you down, then figure out a way to steal it from you.

You'd have enjoyed sitting around with me and my family up in NY a week or so back. Stories about Jimmy "The Gent" figured largely in the general discussion. (One of my brothers in law used to work in the bar where "Goodfellas" took place and was well acquainted with all the characters. In fact, when my wife was growing up, she used to go to the home of the Paul Sorvino character, (Paul Vario), to hang out with his daughter.)

I only came across "The Gent" when I sat in on the Boston College point shaving trial where Henry Hill testified for the prosecution and Burke was a co-defendant with a couple of other connected guys from Pittsburgh. This would have been about 1981, 1982.

ETA:

My wife just made me a liar. She said she would go to Vito "Tuddy" Vario (http://www.americanmafia.org/families/about-the-vario-crew/)'s home, (Paul Vario's brother that had the cab stand in the movie), with our brother in law and his brother. She also said that one of the daughters was really nice but the other thought she was a real piece of work. It's hard to keep all the stories and characters (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vario_Crew) straight.

[willie]

Can we pay these citizens not to reproduce? One trait that offenders all have is non compliance. Somebody is assuming that gang members are persons who would follow the rules and comply.