Official Greater Philadelphia Area Crime Thread (Jenkintown: reality, assault, money)

[henrychen]

Originally Posted by Duderino

I think my point is that those committing crimes may be disproportionately drug-addicted, but only a small portion of the massive pool of drug addicts commit serious crimes.

If by serious crimes you mean murder and rape, yes. But there's a big huge portion of them out here stealing, breaking and entering, snatching and assaulting people to support their habit. Yes, some crimes are obviously more serious, but they're all serious as far as I'm concerned.

[ilovephilly79]

Originally Posted by henrychen

If by serious crimes you mean murder and rape, yes. But there's a big huge portion of them out here stealing, breaking and entering, snatching and assaulting people to support their habit. Yes, some crimes are obviously more serious, but they're all serious as far as I'm concerned.

I very much agree with this. People often suggests that breaking and entering is not a serious crime, but anyone who has had their home broken into knows differently.

When I was 18 years old, a man on cocaine beat me and my friend up because he was out of his mind, and he left us on the ground bleeding. The scar is still there on the back of my head where they had to sew me up. Apparently this individual was angry because we were on his sidewalk and he had just been kicked out of his favorite bar. His mother and father always bailed him out of jail, and this was not his first time by a long shot.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by henrychen

Do all the drugs you want, but don't make your habit/addiction/weakness everybody else's problem by stealing, burglarizing, robbing, assaulting and (in extreme cases) murdering. These things should lead to arrest and sentencing. I believe it's a 'disease' now only because there's money to be made in rehab facilities. It's like having a license to open a casino. Last I heard there's a 91% recidivism rate for addicts, so they're not very effective. There's got to be a better way.

I share this sentiment, but if addiction isn't a physical illness, what is it, then? A mental disorder?

Whatever it is, it's a disorder of some sort, and to the extent it's "curable," the treatment for it should be medical rather than criminal. Don't forget there's now money in incarceration, too, thanks to for-profit private companies now running prisons in many states — including Pennsylvania, I believe. And the private prison operators have an incentive to have the crininal-justice system send them bodies because their contracts pay them based on head count.

(FTR, for that reason, I don't think imprisonment of offenders should have been privatized at all.)

However, if they are committing property crimes to feed their habits, those should be dealt with by the criminal justice system using the usual tools, including both restorative justice and imprisonment. Given what they're addicted to, and their likely inability to hold steady work, this group of offenders is not likely to be amenable to restorative justice.

[henrychen]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I share this sentiment, but if addiction isn't a physical illness, what is it, then? A mental disorder?

Whatever it is, it's a disorder of some sort, and to the extent it's "curable," the treatment for it should be medical rather than criminal. Don't forget there's now money in incarceration, too, thanks to for-profit private companies now running prisons in many states — including Pennsylvania, I believe. And the private prison operators have an incentive to have the crininal-justice system send them bodies because their contracts pay them based on head count.

(FTR, for that reason, I don't think imprisonment of offenders should have been privatized at all.)

However, if they are committing property crimes to feed their habits, those should be dealt with by the criminal justice system using the usual tools, including both restorative justice and imprisonment. Given what they're addicted to, and their likely inability to hold steady work, this group of offenders is not likely to be amenable to restorative justice.

Some addicts can't be 'cured.' They have to want to stop. It has to come from within, and some, for whatever reason (weakness?), can't stop. They try and try, but just can't. I believe in (for those who commit crimes to support their addiction) in punishment with rehabilitation.
From what I understand, for those who do beat it, it's always there. Look at Philip Seymour Hoffman - clean for twenty years - then Bam! - went nuts one night and died.

[ilovephilly79]

Originally Posted by henrychen

Some addicts can't be 'cured.' They have to want to stop. It has to come from within, and some, for whatever reason (weakness?), can't stop. They try and try, but just can't. I believe in (for those who commit crimes to support their addiction) in punishment with rehabilitation.
From what I understand, for those who do beat it, it's always there. Look at Philip Seymour Hoffman - clean for twenty years - then Bam! - went nuts one night and died.

Have you seen the show dope sick? There are people who are addictive to things in general, or obsessive about things in general. However, if you're talking about opioids, they literally change the function of the brain. So you are right that they can't really cure themselves in a holistic sense, but it is not just a matter of wanting to be off the drugs.

[normaldude]

US Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon carjacked in Philadelphia's FDR Park

Scanlon's government cell phone and ID were among the items stolen in the mid-afternoon carjacking.

December 22, 2021






PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon was the victim of a carjacking in South Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon.

Police say it happened around 2:45 p.m. on the 1900 block of Pattison Avenue in FDR Park after a tour including members of Congress.

Scanlon was walking to her parked vehicle and was approached by two men driving a dark-colored SUV.

Both men, who were armed, demanded the keys to her vehicle, police say.

They took off with her blue 2017 Acura MDX with license plate LKG-8893.

https://6abc.com/mary-gay-scanlon-ca...park/11372337/

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...oint-fdr-park/

https://nationalfile.com/breaking-de...-philadelphia/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ID-stolen.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...lphia-n1286531


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXo3hfie26g

[ilovephilly79]

Welcome to Philadelphia!

[moneymkt]

Originally Posted by normaldude

US Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon carjacked in Philadelphia's FDR Park

Scanlon's government cell phone and ID were among the items stolen in the mid-afternoon carjacking.

December 22, 2021






PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon was the victim of a carjacking in South Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon.

Police say it happened around 2:45 p.m. on the 1900 block of Pattison Avenue in FDR Park after a tour including members of Congress.

Scanlon was walking to her parked vehicle and was approached by two men driving a dark-colored SUV.

Both men, who were armed, demanded the keys to her vehicle, police say.

They took off with her blue 2017 Acura MDX with license plate LKG-8893.

https://6abc.com/mary-gay-scanlon-ca...park/11372337/

https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/20...oint-fdr-park/

https://nationalfile.com/breaking-de...-philadelphia/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ID-stolen.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...lphia-n1286531


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXo3hfie26g

How in broad daylight?

[ilovephilly79]

Originally Posted by moneymkt

How in broad daylight?

Criminals have become emboldened. Scanlon supported police reform and now she gets a taste of reality. Something tells me she won't be marching with a defund the police sign anytime soon.

Here's what Kenney had to say:

"It's disheartening, and quite frankly infuriating, that criminals feel emboldened to commit such a reckless crime in the middle of the day in what should be a place of tranquility and peace-one of Philadelphia's beautiful parks," Kenney said in a statement. "My thoughts are with her during what I'm sure is a traumatic time."

What a worthless mayor.

[moneymkt]

Originally Posted by ilovephilly79

Criminals have become emboldened. Scanlon supported police reform and now she gets a taste of reality. Something tells me she won't be marching with a defund the police sign anytime soon.

Here's what Kenney had to say:

"It's disheartening, and quite frankly infuriating, that criminals feel emboldened to commit such a reckless crime in the middle of the day in what should be a place of tranquility and peace-one of Philadelphia's beautiful parks," Kenney said in a statement. "My thoughts are with her during what I'm sure is a traumatic time."

What a worthless mayor.

6ABC Reporter: You know that the previous Mayor called in the National Guard two times during his term

Kenney: "that's him