Quote Originally Posted by Firn View Post
Well I just highlighted the not so obvious and intuitive effects of that NY policy referred to in the NYT. The police did of course often not just take a look around as cruising only along would have hardly made a big impact on the behaviour in this criminal market place. Beside specific missions the (in)famous stop-and-frisk was seemingly especially often adopted around such hot spots.

In the end it is all about the opportunity costs and the specific circumstances. In a world where the criminal markets places are 'sticky' - shift not easily - and suffer a considerable drop in efficiency when disturbed such a policy could be up to a point more effective at curbing crime then the same relative amount of police routine.
Agreed. But, with our liberal system of 3 strikes and you're out (for example) all the while chasing legal gun owners for shake downs, I don't see much coming out of this scenario.

If we're to be tough on legal gun ownership, so be it. We should be just as vigilant with prosecuting gun-related crime. In two weeks you will be prosecuted and sent to death row. Fairly simple especially when you consider that most of us really don't want to pay to have that idiot fed 3 squares while he watches reruns of Dallas