Pretty solid take that lines up with my experience as well.
That said, cracking down on petty crime would probably resolve most of the anxiety around crime that (re)surfaced this election cycle.
Sensationalist violent crime will always sell, but plenty of people feel and experience petty crime and griminess. Just resolving much of that would help reduce anxiety about crime significantly.
Anecdotally, a lot of the swing appeared to have happened in localities where petty crime and griminess increased.
It's not a left-right issue either - Dorchester MA is fairly grimy and transitional and very blue - just like Hunters Point in SF or much of South/Central Philly, but crime is kept fairly down, and cleanliness is maintained.
Aren’t nearly all US metros “blue”? Including NYC, Philly, SF? Definitely agree it’s not left/right. If it were, you’d think people living in those places would vote differently.
I’ve lived just outside of NYC, for a decade, have also lived in SF for a decade, and tend to agree, “feel safe walking down the street” (aka minimal minor crimes) is key.
Last time I was in NYC it wasn’t the immigrants that bothered me. It was the random (non-immigrant homeless drug addict) guy who out of the blue punched me in the arm then ran away while I was in line for a slice of pizza. And the guy touching himself on the sidewalk. That type of everyday “crime” is where I would focus.
When you put quotes around “crime” when describing an assault, you are part of the normalization of those acts. You aren’t a snowflake if you describe an illegal act against your person, however minor, as a crime. Reminds one of describing vandalism of a car, and subsequent theft as “bipping” — how cute, and inappropriate. Not all crimes are serious crimes, but they are crimes. Helps to get attention and action to address such assaults. Otherwise, well, it’s just a “crime”.
I live in Center City Philadelphia and we have many similar issues with public transit and transportation. I think it will be very interesting to see how the next few years play out both in NYC and here.
I'm all for adding additional support programs for those that need help(and pay taxes to support it) but that's never been popular or successful enough to make an impact. We need more housing, increases to the minimum wage, and many other changes to help support those in need after they immediately get help(which is still hard to come by). These are long term changes that can't get a "quick fix". Meanwhile faith in our public transit institutions continues to degrade as they are ill equipped or unwilling to help enforce order in a way that makes the majority feel safe.
Last year Philly elected a mayor who promised to restore order, potentially bring back stop and frisk and make changes in policing to make the city safe. I hope order and safety do return, but I feel many will be uncomfortable with the level of compassion given to get to that level of safety.
The risk of being murdered on the NYC subway is comparable to being struck by lightning? I assume those struck by lightning are outside at the time…I go inside when lightning threatens, thus mitigating or eliminating that risk. What can I do on the subway? If nothing, that subway risk is much higher than the lightning risk. Not a comparison that gives one the warm and fuzzies.
The elephant in the room is the mention of “decaying older infrastructure” combined with “very expensive [and very slow to deploy] new infrastructure”. If upgrading old (ancient by technology standards) is practically impossible, then maintenance becomes a Ship of Theseus problem. Charming from a “look how our ancestors used donkey carts” sort of way, but ultimately NYC becomes a laughing stock for the developed world. Not the look NYC is going for, I assume. Changing this situation requires a dramatic structural change in how NYC operates and envisions itself, dare I say a Giuliani/Moses approach. Unfortunately, the best suited for that job will soon be taking on the office of US President, whether you like him or not.
Population density doesn’t mean a city is succeeding. Unless Mogadishu and the Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh is your idea of even greater success.
The author sounds like someone who has spent so long living in Manhattan that he has become desensitized to the many issues it faces. Issues patently obvious to newcomers with fresh eyes. It’s human nature, but eventually the water gets too hot for any frog in the beaker…
Manhattan/NYC has the additional problem of being so densely populated that any crime has a larger “blast radius” as measured by the number of citizens directly or indirectly affected by the crime. (“I walk on that street every day, and did you hear what happened?”). So the perceived crime rate/impact is much greater, which grinds on you almost as badly as actually experiencing those crimes. Lucky NYC.
Wicked problems all. Wish the East Coast cities all the luck in addressing them. Those citizens are Americans too. Letting the Bronx burn really isn’t an option nowadays.
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[ 4.8 ms ] story [ 25.0 ms ] threadThat said, cracking down on petty crime would probably resolve most of the anxiety around crime that (re)surfaced this election cycle.
Sensationalist violent crime will always sell, but plenty of people feel and experience petty crime and griminess. Just resolving much of that would help reduce anxiety about crime significantly.
Anecdotally, a lot of the swing appeared to have happened in localities where petty crime and griminess increased.
It's not a left-right issue either - Dorchester MA is fairly grimy and transitional and very blue - just like Hunters Point in SF or much of South/Central Philly, but crime is kept fairly down, and cleanliness is maintained.
I’ve lived just outside of NYC, for a decade, have also lived in SF for a decade, and tend to agree, “feel safe walking down the street” (aka minimal minor crimes) is key.
Last time I was in NYC it wasn’t the immigrants that bothered me. It was the random (non-immigrant homeless drug addict) guy who out of the blue punched me in the arm then ran away while I was in line for a slice of pizza. And the guy touching himself on the sidewalk. That type of everyday “crime” is where I would focus.
I'm all for adding additional support programs for those that need help(and pay taxes to support it) but that's never been popular or successful enough to make an impact. We need more housing, increases to the minimum wage, and many other changes to help support those in need after they immediately get help(which is still hard to come by). These are long term changes that can't get a "quick fix". Meanwhile faith in our public transit institutions continues to degrade as they are ill equipped or unwilling to help enforce order in a way that makes the majority feel safe.
Last year Philly elected a mayor who promised to restore order, potentially bring back stop and frisk and make changes in policing to make the city safe. I hope order and safety do return, but I feel many will be uncomfortable with the level of compassion given to get to that level of safety.
The risk of being murdered on the NYC subway is comparable to being struck by lightning? I assume those struck by lightning are outside at the time…I go inside when lightning threatens, thus mitigating or eliminating that risk. What can I do on the subway? If nothing, that subway risk is much higher than the lightning risk. Not a comparison that gives one the warm and fuzzies.
The elephant in the room is the mention of “decaying older infrastructure” combined with “very expensive [and very slow to deploy] new infrastructure”. If upgrading old (ancient by technology standards) is practically impossible, then maintenance becomes a Ship of Theseus problem. Charming from a “look how our ancestors used donkey carts” sort of way, but ultimately NYC becomes a laughing stock for the developed world. Not the look NYC is going for, I assume. Changing this situation requires a dramatic structural change in how NYC operates and envisions itself, dare I say a Giuliani/Moses approach. Unfortunately, the best suited for that job will soon be taking on the office of US President, whether you like him or not.
Population density doesn’t mean a city is succeeding. Unless Mogadishu and the Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Bangladesh is your idea of even greater success.
The author sounds like someone who has spent so long living in Manhattan that he has become desensitized to the many issues it faces. Issues patently obvious to newcomers with fresh eyes. It’s human nature, but eventually the water gets too hot for any frog in the beaker…
Manhattan/NYC has the additional problem of being so densely populated that any crime has a larger “blast radius” as measured by the number of citizens directly or indirectly affected by the crime. (“I walk on that street every day, and did you hear what happened?”). So the perceived crime rate/impact is much greater, which grinds on you almost as badly as actually experiencing those crimes. Lucky NYC.
Wicked problems all. Wish the East Coast cities all the luck in addressing them. Those citizens are Americans too. Letting the Bronx burn really isn’t an option nowadays.