Three-phase Crime Plan

[patric]

I just realized why I keep thinking of an episode of 'South Park" when I see news reports on our crime rate...

In the South Park episode titled "Gnomes", the Underpants Gnomes are a community of underground gnomes who steal underpants.

The Underpants Gnomes have a three-phase business plan, consisting of:

  1. Collect underpants
  2.
  3. Profit!

None of the gnomes actually know what the second phase is, and all of them assume that someone else within the organization does.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underpants_Gnomes

There doesnt appear to be much substance to the process where we move from throwing money at the problem to the problem being solved. Clearly, a step is missing, or a little fuzzy at the very least.
Granted whatever solution is likely to work will probably involve an economic transaction somewhere, but what?

Do we fund more programs to enrich idle minds during the winter months (not unlike keeping swimming pools open during the summer)?

Do we hire more police, or reward the better ones we already have? (couch potatoes need not apply.)

Do we pay AEP to install more craptacular streetlights in the hopes that it scares off crime?  (If that flawed theory hasnt panned out in the over hundred years it's been tried, it's probably not going to for this election, either).

I dont think were going to make the progress we need to make as long as we focus on the sensational and forget to ask the question Why?

Are we seeing ripples from a financial downturn, job losses, immigration or Katrina refugees?  Is Robertson punishing us for Brokeback Mountain? What things are happening in our community that might be turning the stew bitter?

Until we have a good understanding of cause, we wont have much of an impact on effect no matter how many zeros we throw at it.