Category: Crime

Month in Review: March, 2013

17 May, 2013 (14:29) | Bankruptcy, Banks, Cities, Crime, Cyprus, Detroit, Euro, Land use, Month in review, New York City, Post Office, ratings agencies, Slums, Urbanization | 2 comments

By:David A. Smith   [Previous Months in Review available here: Feb 13, Jan 13, Dec 12, Nov 12, Oct 12, Sep 12, Aug 12, Jul 12, Jun 12, May 12]   During March, the Department of Justice sued Standard & Poor’s, an action that was five billion dollars’ worth of overdue, and included legislation with [...]

Who grows there? Part 2, the community’s response

6 June, 2012 (16:07) | California, Crime, Entrepreneur, Foreclosure, Homeownership, Housing, marijuana, Markets, occupancy, US News, Value Chain |

[Continued from yesterday's Part 1.]   By:David A. Smith   Yesterday’s post smoked out the issue, latent in a New York Times story about marijuana grow houses, that illegal activity (even if it’s the most unassuming and seemingly peaceful) is a community risk, and one that proliferates when communities decline and are riddled with vacant [...]

Who grows there? Part 1, the strangers’ arrival

5 June, 2012 (10:54) | California, Crime, Entrepreneur, Foreclosure, Homeownership, Housing, marijuana, Markets, occupancy, US News, Value Chain |

By:David A. Smith   Want to profit from the foreclosure crisis in California?    You’ll need electricity, ventilation, and water   Want to make big money at home?   Adaptive reuse!   Own your own business, be your own boss?   Learn a valuable trade   All with low capital outlays and minimal risk?  If [...]

The robocop on the beat: Part 2, seen as one seeing

17 September, 2009 (10:14) | Crime, Housing, Innovations, Slums, Speculation, US News |

By: David A. Smith   [Continued from yesterday's Part 1.]   As we saw in yesterday’s post, policing is more effective and more civilized if it is preventive, a role played by the cop on the beat since first sentries walked their posts.   Twirling a jaunty billy club   In earlier times, policing was [...]

The robocop on the beat: Part 1, seen being seen

16 September, 2009 (10:45) | Crime, Housing, Innovations, Slums, Speculation, US News |

By: David A. Smith   Does deterrence come not from seeing but being seen?   Do you feel more secure seeing me?   Our parents thought so; for them the cop on the beat was a reassuring figure, heir to the town crier’s All’s Well.    All is well Today technology has replaced the beat [...]