Category: Crime

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

17 September, 2009 (10:14) | Crime, Housing, Innovations, Slums, Speculation, US News | No comments

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 preventive (discouraging crime) or even pre-emptive (rounding up [...]

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

16 September, 2009 (10:45) | Crime, Housing, Innovations, Slums, Speculation, US News | No comments

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 cop with the video camera, the forensics team, [...]