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Comment by threeseed | Hacker News Reader

I think the last thing anyone needs is more people like Garry Tan weighing in.

As the article mentions SF does not have a high crime rate compared to other cities. What it does have that is more unique are issues around homelessness, inequality, drug use etc.

Those need to be solved by real experts who can look into social and inequality programs that can target the root cause in a measured, data-driven and impassioned way. Not hyperbolic, tech-bro VCs.

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I think the solutions are quite clear to anyone that lives in the area (i.e. arrest drug dealers and shoplifters). As an SF resident, it is frustrating to see incredible sums of money thrown at the problem citing abstract solutions while things continue to deteriorate.

Your solutions have been tried many times before in many cities.

The problem is that by putting petty criminals in jail they get exposed to career criminals and have their lives permanently uprooted. So often when they leave they simply fall back into crime especially when you don't have solid rehabilitation programs.

And how is the US war on drugs working ? Or is it a little more complex than endlessly arresting every drug dealer that pops up.

I've lived in Singapore. If you carry more than 15 grams of heroin or 500g of cannabis in the country you are going to be executed. Weirdly enough, there's not a lot of career criminals or people making a living in crime in the country. IIRC 97% of women say they feel safe walking through Singapore at night.

Before you dismiss waging war on drugs have you considered waging it seriously?

I believe they also deport all of their homeless to Malaysia, which surely helps to keep the city clean. But is that a good example?

I do not think dealing fentanyl is a petty crime, and I do not think someone should feel so secure in brazenly walking out of a store with a bunch of stolen merchandise. If they want to do that nonsense, then they should understand that it is fair for society to hold them accountable to their own actions.

> San Francisco has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 18. Within California, more than 98% of the communities have a lower crime rate than San Francisco.

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ca/san-francisco/crime#des...

I highly doubt the SF supervisors spend any time consulting actual experts on anything.

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