RW>flood it with cops AND keep them there.  Because if not
  >as soon as the cops leave the criminals will come back.
Except that when you do clean up a neighborhood, it has a definite
effect on the people who live there and encourages them to try to
maintain the new status quo which you have shown them CAN exist.
RW>What have you accomplished?  You have spent thousands
  >of dollars to keep a drunk off the streets for 30 days.
  >You also have taught him that getting arrested isn't a
  >bad thing, AAMOF it's a pretty good gig-a vacation,
  >except for no booze.
You may have somewhat of a point there.  Years ago, about the time
that the weather would start getting cold, we had a regular drunk who
would find a brick or other heavy object and heave it through our front
window.  Of course he would be immediately arrested and jailed.  When
he got to court the judge, who knew this character on sight, would 
ask the defendant how much time he thought he should get.  His answer 
was always........."Well, your honor; when do you think it will start 
to get warm again?"
RW>Enforcing the law is a good thing but as soon as you
  >start things like "Zero Tolerance" in you are going to
  >have the same thing we now have in the schools.  People
  >going of the deep end.  In your "Zero Tolerance" life
  >after the 'big' criminals (drunks, druggies, etc) are
  >caught or ran off do you then go after the other
  >criminals like people who spit on the sidewalk (still
  >illegal in most cities) or jaywalk or drop a piece of
  >paper or maybe those who leave a public toilet w/o
  >flushing (not a crime hear, yet, but it is in "Zero
  >Tolerance" Singapore).  After all don't all of these
  >effect the 'quality of life' in a neighborhood?
Rich:  It still boils down to the fact that zero tolerance amounts to
enforcing existing law.  If you don't like those laws, you can work to
get them repealed.
CHARLES HUNTER
 * 1st 2.00 #9124 * Some days you're the bug, other days the windshield.
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