Normietown

 Yglesias makes a case for a more robust DNA database and expanded use of facial recognition software to reduce recidivism. He engages in a little bit of Leftist-Punching, but I think it's warranted. 

Coming out of the murder of George Floyd and the protest movement it spawned, we got the lamentable "Defund the Police" messaging debacle. Police were the problem, because they included not only Derek Chauvin but the officers who stood there and watched Floyd die. I get why "You can't reform this" trended. There are real problems in the police "Warrior Culture". Protect and serve became dominate and occupy.

I will always remember what Deroy McKesson told our students: that Black Lives Matter also refers to the high number of Black murder victims whose families never see justice. If you're Black and get murdered, the police don't devote a ton of resources. This leads to the problem of Black and Brown communities being simultaneously over- and under-policed. 

What Yglesias and others are arguing for would be to short circuit the recidivism cycle by storing DNA of anyone every arrested. Additionally, you could make better use of monitoring devices like ankle monitors to keep minor offenders out of prison. The idea is that too often, if you're a petty criminal, you can be reasonably certain you'll escape punishment. The police simply can't devote resources into every car broken into.

To bring my own experiences into it: we have a Drug and Alcohol rule here at our school. If you get caught drinking or doing (light) drugs, you will get suspended, including simply being in the same room with someone doing drugs or drinking. However, after your suspension you get another chance, but you know that if you're ever even in the same room as someone drinking, you lose your spot here. There is a certain forgiveness in this system, but also it creates a powerful check on future bad behavior. In fact, peers help keep peers in line, once they know they have their "strike."

Since most criminals statistically are young men, creating an accountability measure - like a DNA database or ankle monitors - that de-incentivizes doing more crimes while keeping them out of prison, seems like a no-brainer. However, the All Cops Are Bastards crowd is clearly not going to go along with that.

This is where the Lefty Punching and the appeals to living in Normietown are accurate. People worry about crime, and when they worry about crime, they are more likely to elect reactionary authoritarian figures. The GOP is running on crime, because crime did spike in 2020 (Who was president then? Doesn't matter.). While the murder rate is falling, that's from its 2020-21 peak and it's still higher than 2019. If you want to prevent a Trump or DeSantis victory in 2024, you have to tackle crime and inflation. 

In a functioning world, there is a bipartisan crime bill that creates a national DNA database and a robust ankle monitoring system for non-violent criminals (especially juvenile offenders). The DNA database (and perhaps some increased facial recognition software) is your "tough on crime" bit and the ankle monitoring addresses the mass incarceration concerns.

Too bad we don't live in a functioning world.