I just finished Edward Conlon‘s memoir Blue Blood, about a Harvard-educated writer who joins the NYPD. I found it highly enjoyable — and I’m not the only one who thought so.
Whenever Conlon addressed a topic that I know something about (like the economics of the war on drugs — see p. 170 of the book’s paperback version), his analysis was always right on the money — which gave me confidence in his accuracy when discussing issues I know nothing about.
Among his many interesting insights is the following, which takes place on p. 239: Conlon has been getting information from a homeless heroin addict named Charlie, regularly paying Charlie small sums of his own money in exchange for tips. Charlie has a homeless friend named Tommy. One day on the street, Conlon runs into Tommy, who tells him a location where crack sales occur. Conlon writes:
I handed Tommy some money, he held up his hands and said, “C’mon, Eddie, you don’t have to, it’s okay.” I said, “It’s all right, you guys work, you take risks for us, you should get paid.” He took the money, but he shook his head.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I feel a little funny, since you guys pay out of your own pockets. Do you know how much we make out here, panhandling, during rush hour?’
“No, how much?”
“About a dollar a minute.”
“Oh.”
I didn’t take my money back, but I saw his point. Charlie and Tommy made more money than us. I should have realized that earlier, as the math was not complicated — we took home less than a hundred dollars a day, while their habits were at least that. I tried not to dwell on the fact that, economically, a New York City police officer was a notch down from a bum.
Does this make anyone want to change their answer to last week’s beggar/hot dog vendor discussion?
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I live in the great city of Chicago and after seeing a few lousy cops do some lousy things, I’m not terribly (at least initially) inclined to feel more heartfelt compassion for them than I am any other person. I do think most must be brave and good people and like any profession, I am sure there are some really stand-up policemen and policewomen.
But I hate that since I’ve lived here, I’ve seen a cop scream profanity out his car, seen cops turn on their siren to get through lights (no emergency…practically sipping coffee in hand…), and one cop bang a nightstick loudly against the El glass to wake up a sleeping passenger. This has, for better or worse, really damaged my image of cops. I suppose this all may beg the question of whether or not less cops would abuse their power if they felt more powerful financially.
How about whipping up that study?
I live in the great city of Chicago and after seeing a few lousy cops do some lousy things, I’m not terribly (at least initially) inclined to feel more heartfelt compassion for them than I am any other person. I do think most must be brave and good people and like any profession, I am sure there are some really stand-up policemen and policewomen.
But I hate that since I’ve lived here, I’ve seen a cop scream profanity out his car, seen cops turn on their siren to get through lights (no emergency…practically sipping coffee in hand…), and one cop bang a nightstick loudly against the El glass to wake up a sleeping passenger. This has, for better or worse, really damaged my image of cops. I suppose this all may beg the question of whether or not less cops would abuse their power if they felt more powerful financially.
How about whipping up that study?
Crimepays, if you read Freakonomics you’d know that crime does not, in fact, pay. And when faced with arresting a drug dealer or a heroin addict – a title which should pretty much suggest mental difficulties – you would go after the addict? You wouldn’t want to, you know, cut the problem off at the source?
I’m glad you’re not a cop.
Crimepays, if you read Freakonomics you’d know that crime does not, in fact, pay. And when faced with arresting a drug dealer or a heroin addict – a title which should pretty much suggest mental difficulties – you would go after the addict? You wouldn’t want to, you know, cut the problem off at the source?
I’m glad you’re not a cop.
Maybe the top superstar panhandler working the world’s best location makes a dollar a minute, but I really doubt that vast majority make anything like that money. Either Tommy or Mr. Conlon is ‘molding the unshapely clay of truth.’
Those of who read ‘Freakonomics’ remember the chapter devoted to drug dealers. The great majority made very little money.
Maybe the top superstar panhandler working the world’s best location makes a dollar a minute, but I really doubt that vast majority make anything like that money. Either Tommy or Mr. Conlon is ‘molding the unshapely clay of truth.’
Those of who read ‘Freakonomics’ remember the chapter devoted to drug dealers. The great majority made very little money.
re: 1
Well, I imagine the cops think the tips they get from the drug addicts is “worth” more to fighting crime, than what they would get from arresting them…
re: 1
Well, I imagine the cops think the tips they get from the drug addicts is “worth” more to fighting crime, than what they would get from arresting them…