[Eli]

Should this be merged with the housing collapse thread?

Great post by the way, Detroit once again is the most crime ridden city in the US.

So FUBAR

Detroit, now #1 again

n another blow to the Motor City's tarnished image, Detroit pushed past St. Louis to become the nation's most dangerous city, according to a private research group's controversial analysis, released Sunday, of annual FBI crime statistics

Economic melt down gaining speed.

[frankthetank]

Here is just more proof! The writing is on the wall. Detroit is another good example, and just the other day they were rated the worse city for crime or some shit like that. Poor people to stupid things because they have no other choice or they're just bored because they have nothing to do. A lot of people can't handle "free time".

[emersonbiggins]

I wonder how long this will go on after the market for scrapped materials collapses? Obviously, much of what is in a house has some utility, but stealing baseboards & molding - give me a break, once the economy collapses, no one's going to be buying & installing those things at all, unless it's in a burning fireplace.

[Jack]

Coming soon to a neighborhood near most.

[pup55]

Back in the 80's in Dallas, during the big S and L meltdown, this sort of thing used to be pretty typical.

In those days, the FHA would put a sticker on the front door to the effect that the house was federal property.

This of course was a signal for the fun to begin. They would get all of the fixtures first: toilets, ceiling fans, etc. then the air conditioning units and water heater. Somebody industrious with a small crew could get most of this stuff off of a house in the course of an afternoon.

It took a couple of days to get the copper wiring and water lines.

Ironically, there was a period of time during which this stuff would reappear in a newly constructed home a few blocks over. For a brief period, the developers were still building suburban sprawl homes at the same time the houses a couple of blocks over were being foreclosed on. The developers and subcontractors were busting into the foreclosures and reinstalling the stuff in new homes.

Then TSHTF and the whole thing ground to a screeching halt for a few years.

[emersonbiggins]

Coming soon to a neighborhood near most.

Like Rocc sez... "Got Bunker?"

[Eli]

In California they have entire subdivisions that are sitting empty. If I was a developer I would buy a lot of insurance and make sure I paid nothing on security.

[Leanan]

Some criminals are not very smart. Note that some houses had their vinyl siding stripped, because the thieves didn't realize it wasn't aluminum.

One of my coworkers had their car broken into, and the microprocessor stolen. It was worthless - no resale value. But fixing the damage cost over $1,000 dollars.

[aflurry]

whatevs.

the houses shouldn't have been built in the first place. it's a side effect of people using land as a speculative tool, with no regard to it's usefulness.

the crime happened when they plowed up the topsoil and dropped the worthless mcmansion on the land in the first place.

the market has spoken and it said that the only value left in the place is the price of the scrap.

[aflurry]

It was worthless - no resale value.

car break-ins are often performed by meth addicts or crackheads out of their minds.

i'd guess anyone actually in it for the money has their buyers ready.

[Leanan]

Yeah, I would guess it was a crackhead.

I once had the aluminum trim stripped off a car while I was in it. Wasn't my car, so I let him do it.

I've sometimes thought that medical skills would be a good post-peak hedge. Nurse, EMT, something like that. Whether it's BAU or Mad Max, you'd probably have a job.

Then I remember New Orleans, where the medical personnel got shot at, because the crackheads thought they might have drugs.

[Eli]

Or teens and incompetent criminals.


And Aflurry if you think we have torn up the earth and misused it just wait until PO really gets going. We are going to burn anything we can.

I really hate this crap, our doomer zombie urban nightmare predictions coming true, and things have just started to go south.

[frankthetank]

Pup-

Only thing i see different is today a lot of houses use PEX tubing, PVC drains, vinyl siding, fake wood floors, lots of drywall, plastic tubs, cheap fixtures, asphalt roofing, OSB EVERYWHERE..... I bet those Texas houses at least had some valuable stuff in them!

Here is a thought. If your town goes to shit (mass unemployment, high gas prices, lack of food), who will they target? Wouldn't they target more expensive "looking" homes then cheap crappy ranch houses?

Got booby traps!?

[pedalling_faster]

Coming soon to a neighborhood near most.

yes.

[Kingcoal]

Could we see the return of State Citizen Militias? I mean, it's going to get to the point where the criminals will take over. The National Guard and local police will be so stretched thin that they will need all the help they can get. Actually, this kind of situation was the reason for the second amendment and its reference to "a well regulated Militia." In those days, the Militia was made up of private citizens, in fact many States had a requirement that all adult males do time as a Militia Man. Perhaps the States will resurrect the Militia idea and require all households keep a loaded, full-auto assault rifle along with a person who is trained in its operation. That's the way it is in Switzerland. Sounds like a good idea to me because there is only so much security that pad locks and alarm systems can provide. You home alarm might be going off, calling the police, but if the police are completely overwhelmed, they might not get to your house for a couple of hours, if at all.

[Eli]

The idea that you are talking about would be much more consistent with the Constitution of the United States, that is why we will see the exact opposite happen.

If crime gets real bad they will come in and confiscate everyones weapons. We have been sold this idea that the Federal Government is here to save us and that they are the only ones fit for the job. I expect that lie to continue.

[IanC]

Here in Portland, the police have stopped investigating property crimes. You can call in to report your stolen car, your vandalized house, etc. but they won't send anyone to investigate. No resources, apparently. This just reinforces a bunker mentality among the public. More guns, more accidentally killed children from those guns, more right wing skwalking.

-Ian

[Roy]

Could we see the return of State Citizen Militias? I mean, it's going to get to the point where the criminals will take over. The National Guard and local police will be so stretched thin that they will need all the help they can get. Actually, this kind of situation was the reason for the second amendment and its reference to "a well regulated Militia." In those days, the Militia was made up of private citizens, in fact many States had a requirement that all adult males do time as a Militia Man. Perhaps the States will resurrect the Militia idea and require all households keep a loaded, full-auto assault rifle along with a person who is trained in its operation. That's the way it is in Switzerland. Sounds like a good idea to me because there is only so much security that pad locks and alarm systems can provide. You home alarm might be going off, calling the police, but if the police are completely overwhelmed, they might not get to your house for a couple of hours, if at all.

KC, I've had thoughts along that exact line. I think it would be a great idea, even excepting the full auto rifle/Switzerland model.

Armed neighbors are a good thing IMO. A bunch of unarmed people screams 'easy score' to the criminal mind. I want them to think of my community as a no go.

911 response times are inadequate in my experience, to prevent or stop a crime. By the time they get there, all that's left to do is to pick up the pieces. I prefer not to be one of those pieces. I also feel obliged to help my neighbors defend themselves and their property, should the need arise. From my informal poll of my immediate neighbors, that feeling seems to be mutual. Its a hopeful sign.

Good post.

[frankthetank]

No way can the local police here keep up with an increase in crime. Right now i think they are very busy and it isn't that bad around here. Add some unemployment, throw in some alcohol and you've got a riot on your hands.

I read/hear about crimes that have happened in the past (mainly vandalism and theft) and few of these cases have been solved. This isn't petty type stuff, but 1000's of dollars worth of missing/broken items. Theft will sky rocket when the shit really starts falling apart.

They can steal my TV, but if they touch my beans, there going to have 3 inch slug in their ass.

[Eli]

Let us not forget that it is through property taxes that local governments get their funding. As housing heads deep into the shitter it will result in less property taxes.


The city is already so strapped for cash that we can't add more cops. This is going to be a universal problem in US cities.

If you are anti-gun my advice is to go to the range and take a hand gun safety course.