Why Government Doesn't Work: on Crime

5-point plan reduces govt role in crime enforcement

The crime wave of the past 30 years isn’t a result of soft-on-crime attitudes. I believe there are 5 steps needed to lower the crime rate substantially & bring back the peaceful society America had 35 years ago. All 5 call for less government.
1. Stop locking up non-violent offenders. Prison facilities should be reserved for those who murder, rape, assault, and rob.
2. End Washington’s War on Drugs. If drugs were legal, there would be no drive-by shootings, no unjust entries or arrests, & no pushers hanging around schoolyards.
3. End property seizures. Asset-forfeiture laws invite law-enforcement agencies to finance their activities by taking property on flimsy pretexts.
4. Repeal gun-control laws.
5. The laws start by banning something no reasonable person is likely to want-and then become more and more restrictive, until the ban is total.
6. Keep the federal government out. All crime is local; it occurs in the jurisdiction of some police department or sheriff’s department.

Most federal law enforcement is unconstitutional

Federal laws interfere with local police work and violate the Constitution. They also allow government to circumvent the Bill of Rights and subject citizens to double jeopardy. If a jury acquits someone of violating a state gun-control law, for example, he can be re-tried for violating a federal gun-control law-even though the second trial is for the same act.

The federal government has no special wisdom, no special authority, and no special ability to fight crime. The Founding Fathers thought that would be a terrible idea. The past 35 years have confirmed their wisdom. The federal government’s involvement in local law-enforcement has helped the guilty and hurt the innocent.

No prison for victimless crimes nor white-collar crimes

People who are guilty of fraud, embezzlement, or other white-collar crimes shouldn’t be locked up either, if there is any reasonable prospect that they can make restitution-to their victims, not the government. Prison time should be reserved for repeat offenders who don’t make restitution.

Possession of a weapon (of any kind) should be considered a crime only if it’s used to injure or threaten someone.

[We should] clear the prisons of non-violent offenders. They are no threat to society, but locking them up diverts prison cells, police resources, and court time from the violent thugs who are threatening us.