I concur. Not a study but I've spent years working security in welfare offices, shelters, winter encampments, and loss prevention. I've seen every type of person and situation and very few are predators or criminals. Most of them are disabled, elderly, and women/teenagers. Men who worked hard until their bodies broke.

Also I would argue most of the crime would disappear if the government didn't give drug dealers a monopoly on drugs. Like bike theft would still be a thing, but the vast majority of petty theft is bartered for drugs.

We could solve a lot of problems by having medical facilities that provide drugs for free to addicts. There people can directly access recovery resources or maybe with a doctor's help they can lower the dosage gradually. EoD people doing these drugs until they die anyways, so what's the difference? Oh right, police would lose their "war on drugs" funding. Can't have that.

[–] group_hug@sh.itjust.works 5 points 3 days ago (1 children)

BC Hydro is shelling out $12,000 to repair chargers people are destroying in order to sell the copper for a paltry $20-$150

And it's happening more and more. The waste is unreal. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ev-charger-thefts-rise-9.7323039

[–] Canconda@lemmy.ca 4 points 3 days ago

Copper theft is insane. Doing security I've seen buildings after they've been stripped and walked in on it being done once.

IMO this is late stage capitalism and the rest of us still working have economic guns to our heads.