"Any time people's basic needs are met, violence goes down -- that's not new"

This NYT article about crime and neighborhoods has been getting a lot of attention today. It's about new research that suggests local community groups have played a significant, if maybe unrecognized, role in the large declines in crime in cities around the country during the past two decades -- even if those orgs don't necessarily have anything directly to do with crime prevention. The thing we took away from this: Every little thing that people do to help heal and grow the social fabric of a neighborhood -- reading to kids, tending to a vacant lot, fixing up a playground -- helps. [NYT Upshot]

Comments

Read to kids or they'll grow up to rob your house!

Can’t stop learning things from AOA...I’ve learned in the recent past people would prefer to live in nice places than bad......I’ve learned when there is a financial incentive to do things people will do them.....I’ve learned when people do nice things then that’s good.....this is some earth shattterjng stuff.......thought broken windows didn’t matter???

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For a decade All Over Albany was a place for interested and interesting people in New York's Capital Region. It was kind of like having a smart, savvy friend who could help you find out what's up. AOA stopped publishing at the end of 2018.

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