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They take down what has already happened. They are reporters, historians. They don't protect or defend you. They can't.
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??????? They can't? How can you say that cops don't protect and defend. That's assinine. They do. For your scenarios sake I'll expand. If a LEO gets to a robbery at a 7-11 after it happens, garners a description, intensifies patrol, finds a subject and arrest said subject who then proves to be the perp...Has he not [bold]protected[/bold] the public from the good chance that this robber will do it again?
If a newly opened night club lets out at 0400 and around that time there is a sharp increase in DWI related accidents, DWI patrols are implemented, arrests increase and the DWI accident related occurence drop off....Has not the people who don't drink and drive been [bold]defended[/bold] by those LEO's
Of course they are "historians." You can learn from patterns of criminal behaviors and events. This is how people we call crime statisticians can figure out where to intensify patrols or beef up police visibilty. Arrests may deter someone from commiting a crime again. An incresed police presence in a crime ridden area will certainly drop crime, that has been proven over and over again.
Sure they set up stings and bust druggies, but how many robberies and murders were STOPPED by the police. A miniscule amount.
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Wrond again. Look at crime stats. The FBI report on Uniform crime stats shows a sharp decline in murder rates and most crime in general. If we compare those stats to those of 5 or ten years ago when the stats showed more murders per year then obviously new trends and styles of law enforcement(community policing, HUD/LEO incentive plans, DNA useage,) have saved(i.e. PROTECTED and DEFENDED) lives.
These are empirical results. You can't argue with the stats. In NYC less people were murdered in the year 2000 than in 1999. THat is lives saved.
If your only definition of "protect and defend" involves a cop showing up and preventing a rape or assault about to happen from happening it's a very shortsighted definition.