We should be aware of a false sense of security. I hear people like Preacher saying things are calmer, and I agree, they are. The question is....why?
People are not hanging around so much in the evenings, but tend to want to get home. This has two effects: 1) We're not outside so we don't really know what its like after 11pm on the streets. 2)As there aren't as many potential victims, bandits are experiencing slim pickings.
Also, its harder for gangs to find rival gangs to shoot up at the moment.
This curfew, much like prison, doesn't cure bandits of the desire to commit crime, it just removes their opportunity. Come December there will be lots of bandits looking to do their xmas shopping and as they have been unable to steal for 3 months, they're gonna be desperate.
There has been no soloution to the crime problem. Locking people up doesn't prevent crime long term, it just denies opportunities.
Yes, it may be safer for many people at the moment. But many people and businesses are being denied the right to live their lives how they want. If we could emerge from the SOE in a new utopia where crime levels remain low, I would unconditionally support the SOE. But the reality is that this is not a soloution, its a postponement.
One of the worrying side effects is that people are now very used to living under a curfew and once we return to normal, it could be a shock to the system.
And we still don't know the reason for the SOE. Govt talk about preventing a situation that would make 1990 look like a tea party, but we still don't know what is was and we still haven't seen any post SOE plans to combat crime.
