How do you stop crime when the money is too good?

The article reflects on the shift in criminal activities from metal theft to cable theft, driven by socioeconomic factors and risky but lucrative rewards.

It highlights the shortcomings of merely increasing penalties and emphasizes the need for systemic changes to address income disparity and create better economic opportunities.

The writer argues for the importance of addressing root causes rather than exacerbating policing, to prevent crimes by offering viable alternatives and improving living conditions.

The article also touches on the broader implications of technology and automation on employment, urging for a more equitable distribution of income and opportunities.

OCTOBER 21 — I walked past a motorcycle workshop the other day and saw it had chained the grates over the nearby drains.

Makes sense, I thought, and kept walking.

Years ago, someone had stolen the grate cover in front of my gate, which had my brother fall right into the drain in the dark.

Nothing was safe if it was made from metal in those days but now instead of plundering scrap metal, thieves are risking electrocution for a risky payload with a huge payoff.

I hear talk they’re trying to stop cable theft by increasing penalties but let me ask you this — when have penalties ever stopped people when the reward is bigger than the risk?

It makes me sad sometimes (or maybe I’ve just been successfully indoctrinated by all the anti- dadah propaganda of the 80s) that even with the huge penalties for drug trafficking, it still happens.

When you consider your life being worth less than money, it’s just tragic.

Snatch theft became less of a common incident in the Klang Valley when delivery services gained momentum.

Why steal a purse for uncertain returns when you could go around with your bike for fixed payments?

Now the delivery companies are beginning to reduce payouts, making delivery jobs a lot less enticing.

With so many delivery platforms and the existence of emails, becoming a dispatch rider for a company is no longer an option for young school leavers.

Why pay someone a set amount when you can probably contract a company to do the same, often for cheaper?

Now people are willing to risk their lives to steal cables, likely backed by shady figures looking to rake in millions by recruiting the poor and desperate.

Yes, rail companies need to be smarter about securing their cables. Technology exists. Sensors, cameras, monitoring systems — all that can be implemented.

Yet what rail companies cannot control is the socioeconomic factors that encourage the thefts.

I look at the videos of young people rampaging on the streets of Paris and see the derisive comments.

Yes, I do think it’s unfair that small business owners had their storefronts destroyed alongside large companies whose insurance will cover all the damage.

The solution is not increasing the policing or further oppressing the disenfranchised.

It is well-documented how lopsided the distribution of income has become and income disparity has only increased in recent years.

Now AI has not empowered anyone but the rich tech oligarchs making money from ridiculous overvaluations while many are losing their jobs.

Sometimes I sigh seeing the businessmen who are convinced that people like me can be replaced with a bot.

While it is important to snuff out these rogue agents targeting power and communication cables, disincentivizing theft by making easy money less attractive is the better strategy in the long run.

If you want people to make better choices, then make them available. Make crime, heists so unpalatable in comparison to a comfortable living situation.

Few people are more dangerous than the ones with nothing left to lose and that is something leaders everywhere should note, especially after the Paris riots.­

* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.

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文章探讨了犯罪活动从金属盗窃转向电缆盗窃的转变，这种转变是由社会经济因素和高风险但高回报的收益所驱动的。

它强调了仅仅增加处罚力度的不足之处，并强调需要进行系统性改革来解决收入差距问题，创造更好的经济机会。

作者认为，为了预防犯罪，应该着重解决犯罪的根本原因，而不是加强警务，通过提供可行的替代方案和改善生活条件来实现这一目标。

文章还探讨了技术和自动化对就业的更广泛影响，呼吁更公平地分配收入和机会。

10 月 21 日——前几天我路过一家摩托车修理厂，看到他们用链条把附近排水沟的格栅锁住了。

“有道理，”我想，然后继续往前走。

多年前，有人偷走了我家大门前的格栅盖，导致我弟弟在黑暗中掉进了排水沟。

在那个年代，凡是金属制品都不安全；而现在，窃贼们不再掠夺废金属，而是冒着触电的风险去偷窃高风险但回报巨大的物品。

我听说他们正在通过加大处罚力度来阻止有线电视盗窃，但我想问你——当收益大于风险时，处罚什么时候能阻止人们呢？

有时我会感到难过（或者也许我只是被 80 年代的反毒品宣传成功洗脑了），即使对贩毒有严厉的惩罚，贩毒仍然会发生。

当你认为自己的生命不如金钱值钱时，这真是太悲哀了。

随着外卖服务的蓬勃发展，巴生谷地区的抢劫案发生率有所下降。

与其偷钱包图得不确定回报，不如骑自行车出行，获得固定收益？

现在快递公司开始降低报酬，使得快递工作的吸引力大大降低。

由于配送平台众多，加上电子邮件的普及，对于刚毕业的年轻人来说，成为公司的送货员已经不再是一种选择。

既然可以雇佣公司做同样的事情，而且通常价格更低，为什么还要付钱给别人呢？

现在，有人甘愿冒着生命危险去偷电缆，背后很可能是一些不法分子，他们企图通过招募贫困绝望的人来牟取暴利。

是的，铁路公司需要更有效地保护电缆。技术已经存在，传感器、摄像头、监控系统——这些都可以应用。

然而，铁路公司无法控制的是助长盗窃行为的社会经济因素。

我看了那些年轻人在巴黎街头横冲直撞的视频，也看到了那些嘲讽的评论。

是的，我认为这很不公平，小企业主的店面被毁，而大公司却因为保险可以承担所有损失。

解决办法不是加强警力部署或进一步压迫弱势群体。

收入分配极度不平衡的状况已得到充分证实，而且近年来收入差距还在不断扩大。

如今，人工智能并没有赋予任何人权力，反而让那些靠着荒谬的高估值而发财的科技寡头们赚得盆满钵满，而许多人却因此失去了工作。

有时看到那些认为像我这样的人可以被机器人取代的商人，我会叹息。

虽然铲除这些以电力和通信电缆为目标的非法分子很重要，但从长远来看，通过降低轻松赚钱的吸引力来抑制盗窃行为才是更好的策略。

如果你想让人们做出更好的选择，那就让他们有更好的选择。让犯罪和抢劫与舒适的生活环境相比变得令人厌恶。

很少有人比那些一无所有的人更危险，这一点世界各地的领导人都应该注意，尤其是在巴黎骚乱之后。

* 这是专栏作家的个人观点。

我去看《挖掘机》的时候，以为它是部冲奥片，结果看完之后，我彻底被它征服了。

安瓦尔·易卜拉欣的现任优势

我在PJ的冒险者大厅体验了舒适的桌面游戏。

为什么雨水无法冲刷掉马来西亚的雾霾？专家解释了烟雾持续存在的原因。

雾霾也让宠物生病：马来西亚兽医报告称，猫咪出现哮喘发作，狗狗需要吸氧治疗。

雾霾：明日六个州、吉隆坡和布城学校照常开放，户外活动暂停。