Firstly, no matter where the money came from it should be invested in the very lowest risk yet still interest bearing assets, like short term federal bonds. In terms of addressing the actual article debate about the interest, I'm sure there is a complicated legal framework which is in debate within the city and that's why it's still hanging there. My view is each deposit from each case should have it's own lifecycle. If money is seized that after a court case eventually is determined to be above board or a victim claims it, it should be returned with interest. If that deposit is determined to be proceeds of crime in which there is no victim to claim or expected claimant (closed drug case, counterfeiting). After time, if reasonable efforts to determine likely ownership were made and still no claimants,, give that money to the city anti-crime efforts on X date (statute of limitations?). Obviously some lawyers likely need to be involved to decide how/if that can happen, but at the end of the day if the source $ is a proceed of illicit activities in which there are no 'victims' that choose to claim it, that $ belongs to the jurisdiction (city) that found it.
* continued - of course the homeless/pandhandling population has problems that will not be solved by a couple days of workshop and some free product. Half probably won't make a full day. However, if it works for even just a few people, the rest will see the success and the winners will teach their friends, and the others will witness and start to emulate.
If you travel to Asia or a good number of other countries, you will see people come up to sell you trinkets, not change-askers..
If anyone agrees, I will put in $100 for 3 of us to raise $300 and get some product to get to 3 people. Easy peasy. I chose only 2 other partners because as a seed this is easy to start, and easy for us to chat and decide what/when details.
The three of us could make this happen this week if we want, not a big commitment.. We buy $100 of something sellable and go collectively pick 3 change-askers on Spring Garden to set them up. Might work and be great, might not and cost essentially nothing.
[email protected] email me if you're in, lets do something great for the city together.
Today I went through the drive through at McDonalds outside the Halifax Shopping Center, and right after the order box was a kid selling chocolate almonds. Probably 8-10 years old, selling chocolate almonds for $4/box. He sold both the cars in front of me, and also me. 100% closer.
He had a name tag on which I'm sure said something about what he was selling for, it didn't matter. I didn't read it nor do I care. It was -20C today and he was right there.
I bought a box. I also bought him a hot chocolate parked to walk back and give it to him. Too cold for him to be out there standing on the cold and sunless and windy side of the building no less.
All this to say, take that $15,000 and give the 'homeless but trying' something to work with. Tourist season is coming. House them for a few days, teach and show them and give them something they can sell. Almonds, art, Halifax souveniers. Something. They don't want to beg and nor should they. Give them something people want, so that passerby's will look towards instead of away from them, and once the newfound entrepreneurs see how much more effective it is than begging, they will be both empowered and better cared for.
You can't just say 11% of the people you stopped are African but they're 3.6% of the population therefore there is racial bias.
Those statistics are meaningless unless they also consider when and where they are stopping people,and what the demographics are of the people in that area in that place and time are.
If cops are out stopping people randomly between the hours of midnight and 4am, and Africans happen to represent 11% of the population outdoors at that time, then there is in fact no bias.
Let the statisticians draw conclusions from the data, not reporters.
Recent Comments
If you travel to Asia or a good number of other countries, you will see people come up to sell you trinkets, not change-askers..
If anyone agrees, I will put in $100 for 3 of us to raise $300 and get some product to get to 3 people. Easy peasy. I chose only 2 other partners because as a seed this is easy to start, and easy for us to chat and decide what/when details.
The three of us could make this happen this week if we want, not a big commitment.. We buy $100 of something sellable and go collectively pick 3 change-askers on Spring Garden to set them up. Might work and be great, might not and cost essentially nothing.
[email protected] email me if you're in, lets do something great for the city together.
He had a name tag on which I'm sure said something about what he was selling for, it didn't matter. I didn't read it nor do I care. It was -20C today and he was right there.
I bought a box. I also bought him a hot chocolate parked to walk back and give it to him. Too cold for him to be out there standing on the cold and sunless and windy side of the building no less.
All this to say, take that $15,000 and give the 'homeless but trying' something to work with. Tourist season is coming. House them for a few days, teach and show them and give them something they can sell. Almonds, art, Halifax souveniers. Something. They don't want to beg and nor should they. Give them something people want, so that passerby's will look towards instead of away from them, and once the newfound entrepreneurs see how much more effective it is than begging, they will be both empowered and better cared for.
Those statistics are meaningless unless they also consider when and where they are stopping people,and what the demographics are of the people in that area in that place and time are.
If cops are out stopping people randomly between the hours of midnight and 4am, and Africans happen to represent 11% of the population outdoors at that time, then there is in fact no bias.
Let the statisticians draw conclusions from the data, not reporters.