Live data from Hacker News

In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

crimereads.com

71–80 of 234 posts

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, that’s exactly what I’m asking. There’s people literally pooping on the streets in California. Do you think those people would be able to afford a toilet of their own if this was the 80s? Was homelessness then as bad as it is now? In our progress forward in technology has tech actually made California worse for people as a whole?

Homelessness has always been a problem in this country; it just wasn't as visible as it is now. That visibility is from a bunch of reasons (the Internet makes all things more visible, cities became more popular instead of "white flight," sprawl in more areas). All the way back in 1995--jesus, that's 25 years ago, I feel old--Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had a two-part episode on "Sanctuary Districts" and staggering wea…

I can’t find anything on a quick Google that shows differences between 1980 and present. I did find this though: https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homeless...

That site states homelessness across the country is down 12% from 2007 - 2019, but it is up 9% in California in the same time period.

I think this validates asking the question of whether or not tech has been detrimental to general human welfare in the state of California.

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#72

Yeah, many of us that grew up in SoCal recall the heist that led to the so called 'assault weapon' ban, it was completely legal to have a long barrel rifle with 30 round magazines in CA prior to that--they could be open-carried if not loaded back then if I recall correctly, too. This was around the time of the LA riots in the 90s, too... which in my mind all happened at the same time as I recall being a kid sat in fr…

>And while I personally have no desire to live in CA anytime soon, except the occasional visit, I'm glad so many decided to leave since COVID. In a decade or two it may look like and feel as it did when I was a kid in the 90s and I may be tempted to go back.

A bank robbery every hour?

And I thought my nostalgia for the leaded gasoline and burning asbestos tram breaks smells was odd.

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> And homes were still affordable places to live in. So does this mean the “crime paradise” was a better more prosperous time for people to live in than tech? If so, what does that say about modern society that our most depraved decade was actually better?

Housing was affordable because it could still be built.

Maybe, developers could still build high density housing though. From what I’ve been told, developers prefer McMansions because of the profit margins.

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#74
post #67
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not just bank robbery. Every crime category is now much lower than it was in 1990, in every jurisdiction of the USA. Even if you take a city that people think is ridiculously dangerous, like Camden, New Jersey, the homicide rate was triple 25 years ago.

Not just in the US. Also in Europe and most of the developed world. Violence peaked in 80's - 90s and then started to decrease dramatically. Lead–crime connection is the strongest explanation. Past lead exposure functions as a predictor for criminal activity. Crime starts to drop in every country after the use of leaded gasoline is forbidden. New evidence that lead exposure increases crime https://www.brookings.edu/b…

Correlation is not causation?

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#75
> 1992, the worst year of all, there was an almost unimaginable 2,641 heists, one every 45 minutes of each banking day.

Point Break came out in 1991. I wonder if that inspired some people.

For those that don't know, the plot is that a bunch of LA surfers knock off banks so they can spend the rest of their time surfing, and get away with it for a long time.

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#77

Yeah, many of us that grew up in SoCal recall the heist that led to the so called 'assault weapon' ban, it was completely legal to have a long barrel rifle with 30 round magazines in CA prior to that--they could be open-carried if not loaded back then if I recall correctly, too. This was around the time of the LA riots in the 90s, too... which in my mind all happened at the same time as I recall being a kid sat in fr…

> many who live here don't even realize that California (both alta and baja) pre-dates the existence of the US and British colonialism by a significant margin.

Alta California was first colonized in 1769, not long before a bunch of British colonies on the other side of the continent that had been settled for quite a while broke off to form the USA; Baja was colonized from 1683. Neither predates British colonization of North America, and the colonization of Alta California only barely predates US independence.

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#78

Yeah, many of us that grew up in SoCal recall the heist that led to the so called 'assault weapon' ban, it was completely legal to have a long barrel rifle with 30 round magazines in CA prior to that--they could be open-carried if not loaded back then if I recall correctly, too. This was around the time of the LA riots in the 90s, too... which in my mind all happened at the same time as I recall being a kid sat in fr…

> And while I personally have no desire to live in CA anytime soon, except the occasional visit, I'm glad so many decided to leave since COVID.

> In a decade or two it may look like and feel as it did when I was a kid in the 90s and I may be tempted to go back.

I'm curious what you mean by this. What would change for you to be tempted to go back and what do the people that are leaving since COVID have to do with it?

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#79
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are there any reasonable curtailments of that right? I'm sure its a cliche but whats the difference between owning a LMG and a bazooka?

I think you can still own both. The bazooka will need a tax stamp for each round if I’m not mistaken. I believe there are still transferable m79 grenade launchers and there are definitely M16 under barrel attachments you can buy.

From a legal standpoint, has any limit been placed on the second ammendment? could someone/has someone sued on the claim they should have access to WMDs?

Re: In 1980s Los Angeles, a bank was robbed every hour (2019)

#80
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The weapons they used theoretically could have been legal had they had the provenance to make them legal. Converting your own semi-auto to full auto is in now way legal then nor now. Full auto guns are basically a rich man's toy and have been since well before new ones were outlawed in 1986. The practicality mostly isn't there for criminal use and they're real expensive to feed.

What happened in 1986 and are you saying it’s legal to own an automatic weapon if it was manufactured that long ago? Do you have to register it? And people can modify them and upgrade them?

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25514950

tl;dr - you don't "have to register" them, because by definition the ones that are legal are already registered. In '86 they stopped allowing new registrations for automatic weapons, but existing registered weapons were grandfathered in. US gun law considers the lower receiver to bear the "identity" of the weapon, so some pretty extensive modification can occur while it technically stays "the same gun" in a Ship of Theseus fashion.

Post reply on HN