How about people just don't steal? A thief deprives somebody else of opportunities. If somebody steals your catalytic converter and you need to be on time for a job you're going to be screwed at the job and you will have to replace that stolen property.
I don't understand how people can just handwave away this stuff. I would genuinely rather have my arm broken than my bike/phone stolen. My arm will heal in a few weeks, but my bike won't.
Thieves are not one big homogeneous population, consisting of lazy ne'er-do-well people that simply don't feel like working - it's incredibly complex.
Yes - there's organized crime, where theft is basically just part of their business, but on the other hand you've got junkies, desperate poor people, people that are marginalized and completely locked out of the workforce, etc.
I think the Opioid epidemic is a shining example of how companies can legally turn normal citizens into addicts, and down the road into full-blown junkies. Then you get all the problems with petty crime, that's related to this lifestyle.
One of many examples where profits trumps human life, and where the criminal justice system has to deal with the aftermath.
But you can buy a used bike for less than $50 and typically your homeowners/renters insurance will cover it (and a stolen phone) anyway (though typically with a deductible).
Yeah, I wonder where that used bike came from. Some other poor sod had his bike stolen.
>and typically your homeowners/renters insurance will cover it (and a stolen phone) anyway
If it does and if the insurance pays out. You're still out the deductible and anything you had on the phone. Even now I don't think I would hand over my phone to a thief.
I don't understand how people can just handwave away this stuff. I would genuinely rather have my arm broken than my bike/phone stolen. My arm will heal in a few weeks, but my bike won't.