Too much

In the run-up to the NSW State election, the Libs are promising more police, as always.

Neither they, nor the ALP, are explaining what an influx of police would do to a culture that is clearly already sick. Note that both the above links come from the same organisation: I wish that organisation would do some analysis of its own.

It is not clear how these numbers would be met in a period of low unemployment without a dimunition of the quality of recruits - imagine some qualified and conscientious police officer in the future having to work under someone who got in when standards weren't quite so high. The current government regularly limbos under its recruitment targets and it is not clear what the Libs would do differently.

For many years it's been said that the blunt instruments of police numbers and sentencing won't make much of a difference - especially if your justice provider is Magistrate O'Shane. After the hurlyburly leading up to the March election, perhaps, it will be time for a bit of thought about preventative strategies and a better-run policing and justice system. If Laura Norder was really worth all those votes, the Coalition would have held office in NSW since 1988 at least. Still, if the pollies must woo her, it'd be nice if the old girl made more of an effort.