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‘It scared them off’, Kansas City shoppers report less crime thanks to security robot patrolling strip mall (www.kctv5.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

67 comments fedilink hide all child comments

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - A sight previously thought to be science fiction is very real at a southeast Kansas City shopping center. Instead of a police officer, a security robot has been patrolling sidewalks and shoppers are taking notice.

Since Marshall the robot has been on the job, shoppers say the experiences have completely changed when they come to these stores. The robot can spend 23 hours a day monitoring the parking lot from all angles which gives people a new sense of protection and ease they don’t always have when out.

Marshall took over security at Brywood Centre in April. Before that, Karen White noticed a lot of trouble outside the shopping center.

“Sometimes it’d be concerning for your car like someone could take it or something,” White said.

Knowing now that Marshall is always watching, the risk of crime does not worry her or others as much.

“It made it very better, like you can’t be in the parking lot without seeing the robot,” White continued. “So, I think it scared them off.”

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[–] [email protected] 83 points 3 months ago (5 children)

Ironically security theater can have a a placebo effect on crime rates as well. It turns out that the likelihood that someone commits a crime is strongly correlated to the chance they believe they will get caught, not the actual chance of getting caught. That’s why fake security cameras are so effective.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Hate to say it (re: security theater), but I think that is correct. I've read articles stating a drop in crime in places where they just have a cardboard cutout of police officers in the window.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

It could also just have been a hot August, leading people to feel lethargic and steal less than they did earlier in the year? (How reliable do we think this data actually is btw?)

[–] Bjornir 17 points 3 months ago

It make sense, when you make a decision you make it based on the data you have not the truth. So security theaters are effective as long as people who are thinking about commiting a crime think it is working. And they care about getting caught.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

"It is not the severity of punishment that deters crime, but the certainty of punishment."

[–] [email protected] -4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Bullocks. You could make the crime for stealing death and execute everyone who does. There would still be stealing.

Simply put most criminals don't think about consequences.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I think you may have misread their comment.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Not at all. There is a wealth of research about this topic.

Ensuring severity and certainty of punishment will not stop crime. It may affect some rational actors decisions but most criminals are not rational.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Like the ADT signs people get off of Craigslist.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

NRA stickers are probably way more effective.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

This only applies to rational actors. The problem is most criminals are not rational nor thinking of consequences.

Case in point, criminals know convenience stores have cameras but still openly rob and steal from them.