Safety for everybody - preventing crime

Tragedy

In December 2022 a major story in the newspapers, especially the American sections, was the murders of Kaylee, Madison, Xana and Ethan.

Relief 

It was a great relief to hear that a suspect had been arrested.

Why?

Why did the criminal do it? I keep reading about murderers who are obsessed with other murderers and criminals who got away. This person seems to have studied criminals and their thinking and then started to think the same way. 

Criminology Studies

Maybe we should be making sure that every criminology study is framed or bookended by two stories of people who used their intelligence to cure sickness or save lives. Or people who regretted their crimes and devoted their lives to making amends. 

Prevention

What is being done to stop or help the potential criminal? To control criminals, criminal actions, criminal thoughts or crimes?

Samaritans

We have Samaritans to stop suicides. Viktor Frankl succeeded in this, despite the example in front of him of hate and killing. 

Possible Prevention Helplines

We need a helpline to stop people who are divorced or homeless or bullied or bored from committing crimes and to give them another purpose in life. 

Books

Maybe every publisher of books on killers should be required to end with stories from the victims  families, from those who overcame the urge to kill, who regretted it, or avoided it, and a message to others that killing wastes somebody else's life, as well as your own.

Blogs

Even blogs like this one should end on a happier note. Instead of the lives of murderers, for every book and sentence we should write a sentence praising the victims and praising the work of the police who caught a criminal and prevented other possible crimes.

Useful Websites

Samaritans

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11589659/Bryan-Kohberger-went-teaching-University-Idaho-murders.html?login#readerCommentsCommand-message-field

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11586269/Parents-Idaho-victim-Kaylee-Goncalves-feel-incredible-relief-arrest-Bryan-Kohberger.html

Many countries have other names but have several phone lines for instant round the clock help for those who are troubled and want help. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritans_(charity)

Hotels and Restaurants are Asking for TripAdvisor Reviews

Problem
You want to give honest reviews. But you don't want to upset a restaurant where you might eat again.

Answer
Damn with faint praise. That way the other customers know what to avoid. The establishment knows what or how to improve.

Everywhere is asking for feedback nowadays. That's good. We used to be shy about complaining in England.

The Americans are quicker to complain or sue. Although the American businesses promote the idea that the customer is king and the customer is always right.

The menu at a restaurant in Cambodia requested a TripAdvisor revue and gave the links of all their pages on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere. The hotel asked us to give them a write-up on TripAdvisor.

Back in London, England, we had just sat down in B & K salt beef bar in Hatch End, and had not even ordered, when a message appeared on a mobile phone asking us to give a TripAdvisor review.

How did anybody know we were there? A friend of mine guessed, 'It's like the ap which knows where you are to send you details of nearby restaurants and offers. It pinpoints your location. If you have allowed it on your phone, to tell aps where you are, it knows if you are in a street or a shop or restaurants or department store to send you information.

Restaurant, hotel, and other business cards are increasingly listing all their media pages. I see it as a good thing. everybody wants to know my opinion.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.