Great post.
Another part of the disconnect is that they have a very narrow and misleading understanding of the city based exclusively on what they hear from others where they live community and see policing, ie, they don’t get to understand the city the way a civilian does.
For example, a few years ago an officer talked to me about how different Mueller was from the “gangbangers north of 51st.” You know, the mean streets of Windsor Park.
It also creates multiple other problems, like a feeling of being able to violate basic standards with impunity. 6th street is basically safe, or in any case is less dangerous than it was in the 90’s. But because of media and politics, people in places like Leander and Liberty Hill are absolutely convinced that 6th street is a dangerous, lawless wasteland.
My daughter worked on Dirty 6th street when she was 15-17 at a coffee shop, usually early mornings to afternoon. She dealt with all sorts of craziness from homeless people, but never felt unsafe when she was working there, except when she was being hit on at 16 by a married officer while their colleague looked ashamed, but did nothing. She was even uncomfortable when he came back later trying to “escort her safely” to her car because of the “danger” and that he even had the gall to say “I wouldn’t let my daughter work down here.”