X-Message-Number: 17876
Date: Fri, 9 Nov 2001 11:50:17 -0800
From: Hugh Hixon <>
Subject: Re: disturbing possibilities...

In Message #17871 
>From: "john grigg" <> 
>Subject: disturbing possibilities... 
>Date: Fri, 09 Nov 2001 00:08:56 
>
queried (text below my answer)

What you have to understand about the breakin crews as that it is a
*business*.  They're trying to make a living doing something on a rather
tight schedule, and simple vandalism doesn't pay very well.  They go for
computers and checks because there's a good market for them.  Scientific
equipment is harder to fence, and custom stuff is damn near impossible,
except as scrap metal.  On the other hand, as parasites, the amount of
damage they'll do on the way to their goal is limited only by the time
available to them.

Confrontation with people on the scene means witnesses, and both that and
incidental violence or murder are also bad for business; their insurance
doen't cover it :-).

Vandals are generally somewhat less ambitious, and usually not too bright or
very focused.  About the only exception to this that I can think of is
internet vandalism, where it's a geek challenge.

In any event, we do think about these scenarios, and do what we can afford,
and like the other aspects of cryonics, and for that matter life in general,
we play the odds.

Incidentally, this is going on around us all the time.  Crime-for-profit is
an ecological niche in any society, and how well it's filled is a balance on
the part of the victims between the cost of the crime and the cost of the
security, and on the criminals' part, the return on investment.  And the
odds.  Think of the insurance companies; too little crime, and they don't
get any business; too much and they have to pay out enough money that
supplimental anti-crime actions become cost-effective.  Life's complicated,
especially of you're trying to make a buck.  Or live forever.

Hugh Hixon
>=========================
>Hugh Hixon wrote: 
>There is always someone at Alcor. This is one of the reasons. At their 
>last meetings, the Alcor board and the Patient Care Trust board agreed to 
>purchase an electronic security system. Combined with the human presence, 
>this makes us a difficult and unattractive target for the parasites and 
>predators, who generally do not regard face-to-face confrontation as 
>cost-effective. The building is sprinklered. At least one of the staff has 
>a cell phone, making a second communications path. 
>(end)
>
>First of all, I am impressed by the honesty of ALCOR in sharing the story 
>about the broken window. What the repairman said about burglary gangs 
>testing the waters with BB guns was very disturbing to say the least.
>I am relieved to know ALCOR is going to install an alarm system, and already 
>has an around the clock human presense. I realize security can only be 
>improved in currently affordable ways.
>
>Still, I wish more could be done. I could envision a scenario where perhaps 
>less then competant burglars break-in, and having overpowered the one human 
>defender, decide to seriously vandalize the facility out of sheer spite and 
>frustration at there not being more valuable things to steal. How do you 
>think a group of burglars might act when they realize(not having done their 
>homework) that ALCOR is home to frozen bodies where the goal is to 
>eventually bring them back? Let's hope they are "professional" burglars and 
>not "smash and run" vandals. The odds of dewars being violated are small 
>even with a burglary, but not to be utterly discounted.
>
>ALCOR would have a difficult time living down the horror of its clients in 
>biostasis having been hacked to bits or burned beyond repair. And it is 
>possible we could encounter a group of semi-competant criminals who 
>burglarize ALCOR and then "on a lark" decide to make the papers by putting 
>some effort into destroying the frozen bodies. It could happen.
>
>Again, I realize ALCOR is doing all the can with current resources. I just 
>hope besides having a cell phone always on them, the one night-time resident 
>will also have a firearm they are trained and licensed for. This way, even 
>if surprised, he/she will have some chance of holding them off, at least 
>till he/she can make a 911 call. 
>
>best wishes,
>John
>

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