View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2006 > March > 14
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Ugly criminals and Yanni
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tom Feran of The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote a column exploring the claim that criminals tend to be uglier than non-criminals. He hit on something I believe is just the tip of the iceberg.
Feran wrote about a distinct correlation showing ugly people are more prone to commit criminal acts. As one man told the police after his arrest for bank robbery, “I’m too ugly to get a job.”
Two economists recently published a paper on “ugly criminals,” citing studies and a survey of 15,000 high school students who were asked, among other things, to rate the appearance of students on a five-point scale from “very attractive” to “very unattractive.” About 82% were in the “average” range. 7% were in the “unattractive” or “very unattractive” range. 4% were categorized as “butt-ugly,” 5% were labeled “Dude, that’s hideous.” (The final 2% couldn’t count to five on that day.)
The point is that ugly people are more prone to commit crimes. It would make sense to say that their rejection would drive them to crime.
How do we gauge this? Are just “slightly ugly” people more prone to committing only misdemeanors while the “really ugly” are prone to commit more serious felonies and hideous crimes?
There are exceptions. Ted Bundy was a serial killer, but considered a handsome person with fabulous hair.
Look at Ted Bundy now. His appearance during the trial compared to what he looks like now show a big difference. One reason is, well, he’s dead now, but show me a dead guy who isn’t ugly!
We can’t definitely say that ugly people commit more crimes or even are prone to commit more crimes because we don’t have the evidence — probably because we can’t look at them that long. They could be getting away with a lot of stuff simply by taking advantage of the fact that nobody can focus on them very long because it’s awkward.
I think the two economists, H. Naci Mocan and Erdal Tekin, hit on a great point. Let’s take it further and look at this possibility: The more crimes you commit, the uglier you get. What a great crime prevention tool.
If we cannot appeal to the moral responsibility, or even the guilt or fear of the consequences for criminal behavior, we could strike a direct hit with the mother of all consequences of criminal activity:
Be honest or be ugly.
If we could show that those people, now ugly because they have turned to a life of crime, would become less ugly if they choose to live an honest life, we could create a brand new and very effective campaign against crime.
Take that Yanni guy.
Yanni, whose real name was Joe Yanni or Yanni Smith (whatever) was beyond handsome. He was what we call “man-pretty.” He was so man-pretty that Linda Evans married him. They lived in peace and happiness for many years until their divorce. (Yanni caught her using his hair dryer.)
Yanni, who was recently arrested for domestic violence, was booked and photographed. The results support my claim. He is now not as man-pretty as he was. Granted, he is man-prettier than most, but not as man-pretty as he once was.
For instance, his once perfectly horizontal moustache is now gray stubble and anything but symmetrical.
We all have a hot button, and if our vanity is the key to reducing crime then so be it. Like other things, I’m sure it will be abused in due time.
At some point when you’re having a nice dinner at a restaurant, you’ll hear some nice lady tell her children, “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’re going to be ugly and that officer over there will take you to jail.”
