Crime Monthly Jan 26: Medicine, Politics, Crime
Dear Readers,
I hope you had a good start to 2026. There is lots happening in the world, and it can, at times, be overwhelming. Nevertheless, I wanted to share a few selections based on what I have read this past month.
Political Violence, Health Care and the Lunacy of Violence
This brilliant post places the killing of Brian Thompson in context. Thompson was the CEO who was shot in act of protest against health insurance companies. The team behind Cymposium provides background on the victim and his killer. The post explores the health context and the public's reaction to this murder.
We sympathise with Cymposium’s suggestions that normalising political violence is undesirable. In their post, they contrasted this killing with violence in Libya and during Apartheid in South Africa. This is a valuable comparison to think about the role of violence in our societies.
We can do better. We should do better.
I also wanted to use this space to condemn the horrific violence that some ICE agents are using against American citizens.
Unsafe in Prison
The New York Times reported that inmates were beaten to death. This article explores the death of a few prisoners. These prisoners were killed by guards. The article points out to an endemic and systemic problem, where lack of accountability coupled with authority results in tragedy.
There are legitimate debates about prisons and their role. Nevertheless, incarcerated people should not be beaten, abused, or murdered.
Mounjaro, Medicine, and Crime
This fascinating and intriguing post explores the ways in which medicines can reduce crime. John K. Roman, PhD describes how GLP-1 could possibly reduce crime. In his article he discussed the removal of lead from water and gasoline as a public health intervention which is widely credited with crime reduction. Unlike lead other medications, like SSRIs, have gotten little attention despite some studies showing these medications can reduce aggressive behaviors.
SSRI, Roman suggests, can help with “emotional regulation and impulse control.” Further, they can help individuals maintain other relationships which also decrease the likelihood they will engage in criminal activity.
GLP-1 drugs could lower crime because they dampen “reward driven impulsivity,” including alcohol and opioid use. These drugs affect reward mechanisms and can dampen the kinds of impulses that result in crime.
This dampening of rewards is one of the reasons I was hesitant to start using GLP1s to address my obesity.
Interviewing Subjects The Painful Reid Technique
In his latest post, Jason Frowley PhD delves into one of the most famous interrogations techniques. I do not ever want to experience the Reid technique or other kinds of enhanced interrogation. False confessions are a real problem.
Thanks for the shoutout, much appreciated! And things are getting crazier from here on out it seems like….
Many thanks for the shout out!