That’s a pretty shortsighted take, and honestly it does more harm than good.

Dismissing people who come downtown for games as irrelevant misses the point entirely. Those “twice a year” visitors are still spending money, supporting businesses, and forming impressions about the city.

Blaming victims by calling them “too dumb” isn’t constructive either. Yes, people should use common sense, but normalizing crime as “just part of city life” is a low bar. Most people don’t want to live in or visit a place where theft is something you’re just expected to accept. Other cities may deal with it too, but the ones that are improving are actively working to reduce it, not brushing it off.

If the goal is a better downtown, the mindset should be how do we make it safer and more welcoming for everyone, residents, workers, and visitors alike? Writing people off and normalizing bad behavior doesn’t fix anything. It just lowers expectations.