arrest your way out of

English translation: you can't just keep arresting people, this will not solve your problem

19:52 Jan 18, 2012

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Social Sciences - Journalism

English term or phrase: arrest your way out of

I need help understanding the above expression. The sentence is:

As senior police officers on both sides of the Atlantic have said, you can't just arrest your way out of this problem

Thank you in advance for your help.

Juliana Cullafiq KudoZ activity Questions: 28 (none open) Answers: 197 Albania
Local time: 20:27

Selected answer:you can't just keep arresting people, this will not solve your problem

Explanation:
You can't just keep endlessly arresting people in the hopes of putting an end to the problem -- arresting people (even criminals in this case) is not the solution. You'll have to find another way out of this problem (public education, project funding, as examples) instead.

Selected response from:

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 14:27

Grading comment

Thank you Nancy! It helped me a lot.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +9

you can't just keep arresting people, this will not solve your problem

NancyLynn

5 -5

you cannot just drop the problem

Alexandra Taggart

Summary of reference entries provided

The article from which this quote was found - some context

Demi Ebrite

Discussion entries: 1

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +9

you can't just keep arresting people, this will not solve your problem

NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 14:27
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

Grading comment

Thank you Nancy! It helped me a lot.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Martin Riordan: Wow! And I thought there was little context... But from that little, I think this is what it means.

22 mins

-> :) thanks Martin!

agree

Clauwolf

46 mins

-> Thanks Clauwolf!

agree

Tina Vonhof (X)

1 hr

-> Thanks Tina!

agree

Demi Ebrite

1 hr

-> Thanks Demi!

agree

Charles Davis: Absolutely

1 hr

-> Thanks Charles!

agree

Jacob De Camillis (X)

3 hrs

-> Thanks Jacob!

agree

Suzan Hamer: Yes; arresting people will not solve the problem.

3 hrs

-> thanks Suzan!

agree

B D Finch: Though I tend to avoid CL5, I don't see why you shouldn't have used it here and both your defence of it and your answer are quite right.// You were up against stiff competition. ;)

12 hrs

-> Thanks B D. I don't often use CL5 myself, that's the irony of it. Anyway thanks for your support of my "knowledge of English language" :)

disagree

Alexandra Taggart: to arrest your way=to block your way, you refuse to deal with it(being flummoxed);Darling Nancy,you have demonstrated your lack of knowledge of English language

17 hrs

-> :)))

agree

Ty Kendall: Already been graded, but felt the need to agree :-)

2 days 12 hrs

-> thanks Ty! :)

agree

Cilian O'Tuama: me too

7 days

-> thanks Cilian! :)

18 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -5

you cannot just drop the problem

Explanation:
http://thesaurus.com/browse/arrest

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2012-01-19 10:34:19 GMT)
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All coments and disagrees below are simply funny.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs (2012-01-19 12:36:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

to arrest your way out=to refuse to take the way out=to refuse the idea of taking the way out of the problem=to drop the idea of solving the problem=to drop the problem;
which problem? because they have to find a legal clause in order to release arrested people without charge!

Alexandra Taggart
Russian Federation
Local time: 21:27
Meets criteria
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English,

Russian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

Tina Vonhof (X): How do you get from this definition "taking into custody" to "drop the problem? // This definition is given in http://thesaurus.com. To make the right choice from a dictionary or thesaurus you need to understand the source text.

50 mins

-> "criticism from legal professionals"- why?Because,if someone was arrested-there should have been a reason for that,and that reason leads to the court.But,the charge is NONE.So, what they do-they drop the whole issue altogether, as nothing happened.

disagree

NancyLynn: sorry, this is inaccurate and misleading

1 hr

-> I don't think so.

disagree

Cilian O'Tuama: Nonsense.// Below, you wrote: "Please, do not treat me as I'm a complete idiot". Well, maybe some were already thinking that. Aah, maybe you meant "as if I were"?

3 hrs

-> Police!!!

disagree

B D Finch: Complete confidence in an answer that is so wrong demonstrates a lack of judgement.

12 hrs

-> You're wrong.

disagree

juvera: Here is the continuation of this statement: "Arrest is certainly appropriate for the most violent, the incorrigible, but so much of it can be addressed in other ways and it's not just a police issue, it is in fact a societal issue." There.

1 day 5 hrs

-> Please, do not treat me as I'm a complete idiot, in expression "to arrest your way" the verb plays absolutely different role.I'd trace its etymology first,if I were you,before writing your comment.

disagree

Ty Kendall: Utter claptrap! Another ProZian whose use of English belies their claim of "native". This is, quite possibly, the worst case of this I've ever seen.

2 days 12 hrs

-> How remarkable!

Reference comments

1 hr peer agreement (net): +4

Reference: The article from which this quote was found - some context

Reference information:
The quote was made with reference to the 'zero tolerance' handling of riots and gang activity in the UK.

Quote:

"Iain Duncan Smith, the welfare secretary, has intervened in the row over the riots. In a sharp divergence from the "zero tolerance" message forwarded by Number 10, he said support for young people who want to leave gangs was just as important as tough sanctions for those who chose a life of crime.

Let's compare and contrast. Here's what David Cameron said on sentencing after the riots, in his speech in Witney on Monday:

"Last week we saw the criminal justice system deal with an unprecedented challenge: the courts sat through the night and dispensed swift, firm justice. We saw that the system was on the side of the law-abiding majority."

And here is what Duncan Smith says in the Guardian today:

" As senior police officers on both sides of the Atlantic have said, you can't just arrest your way out of this problem."

Duncan Smith's comments follow increasing disquiet from Liberal Democrats about the Tory reaction to the riots, which includes the suggestion that rioters be evicted from council houses or deprived of benefits. The question of proportionality of sentencing has not only caused friction within the coalition, but has also attracted criticism from legal professionals."

Reference: http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/08/dunca...

Demi Ebrite
United States
Meets criteria
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Note to reference poster

Asker: Thank you Demi! I appreciate it.

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arrest your way out of

English translation: you can't just keep arresting people, this will not solve your problem

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