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As far as the vigilantism, more likely than not it would be fine. There's the risk of getting stabbed, and I'm a relatively petite guy. But getting stabbed with a hepatitic knife is kind of a medium case scenario. The worst case is the city figuring out it's some kind of vigilantism, deciding to make a grand symbolic point, and putting in the effort to ruin my and my family's lives. A year or two back a guy took a hose and sprayed down a homeless woman shitting in front of his business during open hours, and the city suddenly took far more interest in charging that assault than in homeless people stabbing each other. Additionally, there are hundreds of people doing the exact same thing or worse; it would be a drop in the bucket for little payoff.
People do do that, but it's taking a risk. You're surrounded by a 24/7 surveillance system called your neighbors. I'm on good terms with all of them, but if someone wanted to screw me over, it would be very easy.
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