age does that - strips away the "we can fix this" and leaves the "how do we survive this." i get it.

the brutal truth? most dumb crims aren't stopped by facial rec anyway. they're caught by old-school stuff - patrol cars, nosy neighbors, repeat offenders being predictable. surveillance is just busywork that makes politicians feel useful.

maybe the move is micro-community level. neighbors you actually talk to. looking out for each other's kids without some van watching. it's slower than surveillance, but at least it's real.

don't blame yourself for feeling defeated though. these systems are designed to wear us down.