Do stings for lightweight crimes do more harm than good?

[Garet Jax]

In the thread "Received a package with my address but different person", we got talking about various scenarios including whether or not people would attempt to return a wallet they found lying on a sidewalk.

One of the posters provided this link:

Here is the link.

Although I am disappointed by the number of people who wouldn't do the right thing, I don't think persuing this as a sting is right either.

First off, I think the difference between finding a wallet and pickpocketing someone is immense. If anything, I would like to see the sting changed to having an undercover agent flaunt a lot of money and then leave their wallet/purse more readily accessible.

Secondarily, as the article says, a lot of the people picked up by the sting were first time offenders which means they probably had jobs and were living generally law abiding lifes. This arrest could very well change all that.

Thoughts.

 

[AlienCraft]

Your summary and poll questions while related, are not the same.
The answer to both questions can be "yes" simultaneously.

 

[smack Down]

There used to be rules against entrapment but they along with most of the 4th amendment went out the window to fight the war on drugs.

 

[tefleming]

I don't know, if some scrawny dude tried to mug me, I'd just punch him....

Perhaps you should define "lightweight crimes" since your definition might differ from my own.

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: smack Down
There used to be rules against entrapment but they along with most of the 4th amendment went out the window to fight the war on drugs.

There should be a certification program before people are allowed to use that word on the internet.

Viper GTS

 

[AlienCraft]

Great, they insinuate that EVERYONE who picked up the wallet was stopped, even those that tried to return it to the "victim".
More picking of low hanging fruit.
It's too hard to find the guys ripping off $65B. :disgust:

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
Great, they insinuate that EVERYONE who picked up the wallet was stopped, even those that tried to return it to the "victim".
More picking of low hanging fruit.
It's too hard to find the guys ripping off $65B. :disgust:

oh thats a diffrent thread. a guy who steals a car goes to jail for years and has huge fines yet the guy who steals billions gets out on parole and just might spend a few years in min security prison and a fine thats nothing to him.




as for the OP's sting as i said the first time it was posted (when it happened) i think its bullshit. they were stopping people who have done nothing wrong (yet). while i would have given the wallet back i wouldnt have given it to the police officer. i would look in it and call/drive over to the adress on the license.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
Your summary and poll questions while related, are not the same.
The answer to both questions can be "yes" simultaneously.

Right you are. It has been modified.

 

[Pheran]

This is an idiotic waste of law enforcement resources. If this is the most important case these personnel could be working on, they need to be downsized and save the taxpayers a few $$.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: smack Down
There used to be rules against entrapment but they along with most of the 4th amendment went out the window to fight the war on drugs.

There should be a certification program before people are allowed to use that word on the internet.

Viper GTS

which word?

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: smack Down
There used to be rules against entrapment but they along with most of the 4th amendment went out the window to fight the war on drugs.

There should be a certification program before people are allowed to use that word on the internet.

Viper GTS

which word?

I'm not certain, but I think Viper is referring to the use of the word "they".

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: hanoverphist

Originally posted by: Viper GTS

Originally posted by: smack Down
There used to be rules against entrapment but they along with most of the 4th amendment went out the window to fight the war on drugs.

There should be a certification program before people are allowed to use that word on the internet.

Viper GTS

which word?

I'm not certain, but I think Viper is referring to the use of the word "they".

i thought he was talking about the word "most"

 

[HardcoreRobot]

id rather pursue existing criminals than encourage new ones

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
Your summary and poll questions while related, are not the same.
The answer to both questions can be "yes" simultaneously.

Right you are. It has been modified.

:thumbsup:
When one's hobby is semantics, push polling just jumps off the page at you.

This is classic Hegel's Dialectic in action.

Stings such as the one described serve more than one agenda.
The first one is to put the public on notice that their instinct to help may get them in trouble, and thus it's better to walk away from "getting involved".
The second is to find petty thieves and make a public show of it.
This further serves the first agenda by re-inforcing the notion that the police only go after "criminals".

By inculcating an "on second thought" pause in the instinct to help someone who is clearly asking for help, they can reduce the number of people who might get involved when they are infringing on someone's rights in plain view.
And let's be clear... when I say infringing on someone's rights, I'm referring to the "good Samaritan" who picks up the wallet and tries to return it and get tackled for his efforts. There is no indication in the article that any differentiation was made, so inferring one is not going to be entertained by me.

This effort to reduce or remove the possibility of public involvement serves to increase the authoritarian power of the police, who are after all public servants in name only.

Even tragic accidents such as happened New Years in Oakland serve this same hidden agenda.

 

[rudder]

Moral of the story: Don't lose your wallet in NYC. Rather than having the majority of people who are good samaritans in this world pick it up and try to find the owner or at least take it to lost and found, it will now remain on the ground till the cleaning crew comes by, finds it, and has fun night out on the town with the contents.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: rudder
Moral of the story: Don't lose your wallet in NYC. Rather than having the majority of people who are good samaritans in this world pick it up and try to find the owner or at least take it to lost and found, it will now remain on the ground till the cleaning crew comes by, finds it, and has fun night out on the town with the contents.

No kidding. It is pretty ridiculous.