Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Police madness
The New York Police Department has been going fishing. Not content to nab criminals when they break the law on their own, the department has been planting unattended bags in subway stations to see who might take them, at which point waiting officers pounce.
As NY1 News reported last week, 220 people were arrested last year in the sting, known as Operation Lucky Bag. In dismissing one of these cases, a Brooklyn judge said the police “do not need to manipulate a situation where temptation may overcome even people who would normally never think of committing a crime.”
Come on now. Surely there must be a better use of officers than setting up honeypots and waiting to see who comes around. Testing our brothers doesn't seem like a particularly good use of time.
On the other hand, I guess I'm glad that the NYPD is so bored that it's engaging in this program. That's got to be worth something.
