|
Title: Duluth police must really be hurting for things to do. Post by: Shockeye on December 19, 2005, 05:57:40 PM Quote from: Duluth News Tribune Undercover police make arrests, but purse has no takers (http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/13440730.htm) NEWS TRIBUNE Hoping to catch purse thieves in the Miller Hill Mall area over the weekend, undercover Duluth police officers caught only good Samaritans instead, Lt. Gordon Ramsay said. "We were refreshingly surprised," Ramsay said. Would-be thieves were tempted with an unattended purse, while the purse's owner -- really an undercover cop -- chatted on a phone nearby. "But we didn't catch anybody," Ramsay said Sunday. "The amazing thing was people kept picking up the purse and returning it -- or turning it over to clerks in the stores." But that's not always the case. Many people are victimized by purse thieves, especially during the holidays, when shoppers can be more frazzled and less attentive, Ramsay, the supervisor for the department's Central Division, said. "It's not an uncommon problem," he said. "We do have purses stolen on a regular basis." Often, thieves not only take cash, but also steal identities, Ramsay said. None of those who turned in the purse were charged. Shoppers might not be as fortunate as the undercover officers were and should keep up their guard, Ramsay said. In other undercover operations Friday and Saturday, police issued about eight tickets in the skywalk system for public drinking, smoking and littering, Ramsay said. One man also was arrested for soliciting prostitution from an undercover officer, Ramsay said. The department plans to increase undercover operations in the New Year in an effort to "go on the offensive," Ramsay said. Bold mine. Excuse me? What would they be charged with? Doing the right thing? Title: Re: Duluth police must really be hurting for things to do. Post by: schild on December 19, 2005, 10:59:15 PM Nice. Leave a purse sitting around surrounded by undercover cops to see if people steal it.
Entrapment-mania in Duluth. Coming to a mall near you. Title: Re: Duluth police must really be hurting for things to do. Post by: Miasma on December 20, 2005, 06:52:30 AM I was watching some show where the police were doing this only with bikes on street corners. They would just leave the bike unlocked and wait a few minutes for someone to hop on, then arrest them. The catch? It wasn't a $150 dollar job from wal-mart, it was a $5000 top of the line racing bike so the people got charged with grand theft, a major felony, instead of a little petty theft slap on the wrist.
Kind of slimy, but then they're thieves so who cares. Title: Re: Duluth police must really be hurting for things to do. Post by: Sky on December 20, 2005, 07:04:46 AM While it's hard to feel bad for people who steal stuff getting nabbed...it's disgusting and I don't like the idea of law enforcement working via entrapment whatsoever. There's enough real crime without going out and setting up your own.
Title: Re: Duluth police must really be hurting for things to do. Post by: tazelbain on December 20, 2005, 09:00:19 AM Bold mine. Excuse me? What would they be charged with? Doing the right thing? |