Posted on 11/12/2011 11:00:29 AM PST by greatdefender
Nineteen people suspected of committing crimes in Derbyshire have been arrested after being offered free beer by police as part of an undercover operation.
Officers sent letters to dozens of suspects who had evaded arrest for several months asking them to ring a marketing company to collect a free crate of beer.
A total of 19 suspects fell for the hoax and called the number which put them through to police officers based at Chesterfield Police Station.
A time and date was arranged for the free alcohol to be dropped off and the suspects were arrested.
The sting was carried out as part of Operation Rocky, a month-long campaign targeting serious acquisitive crime across north Derbyshire.
It is running across Chesterfield, NE Derbyshire, Bolsover and Amber Valley until Sunday, November 27.
Chief Inspector Graham McLaughlin, who is leading the operation, said: “These suspects are people who have managed to evade arrest for some time so we have used different tactics to find them.
“It has been very cost effective as it can take a lot of time and money to track people down.
“We use a variety of methods to arrest those suspected of committing criminal offences and we will continue to use new tactics when necessary.”
Alleged offences committed by some of those arrested range from burglary and robbery to a serious sexual assault.
Suspects were arrested from addresses in Chesterfield, Staveley, Alfreton and Ilkeston as well as Sheffield and Nottingham.
A have some moral dilemmas over this story...but then I AM from Wisconsin.
no fair! using beer in a crime sting? booooooo!
You mean like "entrapment"?
This isn’t entrapment. The police aren’t instigating the criminals into committing a crime, they’re just tricking them into turning up somewhere they can arrest them for what they have already done.
Sounds good to me...
Reminds me of something tried right about Super Bowl time a few years ago. People who were wanted by the law and had warrants out for arrest for various offenses were sent letters saying they had won a free trip to the Super Bowl. All they had to do was show up at the address they gave on a certain day and collect the prize. They rented a place and really decorated it up to seem genuine. They even had a couple young ladies (apparently who were also cops or worked for the police dept.) dressed in swimsuits as ‘decoration’. Also, a couple news stations were invited to film the “promotion” and further add to the legitimacy of the event.
A surprising number of suspects showed up. They entered in the building, had their names checked off, were congratulated, then taken back to a room to “collect their prize”. Once they stepped through the door they were cuffed and read their rights and carted off to the pokey.
How many more will fall for it now that there is publicity, time span and locations having been divulged?
Cold Case, LOL!
These people are so dumb I bet the cops could promise a “years supply of crack cocaine” and some would still show up.
Not one post, “Hold muh beer.”
The crims who are stupid enough to fall for this sting probably aren’t going to be reading the Derbyshire Constabulary Website...
I drove by a flashing roadside sign in a black neighborhood. It read: “Outstanding warrants? Turn yourself in for free March l9th only. Absolutely safe! Xxxx Garrison Road.” I turned around and drove back to ensure I had read it correctly. I didn’t see anything in the paper about how successful it was but a former cop at the gym assured me those programs always dragged in a catch.
I never got a letter.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Read the article carefully. Its not entrapment, because they were not being enticed with something illegal. They were not arrested for trying to get free beer. They were guilty of other offences and the offer of free beer brought them out into the open.
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