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Man who picks up wallet to help feels discriminated against by cops
DAILY NEWS ^ | December 5th 2007, 4:00 AM | BY CHRISTINA BOYLE

Posted on 12/09/2007 1:24:33 PM PST by Dan Evans

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To: meyer

Avoid nyc like the plauge


41 posted on 12/09/2007 2:17:37 PM PST by festus (Fred Thompson '08)
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To: Dan Evans
Picking up something from the ground is the exact opposite of theft.

Morally there may be an obligation to seek the owner but this is the exact opposite of taking by force..or subterfuge.

42 posted on 12/09/2007 2:17:52 PM PST by TASMANIANRED (TAZ:Untamed, Unpredictable, Uninhibited.)
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To: Dan Evans

This article is not written with entrapment in mind but rather race as the central issue. For that the writer can pound sand.


43 posted on 12/09/2007 2:18:51 PM PST by Altura Ct.
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To: Squantos; From many - one.
Was there anyone there to turn the wallet in too?

If there wasn't, then he didn't have much choice other than transport it or leave it for someone with less pure intentions.

Like I said, as a "sting," this does little more than put folks in a no-win situation.

44 posted on 12/09/2007 2:21:15 PM PST by Larry Lucido (Hunter 2008)
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To: Dan Evans
Alayo, who is from Peru, felt the eyes of all the rush-hour commuters on him as he was searched by officers.

"I was so ashamed, my face went red and people were looking," he said.

Why? That being asked:
"Even property which is lost or mislaid can be stolen," said NYPD Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne. "A person who takes or finds property which is lost or mislaid has a legal obligation to make efforts to return the property to its owner, which can include delivering the property to the police."
I've seen episodes of Cops on TV where they conduct "sting" operations using decoy "drunks". I don't know, the jury is out on this one.

Seems to me the way they're prosecuting the "war" against thieves is that any "Joe" that a lone wallet on a bench is to be left alone (for recovery by LEO's), or that citizens should notify that such wallet is sitting there by its lonesome self, or after taking possession of said wallet should make a bee-line to the nearest LEO to the exclusion of all other obligations.

One day some time ago I walked out of a local Meijer's store. I noticed a pristine gift-wrapped package off to the side as I transitted the store's vestibule. Immediately as I picked it up, and noticed that it contained "air", I immediately felt immensely stupid for that act; here we're being admonished to report "suspicious" packages, and I just picked up the epitome of "suspicious" packages.

OTOH, we "citizen" could just close our eyes to what's going on around us and consider whatever unusual is noticed as being a "SEP".

A few weeks ago the guy upstairs to my apartment had been going to town with the stereo since 10 A.M. every couple hours (interspaced with loud yelling, banging, pounding, etc). At 2 A.M the following day I called the cops. They told me it was a private property issue and that I should call management the following Monday. To their credit they did make an appearance nevertheless. They showed up about 10 minutes later. Everything was cool for a wile.

suddenly, at 4:30 A.M. the guy started his stereo up again. I went upstairs to politely ask him to turn it down. I knocked on the door and suddenly the door opened, and from total darkness the tenent lunged at me with a baseball bat. I fled, while pressing the 911 speed-dial. As I was talking to the dispatcher some feet away, and down the landing, he's yelling at me that he's already called the cops on me.

They came and took him away. I was admonished not to confront him any more, and that I should call the police instead. Despite the initial occurance, the cops were adament that such confrontation could result me staring straight into the barrel of a gun (point blank). They revised, ammended and extended their remarks that I call 911 instead of confrontation.

Yeah, I know. Nevertheless, any wisdom inherent in such statement is predicated on the premise that its best for us to live our "compartmentalized" lives and not be concerned about anything else. Such wisdom that is; my how far we've progressed since the Stone Age, eh?

45 posted on 12/09/2007 2:21:53 PM PST by raygun ("It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone to believe anything upon insufficient evidence")
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To: Dan Evans

this is what the a-hole shmuck shumer wants more US tax payer mney to fund.....this is what he calls...homeland security!!!!


46 posted on 12/09/2007 2:23:15 PM PST by nyyankeefan
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To: Dan Evans
Here's another relevant section: The NYPD calls the sting Operation Lucky Bag, where officers plant a bag and arrest those who take it and do not turn it into a uniformed officer posted nearby.

Note that token booths are equipped with cameras for keeping tabs on the clerks, who are unionized and make $30,000 a year.

47 posted on 12/09/2007 2:23:46 PM PST by Zhang Fei
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To: Dan Evans
What in the world is wrong with the NYPD?

NY and PD

48 posted on 12/09/2007 2:24:16 PM PST by from occupied ga (Your most dangerous enemy is your own government, Benito Guilinni a short man in search of a balcony)
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To: Dan Evans

Entrapment.


49 posted on 12/09/2007 2:25:39 PM PST by mysterio
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To: Mr Rogers

Token booths are equipped with cameras that record the (unionized, $30,000 a year salary) clerks’ every move. Even when you hand it to a cop, you are handing it to a complete stranger of indeterminate honesty. (And here’s the kicker - according to the article, these people walked by uniformed cops without handing the wallet over).


50 posted on 12/09/2007 2:27:41 PM PST by Zhang Fei
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To: Wolfie
They are arresting and CHARGING people, criminal background or not: Police Sting Operation Lucky Bag Has Some Calling Entrapment I guess the lesson for New Yorkers is to just ignore unattended bags on the subway.

Well, a re-read of the article revealed that these people walked by uniformed cops without handing the wallet over. Understand that New York City is around 50% black and Hispanic*. Like it or not, blacks commit over 60% of NYC's crimes, and Hispanics commit most of the rest. And criminals in New York City tend to allege police brutality or overzealousness every time they get caught.

* Clearly, most blacks and Hispanics aren't criminals. But most criminals are black or Hispanic. I've not only seen stats to that effect - everyone I know - of any color - who's been mugged or robbed at gunpoint identified his assailant as black or Hispanic.

51 posted on 12/09/2007 2:36:12 PM PST by Zhang Fei
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To: festus

Read my post 34.


52 posted on 12/09/2007 2:36:18 PM PST by From many - one.
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To: Zhang Fei

So would I if the train were in the station.


53 posted on 12/09/2007 2:39:15 PM PST by From many - one.
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To: MrEdd
Is this a big problem in NY, people stealing wallets that they find on the ground?

Shouldn't they use the same resources to find real thieves, not stop people who find something, and then try to discern whether they were going to return it or not.

54 posted on 12/09/2007 2:48:35 PM PST by Defiant (Huckabee puts the goober back in gubernatorial.)
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To: Dan Evans
What in the world is wrong with the NYPD?

DuH, to many donut's maybe?

55 posted on 12/09/2007 2:58:18 PM PST by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: Seruzawa
A police force that resorts to this sort of activity has too many officers. Personnel cuts are in order here.

Bttt

56 posted on 12/09/2007 2:59:29 PM PST by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: Dan Evans

I’m glad to see this.

It means that NYC is completely free of serious crime and they can focus on the small things like this.

What? They still have crime? Well, this is just stupid, then.


57 posted on 12/09/2007 3:00:21 PM PST by mountainbunny
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To: stevem
I find it hard to believe there are any cops in the US that are this stupid.

That is a major joke! We read about them by the hundreds here all the time! LOL

58 posted on 12/09/2007 3:01:14 PM PST by org.whodat (What's the difference between a Democrat and a republican????)
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To: Bobalu
I would not have left the wallet for some thief.

Same here! And not having a cell phone, what the heck am I supposed to do?

back around 1966 or 67 I was about 16 and was skiing at Boyne Mountain in northern Michigan when I found a big fat wallet on the ski slope. Being the good, honest and naive kid that I was, I immediately took it down to the lift operator assuming he would locate its rightful owner. Yea, right!

One of those winters I also found a pair of new skis hidden in a pine grove near my house (I have no idea how they got there but they were obviously stolen) so I had my step-dad turn them over to the local police department. I could easily have kept them because I was always skiing on years old equipment given to me by an older cousin in Charlevoix but we had to do the right thing.........I don't regret any of the above actions.

59 posted on 12/09/2007 3:09:17 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Visions of sugarplums dancing in your head are probably caused by bad drugs.....)
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To: rbg81

Entrapment...Wrong.


60 posted on 12/09/2007 3:13:50 PM PST by Safetgiver (So simple, even a Muslim can do it.)
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