American Cops Bait Cars.

[Just-Jude]

Are they trying to turn innocent people into criminals? Would this be allowed in the UK?

[atalanta]

Do innocent people try car doors just to see what might happen ? Do innocent people give in to temptation and commit criminal acts ?

[Just-Jude]

They're tempting poor people into committing criminal acts. They wouldn't leave a diamond necklace lying on the street because they know rich people would pick it up and keep it. They only want to put the poor in prison.

[mikey4444]

Link needed here ?

[sinderella]

They are not innocent people,they are guilty

[Just-Jude]

Guilty! Before they've actually seen a judge?

[Butterbun]

I, personally, don't think it's right. The undercover cops deliberately walk away from the car leaving the keys in the ignition and the door open. The people that take the cars are being set up. That doesn't mean they should take it though, but they are being tempted.

[FredPuli43]

Jude, why would rich people pick up a diamond necklace in the street and keep it? Dishonest ones would, as would dishonest poor people. The rest would hand it in.

Turning innocent people into criminals? Hardly. Innocent people must mean those who would not commit the crime. Presented with a car with an open door and the keys in the ignition, normal, "innocent people", would not take it. It is no defence, in English law, to say that you would never have committed the crime had not been so easy nor that you were set up by what is called an agent provocateur.

[persguru]

These stings are done in areas in which they have had problems with car theft--they get the car thieves who are already there off of the street. It is no different than our police authorities buying drugs from drug dealers to get them off of the street.

[Svejk]

While I'm not condoning crime, it must be much easier to walk past an open Cavalier,say, if your Rolls-Royce is parked around the corner.

[naomi24]

Innocent people don't commit crime.

[LazyGun]

I am pretty sure they use bait cars over here now, Jude. At a local Services station, there are notices in the car park warning that it is a site for bait cars.

And I do not think this is an unfair tactic, particularly in areas where there is a high rate of car or car content theft.

[ELVIS68]

They use bait cars in our local sports centre car park, not to turn innocent people into criminals, but to catch thieves

[New Judge]

"Guilty! Before they've actually seen a judge?"

Yes Jude. You do not have to be found guilty in a court to be guilty. As soon as you commit an offence you are guilty. Whether there is evidence to convict you, or whether you are apprehended does not alter your guilt. "Innocent until proven guilty" is a legal convention not a fact.

So to answer your question the use of "bait cars" does not turn innocent people into criminals, it turns guilty people into criminals.

[ludwig]

I'd like to see the story, but I'm pretty sure they've been doing this over here for ages. At least they used to. It's probably been against someone's human rights, or not allowed by the EU for a while, but I'm sure we used to do it.

[shoota]

We did.
We do.

[DaisyNonna]

Agree with Naomi.

[ludwig]

It's a good idea. If there's a spate of car thefts in your area, it's usually down to a particular thieving toe-rag, or gang of toe-rags. Personally I'd want them caught, and baiting a car is a good way to do it.

The chances that an innocent scallywag is going to be entrapped into a life of crime when the idea would otherwise not have entered his head are pretty slim.

[THECORBYLOON]

NEW JUDGE I think a fair libel cases would arise if folk followed your advice about guilt and innocence.

[jake-the-peg]

It's called entrapment

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrapment

Certainly in the UK exploiting someone's vulnerabilitycounts so leaving an ulocked car with the keys in in a poor and deprived part of town would definately qualify

Not sure on the US - obviously not if what you say is true (got a link yet?)

[EDDIE51]

Is it any different from putting UV light dye on banknotes to catch a suspected thief?