New York City Sting Operation Raises Questions from Critics
Dec 3rd, 2007 • Posted in: NewsNEW YORK
A police sting operation that targets people who pick up “lost” handbags in New York City stores and subway stations is raising ethics concerns among those who claim the dragnet may be snaring Good Samaritans, the New York Times reports.
The sting operation involves leaving handbags salted with American Express cards, issued to pseudonyms confected by the police department, an action that raises the stakes of the sting: While theft of a purse with a small amount of cash is generally classified as a misdemeanor, stealing a credit card is grand larceny, a felony in New York, punishable by up to four years in prison.
The Times notes that last year the program ran afoul of city laws that do not specify that items found in public places must be turned over to a police officer. So prosecutors amended arrest requirements to include sneaky behavior indicating that the person obviously intends to steal, such as trying to hide a wallet or slipping money out of a purse while leaving the purse behind.
In addition, Bad Samaritans now have to pass by a uniformed officer stationed near the “lost” property and not mention their find if they are to cross the threshold for arrest.
While many of those snared by the program have prior criminal records, civil libertarians protest that most who are arrested have not had previous brushes with the law, and point to cases where people arrested for stealing have made plausible cases that they intended to turn in the items at a later time.
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