How far counts as too far? How much effort has to be put into
anything before it goes from enticing to deliberately leading?
Studies have shown that, in the proper situation, people who would
ordinarily not commit a crime can be lured into the act if enough
persuasion can be leveled against them. Most people admit they have
contemplated committing a crime once or twice in their lives, but
failed to do so because of various reasons. So if this is all true,
how far is too far when it comes to catching potential criminals?
Police stings are nothing new. The Sheriff of Nottinghaam set one up
to catch a bad guy in the literary classic Robin Hood. I am sure if
records existed, we'd find cases of Reeves setting up some sort of
sting to catch Sheep Thieves in Merry Old England. The general idea
is a simple one. You set up a situation where someone looking to
commit a crime feels comfortable and then you arrest them while they
try to commit the act. Done properly, it is an effective tool for
catching criminals.
More recently, the concept of a Sting operation has come under
scrutiny because some might have gone to far or pushed people who
might not have committed the crime into actually going through with
it. Law Enforcement makes the claims that since the people being
enticed tried to go through with the act then they would have indeed
done so regardless of prompting. Opponents argue that the situation
and the tactics of the Law lured people who would ordinarily never
have committed the crime into breaking the law.
As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I spent a chunk of my earlier
years as a Con Man and I was very good one. One of the truisms of
the Con is “You can't cheat an honest man.” The basic idea
behind any Con is that you are getting something for nothing and
anyone who is honest and even half way intelligent knows that you can
never get something for nothing, so something has to be fishy with
the deal. Basically a Con Man lures people into committing crimes.
Stings work kind of the same way with the only real difference being
that a properly done Sting only sets up a situation that can lure
criminals into believing they are not alone. Improperly done Stings
on the other hand work EXACTLY like a Con Game. Law Enforcement
Agencies do Everything in their power to trick and lure men and women
into situations that they might have never gotten involved in if not
for the Lure.
The link above describes a good example of a sting that goes too far.
The Gentleman with the pet Possum (Go figure) hooks up
Electronically with a pair of girls (Eager sisters? Man this guy was
hit by the turnip truck after he fell off of it.) who want to meet up
for some perverted hijinks. When the guy finds out that one of the
sisters is way underage,. He becomes hesitant, but the older sister
goads him on and on until he finally agrees to at least meet with the
girls. He is promptly arrested for his actions.
Now don't get me wrong, the Possum Guy was stupid. He is obviously
one of those poor unfortunate souls who believe that Penthouse
Letters actually tell true stories. Two hot teenage girls want to
get together to frolic with a grungy older dude who owns a possum?
Two girls who happen to be sisters AND one of which is underage?
That is like a fourth of any X-rated fiction site's offerings rolled
into one. Red flags should have been waving in front of this guy's
eyes after the first talk.
However, if you read through the transcripts of what was said, it
becomes pretty obvious that the guy was extremely reluctant to go
through with what was being suggested. He obviously understood that
what was being suggested was illegal and immoral (well at least in
the US). IF the agents operating the sting had dropped the issue and
moved on to another target, it is highly unlikely that the man in
question would have ever actually committed any crime. So once
again, how far constitutes too far?
Almost everyone has had a larcenous or immoral thought at least once
in their lives. It is human nature to want the “forbidden fruit.”
However, the vast majority of people will never follow through with
the initial impulse either for moral or legal reasons. So just how
far should Law Enforcement agencies be allowed to go before they have
gone too far?
End of Rant
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