How many times have we tried to explain that a tool - like a gun, or a knife, or a hammer, or a motor vehicle, or whatever - is not to blame for its misuse? It has no moral volition of its own, no ability to choose. Those reside in the person using - or misusing - it. Blame them for the problem, not the thing they're using!
This has just been demonstrated yet again to the police in London, England.
Robbery gangs have turned to using pushbikes in the face of a police crackdown on moped crime, it has been revealed.
Both the Metropolitan and City of London police have seen a rise in the number of crimes involving pedal bikes in the past year.
Some victims even reported thieves dressed in smart clothes to look like ordinary commuters.
The Metropolitan Police saw the number of moped crimes fall from 15,168 between December 2017 and November 2018, down to 8,721 in the 12 months after.
This was largely due to Operation Venice, a crackdown that saw the use of controversial tactics including knocking suspects off mopeds.
But the Metropolitan Police said that in the year to February 9, it recorded 2,325 robberies where the suspect was riding a pushbike, up from 1,380 the previous year.
And the City of London Police recorded 169 bicycle-enabled robberies in 2019, compared to just 58 on mopeds.
There's more at the link.
Here's how the British cops took down moped- and motorcycle-mounted crooks. No word yet on whether they'll use the same tactics against bicycles.
The thing is, they're tackling the tools used by the thieves, rather than the problem of theft itself. It's like banning guns. If criminals can no longer easily obtain guns or ammunition, they'll switch to knives, bows or crossbows, spears, machetes, clubs (including otherwise legal sporting implements like baseball or cricket bats), and so on - but they won't stop their crimes. That's the nature of the beast.
Take vigorous action against criminals on mopeds, and they'll turn to other means of transportation. It's as simple as that.
What next? Ban derailleur gears, so criminals on bikes can't escape so quickly?
*Sigh*
Peter
Facts have no place in this on going propaganda campaign.
ReplyDeleteSo how many moped criminals are arrested, and what happens to them? New York's catch and release policy will result in more and more blatant crime. Is Britian doing any better?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the tactic would have a longer useful shelf life if the police would stop talking to the press about it. As soon as the criminals find out what the police are doing, they move on to something else.
ReplyDelete(My first inclination when I saw the video was that I wished the cop would just run over the bug. He might not go to jail, but he certainly would be laid up for awhile, which might even be better. But, no. As much as I would like them to, we can't really do that in a civilized society.)
We have a Corona epidemic, we need to let these folks go for thier and your safety. We'll give them a court appearance date to have them show up and face the charges then. Just like California.
ReplyDeleteRoy-
ReplyDeleteThey have Socialized medicine there.
They cannot afford the bill.