How A Lawless Town Can Have Low Crime

Springfield's Chief Wiggum once said: "We can't go around 'policing' the city." Most police have that mindset. I've heard police suggest that victims of theft do go looking for their stolen property in pawn shops as that would only make for trouble. They once told a break-in victim that they couldn't press charges because they didn't have proof that the accused committed a crime (they said this in their first conversation with the victim). When a semi truck driver ran a solid red light and nearly killed several cars full of people, the police said they couldn't do anything because they didn't see it happen. Why is this laziness so rampant? Crime rates. Police have to address reported crimes. Solved crimes are a percentage of reported crimes. If they get 10,000 reports and solve 100: they have a 1% success rate. If they get 200 reports and solve 100, they have a 50% success rate. Cases they can shun that could be hard to solve, they will stay away from. Sometimes they will give you lip service, listen to your case, and say something like "We'll get right on it." In other words, "Go away. It's a almost coffee time again."

Remedy:

• Demand to fill out a complaint. Police don't destroy their own paperwork. If you haven't put your name on a complaint and signed it, it isn't a reported crime.
• Go over their head. Complain to the government body that oversees your police (usually this is the police board). Tell your story to the media. If your crime involves (or may involve) other victims, get the name of the resistant officer and tell them that you will pass their name to all of the other victims. He won't want to go through this 5 or 10 or 20 times, so he may act on the complaint now.

Tags: police crime law
Categories: Law