What's your take on the "Stop Snitchin" Epidemic

[dgeaton8]

I've lived in Massachusetts most of my life and have always felt that it's a safe place to live. 6 months ago, I started working in Boston, working for the Investigations Unit of the Dept. of Mental Health. Crime in Boston has been increasing at record rates this year with no answers in sight (Even the Guardian Angels came to town to help out). I've read the papers and watched the news and have been amazed at the lack of cooperation that people who have just had a loved one gunned down, give to the Police trying to help them. Ok, I'm not too surprised, but yesterday seeing a woman with a red smily face T-Shirt with a bullet in the forehead that read "Stop Snitchin" really ****ed me off. Why? Because this is the same person that blames the Police for not doing enough when they come to investigate a crime, and degrades them as soon as they turn their back on them. It is an epidemic becaue it has become a way of life for many people, it's a way they deal with the "problems" in their neighborhood. The same people that have this mantra are the same people that are getting into trouble and need LE the most. My venting is over...your thoughts...

[Group 29]

Because the criminals have been educated to the fact that the thing they most have to worry about when committing crimes, is the informant, or cooperating witness.

[scratched13]

Tell those living in areas like that who are "good people" to move out, then stop responding to calls there and let all the "stop snitching" POS rot.

[tehJet]

I second that...if they don't want you to find out who killed someone, let them all kill each other. Then there won't be anyone to snitch about

I recently saw a clip of the rapper Cam-ron(?) on Anderson Cooper, stating that even if he knew there was a serial killer living next door to him, he wouldn't call the police. How can you reason with people with that kind of mentality??

[katzeyze]

I recently saw a clip of the rapper Cam-ron(?) on Anderson Cooper, stating that even if he knew there was a serial killer living next door to him, he wouldn't call the police. How can you reason with people with that kind of mentality??

The simple answer: You can't. You can only hope and pray that someone dumps about a hundred pounds of super-strength shock in the gene pool and hope for the best.

I personally have long been in favor of scooping up all the gang-bangers, dope peddlers, child molesters and rapists; dumping them in an arena the size of Los Angels; dropping in crack, meth, weapons and ammo and then letting them shoot it out. Last man standing wins.

Oh the prize??? A nice new shiny chair hooked up to a outlet.

Guess that's why they won't let me have the keys to the kingdome.

[Dinkfuzz]

I second that...if they don't want you to find out who killed someone, let them all kill each other. Then there won't be anyone to snitch about

I recently saw a clip of the rapper Cam-ron(?) on Anderson Cooper, stating that even if he knew there was a serial killer living next door to him, he wouldn't call the police. How can you reason with people with that kind of mentality??

Its cuz of all the d*mned TV i tell you! D*mn kids and their pop culture!

[JSandi]

The segment also featured interviews with several young Black teenagers who said that in their neighborhoods, "People get respect for robbing banks, but if you're snitching that's a crime."

http://www.earnedmedia.org/bond0427.htm


Well there is your answer right there, glaring you in the face. UFB!

[Fëanor]

People trust themselves to handle things more than they trust the police.

Here is an example from their point of view:

'B' shoots 'G' to steal his drugs/money. If they tell the police what happened and let the police handle it, 'B' might get some prison time, but he will eventually be released. If 'G's friends/family handle it, 'B' will be killed. "Blood for blood" is a pretty common theory when it comes to "justice"/revenge.

Personally, I have never met someone who was reformed by prison. Everyone I have ever met who got out of prison just jumped right back in to what put them there in the first place. I am sure prison helps some people, but I think it safe to say that the vast majority of prisoners are not reformed by their incarceration. Very often these people get out of prison and their first thought is revenge on whoever they blame for putting them there.

I have, however, met people who were handled by their victims rather than the police. These people don't tend to repeat their mistake, and usually don't go anywhere near the victim ever again.

[Magicman]

I've been dealing with this for years. Nobody saw nothin. Ever. It's sad because they're killing each other.

[just joe]

I like the "Escape From New York" scenario--put all the trash in one spot and let it fester while everyone else gets along with their lives.

[dgeaton8]

That's the ironic part of the whole epidemic. People are killing their "own people". I only use that reference because I hear so much about how we need to take care of our own and blah blah blah. I grew up in the "Gansta Rap" era and thats all I heard. U gotta get in where you fit in, but if you fit in, your getting shot, and nobody got your back.

[Fëanor]

I like the "Escape From New York" scenario--put all the trash in one spot and let it fester while everyone else gets along with their lives.

There is a series on HBO called "The Wire" where this plan was tried.

A police commander told all the local drug dealers that they could sell drugs freely with no worries about police intervention as long as they weren't violent and didn't bring guns. He gave them a couple vacant parts of town to do this in. He instructed his officers to allow drug dealing in these parts of town.

To an extent, it worked.

Normal citizens were able to hang their laundry in front of their homes to dry, little kids could play ball freely on street corners, and little old ladies weren't scared to go out on their front porch.

Since the problem was concentrated in small parts of town, it was easy to implement successful needle exchanges, condom distributions, etc. etc.

The only problem was that the drug dealers weren't able to do without the violence. The first murder in these "Amersterdam" free zones brought media attention to the whole situation, and that put an end to it.

It was just a TV show but it is still an interesting concept.

[Group 29]

People trust themselves to handle things more than they trust the police.

Here is an example from their point of view:

'B' shoots 'G' to steal his drugs/money. If they tell the police what happened and let the police handle it, 'B' might get some prison time, but he will eventually be released. If 'G's friends/family handle it, 'B' will be killed. "Blood for blood" is a pretty common theory when it comes to "justice"/revenge.

Personally, I have never met someone who was reformed by prison. Everyone I have ever met who got out of prison just jumped right back in to what put them there in the first place. I am sure prison helps some people, but I think it safe to say that the vast majority of prisoners are not reformed by their incarceration. Very often these people get out of prison and their first thought is revenge on whoever they blame for putting them there.

I have, however, met people who were handled by their victims rather than the police. These people don't tend to repeat their mistake, and usually don't go anywhere near the victim ever again.

Well, if they were better shots, and did more thorough investigations before deciding to start shooting, maybe we could live with that. All to often, they either shoot the wrong person, or shoot at the right person, and hit the wrong person.

[Hitman2]

I don't understand the stop snitching thing. The mentality is ridiculous! I don't see officers as the bad guys. Why would you want to continue allowing murderers to live among you?

[Fëanor]

Well, if they were better shots, and did more thorough investigations before deciding to start shooting, maybe we could live with that. All to often, they either shoot the wrong person, or shoot at the right person, and hit the wrong person.

I don't really want to live with it even under those circumstances.

When everyone executes their own brand of justice there is no consistency. It's all arbitrary and uncontrollable. That's why we have a justice system: control.

What really needs to happen is reform of the justice system to make improvements where needed. If things were as they should be, no innocent people would be convicted. Murderers and rapists would not walk the streets freely.

But we all know how likely that is, so people choose to do whatever they personally think is best.

Why would you want to continue allowing murderers to live among you?

Because they are more confident that they can protect themselves than they are that the police can protect them. In some cases for good reason, and in others for no reason.