quote:

Originally posted by oddball:

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
It would be a total waste of time. Cite and release or the DA bargains it away or the judge sentences to a hug and a promise to try not to steal again.

In Berkeley CA, of course. Elsewhere in many jurisdictions, yes, it would be worth the effort.

Sure, have at it. Misdo shoplifting on its own likely isn’t much. Warrants or whatever and maybe it’s a bigger thing. Lot of potential headaches for what’s likely a low level shitbird doing shitbird things.

I'm too old, slow and untrained to give that kind of help in that circumstance. Had the situation been more serious like him getting shot, I'd at least try to observe and report. This is one of those things that you simply don't know what you'll do or how you'll do it until it happens, so I can't give a definitive answer to the poll questions.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
Pretty dumb for criminals to commit crimes in my county as we prosecute. They should stick to the other side of the county line and stay in Harris County (i.e. county that contains Houston) where they'll release a cop killers for couch change or less.

I smile every time I see that billboard.

We fund law enforcement, and we prosecute.

quote:

Originally posted by berto:

Sure, have at it. Misdo shoplifting on its own likely isn’t much. Warrants or whatever and maybe it’s a bigger thing. Lot of potential headaches for what’s likely a low level shitbird doing shitbird things.

So let's just not prosecute shoplifting, car break ins, etc. Fuck it not even bother.

Oh, I forgot, I guess they did in your area.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:

quote:

Originally posted by berto:

Sure, have at it. Misdo shoplifting on its own likely isn’t much. Warrants or whatever and maybe it’s a bigger thing. Lot of potential headaches for what’s likely a low level shitbird doing shitbird things.

So let's just not prosecute shoplifting, car break ins, etc. Fuck it not even bother.

Oh, I forgot, I guess they did in your area.

Not saying that at all and it sure doesn’t work. What’s misdo shoplifting go for in your jurisdiction? Like for real, not the up to X time in county, the real deal? And I’m not talking about LEOs not putting in work whether the rest of the system follows through or not. The question posed by OP was whether any of us would drive a cop in our car to follow a shoplifter. My reason for not doing it is my reason. It isn’t universal advice nor is it my preference that the assbackwards failure of my locale become universal.

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
No. As civilian, no qualified immunity. Anything happens and it’s your livelyhood.

Good sobering point.

quote:

Originally posted by berto:
The question posed by OP was whether any of us would drive a cop in our car to follow a shoplifter. My reason for not doing it is my reason. It isn’t universal advice nor is it my preference that the assbackwards failure of my locale become universal.

And if LE needed a ride, needed help, I would gladly give it to him, even in Berkeley CA

quote:

Originally posted by Cookster:
Engaging in a motor vehicle chase to help apprehend a shop-lifting suspect?!

NFW.

That was not a motor vehicle chase.

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
No. As civilian, no qualified immunity. Anything happens and it’s your livelyhood.

Good sobering point.

So… the good samaritan laws wouldn’t apply if you help a uniformed law enforcement officer in the performance of their duties…… hmmmmm…..

I’m old and out of shape, but I do believe I could have run her down before she got in that car.

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

quote:

Originally posted by PeteF:
No. As civilian, no qualified immunity. Anything happens and it’s your livelyhood.

Good sobering point.

So… the good samaritan laws wouldn’t apply if you help a uniformed law enforcement officer in the performance of their duties…… hmmmmm…..

Maybe, maybe not. Do you have potentially tens of thousand of dollars to find out? If the agency/municipality declined to cover you or there's no precedent that protects you then you're looking at lawyers to to represent you against the agency/municipality to get coverage and lawyers for whatever incident occurred. No good deed goes unpunished and all that.

quote:

Originally posted by 357fuzz:

So… the good samaritan laws wouldn’t apply if you help a uniformed law enforcement officer in the performance of their duties…… hmmmmm…..

“ Good Samaritan laws in the United States are statutes designed to encourage bystanders to provide emergency assistance to those who are injured, ill, or in peril by offering legal protections against civil liability if the aid results in unintentional harm.”

Link

Are you making the argument that offering a ride to a police officer chasing a shoplifter falls under providing assistance to “those who are injured, ill, or in peril?”

Are you willing to risk your welfare and the financial wellbeing of your family on that theory?

No one is saying you shouldn’t but it’s advisable to make informed decisions.

LEO or not, I would help out in a second any day of the week for any situation.

So many people and cops don’t take shoplifting as seriously as they should. There are just petty shoplifters, but then there are professional shoplifters who are part of an organized crime ring. It is hard to tell the difference unless you are trained about it and what to look for. Professional shoplifters make tons of money and the leaders of the organization make tons of money doing nothing but telling people what and where to go steal.

Prior to working for my agency, I worked in the private sector for a national retailer and led an organized retail crime investigation unit. Murders were solved from some investigations. Major criminals realized they could make more money stealing merchandise than they could in selling drugs so you had serious criminals converting to shoplifting because cops who were not aware of the signs of the organized crime treated it like a simple shoplifting. The criminals found a crime with higher reward and less risk than selling drugs, robbing, or burglarizing.

Myself and five other people wrote the law that is currently in place in Texas to prosecute Organized Retail Theft that makes certain things a much higher offense than simple shoplifting. So much stuff people see for sale at good prices on EBay and such are almost all stolen product.

Sorry man. Not my job. When rock solid laws are in place immunising emergency deputised citizens then maybe. I don’t have a team of lawyers paid for by my union to defend me for even a frivolous lawsuit. Not getting involved.