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Friday, August 1, 2008

Ethics What Would Blogtownies Do?

Posted by Patrick Alan Coleman on Fri, Aug 1, 2008 at 10:00 AM

A conversation with a policeman, on my doorstep, at 6am this morning:

Policeman: Uh, hello. Sorry to bother you so early.

Me: How can I help you?

Policeman: Is that your Mercedes out front?

Me: Uh... yeah.

Policeman: Well, we picked up a couple of kids in the neighborhood this morning. They'd been going around taking faceplates from car stereos. A couple of neighbors caught them and called it in. We picked them up pretty quickly. Is this your faceplate?

Me: Yeah, it is.

Policeman: Alright. These kids were pretty apologetic and they've been telling me where they got everything... So here, let me give this back to you...

Me: Thanks

Policeman: Yeah. So. I guess they were just going around and trying to find unlocked cars. I guess yours was unlocked.

Me: Really?

Policeman: Yeah. The question now is if you want to press charges or not. I mean, you'll have to go to court and everything if you do... but...

Me: Well, I don't know. How old is this kid?

Policeman: Sixteen

Me: Is he scared?

Policeman: Well, I gave him a good talking-to and he's really shook up. His friend is worse off—he had four faceplates and a stolen laptop. We've tracked down most of the owners though...

At this point in the conversation, I carefully weighed the fate of the sixteen year old hooligan and made my decision. But I'm curious, Blogtownies. What would you have done?


 

Commenting was not available when this article was originally published.

Comments (25) RSS

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1
I got picked up for stealing at 14 and just getting put in a holding cell for 2 hours and having to see my dad's face when he came to pick me up did the trick. My dad recently told me that they never even charged me because they knew I looked like I already knew it was wrong. I wouldn't press charges if the officer sincerely believes they are repentant.
Posted by Logan 5 on August 1, 2008 at 10:14 AM · Report
2
PAC, what did you do?
Posted by miguelaron on August 1, 2008 at 10:20 AM · Report
3
Oh, forgot to mention. If their pants are hanging so low that they're showing crack, press charges. Punks.
Posted by Logan 5 on August 1, 2008 at 10:24 AM · Report
4
Why would they just take the faceplates? Stoopid kids. Don't you know you need the stereo itself in order to get anything at the pawn shop?
Posted by autumn on August 1, 2008 at 10:26 AM · Report
5
Once you are in the system, you are always in the system. Hopefully they learned their lesson, sending them to jail at 16 would more likely than not fuck up them up for life.
Posted by longtime on August 1, 2008 at 10:31 AM · Report
6
I can be "apologetic" too when I get caught doing something I'm not supposed to. Their behavior won't change. Community service might do some good...

btw...Mercedes? Aren't you a bit overpaid... :-P
Posted by DeepCerulean on August 1, 2008 at 10:43 AM · Report
7
You gots a Benz? Nice work bro!
Posted by Michelle on August 1, 2008 at 10:46 AM · Report
8
I am the guardian of my 17 year old brother and have been for the last 2 years due to his excessive mischief. One topic that I have learned in this effort is how he often views others' attempt at compassion or giving him a break as his ability to get away with something or being above it all.

So what can be done that isn't jail but also isn't a statement that says "Your young and don't need to follow the law?"



Posted by pdxjoe on August 1, 2008 at 10:47 AM · Report
9
I had exactly the same experience with a PPB cop two months ago. He let me sit in that stew for about ten minutes. I asked him, what would you do? He gave me less than a shrug.

I saw the kid out of the corner of my eye. I've seen him around the neighborhood. He swiped my camera ten seconds later. With help from a pal I cornered him about an hour later. He was 15 and scared. He said some dumb stuff. He's black & from Somalia, I'm white & once read a book about Somalia.

Fate is shit. I let him go.
Posted by cicolini on August 1, 2008 at 10:53 AM · Report
10
Community service. For old people.

Or hard time in the Fed Pen.

Same same.
Posted by kiala on August 1, 2008 at 10:54 AM · Report
11
No charges if the kid is willing to put in a few hours somewhere. It'd be best if you were willing to do it together. Get to know you. He needs to see that he hurt real people. Might make him think twice next time if he realizes there's a person on the other end.
Posted by penthesilea on August 1, 2008 at 10:58 AM · Report
12
Hold it. This is the Merc, right? Aren't you supposed to just call the cop a jackbooted thug and call it a day?
Posted by Jimbo PDX on August 1, 2008 at 11:05 AM · Report
13
Jeez, let him go and get over it. :(

Lock your car next time or, better yet, sell the car and be green.

This reminds me of the cops who would leave an open semi trailer full of expensive electronics abandoned in a poor black neighborhood, and then when eventually an impoverished person came and took a flat screen TV, they charged them with larceny.

It's more immoral than the actual theft.
Posted by jrrrl on August 1, 2008 at 11:45 AM · Report
14
Are you kidding? The laptop contains my whole life's work. The faceplates I could care less about...but I would go to court. Stop them from doing it to someone else!
Posted by Brian on August 1, 2008 at 11:57 AM · Report
15
send him to federal "pound me in the ass" prison. Fuck 'em.
Posted by Mike Williams on August 1, 2008 at 12:02 PM · Report
16
I hope Brian doesn't spill a soda pop on his laptop or has a diode short circuit :|
Posted by jrrrl on August 1, 2008 at 12:11 PM · Report
17
Gosh I hate hipster Portlanders! PRESS CHARGES! PRESS CHARGES! PRESS CHARGES!
Posted by Kill em on August 1, 2008 at 2:52 PM · Report
18
I would ask the kids father (on the off chance he (1) has one, and (2) the father can be located) what he would want me to do. I the kids parents take the incident seriously and look like they care...let them take care of it. If they did anything to minimize the event, or deflect the blame to someone else, Press Charges hard.
Posted by TonyInTheCouve on August 1, 2008 at 3:15 PM · Report
19
With statistics showing that more than 2/3 of people who go to jail are arrested again, it leads me to believe that the system does more damage than good. Community service is no guarantee. I wouldn't risk it. On a side note, have you seen Oz? Fucking best show ever.
Posted by jasonfgc on August 1, 2008 at 3:17 PM · Report
20
book 'em dann-o.
little snots should pay, or at least put 'em in the octagon with the owners of all of the faceplates and the (i'm sure) irrate laptop owner...nothin a black eye can't fix!
Posted by lilbuddhanic on August 1, 2008 at 3:36 PM · Report
21
Great comments! If you wanna know, I let the kid off the hook. But I'm sure there was a neighbor willing to take him to the mat.

BTW: There are Mercedes - http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/MBHome.html#/vehiclesMenu/exploreOverview/?yr=2009&vc=SLK&vmf=SLK350

and there are Mercedes - http://carsguide.110mb.com/?l=Image:Mercedes_Benz_W123_Sedan.jpg

Mine is the latter... and you can have one too for just two grand!
Posted by Patrick A. Coleman on August 1, 2008 at 4:43 PM · Report
22
Mr. Coleman:

Ex-cellent
Posted by Monty on August 1, 2008 at 5:09 PM · Report
23
Let him go ... I'm sure he would have given back all the stuff he stole. Thats what usually happens... they steal once realize its bad, give back what they stole and never steal again. ;)
Posted by Greg on August 1, 2008 at 5:32 PM · Report
24
I'm proud of you, Coleman.
Where you could have punished this child with full impunity and vengeful justice,
you chose to have MERCY and weighed the circumstances against his remorse.
MERCY: what JESUS would do ;)

well played
Posted by DISGUSTED on August 2, 2008 at 10:01 AM · Report
25
PS:
do not let my name take away from the sincerity of my previous message.
my disgust is for those WITHOUT mercy.
Posted by DISGUSTED on August 2, 2008 at 10:02 AM · Report

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