The "A" Section of the New York Times should be renamed the "Ethics Section." There is almost always at least one article that makes you wonder the thinking involved behind the issue.
I stumbled across a small insert article on the editoral page (which usually can come through with an ethics article,) called "Manufacturing Misdemeanors." Again, its titles like this that swoop in and automatically snap readers to attention. Well, that was the case for me, at least.
The article was one of those is this right or wrong questions. The infamous New York City Police Department has been out nabbing criminals. Actually, these "criminals" are your ordinary citizens that may be facing a misdemeanor because they were pegged by authorities.
This seems like a long shot, right? There is no way your average Joe is getting a misdemeanor for no reason. The NYPD is plainging unattended bags of illegal drugs in subway stations. If someone takes them, authorities aren't far behind, waiting to pounce.
Of course, this isn't ethical at all. What happens to the kind civilian that is simply picking up the bag to throw it away? The Times also points out that there are those looking to return the items to their owners. Most of the people getting charged would never committ a crime.
According to The Times, the sting is known as Operation Lucky Bag. Just by hearing the title provokes uneasiness of the questionable practice. Last year 220 people were arrested in the sting. It makes me wonder how many of them were actually planning on keeping the bags for themselves. I find it hard to believe that all 220 of those arrested actually used drugs. Its amazing they all happened to be in the same subway station.
The Times stated that civil libertarians argued the program was an entrapment and a poor use of resources. We're in the wake of terrorism, I don't think the NYPD wants the people of New York City to turn their backs to them in disgust.
The program needs to cease, thats all there is to it. Good Samaritans deserve to be left alone, not pounced on the minute they fall into a trap set up for them by Police Officers. There are those that need to be kept an eye on, but since the majority of the population does more good than harm, I don't see this program anywhere near necessary or ethical.
Further readings:
http://www.gothamist.com/2006/02/27/sub_crime.php
http://talk.hope.net/viewtopic.php?pid=1668
http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=29180
http://manuelisidro.vox.com/library/post/sting-operation-lucky-bag---shame-on-nypd.html
http://pdberger.com/totally-new-york/
Editorial Article
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