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A New Way To Arrest

Police chiefs have been criticised by human rights campaigners after they used a televised TV game show sting to lure wanted criminals into custody. Hampshire Police teamed up with Channel 5 to set up a fake game show fronted by Neil and Christine Hamilton. They wrote to 150 wanted criminals who had evaded arrest, inviting them to appear on the Great Big Giveaway Show. Upon arriving at the fake TV studio in Portsmouth the guests were greeted by the Hamiltons and told they had won a cash prize. They were then led into a room where they had their make-up done and were told to wait until they were wanted for the TV show. When they were called, applause was played on a tape as they walked through a cloud of dry ice into the arms of waiting police officers who arrested them.
Ref. https://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1154412,00.html

Arrest Way A

I can understand the human rights folks stand because the event was televised. However, if these are people who have been evading the law then these rights go out the door, in my opinion. Kudos to the police in Britain for being inventive in their attempts to catch criminals.

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If the police new the addresses of the criminals why didn't they just go round and arrest them at home?

From a legal point of view, it does sound like entrapment and possibly channel 5 may still have to deliver the cash prize. A good lawyer would sort it out.

Arrest Way A

Well, I don't see where it says it was actually televised. In fact, it took place at a fake TV studio. I see nothing wrong with this at all. A number of years ago something similar was done in the Washington, DC, area. I see no infringement on anyone's rights here. Criminals were arrested. I am glad of it.

Arrest Way A

I guess I interpreted the following statement to mean that it had been televised:

Maybe what they meant was that they used a TV game show that was normally televised to lure the criminals. The only argument I can see the human rights folks having is if the sting was televised. If it wasnt, then it was fair game in my opinion.

A New Way To Arrest

I must say I think it wholly wrong.

Ultimately the innocent will be harmed if the "ends justifies the means" philosophy is pursued.

A rule of thumb I use is to imagine those involved (being subjected to the law, activity etc.) are innnocent, perhaps family members and so forth, then ask if your conscience would be offended if you did that to them.

The presumption of innocence must stand for *all*.

A good lawyer should indeed be able to throw these cases out of court and rightly so.

Of course, I am ignorant of the details of this so post according to the little I know.

Dubhdara.

A Way Arrest

What part of this is wrong? What they did, was concoct a fake story to get the accused who had already been actively evading arrest to congregate together in an area so that they could be conveniently arrested. Nothing was televised. It was simply a lure to bring them some place where they could be arrested. How have their rights been infringed? If they are not guilty, they will have an opportunity to prove that in a Court of Law.

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I've seen this in the Los Angeles area, as well. It's quite effective. Is it entrapment? No, because the people are not led into committing any crime, they are just lured in to a place where the police could arrest them. They are wanted for crimes already committed.

I think it's interesting that these fugitives have no problem going on live television. What are they thinking?? Don't they know that they are already under investigation and actively being sought after by police? This goes more under "stupid criminal" files than "oppressive police" files.

IMO
Roz