Arrest for theft of 5 cents of electricity

I ran a long extension cord about 1 mile long from the police station to my house. I charge my pip on it. No issues so far.

Nexus 7 ? 4

 

Everyone on here has just stated opinions.. This is the best reply I have seen. It also shows a need to amend whatever applicable laws there are regarding this situation so it is more specific. I bet the guy has a good shot of winning if he took it to court. I don't know what sort of energy loads im putting into an outlet... Is a paralyzed man on a scooter that needs a charge breaking the law if he uses the outlet?

 

If he didn't ask permission, he is.

 

Dang EV thieves are everywhere!
The story sure as heck reads a little differently when you leave out a few of the facts, now doesn't it?

 

As a law abiding citizen, I have no issues with the police and support them. Wouldn't want to live in a civilized society without them, or our military. If Mr. Opportunist hadn't plugged his Leaf in at a public school and made a issue out of it, I believe common sense would have prevailed.

 

Are you trying to imply that less than your level of support implies a non-law abiding citizen ?

Funny choice of words.

Common sense says the police would be doing their job if they had been out keeping the city safe rather than wasting the public dime on this nonsense.

 

Actually, according to some reports, this isn't his school district. Which would explain why the cop thought the car abandoned. Ran the plates, and it wasn't local. Also, the loading dock area of the schools I have been to aren't generally accessible to non-school employees. Parents and students wouldn't have a need to park there.

People have been killed over parking spaces.

If the cop was ignoring a more serious crime that was called because of this, I would agree. No report that is so. The cop also wasn't just looking for someone to harass. He was only there in response to a call to 911.

The initial confrontation didn't go beyond what one would expect this to take. Cop arrived, asked the guy if he had permission to be parked and charging there, took down info for report and left. The arrest didn't happen until a follow up on the report revealed that the Leaf owner didn't have permission to park and charge there, and that he had been informed that he couldn't use the tennis courts. They could have likely slapped trespassing on there if the cops felt vindictive.

 

How about *preventing more serious crime* ?

911 ? You must be joking.

No.
Cop arrived, pulled plug, and then entered car without permission.

 

It's a long time since I studied criminology, but one lesson that has always stayed with me (and applies more generally than my own country) is that the police do not detain or arrest you because you have broken the law. They stop you because, in their view, you need to be stopped, and they then work out which law to charge you under.

For example, if you swear at a police officer in the UK, and don't pay any attention to his or her warnings that you need to stop, you will be arrested under s 5 Public Order Act 1985, which requires the person sworn at to have been harassed, alarmed or distressed by it. The idea that an experienced officer who has heard it all before is really alarmed or distressed by some mouthy yob letting off a string of obscenities is laughable, but since there isn't a crime of "being a jerk when a police officer has told you to stop", that's what you get arrested for.

I don't disagree with it, incidentally, nor with the action of the officer here. Policing by consent, with comparatively small numbers of officers, needs a level of respect from the public for the police. If that isn't forthcoming, the police often need to take action to reestablish it if they are not to lose control. In rule of law democracies they can only use the tools that they are given by legislation; but the law isn't what gets you arrested, it's the unreasonable behaviour which can be brought within the definition of an offence. It would appear that the driver gave the officer quite enough reason to think that he needed to be brought up short, and since he had technically stolen some electricity, that's what he got charged with.

 

If this township is anything like the well to do ones I've lived in, there likely wasn't any other serious crime for him to prevent at that moment. The police department received a complaint involving the local school and investigated it. Should they have deemed it not serious enough and continue drinking coffee and eating donuts as the stereo type goes? Or should they abandon the post the swore to protect by going outside their juristiction to an area with bigger crime problems?

The person calling it in used 911.

Entering the car seems like over stepping in the situation, considering that running the plates should have yielded all the info needed. This was before the cop met the Leaf driver and his winning personality, though. Perhaps, the communication line with the DMW was down. The car was unlocked. We would have heard otherwise by now. Checking the glove box for a registration card could be reasonable.

Let's not forget, this was on grade school property. The law might have more leeway in regards to unknown vehicles i regards to what they can or can not do vs. a mall parking lot.

And thus why I don't trust them.

 

And suppose he had permission..I didn't read where the Cop checked to see if it was OK for him to be plugged in.
In my town Cops don't take it apon themselves to just go ahead an arrest someone in that kind of situation unless there was a complaint made..maybe there was

 

I am sure the cop would left the scene immediately if a series 911 is called like shots fired.

 

Probably true a lot of the time. Arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of power.

Arrests should happen because of flight risk or future risk to the public, not because the cop felt his arse was not kissed.

 

The posted story is about an man getting popped (11 days later) for stealing, trespassing and unauthorized use of a facility. He was made example of after investigation for being an arrogant lying little pr-ck with an attitude and a mouth. Sounds pretty cut and dry to me.

 

Isn't that what the KKK would say after a lynch ?

 

I would expect that kind of comment from you. Nothing new to see here folks...move along. He has unresolved issues.

 

Agreed, he could have likely avoided this whole thing by being nice. All he had to do was go over to the police officer, apologize, promise not to do it again, and maybe make some small talk about how short a range his car has and how he needs to plan his day better around it. End of story, and the police would have never found out he was trespassing either had he done all this.

Of course this jerk seems the type he would have gone back and done it again, and the officer would be a lot less lenient the second time.

 

it sounds stupid but the amount does not matter

if its 5 cents or 5000 cents its plain and simple you just ask first

what would you think if someone just came up to your house and plug the car in without asking .i ts the same

 

Please. There is no connection between a group of racist asshats acting on their own and government appointed officers working within the confines of the justice system.

The primary purpose of penalties to law infractions(in theory) is to deter future infractions. Not just from the perpetrator, but also others.

 

The police were out doing their job, THE SCHOOL CALLED THEM!!!!!

STEALING IS STEALING EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE TO CALL IT PETTY CHANGE, plus this jerk was previously told not to use the facilities without getting permission.