An unreported crime is nothing.....
· It didn’t happen.
· No one can get arrested for possession of stolen property.
· No one can be prosecuted for the crime itself.
· No property can be returned to the owner.
Because you didn’t report that small bit of crime, your small piece of a bigger puzzle is lost and another crime may go unsolved based on your failure to report.
Other victims didn’t know that there was a history or recent criminal activity on their street. The other victims also didn’t report the crime.
Everyone (people at work) was surprised to hear that you were a crime victim.
Because you didn’t report the crime:
· Crime prevention doesn’t come into play.
· No questions were asked.
· Nothing new to learn.
· No change in your behaviour.
· You believe that reporting doesn’t matter.
· You become a silent victim.
· You become angry and changed nothing.
You told one of your neighbours.
· You said, “The cops aren’t going to do anything about it.”· But, police don’t know about it either.
· Police think it’s a no crime/low crime area.
· No criminals ever hang out in that neighbourhood.
· This is a great neighbourhood.
· No crime equals a low risk area for the criminal.
· No crime equals an area of great opportunities.
· Go ahead. Commit another crime. No one bothered to report the first one.
Send a message to the friends of bad guys.
· In my neighbourhood, you’re safe if you’re a criminal because you’re unwatched and not run off by the neighbours.
· They don’t call the cops in that neighbourhood.
· The neighbour saw me, but drove on by. Ha! Did they think their gaze really scared me away?
When you don’t report a crime, it can’t be fixed.
· The next one is not prevented.
· No one knows about it. It didn’t happen.
· It tells me that you don’t care. You don’t care about the cops, your neighbours, or your neighbourhood.
You’ve isolated yourself. Go ahead, don’t report the crime.
Give the criminals a break.
Special thanks to Sherrie Carhart, Crime Prevention Specialist, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. This post comes from her recent speech on Reporting Crime.
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