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The Herald June 13, 1980
A WOULD-BE car thief got the shock of his life on Wednesday after he asked two plain-clothes policemen to help him steal a car.
A man is now “helping police with their inquiries”, a BSAP spokesman said.
The two constables were on patrol near the corner of Stanley Avenue and Fourth Street when the man approached them and asked them to help him steal a car from the nearby car park.
“The constables went along with the plan and the man produced a set of duplicate keys and proceeded to unlock a car and start the engine. He was immediately arrested.”
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- It pays to be patient and desist from being too hasty when confronted with a situation that is not very clear. The policemen in the story were able to apprehend a car thief because they chose to go along with the thief’s plan until they had sufficient evidence to arrest him.
- It is always important to be cautious when dealing with strangers. Trust is earned over time after spending and carefully studying or observing someone. The thief got himself arrested because he trusted strangers.
- Stealing is a crime that can get one arrested. Stealing a car is an even greater crime that can land one in prison for a very long time.
- Plain clothed policemen play a very big role in crime prevention because unlike their uniformed colleagues they have an advantage in that they can blend into society without rousing suspicion.
- This allows them to gather a lot of intelligence and to gain the trust of criminals. Police force the world over have plain clothed policemen that roam the streets at any given time.
Online Reporter