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Determined little cuss turned over to dad in Fenway bike-theft attempts
By adamg on Thu, 11/12/2015 - 7:45am
The Huntington News reports Northeastern Police officers came upon three guys attempting to use a bolt cutter to remove a bike at a campus bike rack Saturday afternoon. The three managed to flee, one holding an orange bolt cutter. But an hour later, police responding to a similar incident at a bike rack outside the Museum of Fine Arts found and this time detained bolt-cutter guy, who turned out to be a juvenile, who got to stew in the NUPD lockup for a few hours until his father arrived to pick him up.
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Comments
How about identifying
the "determined little cuss" and give him a good public shaming? Oh wait, that wouldn't be PC to actually name the suspect of a CRIME because they are a "juvenile".
In a word - pathetic.
In a word, the law
Nothing PC about it. Long ago, our manly-men forefathers, you know, like before Dukakis, recognized that teens do stupid things sometimes and deserve a shot at redemption and so set up an entirely separate juvenile court system to deal with them. And part of that second chance means not identifying them. Don't like it? Call Charlie Baker and demand he do something about it (note that this does not apply to teen murder suspects, who are identified).
The theft of bikes probably
The theft of bikes probably worth hundreds, if not more than a thousand dollars, is hardly a stupd thing. If you have your bike stolen and therefore need to buy another and are now out of of say roughly $800 through no fault of your own, that kind of sucks... all because, you know, boys will be boys. It would be better if these boys were identified for their stupid actions and then maybe since they realize there are serious repercussions for their illegal actions and their crimes are not victimless, then just maybe they will see that crime doesn't pay.
We all can assume that Adam
We all can assume that Adam and Swirly girl have never been a victim of crime. One day they will be and their attitudes may be more reasonable
Wow, forcing me to break out the 12-year-old taunts, huh
About how when you assume you make an ass out of you and me, but mostly you?
I can't speak for Swirly, but, yes, I have been a crime victim. Can I assume you've just spilled your coffee all over your keyboard in shock now?
Um, hello?
First of all, this my first post on this thread. But since you assed ...
Secondly? I grew up in a fucking trailer park in the 1970s. I'm betting that you don't know what a stash of heroin looks like when you find one on the playground. Quite the opposite of privileged or sheltered, dear. Lets just say that junkies know how hard it is to secure a tin can mobile home and shop regularly.
Third? As Adam says, this practice reflects well over a century of legal practice - like, it isn't new
Finally? Most of those little shitheads that I grew up who stole bikes and drank out in the field eventually dried out, grew up, and made good - which they never could have if they hadn't been able to get jobs and learn to be more productive human beings than some of their parents were.
This is called "grownup perspective" darling. I suggest you find some. I also suggest that you take a look at the long-term social costs of the prison pipeline, and the long-term actual tax dollar costs. Then offer to double your own taxes to pay for lifelong incarceration of any kid caught stealing a bike, because I'm sure as hell done paying for that!
You know what is stupid
Leaving a $1,000+ bike chained up in a public place with a $50 lock.....
Better to lock bikes in the trunks of cars
with the car alarm on. Out of sight, out of mind. Theft problem solved!!!
Bike thefts
Well I locked my very expensive bike in the trunk of my car and someone stole the car. I eventually got the car back but the bike and other valuables in the trunk were long gone.
Also, if you decide to be environmentally conscious and ride a bike rather than drive to work/college where is your car trunk when you arrive?
Perhaps putting the bike in the trunk and then driving it to work is what you had in mind! Sabhy
You want names named?
Call your frickin' State Rep and fie legislation to get the law changed.
The kid's a juvenile. They'll probably be juvie charges against him. That's how the law works.
Yes, I believe Adam already
Yes, I believe Adam already made that point. I was making the point that the theft of items worth a lot of money was not the same as doing something 'stupid. '
Its a bike....
Nobody stole your first born child. Bikes are not that grand in the scheme of things and juveniles who don't know how to drive are the biggest end users of bicycles.
When did you learn how to ride a bike and how old were you when you got your first one?
You know...
If bikes are not that damn important in the grand scheme of things, then the little shitheels should buy their own bikes. Or head over the Bikes Not Bombs where they can learn to build their own and take it apart again at pretty much no cost.
IMO, stealing a bike isn't so different than stealing a car except that cops actually pay attention when a car is stolen and they couldn't give a crap if someone steals your bike, never mind if it's your only form of transport.
That said
If a 14 year old stole (or tried to steal) your car and was caught, the police would not be releasing his or her name to the press.
I don't know why people are conflating the crime and our approach to juvenile crime with other things.
No, not remotely.
Tbh I had skimmed over the discussion of throwing the kid in the stocks--that's ridiculous. I do with there was more...what do you call it? Natural justice or whatever where this kid is assigned to clean rusty rims at BNB for s few weeks and then maybe given a chance to work and earn a bike. The fact is that for city kids who do "stupid things" the path is much steeper--there's less of a safety net to get you back on track. So no, I don't think this kid should be horsewhipped but I also really hate the casual-shrug attitude towards stealing anything worth less than a VW.
With this I agree
That said, this kid could be the next Scott Brown. No, not the carpet bagging politician, but the thief who was told to straighten things out and ended up at Tufts playing basketball, then, later on, became the carpet bagging politician.
That we need to do more for at risk kids is true, but I don't think their names should appear in the newspaper and, via the internet, be tarnished for the rest of their lives.
Not my car
I had my car stolen in JP and when reporting it to the police they paid no attention at all.
Well stupid is as stupid does
Even a high end bicycle costs less than a newer SUV, and if the kid was trying to take one of those, the results would be the same.
The thing that confuses me is that you do not think that stealing bikes is stupid. It's as stupid as most other crimes. Drunk driving is very, very stupid, and it can have horrible consequences. Shooting a gun into a crowd? Stupid, and if a juvenile did that and killed someone, you'd know their name.
So a college student who
So a college student who rides his bike to get to school, locks it up, is doing the right thing by trying to get an education, is in debt up to his eyeballs because he's not a trust fund kid and has to take out student loans, is just shit out of luck because, gosh darnit!, teens do stupid things! No, not all teens steal from other people. Who pays for another bike for the student?
Welcome to the big bad city.
Welcome to the big bad city. Shit happens, and you often end up shit out of luck. Luckily the cops caught this kid twice before he could get away with the bike, so the only person getting shitted on will be this kid.
You're assuming it's the kid's first bike theft
I say interrogate the kid, make him rat out adults in the pipeline, prosecute adults and throw them in jail, and tell the kid to shape up or he's going to jail when he turns 18.
As said already
If you really want to do that, you're going to have to get the legislature and the governor to rewrite the law.
How to stupid proof your bike
I've never had a bike stolen, even during the 1980s, when the warranty on kryptonite locks was void in Boston due to the high rate of theft. Even though I lived and studied in Kenmore and Cambridge and worked at MGH and also in the medical area before they had adequate racks or bike cages. I don't think it is just luck - I invest in good locks and use them because it pays off.
Here's the deal: lock both wheels and the frame - either with a shackle lock through the back wheel and frame and cable through the front or with a longer shackle by removing the front wheel. Don't leave your bike in the same place all the time.
Some idiot tried to use bolt cutters on the cable securing the front wheel on my son's bike in Porter Square, but didn't bother to notice that it was shackled through the back. My son caught the guy in the act, and the thief was arrested later (not a juvenile, though).
I was lucky that my housemates in 1985 gave me the lowdown on how to lock it up. I take the time to do it right, and it does take more time than some want to bother with, so nobody seems to want to bother fighting my locking job. They'd much prefer snatching the wheels off that bike next to mine that is only locked through the frame, or clipping that discount store cable lock on the next rack.
better exactly how?
Identifying juveniles doesn't restore the victim's property. It is normal and routine to request restitution on a juvenile case. And you might be surprised at the comparison of consequences for adult and juvenile offenders. Juveniles are often detained for offenses that adults are not. Juveniles are often ordered to follow stricter conditions of release on relatively minor cases.
How about asking a couple of other questions. Where are children getting all these bolt cutters? Why are they being sold to minors? I have to show my driver's license to get a package of Sudafed, but I can anonymously buy a tool to cut locks and chains?
True. And not to mention...
I know that last year in JP there were a lot of bike thefts where it was a small group of kids with at least one older guy. I'm sure there's a little Oliver Twist crap going on here where the kids do some of the stealing/riding off quickly on the bike but then the older guys do the rest.
Crap happens
When my boyfriend's niece was 3, she deliberately knocked over his Ibanez, thinking it was funny. She caused enough damage to trash the guitar. This was handled by her mother explaining why it was a wrong or rude action, and punishing her by taking away a toy she liked. It worked.
Young people and kids show shitty judgment, which causes shitty outcomes, which is part of learning how to have good judgment and therefore evolving into an adult. Those of us who are adults are supposed to understand this and not expect young people and kids to be as capable as we are.
Furthermore, the issue of not revealing a juveniles name isn't about shaming/not shaming, it's about a kid's long term privacy. If you were arrested for something stupid when you were 15-- and a lot of us were-- do you want that arrest popping up when a potential employer/date/landlord googles your name now?
And maybe you were a wonderful kid/teen who never had a nefarious thought, but when I was a teenager, I would have felt pretty badass about being arrested and having it hit the papers. I don't think "shame" is exactly the feeling it would have incurred.
Bike theft
is NOT a juvenile prank, it's a CRIME. With respect, a law that gives special protection to criminal suspects just because of their age (as opposed to the severity of the crime) is clearly driven by the liberal PC crowd.
You can whine about it all you want
but that's not how the law works and the courts don't care. Kid's a juvenile. That makes this a juvenile court matter. If you don't like it, go win an election.
What are you talking about?
This is the practice in pretty every jurisdiction in North America and Europe (unless you're typing that with your tongue firmly planted in your cheek, which seems more likely as I reread and reread it).
What are you talking about?
This is the practice in pretty every jurisdiction in North America and Europe (unless you're typing that with your tongue firmly planted in your cheek, which seems more likely as I reread and reread it).
Yes! Let's destroy children,
Yes! Let's destroy children, because they have poor executive function!
Raise your hand if you did stupid, selfish shit as a kid. o/
Raise your hand if you matured into a responsible, law-abiding adult. o/
Teaching teenagers right from
Teaching teenagers right from wrong is not the same as destroying children.
Someone's Huffy
Got a flat today. Cry me a river!
"Liberal PC Crowd" indeed.
Laws like that have been on the books since before your grandfather was born.
That may be the case in
That may be the case in juvenile court, but routine crime and police logs offer no such prohibition on making the names of minors public -- even if many police officers will claim otherwise and redact those names. Most media outlets choose not to ID juveniles, but it is their choice
What? If anything these days
What? If anything these days it's more of the PC-obsessed crowd TO feed into toxic shaming culture. Who cares who the kid is, be happy he was caught and that this was probably a wakeup call to both him and his parents.
Irony?
Is there any irony at all to anon(ymously) insisting that the determined little cuss be identified?
Not really. Anon doesn't
Not really. Anon doesn't claim to have stolen property from anyone or committed any sort of crime. Read up on the definition of irony.
umm... Adam is the one who
umm... Adam is the one who used the phrase determined little cuss. If you have a problem with that, then direct your comment at him.
you people
are scary
yes lets name and shame the juvenile
that will definitely work and make him more employable/not hurt his academics
Don't go all "you people", please
A couple of anons (or possibly the same one) favors naming and shaming, three separate individuals spoke out against the practice, so don't go all "you people" forgodsake.
Poor executive function certainly seems to be a factor here, if you're stupid enough to get caught, successfully do a runner, and then attempt the exact same crime in the same area on the same night. That being the case, it's unclear what would be an effective deterrent, but "name and shame" is probably not it. People who are concerned about reputation and negative consequences don't do things that risk the former and result in the latter.
please
shut the fuck up about my use of the phrase 'you people'
you just sound bitchmade
Ugh, your stupidity is
Ugh, your stupidity is leaking through my monitors, abort, abort.
You People
is a trigger phrase and microagression!
please
shut the fuck up about EVERYTHING. Forever. You got in a snit about what other people have to say, you've got no right to whine when someone takes exception to what you say. If you don't want to deal with criticism, then shut the fuck UP!
i dislike
the idea of harming juveniles, possibly permanently. you took exception with phrasing and decided i meant literally every uhub poster with my comment.
go walk away from the computer, kid
Please
Oh, right away, old-timer! I guess you're showing everyone who wears the red paper hat in this McDonald's!
Honestly, of the two of us, I think it's you who needs a walk around the block, but it's your choice. And we don't even disagree, that's the hell of it. You're right, the whole "let's teach these damn kids a lesson" crap was/is stupid and tiresome, but you I think you overreacted to a bunch of hot air. That's all.
The level of debate...
On this topic is depressing.
Lots of anger and personal attacks. Very little discussion of the merits of our juv justice system.
This thread could be a case study.
So he went back for seconds?
So he went back for seconds? Sounds like we're dealing with the far left end of the bell curve here. Not much you can do with the sub-normal other that wait out their prime crime years.
I think this is frustrating
...because even though they actually caught the kid, this will have zero impact on the prevalence of bike theft.
Lucky they live now
Bike thieves are the modern day horse thieves.
"NU in London mansion"? Things have changed on Huntington Ave.
"NUPD spoke with the NUin Assistant Director via phone on Nov. 4. The Assistant Director had called on behalf of a student in the London program who had 280 British pounds stolen by a cleaning company, which is in the process of being banned from the NUin London mansion. An international security specialist was notified and the London Metropolitan Police are investigating the incident. A report was filed."
Northeastern used to be
Northeastern used to be considered an access school for middle class working families, but it's been turning into a mcmansion school
for wealthy offspring over the past few years... USC - Univ. of Spoiled Children. Cleaning services, high-end luxury dorms, etc. Those bikes that kid was trying to steal probably could have paid for a month's rent in Mattapan. Regardless, no one is doing this kid any favors by patting him on the back and telling him he's just a kid so it doesn't matter if he steals untill he's 18. Perhaps a better solution would be community service and an opportunity to get into a work/study program at Northeastern.
Because the punishment for stealing is gainful employment?
I'm all for teaching work ethic and moral character as part of the juvenile corrections process, but I feel like there should still be a stick, no matter what the carrot is.