3 bikes stolen from Braddon

Ate said :

stole another ashtray of cigarette butts

Damnit Ate, stop feeding the suburban feral wildlife.
You’re encouraging them to breed.

Keep everything under lock, even your ashtray.

I hear that these ferals shun motion sensor activated flood lights. You might want to give that a go to keep these rodents at bay.

Ate said :

Someone came back into our yard last night and stole another ashtray of cigarette butts, presumably the same asshole kids who stole our 3 bikes on Sunday. I couldnt care less about an ashtray but I hate the fact these kids are brazen enough to come back looking for more shit to steal. I know i cant proove its the same kids but its highly likely. Will be looking at installing cameras now to catch them in the act.

You should be more responsible and keep your cigarette butts locked up. Did you learn nothing from your previous thefts?

Someone came back into our yard last night and stole another ashtray of cigarette butts, presumably the same asshole kids who stole our 3 bikes on Sunday. I couldnt care less about an ashtray but I hate the fact these kids are brazen enough to come back looking for more shit to steal. I know i cant proove its the same kids but its highly likely. Will be looking at installing cameras now to catch them in the act.

LSWCHP said :

skeptic said :

Some may argue that there is utility in knowing something about the alleged thieves,

Yep, I’d argue that. I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t agree with you.

If three hoods are committing crimes in my neighbourhood, it’s useful to know that. If I also know that the three hoods are of x-ethnicity, then that is much more useful information. That may sound unfair, bigoted or whatever, but life isn’t necessarily fair and I have no intention of treating arsehat thieves fairly if I can avoid it. If I can gain some advantage over evil-doers by having information that will enable me to to better focus my attention where it is required then I will be grateful for that information and I will use it to my advantage.

It’s quite unlikely that these tools will suddenly decide to follow The Path of Righteousness, and knowledge of their ethnicity, whether Anglo, African, Aboriginal, Asian or whatever is useful to those of
us who have to protect our property against their depredations in the future.

+1. Knowing as much about them as possible, including ethnicity, makes it easier for citizens and police alike to be aware and manage the problem. These kids are clearly involved in multiple thefts, and anyone locally should be on the lookout. In the City Of No Punishment, being able to spot thieves and protect yourself from their actions is more important.

skeptic said :

Ate said :

skeptic said :

I am glad you got your bikes back, Ate, but please consider that the ethnicity of the alleged perpetrators is not relevant to your story. Calling out the ethnic background of these young people (about whom we know little else) is one step on a slippery slope which includes stereotyping, racial profiling and bigotry.

I understand what you are saying, but as Affirmative Action M says i was stating a fact, not being a racist. Because of this I was also able to help another rioter get his bike back last night when we ran into 3 kids at Dickson shops with 4 Avanti bikes, one of which fit the description of his and did in fact turn out to be the one they stole off his front porch a few days ago. Seems like these little darling children have been stealing quite a few bikes lately.

I agree with you and Affirmative, Ate, that the subjects’ ethnicity is a matter of fact. I disagree with your decision to make this fact part of your story. Choosing to include ethnic or racial identifiers when describing a suspected lawbreaker promotes bigotry and racial profiling. There are times when it is necessary to report identifying features; such as when a murderer is on the loose. But for the bike thefts recently discussed, the bikes were found and recovered before the suspected thief’s background was identified. Some may argue that there is utility in knowing something about the alleged thieves, but just putting out this one fact does more harm than good.

Isn’t it really disgusting when certain groups live up to their respective stereotypes? Some of them include, Asians being bad drivers, old people walking slow and looking at everything at the shops, Lebanese men hang out in gangs and have shiny cars, bogans drink shitty beer etc.

You’re getting hung up on the wrong thing, these kids are Aboriginal and they did steal, does this mean that all Aboriginal’s steal? No. Does it mean that a group of Aboriginal kids in the Dickson area on bikes are thief’s, I’m going to say yes. If that information was not made available then it would have been ALL kids in the Dickson area are thiefs.

It’s not racial profiling because at no point did anyone say “All Aboriginals steal.” So get over it.

LSWCHP said :

skeptic said :

Some may argue that there is utility in knowing something about the alleged thieves,

Yep, I’d argue that. I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t agree with you.

If three hoods are committing crimes in my neighbourhood, it’s useful to know that. If I also know that the three hoods are of x-ethnicity, then that is much more useful information. That may sound unfair, bigoted or whatever, but life isn’t necessarily fair and I have no intention of treating arsehat thieves fairly if I can avoid it. If I can gain some advantage over evil-doers by having information that will enable me to to better focus my attention where it is required then I will be grateful for that information and I will use it to my advantage…..

But characterising suspects as from a particular group is unfair to law-abiding members of that group. And it damages the larger community by encouraging sloppy thinking such as stereotypes. Accepting this technique is trading one bad (perceived threat to property) for another (encouraging racial profiling and bigotry). A good strong lock is a better way to protect one’s bicycle than carrying around a mental scorecard of which neighbourhood kids may be trying to nick it.

skeptic said :

Some may argue that there is utility in knowing something about the alleged thieves,

Yep, I’d argue that. I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t agree with you.

If three hoods are committing crimes in my neighbourhood, it’s useful to know that. If I also know that the three hoods are of x-ethnicity, then that is much more useful information. That may sound unfair, bigoted or whatever, but life isn’t necessarily fair and I have no intention of treating arsehat thieves fairly if I can avoid it. If I can gain some advantage over evil-doers by having information that will enable me to to better focus my attention where it is required then I will be grateful for that information and I will use it to my advantage.

It’s quite unlikely that these tools will suddenly decide to follow The Path of Righteousness, and knowledge of their ethnicity, whether Anglo, African, Aboriginal, Asian or whatever is useful to those of
us who have to protect our property against their depredations in the future.

skeptic said :

I am glad you got your bikes back, Ate, but please consider that the ethnicity of the alleged perpetrators is not relevant to your story. Calling out the ethnic background of these young people (about whom we know little else) is one step on a slippery slope which includes stereotyping, racial profiling and bigotry.

According to your logic, men should not be named as rape suspects?

Ate said :

skeptic said :

I am glad you got your bikes back, Ate, but please consider that the ethnicity of the alleged perpetrators is not relevant to your story. Calling out the ethnic background of these young people (about whom we know little else) is one step on a slippery slope which includes stereotyping, racial profiling and bigotry.

I understand what you are saying, but as Affirmative Action M says i was stating a fact, not being a racist. Because of this I was also able to help another rioter get his bike back last night when we ran into 3 kids at Dickson shops with 4 Avanti bikes, one of which fit the description of his and did in fact turn out to be the one they stole off his front porch a few days ago. Seems like these little darling children have been stealing quite a few bikes lately.

I agree with you and Affirmative, Ate, that the subjects’ ethnicity is a matter of fact. I disagree with your decision to make this fact part of your story. Choosing to include ethnic or racial identifiers when describing a suspected lawbreaker promotes bigotry and racial profiling. There are times when it is necessary to report identifying features; such as when a murderer is on the loose. But for the bike thefts recently discussed, the bikes were found and recovered before the suspected thief’s background was identified. Some may argue that there is utility in knowing something about the alleged thieves, but just putting out this one fact does more harm than good.

But do they still have their bells????