Full time thieving a viable career option

Any thoughts on finding out why these people steal and seeing whether that can be changed? Maybe providing them with their drugs?

(I know that doesnt work for all of them, since presumably some, or many, are not on drugs and just steal for the money)

andym said :

Well there are some countries in the world where loping off an offenders hand seems to produce the desired results

It would make it harder to carry a stolen TV back out through someones window

Where’s Mully when you need him. A dozen or two drives by Mully would sort this problem out.

I guess the question is when do we give up on rehabilitation for recidivist offenders? How many chances does a person deserve?

p1 said: GPS tracking collar which delivers an electric shock when they enter a home they are not authorised to?

Or blows their head off.

p1 said :

georgesgenitals said :

The police can correlate increases in property crime to the release from gaol by certain individuals. The solution is simple – don’t release them.

GPS tracking collar which delivers an electric shock when they enter a home they are not authorised to?

How about putting tracking collars on them, then referencing their locations with reported burglary sites? If found to have been on the premises, and the owner doesn’t explain it away, automatic reincarceration. It would take away a lot of the thrill if the chance of getting caught was >99% rather than <10% (for example).

andym said :

georgesgenitals said :

On a more serious note, I realise we can’t just throw away the key. But gaol seems to be our society’s most serious punishment, and also our most effective means of isolating known criminals from their (previous and future) victims. What alternatives do we have? Can someone who has burgled 300 times actually be rehabilitated?

Well there are some countries in the world where loping off an offenders hand seems to produce the desired results

Yeah, top idea. Let’s take our lead from coutries that stone to death women who have sex with someone they are not married to.

georgesgenitals said :

On a more serious note, I realise we can’t just throw away the key. But gaol seems to be our society’s most serious punishment, and also our most effective means of isolating known criminals from their (previous and future) victims. What alternatives do we have? Can someone who has burgled 300 times actually be rehabilitated?

Well there are some countries in the world where loping off an offenders hand seems to produce the desired results

a small percentage of crooks are responsible for an estimated 90% of Canberras Crime

Careful – the article doesn’t say anything about a percentage of crooks, just an absolute number. 124 crooks could be half for all we know. (I doubt it.)

If this is a Pareto proposition, and some tiny fraction of crooks are responsible for almost all property-related crime in Canberra, then lock the f*ckers away for life, and screw rehab. I’m all for second and even third chances, but 100? It’s not about the stuff they steal, it’s the fact that they invade citizens’ most sacrosanct places – their homes.

I wonder if it makes things easier for police? “My DVD player was stolen.” “No worries, we’ll just hit up the people on this list!”

Sorry, wrong post. 🙁

If I were trying to catch them I’d put out an APB on deadbeats trying to exchange large quantities of Hong Kong dollars.

p1 said :

facet said :

…PS the family later married into the colonial police force.

Great, so they started off a little dodgy, and married into the real crooks. 🙂

I’m thinking that back in the day there were not many well paid jobs in which you could sit around all day on your backside and do nothing.

georgesgenitals said :

The police can correlate increases in property crime to the release from gaol by certain individuals. The solution is simple – don’t release them.

GPS tracking collar which delivers an electric shock when they enter a home they are not authorised to?

facet said :

I note the SMH recently ran a story about a “smiling” burglar in Briton who committed over 660 offences with estimates that he had stolen about $A 1.9 million of goods over 8 years. During those 8 years he was given a string of community penalties instead of jail. He has just been sentenced to six months jail for the latest offence and 4.5 years for the original offences.

I believe this may be the young reprobate to whom you refer;

A teenager who burgled almost 700 properties during a £1million ($1,738,934.54 AU) crime spree because he enjoyed the ‘buzz’ of stealing was finally jailed yesterday. Bradley Wernham, 19, was caught trying to break into a house just three months after a judge had spared him prison to give him a ‘second chance’. Wernham was branded one of Britain’s most prolific thieves when he admitted 17 burglaries and thefts and asked for 645 others to be taken into account when he first appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court in Essex in October 2009. He already had convictions for 26 other offences, bringing the total to 688 crimes.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1300245/Burglar-broke-700-homes-FINALLY-locked-up.html#ixzz0vgexvOy5

facet said :

I should mention that my Irish catholic great, great, great, great grandfather Lawrence Foley was sentenced to transportation to Australia as a convict in 1823 for being in possession of a stolen cow. I don’t believe my relo was “smiling” when he arrived in Australia.
PS the family later married into the colonial police force.

How about we start the transport going in the opposite direction. People lose their right to be Australian.

😉

freakwent said :

…. Locking them up for fifty years won’t prevent another small group simply starting up in their place.

Are you saying that there is another group of apprentice thieves lined up to take over from the current group if they are locked up? Do these wannabes sit around wishing that the old-timers would get locked up, thus freeing up the market for them to start operating?

I don’t think so. These thieving scrotes are simply that section of society who don’t give a shit. Increasing their jail time may not reform them, but it will keep them off the street and out of other people’s houses.

georgesgenitals said :

p1 said :

Can someone who has burgled 300 times actually be rehabilitated?

Surely someone can answer that one.

p1 said :

Not that I am necessarily for longer and longer custodial sentences for this kind crime, but clearly something different needs to happen if the situation will improve.

The police can correlate increases in property crime to the release from gaol by certain individuals. The solution is simple – don’t release them. Some of these people seem to have burgled homes literally hundreds of times. Even at 3 months gaol per offence, that’s a gaol term equivalent to a number life sentences.

On a more serious note, I realise we can’t just throw away the key. But gaol seems to be our society’s most serious punishment, and also our most effective means of isolating known criminals from their (previous and future) victims. What alternatives do we have? Can someone who has burgled 300 times actually be rehabilitated?

A – People start to put pressure on Polititians

Why is it up to politicians to secure your private personal belongings? I’m sure they have better things to do, that’s up to you, the cops and the judges. Burglary is already illegal.

B – Politicians legislate for harsher penalties and better rehabilitation systems

Which one do you want? harsher penalties are the opposite of better rehabilitation systems.

C – Magistrates and Judges actually represent the peoples views and lock some of these people up for a really long time. (bear in mind Burglary has a max penalty of 14yrs)

Magistrates and Judges are NOT supposed to represent the people’s views, they are supposed to pass judgement and sentence, based on the laws supplied by Parliament. Also, the obligation is on YOU to prove that locking people up for a really long time would actually change the burglary rate.

It may be that a small group is doing all the burglaries because Canberra is a small city, and that’s all the “market” will support. Locking them up for fifty years won’t prevent another small group simply starting up in their place.

These people help ensure that the insurance industry thrives. Think of the children!!1!

facet said :

…PS the family later married into the colonial police force.

Great, so they started off a little dodgy, and married into the real crooks. 🙂

Hank said :

This makes me so angry! You would think if it’s 124 of them committing 90% of Canberra petty crimes the police/justice system would be able to keep it under control.

I kinda think that is what the OP is suggesting. If the police know who a serial offender is, but the court system just keeps letting them out, the crime will continue.

Not that I am necessarily for longer and longer custodial sentences for this kind crime, but clearly something different needs to happen if the situation will improve.

I note the SMH recently ran a story about a “smiling” burglar in Briton who committed over 660 offences with estimates that he had stolen about $A 1.9 million of goods over 8 years. During those 8 years he was given a string of community penalties instead of jail. He has just been sentenced to six months jail for the latest offence and 4.5 years for the original offences.
I should mention that my Irish catholic great, great, great, great grandfather Lawrence Foley was sentenced to transportation to Australia as a convict in 1823 for being in possession of a stolen cow. I don’t believe my relo was “smiling” when he arrived in Australia.
PS the family later married into the colonial police force.

I guess its all about numbers and statistics.

But seriously, how many times can someone be convicted of violating the bounds of someone’s home and taking thier prized, hard earned possesions ?

I’d don’t own alot of stuff, the few things that I have that I actually value have are more valuable emotionally then in wallet terms.

And even better… if someone breaks into my home to rob me, there is a chance I could be liable when he slips on the icy path why walking out the door with my posessions ?

When did Australia start to suck ?

Just put them in gaol and leave them there permanently. If they really have offended as many times as it seems, they deserve it anyway.

This makes me so angry! You would think if it’s 124 of them committing 90% of Canberra petty crimes the police/justice system would be able to keep it under control.