Bait Cars are almost always placed in minority areas..why?

Question

I have been watching several police shows which show segments on bait cars and how they catch so called car thieves. My issue is this: for the most part they always show minorities stealing these cars and very rarely show these cars in a non minority areas. Are the police perpetuating a certain stigma/ stereotype that causes the media to take advantage of? Right is right and wrong is wrong. But is the portrayal of such actions equal or fair for that matter?

Answer 1

The question answers itself, the show is designed to appeal to a certain demographic that will respond to the demographic and targeted adverts that the station inserts to make a bigger profit.
When the data shows 50% of the audience is SWM, christian, divorced, median age of 27-38, income of $45,000 then the broadcasters know who is lining up at the trough and feeds that demographic what they will consume.
It is not a question of right or wrong, is a question of maximizing the profit share to the fullest potential.
Far as the placing of bait cars, is a matter of statistical research also, when x number cars are stolen in or near y area, just like fishing, one returns to the spot where the fish bite.
If that area is an economically depressed location, that is where more thefts of goods is most likely to occur at, in the fastest time possible.
I understand your issue, yet I cannot agree that 12.9% are responsible for the crime while the 81.7% take no part in them.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
It is simple math and economics, when the worker bees are happy and or occupied, the queen and drones can do what they want with little if any interruptions.


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Answer 2

You'd have to study the records pretty carefully. No TV show shows the entire situation.

That being said, as a guy witha degree in statistics, I'd be willing to bet the house that these areas overlap and hence there is a strong statistical correlation:

1) What you call "Minority Areas"
2) Poverty
3) High denisty of cars to go along with high density of population
4) Rate of car theft
5) History of car thieves in the area

I'd say if you want to catch car thieves, go where the car thieves spend most of their time.

If history shows that there are more car thieves to choose from in one small(er) area, then it is more efficient to use one car that might draw out any of several of them, then to spread reasources all over the place in low density areas and hope for the best.

Think about it in termns of football - if the defense wants to stop the offense, they plan for wht they think the offense might do next. They could just put all 11 guys on the goal line every play, but they don't, because they leave obviously important areas uncovered if they do. Same in the case you asked about.

That is a purely statistical answer, I hope it makes some sense to you - I was trying to show that while I well understand that it may look like race is a factor in their decisions, it may not actually be the case. I hope it helped you understand, even if it is not what you wanted to hear.

And you didn't ask my opinion on whether or not it consitutes entrapment so I didn't tell you :)

Answer 3

I believe they place the bait cars in a known high crime area. The police know which ones they are. What would be the purpose of a costly sting operation in an area known to have very low crime rate or car theft? The fact that it seems they are mostly minorites is most likely because this is where the cost of housing is lower and affordable to minorities with not much money. And, yes, if you don't have much money and live in this kind of an area, the temptation to steal would be much greater. Obviously, the people shown are the actual individuals who take advantage of the situation without regard to the law. It's just a fact of life, that the poorer folks are much more likely to break the law.. Sad but that's my opinion.

Answer 4

Well they could place a bait car on my street and leave it there a month with the keys in the ignition and at the end of the month the only thing that woud have happened is at least one neighbor would have called to complain the care was an eyesore.

They put the cars where people steal them - doesn't make much sense to put them in areas where people don't/ won't steal 'em does it?

Maybe if the people who are so worried about the stigma/ stereotype they are developing they oughta stop stealing stuff!

Answer 5

You see it and say "they're placed in minority areas." I look at it and say "they're placed in high crime areas."

If you're a fisherman, you go where the fish are. If you're a cop, you go where the crime is.

This isn't about stereotyping, it's about looking at past data to predict likely future occurrences.

P.S. They're not "so called car thieves." When you knowingly take a car that's not yours and drive off in it, there's nothing "so called" about it. The person is just a thief.

Answer 6

Because the police have learned that it is a waste of time to put them in "majority" areas. If the people you defend would stop stealing cars they would stop being arrested for it. The thieves, not the police, are perpetuating the stereotype you dislike. The truth hurts you.

Answer 7

They place the cars where the highest crime areas are. The most stolen cars. Many of these shows also prove that it is not always minorities that steal the cars. How come the businesses in"minority" areas always have bars and screens over their windows and doors? Are they worried that a "majority" person might come into the area?

Answer 8

A bait vehicle, or decoy vehicle, is utilized by regulation enforcement in predominantly intense crime aspects to entice criminals. regrettably, those intense crime aspects tend to be poorer neighborhoods, being commonly inhabited by minorities. in spite of the fact that crime does ensue in white neighborhoods, it relatively is far less probably for regulation enforcement to get any form of payoff from a decoy/bait vehicle venture, via fact the decoy vehicle ought to look out of my place or isn't touched in any respect. The decoy/bait automobiles are in many cases additionally loaded with useful products to entice potential criminals out (which to 3, could appear as if an obtrusive capture).

Answer 9

Well the problem here is that if a `bait` car is left in a predominately middle class non immigrant white area it will not get nicked. Might get a parking ticket but thats about it. So whats the point of that?

Answer 10

This is the second time I've been to this particular category,
why? Because it's a honey pot for all the racists, bigots and hate mongers in the world. Are you kidding me? Asking these
creeps anything and thinking you'll get one out of ten answers
there are not motivated or fueled by hate, ignorance, or just plain stupidity is absurd! Do yourself a favor and leave these idiots to themselves.........yeah, I said it!