The Thinking Criminal

By Author: Betsy Gallup
Total Articles: 6
Comment this article

A look at a criminal's stupidity. Tuesday, January 28, 2003, the Seattle Times reported the Museum of Glass was once was the victim of vandalism and theft.  Aware that the nighttime security patrols had been replaced by cameras, the thief thought ahead, he took the camera with him.  Unfortunately, he left the videotape behind.  I think we should give the thief a big hand for thinking, granted he didn't think his plan through to a successful end, but at least he took a second to think.   After watching America's Dumbest Criminals, it is refreshing to see a criminal actually use some common sense in planning a heist, instead of just driving down the road one day and thinking, ‘Hey, I think I'll rob a bank while wearing my 7-11 name tag.  And, I'll use my purple El Camino with the customized flames painted down the side for the getaway vehicle.  When I am done, I'll go to Mom's house for dinner, which is the address on file with the Department of Motor Vehicles has my home address.  While I am there, I might as well clean Dad's shotgun in front of the living room picture window while wearing ...
... a red flag on top of my head.  Yeah, that sounds like a fun evening.'  The museum thief was thinking.  He took the camera.  Maybe if he had thought a little more, he would have taken off his security guard jacket.  Maybe if he had hired a professional to think for him or watched any one of a number of bank robber movies, he would have taken the videotape with him.  Or, here is a thought, how about just avoid the cameras.  Then again, if he were really thinking, would he have committed the crime in the first place?   As far back as the beginning of time, stories of good and evil have been told.  Statistically speaking, evil loses.  The odds against evil are even higher now with such tools available to the police as security cameras, DNA, fingerprint databases, and forensic specialists capable of pulling together minute information to build a rock solid case.  Lest we forget the media, even the amateur sleuth has more knowledge than Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys could ever have imagined.  Courtesy of CSI, even I know the best time and place to commit murder is outside during a downpour (most of the evidence washes away in seconds.)   Don't criminals watch the same shows I do?  Forensic Files, CSI, Law & Order (all three version), Cold Case Files, the list goes on. They all say the same thing.  Getting away with a crime is an iffy endeavor at best.  I suppose if prison garb, crappy food, and confinement appeal to you, it might be worth a shot, but on the whole, logic says don't do the crime, you will probably do the time.      About the Author Betsy Gallup is a full-time mother to an 11-year-old son, and infant twins. She has had several articles, essays, and short stories published. She is now writing a non-fiction book under contract for publication, and she has recently procured an agent to represent her first novel, Destiny, a suspense/romance delving into the world of a renown psychic. With what time she has left, she operates www.whimsplace.com, a showcase for the work of talented writers.