Would you turn a friend or relative in to law enforcement?

I'm not really sure which forum is best suited for this post, but this seemed like a safe destination. Anyway, I'm curious about how loyal you guys are to your best friends or closest relatives. If you knew they committed a crime, how severe of an offense would it have to be for you to feel obligated to turn them in? Would you turn on them for something minor like, say, a minor theft or vandalism, just to teach them a lesson? What about more serious offenses like murder, grand theft, treason or rape? Would you stick with them no matter what?

If it was something minor I wouldn't turn them in. I may question their motives though.

Now, if it was something serious... yes I would turn them in.

reply to post by EverythingYouDespise


but really depends if its drugs/murder and so on then Yes
something small then No

My brother in law was served a warrant at his house because they thought I lived there. My car was registered at his house. They told him that they were going to arrest him for harboring a fugitive or what ever they call it. He insisted that I didn't live there but they weren't hearing him on it. They had him call me up and tell me that he had the money he owed me for a computer I sold him. I came right over and 4 officer jumped skinny old me me as soon as I hit the lawn. I spent one year in jail for some crappola.

I never was angry at him for doing that because he has a business and twenty years of contacts is not worth risking. The police will do what they can to make your life difficult if you don't help them get what they want.

With that I feel that most people would help them out and I think that it is just stupid to put your life or career on the line because of someone else.

I would turn anyone in if I had no choice like he did, but if I was paid off like Bary Bonds is doing in the Balco case I would serve the time and live large afterwards.

Good question. I would only "turn" them in if they committed a crime which I knew one hundred percent they were guilty of and one which actually hurt someone.

I've actually harbored a fugitive - My sister. She hid out with me for months. In the end she was caught and served three years in prison. I never once considered turning her in.

Small things no, Unless i thought it may save there life in the long run,

But Yes on something i thought was very wrong and done in cold blood,
Everyone is someones son or daughter,father or mother.

If someone commits a crime that causes pain to another human then they should face the conciquences,

reply to post by EverythingYouDespise


Just out of curiosity, Is this purely hypothetical or is there a dilema that needs resolving?

My response would be that it is hard to say really I know I should and the correct answer would be yes, but I would have to consider the circumstances of the crime and how they came to be in the situation.

For instance, if I knew someody who killed another person for kicks I would turn on them in a flash, but if they killed a person who harmed their family I would probably grab the shovel and help them dig the hole......

[edit on 18/7/2008 by VIKINGANT]

I guess it would have to be something serious before I, or any of my people, would consider turning in one of our own to the authorities. On the other hand, just because we didn't turn them in doesn't mean they'd go unpunished. We've effectively built a tribe out here, and we prefer to operate on a tribal level whenever possible. We take care of our own, but that goes both ways. We protect as well as punish. We are an experiment in progress, but it seems to work so far.

i would NOT turn a friend in. Although, depending on how heinous the act I may not consider them a friend after that point.

It has nothing to do with "snitching," it has everything to do with having the sheep herd themselves, pretending to be wolves. Screw that! :bash:

I feel similar to a lot of people here, something small that was maybe a mistake or lack of judgment than I'd give them a chance to make it up some way, but if someone had been hurt or I thought there was no way back for them from this then I would consider turning them in. I think no matter what they'ed get a good talking to or an arse kicking.

If it were a relative, I absolutely would not turn them in no matter what. I wouldn't harbor them or help them out too much either. If it were serious, I would just tell them good luck and send them on their way no questions asked, and adopt the don't ask don't tell philosophy.

I have been mulling over this question since you posted the thread.
There are fuzzy gray areas.
It depends so much on every detail of the situation, and who is involved and why.
A yes or no answer is difficult.
Truthfully, look at your friends and family. Do you think any of them are capable of breaking a law?
A major crime, such as murder, or rape definitely deserves to be reported.
To some, petty theft, or vandalism, is a small crime. To me it's not.
If a friend or relative came to me and confided in me that they had committed a crime, of course at first they are going to get the "WTF were you thinking speech".
But, depending on what the case is, I would want them to own up and take responsibility. Depending on the crime itself, especially a more serious one, by sharing info with me, Iam obligated to tell the police or Iam an accessory.
A fuzzy gray area for me, would perhaps be a scenario like this..

A friend of yours throws a cigarette on the ground near a business. The building sets on fire, and is completely destroyed. No one is physically hurt, but the business owner has lost everything.
Should the person own up to what they did?

Your teenager borrows your car to go out with friends one night. He has too much to drink, but drives anyway. Due to being intoxicated, he swerves over to the wrong side of the road. This causes a car in the opposite direction to swerve, lose control, and flip over in the ditch, killing the driver in the process.
Your child, seeing there were no witnesses, drives on, leaving the scene.
But having a guilty conscience later, tells only you what he did.
Do you go to the police, knowing your child will go to jail and ruin his future?

A friend of yours, unemployed, down on his luck, frequently goes into stores and steals because he cannot afford to buy things. Do you let him away with it, justifying that the store makes lots of money and it does no harm?

I could play out many scenarios here.
A better question just might be..if a crime was committed, would your friends or family try to implicate YOU.

yes i would. that way i could take all of their possessions and sell them. and when i saw them behind bars i could say nah nah nah nah naaaaaahhhhh.

Originally posted by VIKINGANT
Just out of curiosity, Is this purely hypothetical or is there a dilema that needs resolving?

I had a really vivid dream the other night in which I'd killed some people and for some reason I told this to a girl I was seeing. Then she tricked me into a trap that led the cops to me. It was totally fictional, but it inspired the thread (and maybe a good short story or something, if I'm lucky).

It's interesting to read everyone's responses. Personally, I don't think I'd turn anyone in - friend or not - unless I thought they were a threat to me, I could get a significant reward for doing so or if I faced harsh punishment if I refused to help the authorities. I'm the sort of guy who thinks people should be able to do whatever they want. Everyone has to face the consequences if they get caught, but I'm not about to take sides. After all, if I ever were that lawbreaker, I wouldn't want people calling the cops on me!

reply to post by EverythingYouDespise


Sounds like selfish syndrome to me.

lol

Well everything anyone does has some level of self-interest involved. I wouldn't say my position is completely selfish, though. If I see a crime taking place that does not involve me or threaten me, I won't cause any trouble for the criminal. That's showing concern for their interests.

reply to post by EverythingYouDespise


Why would you show concern for the interests of criminals?

So you see a girl get raped, or somebody getting robbed or an old women get beaten up etc, you won't do nothing because you are concerned for the criminals?

Does not make any sense.

[edit on 18-7-2008 by _Phoenix_]

I don't believe in laws. I think it's prepostorous to suggest that police and government should have the right to determine which of our behaviors are right and allowable and which are wrong and deserving of punishment. Because of this, I support those people who are supposedly committing criminal acts.

Think about it. Every single one of us has broken some law at some point or another. How would you feel about some stranger going out of his way to have you punished?

It is one of those questions where I woul need to know every detail, but as a rule if it was something small I wouldn't turn them in but I wouldn't cover for them either. If it was something major like murder yes I would, even if it was a situation that was an accident or self-defense.

Access, the drunk driving story...yes I would turn him in. My children are 7 and 8 and we have already talked not only about drunk driving and drinking in general but we have also talked about responsible driving. I am sure I will have more discussions with them about those things in the years to come and especially around the time they get their drivers liscense. So if my son did something like that, after all we talked about then he deserves to have his future ruined over it. After all, he left the other driver no chance for a future and why does my son have more right to a good future than anyone else?

reply to post by EverythingYouDespise


Yeah but forget about goverment laws, what about common sense? It's natural to KNOW that if an old lady gets beaten up, if a guys gets robbed or a woman is raped that it is WRONG, and if you see it happen, YOU should do SOMETHING about it.