Cardboard Officer Cuts Crime at Mass. Subway Stop

Now, I am not usually a fan of solutions produced by state officials but hey, you gotta give credit where credit is due. Especially if it proves my point AND solves a problem so effectively and cost-efficiently.

Cardboa rd officer cuts crime at Mass subway stop

Deputy Chief Robert Lenehan says the fake cop, along with video cameras and a new lock, has cut bike thefts by 67 percent.

It’s also a money saver. Lenehan estimates it would cost $200,000 a year to have an officer watch over the cage full-time.

So, the Deputy Chief casually admits that a cop would cost $200K. Usually, this is the kind of technical minutiae that stalls my discussions with big government proponents who disagree with my cost estimates.

I say we need to start printing up cardboard TSA agents, RMV employees, social workers, bureaucrats, etc. and before you know it, we are on our way to real cost reduction.

Thanks for the support Mr. Lenehan, you've got a beer waiting for you at my pub!
(the real Cambridge beer summit)

lol this is pretty awesome, except now all the local thief's will know its cardboard!

Its like an LEO version of a scarecrow!

If they really wanted to scare people, they should do a cardboard cut out of Miley Cyrus.

Yeah we have them in the UK too. Mainly in shops like pound land etc. I believe they really work.

What happens when the cardboard thieves appear?




All of our cardboard bikes will be stolen.

This is quite common in the UK - especially in low-profit-per-item stores, and it's supposedly very effective.

Psychologically, 'watching eyes' are significant across nature - think of butterflies with their big 'eye' wings. I saw a study about honesty treat counters in offices - a large pair of eyes above the counter basically guaranteed a much higher return than an 'unguarded' equivalent.

It's not that anyone is tricked into thinking the cut-out is a real copper, more that the insinuation of vigilence is enough to make a lot of people conform. Sounds a bit eerie in our modern world, doesn't it?

reply to post by KingIcarus


Yes, it certainly speaks to the power of suggestion.

I saw a show recently that had a bunch of students watch a series of messages on a screen and then answer of bunch of apparently relevant questions for which they would receive a dollar for every correct answer.

One set got moral messages about honesty, accountability, karma, etc. The other got amoral messages about the proliferation of corruption, victimless crime and general ethical apathy.

In the middle of the one-on-one sessions the proctor would feign an emergency and leave the student alone to grade and reward themselves.

Naturally, the results were dramatic and revealing.

Cops have been doing this for decades. One of their favorites is the empty police car parked near an underpass.

Works well enough to keep people from speeding.

Of course other PD's ignore such common sense and do things like arrest people for warning of speed traps.

The difference between the two PD's would obviously be the first one is concerned with safety on the roads while the second is concerned with revenue generation.

Cool story thanks for posting S&F

when i was a kid i had my bike stolen at school it was locked we were a very poor family and it was my only Christmas present i was so excited to ride my bike too school the first day back after the christmas holiday and my bike ws stolen the first day back along with about 10 other bikes was never returned ill never forget that and it still pisses me off 30 years later

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


And we don't even need the car, a styrofoam vehicle a la Operation Fortitude would be just as effective!


Of course, we certainly don't need the other cop or even his cardboard doppelgänger.

reply to post by pez1975


Sorry to hear that, I am sure that the thief either got his comeuppance or, if he made good, he regrets it to this day.

I'm waiting for someone to steal the cardboard cop now!

I've seen storage companies with cardboard security cut outs, well one I should say it was U-haul, actually I wanna say it was the maytag man LOL



The hat almost looks official

Y Helo Officer Friendly.

Someone needs to go put a sombrero on the cardboard cop. Maybe a Hawaiian lei too.

Edit:
Even better, a bunch of fake gold chains and a red Cardinals ball cap. Thas waz up.

reply to post by greencmp



I'm still stuck on that $200,000/year figure. Why would it cost that much to have a cop watch over a bike cage? I mean, donut prices outta control, or what??

rawheroine
reply to post by greencmp

 

I'm still stuck on that $200,000/year figure. Why would it cost that much to have a cop watch over a bike cage? I mean, donut prices outta control, or what??

It doth boggle the mind, nay?

This is an old trick. Years ago (close to 20), I was in Japan with a couple of friends and we climbed Mt Fuji on one of our last days and, given the lack of time, we went up and down in one day, not knowing that the base closed and there'd be no means of public transportation out of there. Fortunately, there was a wine salesman, and his girlfriend, who were just leaving so they tossed us in their van and drove us to a train station. They were flying down the mountain and a frightening speed and we kept passing cops along the side of the road. I mentioned this to my friend, who was japanese, and he then translated my observation to the driver. He pulled over to the next cop and, sure enough, a cut out.

He explained that they put them up to deter speeders but, given the complete lack of traffic on the road, he figured he'd hightail it to the station so we'd get back to the city at a reasonable hour.

then he cracked open a second bottle of wine and the rest is lost in a haze of drunken amnesia.

reply to post by greencmp

I say we need to start printing up cardboard TSA agents, RMV employees, social workers, bureaucrats, etc. and before you know it, we are on our way to real cost reduction.

I say we start using cardboard politicians.

Maybe we can actually get stuff done.

_________

Interesting the psychological implications of the cardboard cop, though, and also supports the psychological "intimidation factor" of these new police crusiers (and uniforms) all pimped out like a superbad po-po with an all-seeing eye.

Crakeur
This is an old trick. Years ago (close to 20), I was in Japan with a couple of friends and we climbed Mt Fuji on one of our last days and, given the lack of time, we went up and down in one day, not knowing that the base closed and there'd be no means of public transportation out of there. Fortunately, there was a wine salesman, and his girlfriend, who were just leaving so they tossed us in their van and drove us to a train station. They were flying down the mountain and a frightening speed and we kept passing cops along the side of the road. I mentioned this to my friend, who was japanese, and he then translated my observation to the driver. He pulled over to the next cop and, sure enough, a cut out.

He explained that they put them up to deter speeders but, given the complete lack of traffic on the road, he figured he'd hightail it to the station so we'd get back to the city at a reasonable hour.

then he cracked open a second bottle of wine and the rest is lost in a haze of drunken amnesia.

Cool story!

Liquesence
reply to post by greencmp

 

I say we need to start printing up cardboard TSA agents, RMV employees, social workers, bureaucrats, etc. and before you know it, we are on our way to real cost reduction.

I say we start using cardboard politicians.

Maybe we can actually get stuff done.

_________

Interesting the psychological implications of the cardboard cop, though, and also supports the psychological "intimidation factor" of these new police crusiers (and uniforms) all pimped out like a superbad po-po with an all-seeing eye.

Damn straight!