Washington D.C. Council votes to decriminalize Metro fare evasion-Theft not a criminal offence??.

Well there you have, it if you steal aka commit theft it'll be no longer a criminal offense if this passes- condoning theft because :" 91 percent of Metro Transit Police citations and summons for fare evasion from January 2016 to February 2018 were issued to African Americans."

This is a farce because: there is absolutely no mechanism to collect from a civil infraction.”
So in essence Washinton DC Metro Would be free for all.....

Thoughts ATS??

The measure, which passed 11 to 2, must be voted on one more time before becoming final.

Under the legislation, criminal fare evasion penalties of up to $300 would be replaced by a $50 civil infraction that would not appear on a criminal record.

By decriminalizing fare evasion we are only encouraging people to not pay their fare,” he said. “Because there is absolutely no mechanism to collect from a civil infraction.”

Allen and other backers pointed to a disparity in fare evasion arrests that shows police disproportionately target African Americans. The bill, introduced in 2017, cited statistics from a Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs report that found 91 percent of Metro Transit Police citations and summons for fare evasion from January 2016 to February 2018 were issued to African Americans.

Metro does not have exact figures on how much revenue it loses annually to fare evasion, but has estimated the figure to be up to $25 million.

He and Mendelson argued fare evasion should remain a criminal offense because it constitutes theft.

www.washingtonpost.com...

Yes, lets just goto the honor system and not enforce anything.

Don't want to pay for food at chipotle, fine.

Don't want to pay for transit fare, fine.

Want to goto walmart and just roll that full cart out without paying?

FINE.

What could go wrong.

a reply to: TheJesuit

Black privilege ?

a reply to: TheJesuit

Sorry, I'd like to read the article you linked but the WaPo site is asking me for money to view it.

Irony?

You can get free rides on a taxpayer funded metro system but mega billionaire Jeff Bezo needs more of your $ to view his subversive sh*trag.

what's the racial make up of the DC metro Police?

IF it's highly desegriagted, is what NWA say is true: Black police showing out for the white cop

Do they have video of white people not paying and the Po-po ignoring it?

Heck, it's DC, how about the Asians, Hispanics, and "others'

Sounds like people who happen to be black, are breaking the law at rates of people who happen not to be black are breaking the law.

IDK, sounds like I am never paying for a Metro ride again

a reply to: TheJesuit

I think the more relevant question is, why on earth would fare evasion be a criminal offence in the first place?

That seems barbaric to me... It falls just short of making it a criminal offence to be poor!

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: TheJesuit

I think the more relevant question is, why on earth would fare evasion be a criminal offence in the first place?

That seems barbaric to me... It falls just short of making it a criminal offense to be poor!

It's theft, isn't it?

I mean it seems to be that by definition, so maybe I'm missing something.

So why is theft a criminal offense?

I recall it's been that way for awhile. Sure, it's surely petty theft of the lowest order, but still technically theft no less.

a reply to: TheJesuit

Milwaukee lets people on after the driver asks for fare one time. They can deny folks getting on, but sometimes that results in some drunk causing problems and spitting on the driver or worse (I've seen it).
Oh and Metro? Here, read this.

Culture of Incompetence

And here.
Ideology of Incompetence

Thanks diversity!!!

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Then why should I pay? The callers into the local radio station after discovering how many folks get on our bus system without paying and finding out that the driver can ask only once, had callers saying, "so I'm basically a chump for paying?" No you're a person with morals.

I don't give to food banks, coats for kids or ANYTHING anymore because I see all around me these "poor people" - if they can't feed their kids or give them clothes for winter then maybe CPS would be best to get involved!! I am DONE footing their bills and then having hands out - you feed the pigeons you get more pigeons.

a reply to: MisterSpock

Not putting money into the parking meter could very technically be considered as theft... Doesn't mean it should rightfully be considered a criminal offence though.

How much did it cost each year to jail those people? Was jailing them doing the state any good? Did it save the state money did it make them rehabilitate and change their ways or did it cause the state more problems?

What are the pros and cons of this change?

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Exactly.

If I took the Metro from the station closest to me (which is one of the farthest out) to Metro Center it would cost $6.00 during peak times. In what world does it make sense to charge a $300 fine and saddle someone with a criminal record for avoiding a $6 fare?

If fare beating is ok in DC now, who will be ponying up for the system to run?

Just wondering if that was considered. It's been a while since I was in DC but I don't think there price range was much different from the $2.75 we pay in NYC.

Those fares pay (albeit partially) for the system to run.

So where will that come from now?

ETA: I think jailing someone for fare beating is stupid. Just wondering about the fiscal effects.

a reply to: TheJesuit

Well in Wisconsin if you drive drunk you basically get a slap on the wrist the first time. We are the only state that does that.

I guess society is going to the route that nobody deserves to be punished for anything. hmm these times we are living in.

a reply to: TheJesuit

Obviously a better answer would be to make the Metro free to African Americans and to compensate for the losses by raising the fares on European-Americans. Sounds a lot more "fair" to me!

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: TheJesuit

Obviously a better answer would be to make the Metro free to African Americans and to compensate for the losses by raising the fares on European-Americans. Sounds a lot more "fair" to me!

Don't forget to charge Asians double the fare of the European-Americans. you know, cuz they are good at math.

It's about living in a CIVIL & ORDERLY society the rule of law applies to everyone it doesn't matter how much the STATE saves or spends.

Where's the logic? Criminal theft reduced to Civil offense because 91% of citations are going to African Americans ? So lets make criminal theft not a criminal theft but a civil offense ....what ?

Lets insert the word Murder.... a criminal offense as well:

Allen and other backers pointed to a disparity in murder arrests that shows police disproportionately target African Americans. The bill, introduced in 2017, cited statistics from a Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs report that found 91 percent of Metro Transit Police citations and summons for Murder from January 2016 to February 2018 were issued to African Americans.

So when the Criminal offense is changed does that logic still hold in a free and civil rule of law nation?

The principle of rule of law is for everyone to abide in order to have a civil society.

So, since it is mostly African Americans who steal it, then they decided to make it legal to steal. I just can't wrap that around my wisdom well.

originally posted by: MisterSpock

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: TheJesuit

I think the more relevant question is, why on earth would fare evasion be a criminal offence in the first place?

That seems barbaric to me... It falls just short of making it a criminal offense to be poor!

It's theft, isn't it?

I mean it seems to be that by definition, so maybe I'm missing something.

So why is theft a criminal offense?

I recall it's been that way for awhile. Sure, it's surely petty theft of the lowest order, but still technically theft no less.

ITs call "righting the ship".

Theft that equates to less than $5 in value should absolutely not be a criminal issue.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Sorry, can't do that. Asians are a protected class and it would be racist to charge the Asians more. Only the European-Americans are NOT a protected class unless they're gay or trans, in which case they gay/trans should get to ride for free as well.