The issue of witness intimidation has become a major problem of late, especially in Baltimore, where NBA star Carmelo Anthony appeared on a DVD called "Stop Snitching" (full Baltimore Sun coverage here). All over the country, if news reports are to be believed, people are buying "stop snitching" t-shirts. Some are even wearng the shirts to court.
Of course, politicians and pundits are furious, with Boston Mayor Tom Menino threatening to ban the shirts, although his authority is unclear. Whether or not they represent free speech protected by the Constitution, the shirts and videos represent a rift that has long existed between urban America and the law enforcement agents who try, often without success, to reduce some of the burden crime has on the neighborhoods where it takes place.
However, Slate's Alexandra Natapoff explains that the "stop snitching" movement - if you can call it that - is a result of law enforcement policies that make "flipping" criminals the only way for them to get leniency, whether or not it's based on the merits of their situation:
Snitching is an entrenched law-enforcement practice that has become pervasive due to its crucial role in the war on drugs. This practice is favored not only by police and prosecutors, but by legislatures: Mandatory minimum sentences and restrictions on judges make snitching one of the only means for defendants to negotiate in the face of rigid and drastic sentences. But the policy has turned out to be a double-edged sword. Nearly every drug offense involves a snitch, and snitching is increasingly displacing more traditional police work, such as undercover operations and independent investigation.
I would tend to agree that plea bargaining and informant testimony is a haphazard way for police to attack large criminal networks. Without any rhyme or reason, some people who have done some very bad things get released, while peripheral players without much information to give up can end up doing hard time.
Is this an essay that you wrote for your Current Affairs presentation in Social Studies?
Easiest way to nip this in the bud: start selling the shirts at Urban Outfitters.
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