What reporting? Aren’t many of these loons moronically posting their intentions on social media?
To my mind, if someone is that openly sociopathic, or that stupid, removing them from free society demonstrates the reason we have laws in the first place.
This post was edited by Don Barzini at August 21, 2019 9:27 AM MDT
The laws have always been limited and the police have always needed a crime. You can't just go intrude on someone's life because "they might be a threat." The police need to have some kind of evidence of a crime. If it was any other way, someone could point the finger at you or I and have the police jump in, search our homes, and upend our lives.
Like Don pointed out, however, a whole lot of people who are making those kinds of threats are now doing it in a way that leaves a trail of evidence. Police can act on that.
The other thing that's not accounted for in the question is whether prevalence of remarks has increased. At least one of those cases was a kid who told others playing a video game that he was going to shoot up his school. He later said he was joking. Maybe, maybe not. We don't know. But, one of the problems with media coverage is that it can increase copycat behavior. So, we may well be seeing an uptick in authentic and "joke" threats.
I would venture to guess that incidences and reporting are up and that police often have real evidence they can act on. A trifecta.
You can't just go intrude on someone's life because "they might be a threat."
Well, that's no longer true in areas that have "red flag" laws. All someone has to do is claim they believe you are a threat to yourself or others, and the police can seize your firearms. It doesn't require you be guilty of anything.
I think it is a combination of things. A number of these idiots as Don pointed out have been posting on Social Media. Just asking is spot on in her assessment of the situation.
The ones that are impossible to get a hold of are the Lone Wolf. Think the Vegas Shooter. Nothing was out there to give away his intentions, and nothing was left to find a clue as to why he did it
they should have them sign a warning that if they shoot or kill anybody, there punishment will be that victim's friends and family members will have to line up to slap the suspects in the face.
The 'We cannot do anything until they commit a crime' contention seems slightly at odds with that of the Nine Principles (of policing) which states: 'The test of police efficiency is the absence of crime and disorder, not the visible evidence of police action in dealing with it.'
Don Barzini 