[centaur]

I have seen this as a general practice from a long time where in while reporting a crime and the subsequent proceedings, also report the way cops actually zeroed in on the criminals and the different ways they used for the same. This can be seen in the visual (TV - Crime Patrol etc) and print media (mostly newspapers). While its a good read to know how the officers cracked the crime and brought the perpetrators to book apart from making us feel a lot better over the intelligence of our police force, I feel that that there is huge possibility where in existing/future criminals will take cues from this and try to outsmart the cops.

Its a different story if they will be able to do it or not and if at all they succeed in it or not but the baseline is that they are getting feed for thought. In the past, I have also read/seen where in the criminals, when nabbed, have admitted to have taken clues from such visual media for committing their crimes. With criminals getting smarter each day, I feel reporting the modus operandi taken by cops, only makes it more difficult for the cops in future especially if the criminals know how they can be tracked down. Its pretty much like the Taj incident (26/11) where the media reporting only helped the handlers and subsequently such reporting was banned by the Gov.

While being informed is a good thing, I seriously feel that media should refrain from reporting the modus operandi the cops took to nab the criminals and keep that information hidden. Even better if such serials are taken off air altogether (I know many might complain that this is not a solution and it helps to know what's going around and stuff but this is just a thought).

Few samples of what I am referring to -

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Adding to this the articles also mention whom the cops are on the look out for, which only alerts them IMO. These details could easily be skipped

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Shifting Gears Section. Thanks for sharing!

[mayankk]

Agreed. Eg, the various ATM thefts, the robbers keep evolving, studying patters, and methods. A lot of times, a lot of people know a lot about how the cops follow up.

Howver, not all is lost through such reporting. A lot of times these are regulated doses released to the press.
One of my classmates moms used to be a top cop in the DP. We had one such discussion with her a long long time back. She told us, that a lot of times, the statements released may read like they do to elicit a reaction.
"There is no footage available/People cannot be identified" etc, COULD be when they have some suspect in mind, and are studying his moves.
Even, " the culprits are identified" could mean what it says, or mean that they have no clue whatsoever, and are just shouting "Mike!!" in a crowded room, to see if there is a Mike there.
(From more than a decade back)

[centaur]

Originally Posted by mayankk

Howver, not all is lost through such reporting. A lot of times these are regulated doses released to the press.
the statements released may read like they do to elicit a reaction.
"There is no footage available/People cannot be identified" etc, COULD be when they have some suspect in mind, and are studying his moves.
Even, " the culprits are identified" could mean what it says, or mean that they have no clue whatsoever, and are just shouting "Mike!!" in a crowded room, to see if there is a Mike there.
(From more than a decade back)

This is what I have been able to reason as well but still I feel the process the cops followed can be strictly kept in the dark is what I feel. Definitely the cops are way ahead of criminals but IMHO if the modus operandi is kept a secret, solving crimes could be a little faster I feel

[Mortis]

I also have felt similar about press giving out too much information on cases in such a way that it seems to aid the current criminals or future ones

[DejavuTrip]

Originally Posted by centaur

, I feel that that there is huge possibility where in existing/future criminals will take cues from this and try to outsmart the cops.

Your fears are justified http://www.mid-day.com/articles/teen...atrol/16808194 . However, I feel that in the long term criminals can't escape from the clutches of the law.

[ariesonu]

Completely agree.
There are thousands of incidents that we read in newspapers where Juveniles committed crime by learning or watching these serials/news reports. In fact during interrogation they told Police that they learnt all this from TV.
Few months back, a lawyer friend narrated story of a 12 year old boy who stabbed his father & sister out of fun. When questioned in court, he simply smiled and told the judge that he felt so much rush while watching CRIME PATROL that he thought how much fun would it be to LIVE such incident. Fortunately his father & sister survived.

Raab rakha (literally).

[centaur]

Originally Posted by DejavuTrip

Your fears are justified

Originally Posted by ariesonu

Completely agree.
he simply smiled and told the judge that he felt so much rush while watching CRIME PATROL that he thought how much fun would it be to LIVE such incident.

These incidents are actually on the rise and its high time the media shields the new gen by not showing such serials on television. At present, crime patrol Has a weekend marathon where in old and new episodes are time and again shown that too from morning till evening and that is the time most of the kids watch television. If at all such things need to be shown they need to be off prime time

[antz.bin]

Crime Patrol is the last remaining Hindi language series that is even watchable. Most of the rest is utterly illogical and useless. I find the show informative because if you are a regular viewer, you get to know the kinds of stuff you need to be careful with in this day and age of informed criminals.

As far as timings are concerned, new episodes are telecast at roughly 5-6 pm. That should be the time the kids should be out playing. If that is not possible, they should move it to the late night slot.