I find this somewhat disturbing

While reading some local and national news on the web this morning I ran across this article on the Post Gazette site. This change in “procedures” bothers me somewhat especially where young people are involved in shoplifting. I have seen first hand the fear on the faces of a young person caught in the act of shoplifting when a police officer pats them down and places them in handcuffs. At least for some of them that is the point where they realize the serious nature of their acts and the possible consequences that lay ahead. Not all are so affected but for some it is the wakeup call that keeps them from going down a path that in the end lands them in far greater trouble. When Mayor Rudie Giuliani started his campaign which lowered crime in New York City by an order of magnitude he started with low level street crime. The word when out on the street that vandals, prostitutes and public drunks would not be tolerated and it had an immediate effect.

I can't say that all of the reasons given in this article are justified for the changes here in Pennsylvania, I can only hope that they don't have the opposite effect of what happened in New York. I suppose only time will answer the question.

Court curtails arrest powers
Summonses issued for certain crimes

Saturday, August 05, 2006
By Diana Nelson Jones, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The prostitute, the vandal, the petty thief, the noisy public drunk and the shoplifter are among people police may no longer arrest on the spot -- with some exceptions and police discretion.
A change in the state's arrest procedure rules took effect this week. Under the new rules, police will no longer arrest suspects charged with second- or third-degree misdemeanors or summary offenses. Police must instead issue a summons for them to appear in court.

Follow this LINK to read the entire story.