Thanks to Kickstarter, Chris Hansen's Online Predator Stings Are Back

[TallanKhan]

I don't think this kind of thing should be on TV. Yeah sure, people stepping up to tackle a problem, provided they act within the law, great, but this isn't entertainment.

 

[stormtrooper9091]

Man, he god old

I don't predict very high ratings for it, television is already oversaturated with reality crap

 

[Lightknight]

Pedophiles. Caught. In the act.

Yes, and we have something to deal with that if such a case arises. Its called a "trial". The police bring the accused into custody and put them on trial in front of a jury of their peers.

The media should not be a part of the justice system. Justice is cold and dispassionate yet fair and even-handed. Anything less isn't justice. Broadcasting them on national television for entertainment purposes isn't justice, its revenge.

Tell you what, you find me where this is located in the constitution that the press cannot be involved in justice and I'll recant. Maybe you could express specific laws or rights that are actually being violated.

I really don't think it needs to be explained how a for-profit private enterprise should not be partaking in police operations and court proceedings to the capacity of a government representative where they won't be held accountable. Chris Hanson doesn't get to be a cop for the same reason that Kevin Spacey doesn't get to be a prosecutor in a murder trial. Pretending to be something on TV doesn't make you one.

But the media in this example are literally acquiring evidence in a sting operation.

No, the police are acquiring the evidence. The media are interfering and strongarming their way into a sting operation.

It's like sending a person with a wire into a drug den to gather information only this time the person with a wire is Chris Hansen and the criminals are coming to him. Kudos to them for the public service they are performing.

Except when they send people into undercover busts they're police officers, not television talking heads. They have legal authority and they are accountable to the public. If Chris Hanson tried to arrest somebody he'd get sued over it, possibility even get sent to jail for it because he has no legal authority to detain anybody. Moreover, if he did something that resulted in somebody getting hurt unnecessarily, like the guy who shot himself, he wouldn't be accountable to the same capacity an officer would. Thats why sued off the air - because they have no legal authority and are trying to exercise it.

Anyone recording any crime is collecting evidence. You could always explain how they are interfering with the process as well. How do you feel about the show cops?

So... no laws being broken and they are performing an additional service for the police? Your only argument is that you don't think it needs to be explained?

I'd say your burden of proof is sadly lacking.

 

[JSoup]

"We thought long and hard about this," said Lyddy, "but at the end of the day we completely understood that this was going to happen no matter what, and that we really had a responsibility to become involved and to ensure this neighborhood was safe."

And you do that by arresting the guy bringing in the danger. I find it hard to believe there wasn't something on the books to prevent this if they really wanted to. Even if it's just a matter of saying "no", then waiting until he got himself in trouble to act.