Mississippi cops spin 'wheel of fortune' to decide who to arrest

[Are_grits_groceries]

Police in Picayune, Miss., have turned to a unique method of determining how to arrest individuals on outstanding warrants: They have created a Wheel of Fortune-type spinning wheel, to which they attach the names of persons wanted on arrest warrants.

Whoever the wheel lands on gets arrested, reports the Biloxi-Gulfport Sun-Herald.

According to the paper, the police force made its first "Wheel of Justice" arrest Tuesday, taking into custody Dewayne Allen Bester, Jr., who was wanted for selling crack cocaine near a schoolyard.

From the Sun-Herald:

Officers plan to spin the wheel once per week at different locations in the city. Next week, they may do it at a local radio station, Ervin said. Narcotics officers will determine which drug suspects to put in the running and they likely won’t feature the same eight offenders from week to week. Ervin said Picayune police’s drug arrests aren’t limited to those Tuesdays when they spin the wheel.

The hope is that the “Wheel of Justice” causes citizens to take note of drug activity so they will call in tips to officers.

Though RAW STORY wonders why seeing police officers dispense justice randomly would prompt people to report crimes, we have a more pressing question to ask the police force in Picayune: Why not use the tried, tested and true method employed by police forces everywhere to decide who to arrest -- prioritizing?



http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/07/mississippi-cops-spin-wheel-of-fortune-to-decide-who-to-arrest/

This is just wrong on so many levels. It's not a game, and why aren't they trying to arrest them all anyway if they need to be?

[saigon68]

1. BOZO on the left needs his mommy to calm him down

A child's game

HOW ABOUT PIN THE TAIL ON THE MINORITY INSTEAD?

[piratefish08]

2. great. just fucking great.

[SoCalDem]

3. Um, why not arrest ALL the people with outstanding warrants?

Isn't that what police departments are supposed to do?

The Wheel idea does work for certain circumstances.

My son's Sociology class used a "Wheel of Misfortune" for her calss when they studied family-living. She paired up kids in fictional marriages, had them spin the wheel for jobs & incomes, and then again weekly, for the misfortunes. Some were ..need new tires $400... baby... rent increase $100... lost job....car accident.

It made a lot of those kids think twice about money:)..and the rush to "grow up".

[Buzz Clik]

4. My thought exactly.

[dhpgetsit]

5. I guess it's their way of avoiding charges of racial profiling?

Wierd

[pampango]

6. I wonder what the DU take would be on the Gates controversy if it had occurred in the South.

If it had happened at the University of Mississippi or North Carolina State, would we be talking about police-minority relations and racial profiling in general or how stupid Southern police are?