[para_parolu]

I’m surprised there is no YouTuber who would make such a show. Like, add many cameras to the car, put a laptop with GPS on the backseat, and leave the car in the Oakland public parking lot. Then use the videos as proof for the police and the laptop’s location to quickly find the criminal. I don’t think there is a law that prevents it.

[laxis96]

Mark Rober has been doing something like that for package thieves, with overengineered glitter and fart spray

[cr125rider]

Don’t entrapment laws prevent this? The IRL honeypot?

That always seemed silly that you can’t do this.

[tzs]

For it to be entrapment typically the defendant has to show that law enforcement induced them to commit a crime they were not otherwise predisposed to commit.

Inducement generally means more than merely providing an opportunity. The officers have to try to persuade you to commit a crime.

Purposefully leaving valuables in an unlocked car and prosecuting anyone who took them would probably not be entrapment because normal law abiding people would not take those valuables. The police gave them an opportunity, but the criminal intent originated with the people who took the items.

[tim333]

Probably but the taxpayers elect the politicians who could change the law.

[pandaman]

I am not a lawyer, but I don't believe this is entrapment. For entrapment you need to force someone to do a crime they would not do otherwise. Even persuasion is allowed (there are many public cases where an undercover cop organized a crime and everyone who joined were successfully convicted on conspiracy charges). Property crime stings would be extremely effective if the DA and PD really wanted to get criminals in prison.