# How often do the police NOT catch somebody?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-the-police-not-catch-somebody/359106>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 2, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-the-police-not-catch-somebody/359106 "2006-06-02T03:56:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-the-police-not-catch-somebody/359106/41 "2006-06-03T15:42:13Z")

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[QUOTE=gabriela]  
I can say that the majority of the homicides I work on are solved by the police who investigate them, usually months to years after the event. SNIP

[/QUOTE]

gabriela,

You did join, after all!  
and after you said you couldn’t… heheheh [Ask the forensic pathologist - or, Last chance to pontificate - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=365327)

Welcome aboard as a member, and stuff.

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**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-the-police-not-catch-somebody/359106/42 "2006-06-03T16:38:25Z")

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I was on a softball team of all cops and me. A detective in Detroit told me gets 15 crimes every morning to deal with. He cant run around and get the pile down so he makes phone calls to ferret out the easily solvable. Then does what he can. Tomorrow 15 more. day after 15 more. etc etc etc

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**Author:** ![gabriela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@gabriela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gabriela)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-the-police-not-catch-somebody/359106/43 "2006-06-11T12:05:00Z")

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[QUOTE=Mr. Slant]  
gabriela,

You did join, after all!  
and after you said you couldn’t… heheheh [Ask the forensic pathologist - or, Last chance to pontificate - Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=365327)

Welcome aboard as a member, and stuff.  
[/QUOTE]

(Sorry for delayed reply)

They buttered me into it.

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**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\
**Post date:** [June 11, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-often-do-the-police-not-catch-somebody/359106/44 "2006-06-11T14:12:01Z")

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[QUOTE=Surbey]  
… I’m just under the impression that all these crime shows are propoganda from the government in hopes of keeping people in line. Basically, if people feel they will get caught, and these type of shows indicate they will get caught immediately, they won’t commit crimes. But thats just me…  
[/QUOTE]

Slight hijack, maybe.

I just wanted to say that with the exception of the part of your quoted statement above that says “propaganda from the government” I agree with you 100%. I just feel it is propaganda by the show’s producers.

This one show I watch sometimes, I think it is “Cops,” always has this smarmy, arrogant, self-righteous ex-deputy/ex-police chief/ex-something-cop always saying after another successful bust, words like “If you do the crime, be prepared to do the time…because you are GOING TO GET CAUGHT.”

He’s an ex-cop? He absolutely knows better than that.

Lordy mercy, what sheer bullshit. It makes me want to tear his lips off.

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