# Terrorists vs Keystone Kops

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorists-vs-keystone-kops/739030>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [November 30, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorists-vs-keystone-kops/739030 "2015-11-30T14:45:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorists-vs-keystone-kops/739030/21 "2015-12-02T01:06:09Z")

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> [@dracoi](#):
>
> \<snip\>
> 
> As an example, let’s say I phone in a tip and say “SteveMB is planning to shoot up his neighborhood” What response should the police take? They can’t just rush out, knock down your front door, drag you out of the shower, lock you up for a week and then say “Oops, I guess that tip was fake.” (And if they did do that, would you respond “Don’t apologize. In fact, I should thank you! Better to be locked up for a week than to be killed by terrorists.”)
> 
> \<snip\>

This is actually a thing, and it’s called “[swatting](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/magazine/the-serial-swatter.html)”. A tip such as you describe \*will \*result in the local SWAT coming to your door, weapons drawn. They don’t wait for warrants or confirmation, they just go, because what if it’s not a hoax?

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2015, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorists-vs-keystone-kops/739030/22 "2015-12-02T21:12:47Z")

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> [@Not\_Carlson](#):
>
> 1. If you do consider the orchestrators of the Paris attack to be inept (or insufficiently _motivated?_), you’re kind of supporting **Steve MB** ’s point that the security agencies dropped the ball.

The police don’t stop all drunk drivers, but that doesn’t mean they’re incompetent.

**There is a limit as to what you can prevent in a free country.** There’s no way around that, I’m sorry to inform you.

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**Author:** ![Not\_Carlson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Carlson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Carlson)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/terrorists-vs-keystone-kops/739030/23 "2015-12-04T00:48:15Z")

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No need to.  
I just think your notion that the Paris attack was a relative failure from a terrorist perspective is rather bewildering.  
I found your suggestion that you could, theoretically, do a better job to be rather questionable.

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