# Why is reporting a crime "snitching"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 4, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431 "2024-10-04T01:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/21 "2024-10-05T06:45:18Z")
Reminds me of the time, way back in 1992 when a lady driver didn’t give way to me on my bike. Some kind soul took down her license and ratted her out to me - She ended up with a ticket and a police directive to buy me a new bike. To me though, one of the ideas of “snitching” is purely to get the other guy in trouble. I’d hate to think about a relatively minor (i.e not causing an accident) driving mistake being posted online and then the potential for consequences far outweighing the original offense. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/22 "2024-10-05T06:54:52Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > What do you think of this then? > > > **A cyclist has helped police catch hundreds of bad drivers - by sending officers countless video clips recorded on cameras on his bike.** > > > > The action by Tim, a cycling instructor from Birmingham, has resulted in scores of motorists receiving notices of intended prosecution from West Midlands Police. > > > > “I came back from one bike ride and said ‘I’ve had enough, there’s something we have got to do about this’,” he told the BBC. > > > > Police forces in England and Wales have revealed the public is sending them 150,000 clips every year, with an estimated 90% resulting in drivers being sanctioned. > > > > The increase in the amount of footage filmed on helmet cameras, dashcams and mobile phones is leading to more prosecutions for dangerous driving. > > > > Tim said he had been sending footage to West Midlands Police for about three years, [which has led to the force setting up a portal, external](https://www.westmidlands.police.uk/police-forces/west-midlands-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/operation-snap/) so more members of the public can submit their videos. > > Quoted in full as it’s from the BBC and restricted. From my traffic observations, cyclists probably commit as many if not more dangerous traffic offences as motorists. Usually, they’re likely only to injure or kill themselves, but I wonder if he included any of those? ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/23 "2024-10-05T06:58:03Z")
More formally, in the underworld (in Italy, Russia, pretty much everywhere) there is the strict code of omertà > **[Omertà](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omert%C3%A0)** > > Omertà (/oʊˈmɛərtə/, .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}Italian pronunciation: \[omerˈta\])\[a\] is a Southern Italian code of silence and code of honor and conduct that places importance on silence in the face of questioning by authorities or outsiders; non-cooperation with authorities, the government, or outsiders, especially during crimi... and, more generally, the principle of never cooperating with the state or authorities on _anything_, not to get someone else in trouble, not if you were the victim, not to save your own life, nothing. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/24 "2024-10-05T11:55:14Z")
Is it still considered snitching if you collect a reward for providing information to the authorities that leads to a conviction? This came to mind when I was watching the news and saw that a reward of $10K is being offered to identify a teen who shot a 12-y/o in a McDonald’s. They got a pretty good image of the suspect from a security camera and ran it on the news. Personally, I have an issue with rewards anyway - you only do the right thing if you’re getting paid? How very decent of you. Sorry - don’t mean to hijack. It’s just something that bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/25 "2024-10-05T20:00:34Z")
> [@Mallard](#): > > From my traffic observations, cyclists probably commit as many if not more dangerous traffic offences as motorists. Some cyclists do. There are also those of use who do actually ride on the correct side and stop at red lights and so on, and the scofflaws are even more annoying to us than they are to all of you. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/26 "2024-10-05T20:40:35Z")
Not to mention, almost every driver violates the highway code several times on almost every trip, even ten minute ones. But drivers are very literal and particular about cyclists following the law. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/27 "2024-10-05T21:01:32Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > What do you think of this then? Well, out here in California, unless it is drunk or extremely hazardous driving- it aint a crime. It is an infraction. So reporting minor traffic or parking offenses isnt being a “snitch”- it is being a busybody. > [@bengangmo](#): > > To me though, one of the ideas of “snitching” is purely to get the other guy in trouble. > I’d hate to think about a relatively minor (i.e not causing an accident) driving mistake being posted online and then the potential for consequences far outweighing the original offense. Right, In your case it was _hit and run_, which is a very real crime. Not just some guy cutting you off and annoying you. There is a reason why criminals dont like “snitching”- they are criminals. In fact out and out murders are hard to prosecute in some areas due to a bias against snitching. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/28 "2024-10-05T21:08:46Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Well, out here in California, unless it is drunk or extremely hazardous driving- it aint a crime. It is an infraction That’s just semantics. According to the rest of the report, most of the drivers reported were sent on a driving awareness course. This is about the lowest penalty possible and involves a half-day of lectures and discussions. That is a first offence penalty though and further infringements involve points and fines, which also lead to increased insurance premiums. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/29 "2024-10-05T21:17:04Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > That’s just semantics. > > According to the rest of the report, most of the drivers reported were sent on a driving awareness course Not out here. If I cop doesnt actually witness the infraction, the police can do nothing. And note sure-driving awareness course- doesnt sound so bad, but deepfake videos are not that hard, so it would be a great way to harass someone. So, IMHO the Midlands police has just asked haters to submit such videos. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/30 "2024-10-05T22:41:21Z")
Yep, I use some of that language. I have occasionally had kids talk about snitching. In that case, I have a serious conversation with them about just and unjust authorities. If you tell on someone to an unjust authority, knowing that the unjust authority will punish them unfairly, that’s snitching. But if the authority is fair, and you tell on somebody because that somebody is doing something dangerous or harmful, and the authority will respond fairly, that is not snitching. Calling it snitching only keeps things dangerous and unsafe. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/31 "2024-10-05T22:59:33Z")
It is Reddit! The self proclaimed Front Page of the Internet. Consisting of young men that never leave the basement unless they run out of Mountain Dew. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/32 "2024-10-05T23:05:15Z")
Heh, I had conversation with my neighbor once. He was talking about how he was planning on killing his wife’s suspected lover. I replied “I don’t advise doing any of that. Because it if happens and the cops come around to ask me about it, I’m going to straight up tell them what you just said.” Like Jerry, he was incredulous. To that I replied “There’s no benefit whatsoever to you to tell me about this scheme, and there’s absolutely no benefit to me for hearing it. Keep your secrets better, and you’ll have fewer problems. I’m not going to jail to protect anyone in a scheme that does not benefit myself.” ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/33 "2024-10-06T22:05:43Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > He was talking about Well? What happened? ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2024, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431/34 "2024-10-06T22:18:36Z")
He ended up divorcing his wife. As far as I know, he didn’t follow through with his dumb plan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-reporting-a-crime-snitching/1008431.md?page=1)