# Would you report a loved one to the police? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 25, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672 "2008-12-25T20:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/21 "2008-12-26T03:17:46Z")
That’s actually not an easy question to answer, is it? First impulse is to say, yeah, I’d turn him/her in. But how many women would turn in their meal ticket, and just how bad would the crime have to be? When a noted drug dealer in my city was finally arrested, his whole family put up a huge outcry in the newspaper article - “oh, he’s such a good family man! he has 10 kids, his momma, his sisters and brothers, and 3 baby-mommas depending on him!” I guess his family was going to miss going to the mall with big wads of cash in their pockets. And this desperado was caught by those mean old police, naturally, hiding under his momma’s bed! No word on who dropped the dime…For relatively petty stuff I would be very upset and make my feelings known to my ‘loved one’ and try to persuade him to make it right. But big stuff? Murder, road rage, child abuse, rape? A case where someone got maimed, hurt, killed? I wouldn’t hesitate a minute. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/22 "2008-12-26T03:39:47Z")
If they were doing something that harmed someone, yes. ---
**Author:** ![lynxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@lynxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lynxie)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/23 "2008-12-26T05:04:32Z")
I reported my father for drunk driving (although they didn’t find him). So, yes for anything that is or could be harmful. For a “victimless” crime, probably not. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/24 "2008-12-26T05:34:36Z")
If they really were a loved one context is everything, even for murder. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/25 "2008-12-26T05:52:50Z")
Heck, even if they’re _not_ a loved one, context is everything. I can imagine (unlikely) circumstances where I’d see someone kill someone else and just pretend I’d seen nothing. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/26 "2008-12-26T06:02:08Z")
Were it an action that caused suffering; emotional, physical, or financial, by innocent victims - very likely Were it an action that only placed them at risk - no ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/27 "2008-12-26T14:58:06Z")
But I’m not related to any giant squids! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/28 "2008-12-26T15:00:35Z")
I’m glad the Unabomber’s brother did just that. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672/29 "2008-12-26T18:33:45Z")
To be honest it depends on the crime. Anything non-violent no way. Even something as them driving drunk crashing knocking down a telephone pole and driving off. I still probably woudln’t. For something like a murder, hate crime, shooting etc I would. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-report-a-loved-one-to-the-police/478672.md?page=1)