While sitting in the stagnant traffic that plagues the city of Houston, one can take the opportunity to look to the driver in the car next to them and sometimes see a few interesting things. Most drivers just stare blankly at the road with a look of disdain. Other drivers can be seen screaming at the inconsiderate driver in front of them or rocking out to the radio. On the off chance that this free-spirited driver catches your judgmental eye, they usually stop instantly in embarrassment. The reaction to having an audience witness this act is enough to make one wonder what people would stop doing if they knew someone was watching.
This basic principle is being put to the test at the transportation hub in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Transit police at the Alewife subway and bus station have taken a cardboard cutout of Deputy Police Chief Robert Lenehan and placed it near a heavily frequented bike rack that is known to have a high number of robberies take place. The thought that potential thieves would be intimidated by this cut out sounds ridiculous, but this initiative is working. Since the placement of the “cardboard cop,” the rate of robberies within the station has been greatly reduced.
Public relations junior Susan Rodriguez has a good idea of why this initiative was effective in this situation.
“I think that many times when crimes happen, it’s during times when no one is around and when they have less of a chance of getting caught. So when there are authority figures (policemen) around, I believe it’s enough to make someone wait and do the crime when no one is watching,” said Rodriguez. “Policemen are intimidating.”
Although I don’t doubt that this cardboard cop aids in stopping bike robbers, this cutout could definitely not be used in situations of mass importance. This cutout should not be used to limit the use of cops, and it does not take the place of an actual officer aiding in the prevention of crimes.
Rodriguez recognizes that the idea of a cop may prevent crime in some situations, but sometimes it’s not enough.
“Sometimes people have made up their mind and they’re going to do (the crime) no matter what,” Rodriguez said.
In conclusion, when we catch a driver rocking out to music in their car alone, most of the time they stop dancing in embarrassment; but there is always that shameless driver who continues to dance anyway. Maybe thievery and car dancing isn’t an accurate comparison, but the implication is understood — some people are going to dance even if a cardboard cutout is watching.
Opinion columnist Kelly Schafler is a print journalism junior and may be reached at [email protected]
