Do the right thing? but for whom?

[Dybdal]

Hey everyone'

First off for those who dosnt know' im from Denmark and i useually wake up at around 2:00 at night to catch the Celtics game when its on.

When i did that tonight' i heared something out my window when i was going to the bathroom to freshen up and get some water in my face, it was the sound of glass breaking and when i looked out of the window' i saw a guy robbing a store though a hairsalon window'

Now' thats pretty clear cut, i should ofcourse just contact the store owner tomorrow and tell her/him what i saw right? well this is where my problem comes into the picture, i've got a friend who lives in the same town as me and we go back some 15years (and he's my best friend) and one of his nabours im quites sure was the guy who did it.

Now the thing is, that i know my friend likes his family and has actualy been over to thier house to eat quite frequently and has helped the kid in question though a rough time in his life.

So what do i do tomorrow? do the right thing for my own personal sense of justice and the store owner? or do right by my friend and talk to him about it first?

Hit me back with what you would do.

[FanInTheSouth]

You've got to tell the store owner / tell the authorities.  I would also call your friend and tell him what you saw, but your friend should understand about you telling the store owner. 

[Roy Hobbs]

I'd let your friend know, but in the end, I'd turn him in.  I don't like criminal punks.

[Dybdal]

I'd let your friend know, but in the end, I'd turn him in.  I don't like criminal punks.

My dad' didnt raise me to cover for punks' so i feel the same way as you do'

My question should have been' would you tell the police you might know who had done it? or just give them all the infomation you saw/heared but leave out the part about that you might actualy know who it is.

Again, he was wearing a skie mask but that kid fits the description

[BudweiserCeltic]

I'd make sure I saw the right person before doing anything. Don't want to start "snitching" if you aren't sure of what you saw.

[BigAlTheFuture]

If he was wearing a ski mask, how are you so sure you know who did it? It might be somebody else. I think you should tell the store owner or the police you saw the store get robbed but leave out the part where you might know who it is until you know for sure its the person you think, did it. Like I said, I think you should tell the police and store owner you saw a store get robbed. Wait, until you know for sure it's the kid that you think did it, that he really did rob the store. Talk to your friend about it. Then tell the police you know who it is after you get to the bottom of it.

[Chief]

I'd do it anonymously. That way there is no hard feelings or retaliation toward you.

[Dybdal]

How im allmost 2000000000% sure its him?

I live in a very small comunity, so there aint that many kids in that age group.

1.) He had a scooter
2.) He left the scene with a plastic bag' only to come back 5mins later (so he's local)
3.) He was extremly tall
4.) Very thin'
5.) Had a black hood jacket with brown fur around the hood's edge
6.) when he left the scene the 2nd time i snuck with him to see witch direction he was going in, and sure enough he took the a back ally going towards the road connected to my friends house

Its vague still and not a complete certainty that its him' but i havnt seen any kids with the same body type that drives a scooter with that jacket in my town besides him.

[Schupac]

I think you tell the police everything you *know* but nothing that you *think*.  If the info you provided them leads to them catching the person who broke in, and it is who you think it is, you were fair in what you did.

If you were to tell them you think it is this guy, and they went and searched his house or whatnot and nothing came out of it, you'd feel pretty bad.

[Celtic]

Turn him in, you can never be absolutely 100% sure it was him unless you saw his face, so there should be no guilt there, just report what you saw. You also have to think of the store owner, people like to think of companies as deserving victims, but in all likelihood a salon is run by a small business owner, a person with mortgages, kids, bills and all kinds of things, the last thing he/she needs is some idiot smashing a window and robbing them. Even if they have insurance and the damage gets covered, their premium will go up, and in the end they are a victim twice. Not to mention piece of mind, just imagine being that store owner tomorrow and seeing what was done and wondering who would do this to you and why, and imagine at least the relief and satisfaction knowing the person was caught and it wouldn't happen again.

The one thing we should all be able to agree on is that crime is bad, in all manners. Look at your options, do nothing, crime continues as usual, say something, at least one criminal thinks twice next time or is off the streets.

[Tnerb02]

You should have called the cops when it was happening.

[guava_wrench]

You should have called the cops when it was happening.

Yeah. I think he's an accomplice now.

[Dybdal]

Turn him in, you can never be absolutely 100% sure it was him unless you saw his face, so there should be no guilt there, just report what you saw. You also have to think of the store owner, people like to think of companies as deserving victims, but in all likelihood a salon is run by a small business owner, a person with mortgages, kids, bills and all kinds of things, the last thing he/she needs is some idiot smashing a window and robbing them. Even if they have insurance and the damage gets covered, their premium will go up, and in the end they are a victim twice. Not to mention piece of mind, just imagine being that store owner tomorrow and seeing what was done and wondering who would do this to you and why, and imagine at least the relief and satisfaction knowing the person was caught and it wouldn't happen again.

The one thing we should all be able to agree on is that crime is bad, in all manners. Look at your options, do nothing, crime continues as usual, say something, at least one criminal thinks twice next time or is off the streets.

Dont worry, im not going to do nothing! as i said my dad didnt raise me to cover for punks' and if i did nothing i would be taking a leak on the upbringing i got from my parrents, so thats not even an option!

Its more about how i should go about doing it.

You should have called the cops when it was happening.

Yeah. I think he's an accomplice now.

I saw this from my parents house' and im not going to bring them into any sort of trouble by bringing the police to their doorstep! should i have called right as it happen? it would not have changed anything, the police station is 28km from where we live (thats 17.3983933826 Miles) they would have gotten here 15 minutes late if they went as fast as they could

Im going to contact the store owner in a few minutes when its 6:00 in denmark and take it from there.

[freshinthehouse]

You should have called the cops when it was happening.

Exactly.  I can't believe this wasn't an obvious reaction.  Even if the station is a ways away, I'd assume there would cops out on patrol.  Call the station, and within seconds dispatch would have the closest officer available.  And if you don't want to get involved, don't give them any information.  Just hang up.

[Dybdal]

You should have called the cops when it was happening.

Exactly.  I can't believe this wasn't an obvious reaction.  Even if the station is a ways away, I'd assume there would cops out on patrol.  Call the station, and within seconds dispatch would have the closest officer available.  And if you don't want to get involved, don't give them any information.  Just hang up.

That was unfortunetly out of the question at that time, as its not my place to bring police attention to my parents house. Voilence in my small town has not been unheared off, and after i talked to both my parents about it they told me not to say anything and i've been raised to respect my elders.

I dont expect you to understand what i mean by saying that but thats just how it is where i live as drug abuse with kids is a major concern as of late, that said had it been my own house i had to have called the police to, i would have done it without hesitation but i had other prioritys to think off.

Besides the police would not have made it and it turned out that another man had seen it aswell who did call the police but asked them not to show up to his doorstep, they them selfs (the police) called the shop owner at 7:00 in the morning to tell her what had happend without doing anything else.