Live Bait

[numas05]

I'm pretty sure we've all heard of those To Catch A Predator type shows, where a young looking woman poses as a young girl in order to catch sex offenders. How does one get into a job like that?

Also, I heard police agencies hire young looking people to go to stores and buy tobacco or alcohol to try and catch the store for selling to minors. How would a person get into that job?

[mcsap]

They typically use college interns , family members or members of a formal organization that is involved with such issues but aren't sworn LE.

They don't take applications for this kind of thing.

[G35 Mass]

I'm pretty sure we've all heard of those To Catch A Predator type shows, where a young looking woman poses as a young girl in order to catch sex offenders. How does one get into a job like that?

Also, I heard police agencies hire young looking people to go to stores and buy tobacco or alcohol to try and catch the store for selling to minors. How would a person get into that job?

The children on To Catch a Predator are professional actors.

I've never heard of anyone getting paid to do the alcohol or tobacco stings. They've always been interns where I have worked.

[Jim1348]

.....Also, I heard police agencies hire young looking people to go to stores and buy tobacco or alcohol to try and catch the store for selling to minors. How would a person get into that job.....

In the sheriff's office that I retired from a year ago, we would go to nearby schools and look for interested folks aged 15, 16, and 17 for tobacco buys. However, more recently they have focused on the sheriff's explorers for tobacco and liquor buys.

[retdetsgt]

For tobacco, alcohol buys, we look for underage people that look 18 or 21. The idea is to make them check ID on questionable customers.

[Gutwrench]

We used minor aged decoys otherwise I don't know how there'd be a violation (tobacco). Years ago businesses tried the tactic of placing the decoy under citizens arrest but all it did was add some confusion. I don't recall it ever being successful. I think in the early or mid 90's the California Supreme Court ruled minor aged decoys could be used.

Decoys are effective in identifying businesses selling alcohol or tobacco to those underage and the operation has expanded to shoulder taps too.

[cntryboy0531]

For alchohol and Tobacco buys we use Explorers for it. As for our underage sexual predator stuff, I have no idea. They keep most of us out of it, and most of the time we can't talk about what that division does.

[retdetsgt]

As for our underage sexual predator stuff, I have no idea. They keep most of us out of it, and most of the time we can't talk about what that division does.

We catch plenty as it is w/o having to lay traps for them. Besides, with the Internet they really don't have to set up stings with young people. Real cops can pretend to be over the web. To Catch a Predator is only a TV show and is done for entertainment. The fact that they involve the police is only a side thing, their main motive is to attract viewers and sell advertisng.

[Safety Steve]

The local departments usually call me for this assignment. When I shave my beard, put my cane up, and color my hair to a darker color I can pass for a minor!



Be Safe.

[retdetsgt]

The local departments usually call me for this assignment. When I shave my beard, put my cane up, and color my hair to a darker color I can pass for a minor!

That's MINER, not minor.

[greg72982]

I did the underage tobacco buys in high school when I was an explorer. I didn't get paid for it though. I believe here you are supposed to card anyone that appears under the age of 27.

I'm 29 now and I barely pass for 21, though I did buy some liquor recently without getting carded thank you very much.

[marinepilot]

I did the underage tobacco buys in high school when I was an explorer. I didn't get paid for it though. I believe here you are supposed to card anyone that appears under the age of 27.

I'm 29 now and I barely pass for 21, though I did buy some liquor recently without getting carded thank you very much.

They don't ask you for ID, Greg, 'cause they see you have no pants to put ID in your pockets!

[cntryboy0531]

We catch plenty as it is w/o having to lay traps for them. Besides, with the Internet they really don't have to set up stings with young people. Real cops can pretend to be over the web. To Catch a Predator is only a TV show and is done for entertainment. The fact that they involve the police is only a side thing, their main motive is to attract viewers and sell advertisng.

I know they use LEO's to do the internet work, and some other basic stuff they don't like us talking about (they dont even tell us where they will be doing the operation at. They just tell us "stay away from this area"). But as for decoys I'm not sure if we use them or not. And we catch a TON of them. It's amazing to me that people will still come to this county looking for it..