Plods Really Lose Perspective and Priorities

A Motueka Service Station cocks up their pricing counter on the pump by moving it too many decimal places to the right. Price is 14.9 cents per litre. Pretty soon word spreads and customers queue, apparently several times for many, as they load up with cheap fuel.

The cops are after the "culprits". Victim? crime?

Allegation is either theft or using a document for pecuniary advantage. An EFTPOS receipt - give me strength...I rarely look at the receipt or screen anyway - just push the PIN.

How often have Service Stations had promotional pricing? $1 fills, sponsored by radio stations etc.

I can see many inventive (and good) defences here. The cops and the Service Station are making themselves a laughing stock. If the oil company had any sense they would grin and bear it. Turn it into a joke and an early christmas present for the lucky. Meanwhile improving their systems to avoid a repeat.

Have the cops not got anything better to do?

Here is what they could be doing; a reprise of Auckland's issues:

How many unanswered crimes have we in Auckland - 600 unallocated files? 1 in 5 investigations not completed.

Crimes solved by PI's once Police have the victims turned away
* A man had his car stolen but when he reported it to police he was told it was a civil matter. After a private investigation and three trips to the police station, the complaint was finally taken. The offender was located in Wellington and was charged and convicted.

* A fraudulent dealer on the TradeMe website set up accounts in different names, traded in small items to get her ratings up, then sold cameras and telephones that did not arrive. Police failed to take the complaint, saying it was a civil case.

* A woman gave evidence on oath before a tribunal that was later proved to be false. A complaint was made to police in writing and police wrote back to say it was not perjury and they would not investigate.

* A woman defrauded her boss by stealing $60,000 of goods but police would not investigate. The company employed Mrs Haden to prove the matter. The completed investigation was passed to police and the offender is before the court.