OK, who would get arrested? How many 8 year olds would get arrested?

[RB TexLa]

NYPD says Operation Lucky Bag stings have snared nearly 300 people

BY TRACY CONNOR
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Thursday, December 6th 2007, 4:00 AM

The NYPD revealed Wednesday its Operation Lucky Bag stings have snared nearly 300 people - many of whom had no rap sheet before they fell for the ruse.

Since the start of the year, there have been 100 arrests as a result of the decoy operations, in which an undercover officer "drops" a wallet, iPod or cell phone in a subway station and cops pounce after it's picked up.

Police said 58 of those busted had rap sheets, while 42 had clean records.

There was a similar breakdown in 2006, when 188 were arrested. The NYPD said 101 had prior arrests while 87 did not.

Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne defended the program, saying since it began, subway grand larcenies - theft of more than $1,000 - have been slashed by half.

"Operation Lucky Bag has something to do with it," he said.

He said straphangers are arrested if it's obvious they had no intention of returning the property - for instance, if they pocket the cash in the wallet.

For almost every person busted, there was a good Samaritan who actively tried to return the wallet to the undercover who dropped it moments before or to a nearby uniformed officer.

Browne said people who picked up the wallet but did not remove the cash were stopped, frisked and checked for outstanding warrants and released.

Photographer Carlos Alayo - whose story appeared in the Daily News Wednesday - fell into that category when he found a wallet at Grand Central last week.

He surrendered the billfold to cops who grabbed him but was still frisked and asked for ID for a background check.

Browne said there was $21 in the wallet; the NYPD does not use credit cards, which would raise the charge to grand larceny.