From Norm Kent’s excellent South Florida Gay News:
In a story that sounds reminiscent of the robotic toilet/anti-gay stings of Fort Lauderdale in 2007, The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that Palm Springs police are currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding an anti-gay sting targeting men in a gay neighborhood last year. 24 men have been arrested for allegedly soliciting sex from cops, and are facing being put on the life-long sex offender’s list.
A Lawyer for the defendants tells The SFGate, “…a couple of cops, who were dressed in tank tops, would walk around grabbing their crotches and staring at the defendants’ crotches saying, ‘Show me what you got. Show me what you got.’
Weren’t the police committing a crime by grabbing their genitals in public and saying to a total stranger, ‘show me what you got’?!
It’s nice to know cash strapped CA is spending its tax money wisely. Did the cops have to buy their own tank tops? or were they included in Arnie’s budget?
Several years ago I was at a public beach and when I went to go to the restroom there was a man sitting on the wall outside. Normally I would think nothing of this as many times people will sit there either to wait for a friend or family member or just to cool off in the shade. As I approached the man exposed himself partially by opening the leg of his shorts and giving me an encouraging look. I ignored him and went into the restroom to take care of business. The man followed me in and stood behind me watching me as I peed. When I went to wash my hands he still watched then left before me. As I went past him again outside he was sitting in such a position that he was completely out of the leg of his shorts. I went over to him and could see the look he gave me as if he were succeeding in having an encounter. Much to his surprise I began to loudly verbally berate him for his disgusting behavior and reminded him that there were many children in the area. After a couple minutes of my verbal attack, not cursing at him but telling him how disgusting he was he stood up and began to address me. He was a local “undercover police” and he said he was going to arrest me. I asked him what for as I had not done anything wrong and it was he who was exposing himself to the public and I told him he could attempt to arrest me if he chose to as I was going to report his actions to the Sheriff anyway. (which I later did) He did not arrest me but he did go to his vehicle and leave as when anyone came by us to use the restrooms I would turn to them and tell them that this was a policeman and he was exposing himself to entrap others. I have found that when you see and even feel in some way that it may be entrapment, turn the tables on them and loudly berate them. If they attempt anything to encourage you to expose yourself or engage in some sexual practice and you think it might be someone in a law enforcement position call them out on it. Yell at them calling them a pervert. They will soon leave because you are acting as a concerned citizen. They cannot arrest you. But do not curse or touch them. After that first time on the beach I have done it to the entrapment officers in other cities. A few of my friends have also done it, and it works.
I have a friend that is a county Sheriff, not a deputy but The County Sheriff. When I told him that I did this he stated that in too many instances the entrapment was not proper. He does encourage his officers to work at stopping the prostitution in towns in his county. However he says there are other ways to discourage outdoor sex than by setting up sting operations. He did not tell me to cease from my practice of busting up a sting that is obvious entrapment by berating the party who encourages an action or exposes themselves..
-copied from “Bear” on towerload
Err … “towleroad”
Slip?? Well, enough of one to get someone on the sex predator list for life … apparently. I feel real bad for the stuttering gays, might get shot like that man in the most recent entrapment case …