NYC police to revise decoy purse operation to settle lawsuit
Image from Shutterstock.
New York City’s police department has agreed to settle a lawsuit that claimed a decoy purse operation was leading to arrests of good Samaritans who hoped to return the items to their rightful owners.
Police have agreed to revise the guidelines for the sting, dubbed “Operation Lucky Bag,” the New York Times and the New York Post report.
Police hoping to find thieves would leave purses, wallets or other valuables unattended and then arrest people who picked up the items. The settlement requires police to consult with lawyers before any Lucky Bag sting. Officers will also be trained to arrest only in certain situations, such as when the suspected thief denies taking the property or when the suspect removes a wallet but does not take the bag.
The three arrestees who sued will receive settlement payments ranging from $10,000 to $25,000, the Times says.
