Mahanoy City’s Police Department cracks us up.
No, it’s not because of the work they do.
It’s their Facebook page. Not only does it prove they’re up against it on a nightly basis up there, it also proves they’ve got a sense of humor.
The latest viral post from Mahanoy City PD came in last night.
Here it is:
Police want anyone with an active warrant against them to come to police headquarters on E. Pine St. in the borough. They offer “Warrant Foregiveness” if you show up.
“How about a fresh start,” they cleverly ask. “Your warrant will be removed and you will be given a chance to resolve your case!”
Police promise they’ll remove warrants from criminals’ records if they turn up. But there’s a limited time, they say. Run, don’t walk there. This offer only stands April 1, 2019, according to the Facebook notice.
Most people found the post hilarious. By the way … there were hundreds of reactions to this post on Facebook. And more than 1,300 people shared it within the first few hours it was online!
Some people fully expect confused criminals to fall for this prank. One look at their Facebook feed and you’ll likely agree. Of course, calling it a prank is really misleading.
We’re sure Mahanoy City PD will take care of those warrants for anyone.
And no, this isn’t entrapment. The people who might fall for this prank already have active warrants against them. People with warrants against them are encouraged to turn themselves in to authorities all the time.
Classic Prank
Mahanoy City isn’t the first police force to use similar tactics.
A similar offer came up near Pittsburgh recently. However, this offer seemed a tad more genuine. The court system was trying to clear up some non-violent crimes.
And then there was the mother of all police warrant pranks.
In 1985, U.S. Marshals used an elaborate scheme involving hard-to-get Washington Redskins tickets to lure fugitives into a “trap” of sorts. It was called Operation Flagship.
Check out this story here, from NFL Films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LsNBA2XwXU
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