Legalized Pickpocketing

Legalized Pick Pocketing in Larry Niven's Known Space universe. Page 69
of paperback "World Of Ptavvs", set in the early 22nd century, at a time
when almost all crimes on Earth had been made death penalty offenses to
keep the Organ Banks supplied with organs: One Dale Synder reminds an
ARM (UN cop) named Lucas Garner that most nations had laws against pick
pocketing before Earth became so crowded (about 18 billion by mid-21st
century) that the cops could no longer enforce the laws against pick
pocketing, implying that all the nations of the world passed laws
decriminalizing pick pocketing when the planet became so over crowded.
I would like to know how in the world the pick pocketing
decriminalization movement persuaded a majority of voters and
legislators to repeal the anti-pick pocketing laws, especially at a time
when all other crimes were being made capital offenses to supply the
Organ Banks. I would expect the law and order crowd, in alliance with
those who wanted the Organ Banks kept full, would have demanded that
pick pocketing be made a capital offense, not legalized! I would expect
the pro-pick pocketers to be accused of being "soft on crime" and voted
out of office.

The Beowolf Shaffer story "Flatlander": Beowolf learns that
pickpocketing is legal due to Earth's overcrowding making it impossible
to enforce any laws against it. Earth wallets even have addresses and
stamps so that pick pocketers can return the wallets after removing the
cash (but not the credit or ID cards).

Tim Bruening wrote:
> One Dale Synder reminds an
> ARM (UN cop) named Lucas Garner that most nations had laws against pick
> pocketing before Earth became so crowded (about 18 billion by mid-21st
> century) that the cops could no longer enforce the laws against pick
> pocketing, implying that all the nations of the world passed laws
> decriminalizing pick pocketing when the planet became so over crowded.
> I would like to know how in the world the pick pocketing
> decriminalization movement persuaded a majority of voters and
> legislators to repeal the anti-pick pocketing laws, especially at a time
> when all other crimes were being made capital offenses to supply the
> Organ Banks.

I thought the Organ Banks thing was a separate short story.

But I can think of one missing element that might make this plausible.

Suppose that there was a law that required police to conscientiously
investigate all crimes reported to them - say, for example, to prevent
a police department from using its discretion to discriminate against
a minority group by not investigating crimes of which its members are
victims.

If that were to happen, *then* the fact that conditions were so
crowded that it was hopeless for police to investigate incidents of
pickpocketing would be a reason to take the crime off the books.

Plus, a crowded, anonymous society is likely one that has measures
like gun control - so presumably giving pickpocketing a special status
as illegal but not to be investigated, so that if a victim catches
someone red-handed, he can legally cut off the pickpocket's hand, or
kill him, to get his wallet back doesn't appeal to the ruling
political elites.

One also can assume that the rulers of a crowded society often have to
make difficult choices, so the government wouldn't be highly
answerable to public sentiments - it might be technically democratic,
but very much in the "republic but not a democracy" sense.

John Savard