Local law enforcement in the Midwest have "banned" and "canceled" criminal activities due to the extreme sub-zero temperatures across the region.
Temperatures and windchill advisories in excess of 50 degrees below zero in some areas of the Midwest this week prompted police departments and sheriff's offices to jokingly declare a hiatus on crime. Police in Noblesville, Indiana, and Westchester, Illinois, linked to social media pages showing temperature charts with advisories to potential criminals and asked them to "stay inside and read or watch Netflix" in lieu of committing illegal acts.
"Due to the extreme cold and wind, the Westchester Police Department is canceling all misdemeanor and felony criminal activities," the department wrote on their Facebook page this week. "Criminals, please take note, it is too cold to commit crimes. Stay inside and read, watch Netflix, go on the FBI Bank Robbers website and help catch other criminals, anything, but for the love of polar bears, do not go outside and commit crimes."
"All crime and illegal activities in Noblesville and the surrounding areas, will be prohibited until further notice," the Noblesville Police Department wrote on their Facebook page Tuesday. "If you fail to comply with this notice there is a possibility of a fine or even jail time. We wanted to get this information out to the public as quickly as possible, so we are utilizing social media. However, once the weather improves we will be sending out a formal notice via certified mail when illegal activities can resume. If you do not receive your formal notice you cannot participate in any criminal endeavors."
The Minneola, Minnesota city government and police page took on a more cautionary approach, posting photos of people scarred by frostbite as a result of dangerous wind chill effects as opposed to raw temperature indexes.
"As wind moves across your body it draws away the heat your body causing you to become colder. As the air temperature decreases and the wind speed increases the wind chill value will be higher, meaning that you are in greater danger of being hurt or killed and the higher the wind chill the faster the cold will hurt you. If the wind chill is -20 degrees it will take less than 30 minutes for your skin to freeze, resulting in frostbite," they wrote.
The jocular repartee of the local law enforcement agencies coincided with reports from Chicago that people were stealing winter clothing at gunpoint in certain parts of the city.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Benjamin Fearnow is a reporter based out of Newsweek's New York City offices. He was previously at CBS and Mediaite ... Read more
