Cops vs. kids game events cut crime
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jan 17th 2006 at 10:59AM }
An innovative new program in an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, pits cops against teenaged kids on a PlayStation 2 console spinning Gran Turismo 3, Tiger Woods Golf and Pro-Evolution Soccer, according to the DailyRecord. Said one cop who participated in the program, "It showed them we're not just cops in uniforms."
No surprise that Grand Theft Auto: LCS wasn't one of the chosen competition games, but why not? Might exposing kids to more mature games in the presence of a responsible adult help them better understand the distinction between fantasy and reality? In the same way that the kids came to understand that racing through cities at unsafe speeds in Gran Turismo is just good clean fun, might playing GTA in the presence of an officer help kids develop a more sophisticated, mature view of other crimes?
Regardless, we hope that the boys in blue elsewhere see fit to give this idea a shot
stab try.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Jan 17th 2006 11:11AM
Unless they picked up some PSPs, there's one little problem: GTA ain't multiplayer!
tevetorbes @ Jan 17th 2006 11:22AM
Yeah, and I wasn't aware that driving in a race was illegal, whereas shooting a cop and running over a hooker both are.
Maybe you were thinking about NFS when you made the comment about breaking speed limit laws?
Dave C @ Jan 17th 2006 11:29AM
"In the same way that the kids came to understand that breaking speed limit laws in Gran Turismo is just good clean fun, might a playing GTA in the presence of an officer help kids develop a more sophisticated, mature view of other crimes?"
Did you read what you wrote before you submitted it Mr Cole? There are no speed limits on the racetracks in GT (as on the racetracks in real life) so the kids aren't committing any sort of virtual crime with the police officers, leaving your stab at social commentary moot (and rather desperate; if your post needs fluff like that to pad it out, it ain't worth posting).
Dave
techburp @ Jan 17th 2006 11:39AM
Take it easy guys. He was just pointing out that GTA isn't the only game where you break laws, and not all laws broken (virtually) in games are related to violence.
Chris @ Jan 17th 2006 11:50AM
Yeah, there's no point in bringing up these topics about breaking laws and playing GTA ... other than to say it and pretend/think you're sly for saying so.
for one, GTA is not a vs. multiplayer type of game unless you want to count randomly playing the girlfriend missions. And I don't think police would appreciate playing a game where the objective is to pretty much break the law always and as much has you can.
And GT is about racing on a closed circuit on tracks where you are allowed to ... RACE. Same reason cops encourage people today to go to the track or racing events instead of illegal street racing. It's not that they don't want you to race, they just don't want it to be illegal.
dumb comments about a nice story
Chris @ Jan 17th 2006 11:54AM
oh and in case one didn't notice ... it's police vs. kids ... key word here: KIDS. If they were playing M rated games, I wouldn't let my kid play. So, there's another reason for you.
hortense @ Jan 17th 2006 12:03PM
Some of yous guys are reading WAYYYYY too literally. The point is a good one: if kids watch mature-rated movies or play mature-rated games in the presence of adults who can help them navigate the difficult themes, they're more likely to develop a healthy understanding of said themes.
Valid point.
Eric @ Jan 17th 2006 12:27PM
In the same way that we should show kids porn flicks for sex ed?
Casey @ Mar 2nd 2008 3:00PM
Maybe they are shunning local goods? GTA:LCS (The author of this post desperately wants to use a GTA game, even if it's not available for system mentioned in the story, but i'll let it go because it helps my point) was made by Rockstar North, which is in Scotland, which is also where the story takes place. Instead, they play two Japanese games and one American game. Maybe the cops should stop forcing their global economy based thinking on those innocent children.
Valid point.
(end sarcasm)
But a stupid point. Don't force controversy where it doesn't belong.
Nossy @ Jan 17th 2006 12:36PM
Yeah, how bout it? Pornstars vs. kids. In-class demonstration. That'll solve truancy and teen pregnancy problems for sure.
tevetorbes @ Jan 17th 2006 12:52PM
"But a stupid point. Don't force controversy where it doesn't belong."
Bingo.
In addition, Joystiq is the biggest proponent of parents deciding what their kids should or should not play. Now suddenly they want cops to play M-rated games with their kids so that they can "navigate difficult themes"?
Which is it guys?
Hortense, I think you've missed the point- the cops weren't playing video games with kids so that they could be the children's moral compass. They were playing games to occupy the children's time such that they would not have the opportunity to get into trouble (you know, the whole 'idle hands' thing).
Benj @ Jan 17th 2006 1:03PM
My dads a 'cop' (we in the UK like to call them..umm lets just say Policeman) and he has little problem in GTA, or any other 'Mature' game. On the contary he finds GTA and The Getaway amusing (The Getaway being even more relivent because it is set in London, where he worked for 12 years)and regualy watches me play them, which suprised me greatly
Valid point #7