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Comment by pyre | Hacker News Reader

The police are only treating it as serious business because it's a popular news item. (and it gets the DA's name in the papers)

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I dunno, that seems more like a "lighting a joint in front of a police car" kind of thing. An offense that the police might let slide becomes a priority when it's done publicly or obviously.

They would risk their department's integrity for the sake of popularity?

  s/They/The DA/
  s/their/the police/

{edit} Also, the police will go after popular news items because their response will also get into the 'papers.' This way it looks to the public as if they are doing something. (The police may also feel there is public pressure to 'do something' due to the coverage of the crime.)

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