THE BACKLASH AGAINST 'RATS'

It has been said the one universal taboo is betraying a friend. And
the new unspoken campaign to punish snitches shows that taboo is alive
and well among criminals.

According to recent studies, police officers are having a harder time
solving crimes because informants are becoming unwilling to talk with
them. Being a "snitch" has become a bigger crime in some circles than
burglary and assault. Salt Lake City police are already seeing "Stop
Snitching" T-shirts around town, while in some coastal cities tight
lips and stonewalling have become a growing social movement.

Turning someone in for improper behavior always has had an unsavory
aspect about it, of course. And the words to describe that act are
strong ones. Witnesses are called "squealers," "stool pigeons," "rats"
and "snitches." Tattling is even taboo among grade-schoolers. And the
image of someone turning someone else in always summons the image of
Nazi Germany when neighbors were turned against neighbors. And indeed,
the moral code for informants can be a bit hazy.

Is turning somebody in to police for what is considered a minor crime
(underage drinking, say) the same as turning someone in for assaulting
a spouse or stealing a car? And when should citizens be willing to
step up and inform?

Needless to say, good police work and safe communities depend on
common citizens coming forward with information to help solve crimes
and curb reckless behavior. And being harsh on those who would expose
bad behavior is not mainstream, but it always has been part of the
gangster culture - from Edward G. Robinson whining about his fellow
thugs "singing like canaries" in the movies to the hip-hop generation
and rappers aiming their pointed lyrics at snitches.

Law enforcement is trying to counter the trend. They offer cash for
anonymous tips and try to interview informants when they are in plain
clothes, not police uniforms.

But as with most social ills, unwillingness to cooperate with police
can best be confronted with a positive public relations campaign, akin
to the ones against drugs and smoking. When people see that
controlling crime isn't about snitching, but about keeping the world
safe for those who can't defend themselves, the tide just may turn.