Play jacking??? From an online article at KHOU.com

[Mike1951]

FYI

What is the Number One Houston hot spot for robberies?

Ismael Gonzalez was a victim there.

“I could have died, he could have shot me, could have shot my wife,� he said.

He was waiting in a parking lot at Hillcroft and Highway 59 for a relative arriving on an out-of-town bus.

It turns out he was in the heart of the hottest robbery zone that stretches from Richmond to Bellaire and from Fondren and Chimney Rock. Here 1,188 robberies occurred within three years.

A man walked up asking Gonzalez for directions.

“Next thing I know they,, he pulled a gun out on me,� he said.

The crook demanded his wallet, but it turns out Gonzalez had no cash or credit cards. Amazingly, the crook just walked away.

But Houston police say they’re seeing more of that sort of behavior.

“I have had some of these suspects� said Officer Robert Sherrouse, with the HPD Robbery division, “That say ‘We were just play jacking’.�

Sherrouse said play jacking is just the latest twist on this crime. Usually young suspects just rob people not so much for a profit, but for entertainment.

[HighVelocity]

For entertainment? What ever happened to lawn darts?

When a stranger approaches me, I don't care what the reason is, I go on extreme high alert.

[jbirds1210]

Don't know what to say about that except WOW These folks really need a hobby that does not earn them a chest wound.

Darn Playstation 3 people.

[KinnyLee]

You've got to be kidding. Play robberies? This is not Grand Theft Auto!

[cyphur]

Don't know what to say about that except WOW These folks really need a hobby that does not earn them a chest wound.

Darn Playstation 3 people.

I play video games both on Playstation and the computer. I don't go up to strangers and pull out my piece for amusement......

[Roger Howard]

If they keep that up someone is going to send something real their way. REAL LEAD. And John Q doesn't understand why we want to be armed 24/7.
I think their "play" is going to wind up with a body bag.

[jbirds1210]

Don't know what to say about that except WOW These folks really need a hobby that does not earn them a chest wound.

Darn Playstation 3 people.

I play video games both on Playstation and the computer. I don't go up to strangers and pull out my piece for amusement......

Cyphur-It was a joke......my fault for not making that clear. I do not think that video games have anything to do with armed robbery. The common ground they do share is all of the violence caused over the recent release of the ps3. There have been shootings in lines outside of the store and other attempted crimes. Could have just as easily been people standing in line outside of a theatre.
Jason

[stevie_d_64]

"Well, I was just play defending!"

[anygunanywhere]

This is just another great reason we need the castle doctrine law to protect us from civil penalties. If there is a segment of society that is actively doing this "play jacking", then I can see a lawsuit that claims "Why did he have to kill my darling son? He was just playing and would never hurt anyone!"

Anygun

[stevie_d_64]

This is just another great reason we need the castle doctrine law to protect us from civil penalties. If there is a segment of society that is actively doing this "play jacking", then I can see a lawsuit that claims "Why did he have to kill my darling son? He was just playing and would never hurt anyone!"

Anygun

[cyphur]

Don't know what to say about that except WOW These folks really need a hobby that does not earn them a chest wound.

Darn Playstation 3 people.

I play video games both on Playstation and the computer. I don't go up to strangers and pull out my piece for amusement......

Cyphur-It was a joke......my fault for not making that clear. I do not think that video games have anything to do with armed robbery. The common ground they do share is all of the violence caused over the recent release of the ps3. There have been shootings in lines outside of the store and other attempted crimes. Could have just as easily been people standing in line outside of a theatre.
Jason

Jason, my apologies. I was quite tired last nite and was not feeling 100% so it does not surprise me that I misunderstood!

It does boggle my mind how someone would get violent over a video game system, but then again, people have killed for less....

[kauboy]

Maybe if those things didn't cost so friggin much, they wouldn't cause so much of a problem. I'm not saying that its the manufacturer's fault for the crimes in theses lines, but come on, $600 for a small box to play games on!!! I am a video game enthusiast. I love cracking open that new box to find a shiny new disc inside and want to play it till my eyes bleed, but to charge me this much for something that WILL be obsolete in two years is just insane. There are a lot of "fanboys" that will tell you that this system will be on par for at least eight years, but they are only fooling themselves. The run-of-the-mill PC will far outpace this system in a very short period. Most already have. Just give it to me for no more than $200, and let me walk away without the slimey feel of Vaseline running down my leg.
[/RANT]

Anyways, sorry bout that. If these kids want to "play-jack", then they surely won't mind me "play-target practicing". This "play-jacking" will end fairly quickly when the wrong person gets approached and drawn down on. BANG! BANG! No more problem.

[Paladin]

Usually young suspects just rob people not so much for a profit, but for entertainment.

Understanding this point is essential to understanding violent criminal thugs on the street.

[casselthief]

Maybe if those things didn't cost so friggin much, they wouldn't cause so much of a problem. I'm not saying that its the manufacturer's fault for the crimes in theses lines, but come on, $600 for a small box to play games on!!! I am a video game enthusiast. I love cracking open that new box to find a shiny new disc inside and want to play it till my eyes bleed, but to charge me this much for something that WILL be obsolete in two years is just insane. There are a lot of "fanboys" that will tell you that this system will be on par for at least eight years, but they are only fooling themselves. The run-of-the-mill PC will far outpace this system in a very short period. Most already have. Just give it to me for no more than $200, and let me walk away without the slimey feel of Vaseline running down my leg.
[/RANT]

QutedForTruth

word. and again I say weeeeeeeeeeerd.

I think it more largely represents a distinctive commonality in urban society to glorify "thug life" as well as aimless violence.
eeeeeeeeasy solution. if the cops know this is a hot bed, maybe add a few extra patrols through there.
I didn't say it was the most cost effective solution, but the easiest.
there are more, for certain.

stinkin' PS3.....

[kauboy]

Usually young suspects just rob people not so much for a profit, but for entertainment.

Understanding this point is essential to understanding violent criminal thugs on the street.

You don't know how true that is. During my CHL class, the instructor shared with us an incident where his fellow instructor, an active duty police officer, stepped into the classroom one day during a class. Our instructor said that his friend was always a very jovial guy and he had never seen anything but a smile on his face... until that moment. He said that he was white as a ghost and absolutely no expression on his face. All he said was "Its a terrible world out there." He had apparently just came from a crime scene where a break-in had occurred. He said that the intruder was not there for money. He only wanted to torture, rape and kill the residence. And thats exactly what he did. The officer said that the scene was enough to make a hardened man lurch a bit. That lead the instructors of that facility to do a little crime researching and they came to the conclusion that crimes happening in their area were no longer just happening for monetary gain or done out of anger... it was being done for fun... and morbid enjoyment. Can you even imagine the mental state of a person who seeks joy in breaking into a home of sleeping residence, waking them up violently, tying up the men of the house, raping the women, killing them, then raping the men, and finally killing them, and leaving feeling... satisfied? I have tried to tell this to a few people, but denial ain't just a river in Egypt. Nobody wants to believe that this could be happening 10 minutes from their home.

We have to be ready people. In the same class, they showed us a statistic that scared me to death. They drew a crude map on the board of our local area. Then, from the center, drew a "30 mile" radius on the map. The statistic was that in 12 months, around 30~50 people will have died within that circle. Not from natural causes, or from accidents, but from crime. He said that with the major cities in Texas, the statistic can be repeated with concentric circles touching each other and it still hold true.