Psychic tip mysteriously fails to locate missing man

[osmosis]

Here in my home province of BC Canada, yet another psychic has wasted scarce police resources.

In my local pseudo-newspaper tabloid, The Province, I read that:

Aaron Derbyshire of Westbank, BC is missing, and his family has offered a reward for his return by Christmas this year, "dead or alive, preferably alive."

Then, in the second-to-last paragraph, it reads: "And a tip from a psychic sparked a helicopter search around the Okanagan Connector."

I wonder just how many of my taxpayer dollars were thrown in the garbeurator investigating this BS tip. I also wonder who I should complain to.

Any suggestions?

[grayman]

The British-California government should send the bill to the "psychic" for wasting government resources.

Might start a trend if they do.

[Rodney]

Here in my home province of BC Canada, yet another psychic has wasted scarce police resources.

In my local pseudo-newspaper tabloid, The Province, I read that:

Aaron Derbyshire of Westbank, BC is missing, and his family has offered a reward for his return by Christmas this year, "dead or alive, preferably alive."

Then, in the second-to-last paragraph, it reads: "And a tip from a psychic sparked a helicopter search around the Okanagan Connector."

I wonder just how many of my taxpayer dollars were thrown in the garbeurator investigating this BS tip. I also wonder who I should complain to.

Any suggestions?
It's doubtful that the police department would conduct a search unless they had some reason to believe it would be fruitful. You might e-mail them and ask what the specific basis for the search was.

[Kelly]

It's doubtful that the police department would conduct a search unless they had some reason to believe it would be fruitful. You might e-mail them and ask what the specific basis for the search was.

I disagree. In my experience in working with hundreds of families of the missing and law enforcement, (LE) there are times and reasons why LE does unjustified searches. I even know of a case wherein they drained a lake on a psychic tip. Of course, there was nothing there.

They feel obligated to follow up on tips, regardless of the source. Sometimes, there is pressure from citizens, media, and the families to do something, even if the something is a dead end.

In my own case, LE has done searches based upon psychic tips, which were not at my prompting. They seem to take the position that it is a tip and unless it is absurd, it should be checked into.

[Tricky]

I disagree. In my experience in working with hundreds of families of the missing and law enforcement, (LE) there are times and reasons why LE does unjustified searches. I even know of a case wherein they drained a lake on a psychic tip. Of course, there was nothing there.

They feel obligated to follow up on tips, regardless of the source. Sometimes, there is pressure from citizens, media, and the families to do something, even if the something is a dead end.
Exactly. Also there is the possible situation where they may suspect the "psychic" actually knows something and is just using the psychic angle as a cover so the police won't try to find the real reason they have this knowledge. In fact, if a psychic tip does prove out, the psychic should immediately become a suspect.

[osmosis]

It's doubtful that the police department would conduct a search unless they had some reason to believe it would be fruitful. You might e-mail them and ask what the specific basis for the search was.

Good idea. I just fired off an email to some anonymous person at RCMP central:

Dear sirs/madams:

Regarding the search for the missing man, Aaron Derbyshire of Westbank, BC, I was disturbed, to say the least, to read the following in my local newspaper:

"And a tip from a psychic sparked a helicopter search around the Okanagan Connector."

My questions are:
1) What exactly was the specific basis for this search?
2) Who paid for the search?
3) What is RCMP policy regarding tips from "psychics"?

Thank you for your time.

I'll post any replies on here so y'all can check it out.

[Big Les]

Aaron Derbyshire of Westbank, BC is missing, and his family has offered a reward for his return by Christmas this year, "dead or alive, preferably alive."


I would have thought that last bit went without saying!

[Gord_in_Toronto]

Good idea. I just fired off an email to some anonymous person at RCMP central:

Dear sirs/madams:

Regarding the search for the missing man, Aaron Derbyshire of Westbank, BC, I was disturbed, to say the least, to read the following in my local newspaper:

"And a tip from a psychic sparked a helicopter search around the Okanagan Connector."

My questions are:
1) What exactly was the specific basis for this search?
2) Who paid for the search?
3) What is RCMP policy regarding tips from "psychics"?

Thank you for your time.

I'll post any replies on here so y'all can check it out.

Not a bad start but what you could try and do is find a member of the opposition party to ask a question of the government in the Provincial Legislature. (I know the RCMP is federal but the province pays for the services.)

This is potentially embarrassing to the government so, if you can find a somewhat skeptical opposition member, the results might be highly amusing!

[osmosis]

I finally got a response from the Kelowna RCMP. It was very non-woo, perhaps disappointingly so.

The officer I talked to explained that they would not have followed up on a tip simply because some 'psychic' had a vision. He wouldn't discuss this specific case but I logically deduced that there was at least one other good reason for them to have searched any particular area. Not exactly what the newspaper wanted us to think.

He also affirmed that if a 'psychic' did locate a body, said 'psychic' could very well end up suspect #1.

[Rodney]

I finally got a response from the Kelowna RCMP. It was very non-woo, perhaps disappointingly so.

The officer I talked to explained that they would not have followed up on a tip simply because some 'psychic' had a vision.
I think I recall someone saying that. :)

He also affirmed that if a 'psychic' did locate a body, said 'psychic' could very well end up suspect #1.
And this is the other side of the coin that most skeptics don't seem to appreciate. For example, let's say on the morning of September 11, 2001, a psychic had telephoned the FBI to say (s)he had a vision of planes being hijacked and crashed into buildings. The person would like have been discussed as a kook -- until the attacks happened. Then, (s)he would have been tracked down and grilled intensively, perhaps even arrested as suspect #1.

[ARubberChickenWithAPulley]

Exactly. Also there is the possible situation where they may suspect the "psychic" actually knows something and is just using the psychic angle as a cover so the police won't try to find the real reason they have this knowledge. In fact, if a psychic tip does prove out, the psychic should immediately become a suspect.

When I was working on a story for my website, I came across a story where someone seems to have done exactly that. The story caught my attention because the (rather poorly written and misleading) headline read: 'Turned over tip that led to murdered couple: psychic'.

What actually happened was this: a "psychic" who had been working on the case of a couple who had been missing since 1993 led police to the site of the bodies. However, another person involved in the case is claiming that the current suspect (who has been arrested) drove the psychic to the site and showed her the bodies. The psychic in the case has neither denied nor admitted this took place, and seems to be deliberately vague in her response:

"All I can tell you is that I felt that I located the right place this year, and I turned the location over to Const. [Jim] Case, who instigated the full search, and the bodies were recovered"

You can read the full article on CBC News, here (http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2007/01/16/psychic-homicide.html).

[Slimething]

A psychic found a Green River victim (http://www.altereddimensions.net/crime/GreenRiverKiller.htm) but the police did not suspect her because (1) there were so many victims and (2) she had been such a pest about giving clues that didn't pan out previously. That part of the story is about midway down the long article at the linked site. Psychics can get lucky, too, I guess.

[Cuddles]

And this is the other side of the coin that most skeptics don't seem to appreciate. For example, let's say on the morning of September 11, 2001, a psychic had telephoned the FBI to say (s)he had a vision of planes being hijacked and crashed into buildings. The person would like have been discussed as a kook -- until the attacks happened. Then, (s)he would have been tracked down and grilled intensively, perhaps even arrested as suspect #1.

Why would you assume we don't appreciate this? This is exactly what we always say. What is very amusing is that the psychics never seem to realise this, so they are actually very lucky their powers don't exist.

[Rodney]

Why would you assume we don't appreciate this? This is exactly what we always say. What is very amusing is that the psychics never seem to realise this, so they are actually very lucky their powers don't exist.
How do you know that at least a number of psychics don't realize this? Skeptics are fond of saying that "no one predicted 9/11" and discount any reports of predictions that surfaced after the fact, but it's not quite that simple.

[Dragonrock]

How do you know that at least a number of psychics don't realize this? Skeptics are fond of saying that "no one predicted 9/11" and discount any reports of predictions that surfaced after the fact, but it's not quite that simple.

The mistrust of the psychics exists because almost all psychic tips turn out be be loads of crap. If there were real psychics regularly giving accurate information then cops wouldn't be so suspicious if they did get useful information.

[desertyeti]

Psychics are GREAT at predicting where to find bodies, and you can be too!
Just repeat this simple set of phrases and watch the suckers line up!

"I see that it's in a field, or an abandoned lot with woods nearby. Oh, and there's water there too, either a pond or stream. Let's see...the body's in a shallow grave near the water, maybe in a culvert? It's hard to see. Might be some shrubs blocking the view. There's a bridge nearby or a dock or pier."

There! Isn't that easy?! Now go forth and "help" police find those bodies!:D