"Psychics DO Work With Police"

[Miss Whiplash]

I got this email from Whitely Strieber's woo-woo website today:

A few months ago, psychic medium Marla Frees showed up at an
Unknowncountry.com subscriber chat and fascinated us with her
descriptions of her work. An investigation of her credentials
revealed that she's had a long-term relationship with police
officials, and has some stunning case solutions to her credit.

And yet she's entirely unknown--until now, because on Saturday
morning from 10AM to 11AM Pacific, Marla will appear in our chat
room to answer subscriber questions about her work.

The tale is here (http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=6218). I see Randi is mentioned in the archives.

Discuss...

[Orangutan]

Discuss...

Interesting.

[Macoy]

Interesting.

...but i still don't believe it.

[Blank]

Sources in the National Criminal Intelligence Service say that officers turn to mediums to help them solve the more difficult cases.

Who made up this name? I mean really.. An intelligence service for national criminals, talk about organized crime.

[tkingdoll]

Who made up this name? I mean really.. An intelligence service for national criminals, talk about organized crime.

Well, if anyone wants to email and ask them, this is their website: http://www.soca.gov.uk/

[Miss Whiplash]

...but i still don't believe it.

I take everything on that website with a grain of salt. I mean, Whitley is the man who gave us anal probing aliens.

BTW: I tried to register with his forum just to ask some questions concerning the 20th anniversary of Communion. My application was denied and tossed into the outer darkness. Again, my reputation proceeded me. Having a bad reputation makes me feel so...Joan Jett!

http://forums.randi.org/imagehosting/thum_9488464ddd5663c04.jpg (http://forums.randi.org/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=5846)

[JimTheBrit]

Discuss what?
Danny "Mobile Phones are Killing Our Ghosts (http://www.newsmonster.co.uk/mobile-phones-are-killing-our-ghosts.html)" Penman's articles in the Daily Mail? Thanks but life's too short.
The Jacqui Poole murder case? 10 page thread here (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=9518&page=2&highlight=jacqui+poole).
Randi and Lulova? Here (http://www.randi.org/jr/021502.html) and here (http://www.randi.org/jr/022202.html).

ETA: I'm in a grouchy mood.

[Miss Whiplash]

Discuss what?
Danny "Mobile Phones are Killing Our Ghosts (http://www.newsmonster.co.uk/mobile-phones-are-killing-our-ghosts.html)" Penman's articles in the Daily Mail? Thanks but life's too short.
The Jacqui Poole murder case? 10 page thread here (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=9518&page=2&highlight=jacqui+poole).
Randi and Lulova? Here (http://www.randi.org/jr/021502.html) and here (http://www.randi.org/jr/022202.html).


Thanks for the links. I'd never heard of the psychic before. I guess that's why I said "discuss."

[JoeTheJuggler]

Sources in the National Criminal Intelligence Service say that officers turn to mediums to help them solve the more difficult cases.

If mediums work, then why not use them on ALL cases? It'd save the taxpayer tons of money with all that police work, lab work, etc.

Only reason I can think of is that it's because their claims are a load of hooey.

[fuelair]

"Hi, I'm a completely incompetant officer of the law and I really need investigative help from a person who gets messages from ghosts! Why do I still have a job? Why do the people who employ me and know I do this still have jobs? Enquiring minds want to know."

[Mojo]

she's had a long-term relationship with police
officials, and has some stunning case solutions to her credit.

And yet she's entirely unknown...


Sounds about right. A psychic who has actually helped the police solve cases: "entirely unknown".

[Azrael 5]

They're is a child missing in Portugal right now that could use the services of Marla Frees if she is so genuine.
Seriously this should be the broadstick for every medium:find a missing person,solve an unsolved murder via the victim and you are genuine.

When I read the Daily mail connection I clicked off.Danny Pelman,waste of space.

[Minarvia]

Seriously, I wonder if something could be done about this. Like maybe someone here with clout could get on tv and really bring this to the public's attention. Maybe if people see the truth that psychics really don't help and have never solved anything no more could gain fame by claiming they help police solve crimes. Or maybe bring something like Project Jason out there big time to really show people how false this claim is and how much these predators hurt people.
Sigh...as if the networks would be interested. Psychics are big money for them. : (

[wahrheit]

... revealed that she's had a long-term relationship with police officials ...

Does that mean she dated them? Would be more plausible than the psychic crapola in the linked article.

Our beautiful planet is full of nutters. :(

[cj.23]

Yes, psychics do sometimes. Whether anything positive comes of it - well...

I'm not a cop, and have a very limited understanding of the legal and investigative process. However my understanding is that during an investigation the police have a duty to listen to anyone claiming to produce evidence, and weight the potential value of that evidence. I doubt most woos get any time at all.

Still, some police will faced with the utter frustration of a case follow up a lead, that one can assume.

A few months ago I was asked to address a business fellowship on psychical research. Afterwards i found myself having breakfast with a very pleasant gentleman, who was a retired police officer of considerable rank. He told me that in the early 1970's police he knew did indeed consult a psychic, thought the psychic in question was a uniformed officer himself, who volunteered his talents. The results however were completely useless: however the officer had apparently by his own testimony once succeeded. Unfortunately the gentleman had no knowledge of this, but he did say he was aware of no further such incidents in all his years on the force.

I don't know any police, so I can't say how typical this was, but it does seem to be quite early (to be precise 1972), and I have no doubt at all of the gentleman's sincerity. So I think we can assume that yes some psychics have worked with the police - what remains dubious to my mind is that they have ever actually provided any useful leads. I saw an interesting programme on the subject with Ciairan O Keefe recently, and again I'm pretty sure serving officers testified in it?

Anyway, sorry - I would not have reported my anecdote, barring the very early date.

cj x

[tkingdoll]

UK Skeptics has a good list of statements from Police Forces stating that they do not use psychics. I find the Daily Mail version of events highly suspect.

But then they are lying scum, so who would be surprised?

[Azrael 5]

What happened to the psychic who is an ex-policeman? His name escapes me..ah Keith Charles I think.Sounds like the perfect candidate.

[Dr.Moon]

Well, this topic is interesting to me, as I am a reporter who was doing some research on this very topic, and that is how I found all of you having this discussion. One thing I have learned as a reporter is to listen without judgment. It is usually how I learn the most information. I find it fascinating, and to this woman's credit that she was "unknown". The big argument on this site has been about psychic "whores" just doing things to gain publicity. It would appear this woman was not doing that, so you cannot have it both ways in your arguments. I also took the time to listen to the archives of the chat between Mr. Strieber and this woman. I am waiting to look over any additional information they post. I am still a skeptic, but I admit that my interest is peeked. Mostly because I have interviewed several law enforcement sources, who will acknowledge "off the record" their use of psychics, but will not go "on the record" with the information; given public opinion. I chose to comment here, because I get so frustrated with the misinformation put forth by people who have not done their research, but are commenting from a place of opinion, versus knowledge. I am tired of hearing people's opinions. I want the facts, just the facts ma'am.

[Senex]

Well, this topic is interesting to me, as I am a reporter who was doing some research on this very topic, and that is how I found all of you having this discussion. One thing I have learned as a reporter is to listen without judgment. It is usually how I learn the most information. I find it fascinating, and to this woman's credit that she was "unknown". The big argument on this site has been about psychic "whores" just doing things to gain publicity. It would appear this woman was not doing that, so you cannot have it both ways in your arguments.

Future reporter Moon; reporters must make sense when they write a paragraph. I suspect you are defending woo but not very well. You are the first person on this thread to use the word "whore." That's not a nice word. Why did you use it?


I also took the time to listen to the archives of the chat between Mr. Strieber and this woman. I am waiting to look over any additional information they post. I am still a skeptic, but I admit that my interest is peeked. Mostly because I have interviewed several law enforcement sources, who will acknowledge "off the record" their use of psychics, but will not go "on the record" with the information; given public opinion. I chose to comment here, because I get so frustrated with the misinformation put forth by people who have not done their research, but are commenting from a place of opinion, versus knowledge. I am tired of hearing people's opinions. I want the facts, just the facts ma'am.

You are not a skeptic. You nurse at the tit of kool-aid spewing woos. (I used "nurse", 'Kool-aid", "tit" and "woo" in the same sentence. I'm the man.) As has been already stated on this thread -- if psychics really existed we could cut our taxes by letting the detectives in our community retire. Any time spent looking into what psychics think is time spent unwisely. I hope you are a good looking person who wants to be a TV reporter. You suck as a writer. If you thought you would be treated better spitting woo in your first post you were mistaken.

That's the fact, ma'am.

[Tanstaafl]

The most likely reason we haven't heard of this psychic before is not that she has been working quietly behind the scenes solving crimes.

It's that she's been working quietly behind the scenes concocting this story to launch her psychic career.

And Dr. Moon, your interest was peeked? What was it peeking out from? Or was it peaked, i.e. reached a maximum? Most of us would have said our interest was piqued. At least most writers would.

[Quad4_72]

Discuss what?
Danny "Mobile Phones are Killing Our Ghosts (http://www.newsmonster.co.uk/mobile-phones-are-killing-our-ghosts.html)" Penman's articles in the Daily Mail? Thanks but life's too short.
The Jacqui Poole murder case? 10 page thread here (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=9518&page=2&highlight=jacqui+poole).
Randi and Lulova? Here (http://www.randi.org/jr/021502.html) and here (http://www.randi.org/jr/022202.html).

ETA: I'm in a grouchy mood.

Wow. That phone article is pretty out there. I think I need to stick to the conspiracy theories section of the forum. I can only handle so much WOO. :)

[Wolverine]

What was it peeking out from? Or was it peaked, i.e. reached a maximum? Most of us would have said our interest was piqued. At least most writers would.



:D Thank you.

(You beat me to it.)

[Reno]

I am a cop. I have never been contacted by a psychic, and none of my colleagues have admitted to it. If a psychic did contact me, I would warn them that they will be arrested and charged with wasting Police time if they ever contacted me again. If they contacted me a second time, I would arrest them and charge them with every possible charge in law that I could dig up.

[Senex]

I am a cop. I have never been contacted by a psychic, and none of my colleagues have admitted to it. If a psychic did contact me, I would warn them that they will be arrested and charged with wasting Police time if they ever contacted me again. If they contacted me a second time, I would arrest them and charge them with every possible charge in law that I could dig up.

I suspect the police instruction book is mute on this topic but I hope your attitude is conventional wisdom, Reno. It is the rational behavior.

[osmosis]

One thing I have learned as a reporter is to listen without judgment.

That's the standard cop-out used, and it doesn't wash. A reporter has a responsibility to ensure that what they are reporting is accurate. Anything less is "yellow" journalism.

It is usually how I learn the most information. I find it fascinating, and to this woman's credit that she was "unknown".

Why is to her credit that she's unknown?

The big argument on this site has been about psychic "whores" just doing things to gain publicity. It would appear this woman was not doing that, so you cannot have it both ways in your arguments.

We don't want it both ways, we want it one way: TRUE.

So you would have us believe that it's a good thing that she's not a liar, just honestly deluded?


I am still a skeptic.

I seriously doubt you EVER were a skeptic.


but I admit that my interest is peeked.

I'm not usually a spelling nazi, but I would think someone who supposedly reports for a living would make use of a dictionary from time to time.


I chose to comment here, because I get so frustrated with the misinformation put forth by people who have not done their research

It frustrates you, but you have no problem reporting it verbatim, right?

I want the facts, just the facts ma'am.

Here's a fact: there's no such thing as psychic powers.

[Reno]

Here's a fact: there's no such thing as psychic powers.

And there's well over $1M for anyone with evidence to the contrary.

[Questioninggeller]

A few months ago, psychic medium Marla Frees showed up at an
Unknowncountry.com subscriber chat and fascinated us with her
descriptions of her work. An investigation of her credentials
revealed that she's had a long-term relationship with police
officials, and has some stunning case solutions to her credit.


Great, let's see them.

[Ducky]

Well, this topic is interesting to me, as I am a reporter who was doing some research on this very topic, and that is how I found all of you having this discussion. One thing I have learned as a reporter is to listen without judgment. It is usually how I learn the most information. I find it fascinating, and to this woman's credit that she was "unknown". The big argument on this site has been about psychic "whores" just doing things to gain publicity. It would appear this woman was not doing that, so you cannot have it both ways in your arguments. I also took the time to listen to the archives of the chat between Mr. Strieber and this woman. I am waiting to look over any additional information they post. I am still a skeptic, but I admit that my interest is peeked. Mostly because I have interviewed several law enforcement sources, who will acknowledge "off the record" their use of psychics, but will not go "on the record" with the information; given public opinion. I chose to comment here, because I get so frustrated with the misinformation put forth by people who have not done their research, but are commenting from a place of opinion, versus knowledge. I am tired of hearing people's opinions. I want the facts, just the facts ma'am.

You're a reporter with that grammar and spelling?

I am skeptical.

[Warge]

You're a reporter with that grammar and spelling?

I am skeptical.

More edge to this and it would have been nominated.

[arthwollipot]

To be honest I'd be really surprised if no police unit had ever been contacted by a psychic. I think it would be more accurate to say that no psychic has ever provided information that led to a conviction. I'm sure psychics contact police departments all the time, but they don't actually achieve anything.

"Hello, police? I'm ringing because I seem to know something about a case you're working on. I'm getting an M. An M-type name - Melissa, Mary... Do you have a case involving someone named Mary? No? Ok, that may be a future case then. I'm also getting a location near water..."

[Reno]

"Hello, police? I'm ringing because I seem to know something about a case you're working on. I'm getting an M. An M-type name - Melissa, Mary... Do you have a case involving someone named Mary? No? Ok, that may be a future case then. I'm also getting a location near water..."

"Hello, douche. Can you please come in and give your information in person. I have a lovely en-suite room that would be perfect for you."