[PKop]

Either the thief is prevented from committing further crimes, or more people will have their property stolen by him.

There is a cost to refusing to press charges, paid by his future victims.

[s_q_b]

You're assuming the thief is a rational actor.

I assure you, he was not.

[PKop]

I'm describing what will happen. Motives are irrelevant to the point I was making.

[s_q_b]

But you're not describing what will happen. You're speculating based on your axiom that all offenders are recidivists.

[pyre]

Based on this logic, he should have been killed rather than arrested. No future victims!

[pavel_lishin]

If we're going to play "absurd conclusions" game, my move is to declare that we should kill everyone. No future victims, ever!