America's Dumbest Cops

Is there a show with that title? If not, maybe there should be. Before Christmas, a man (who happens to be a teacher in Massachusetts) walked into the Diamonds International store downtown, got hold of a diamond, swallowed it and walked out. He was arrested on the spot. But in the follow-up story that appeared in the paper last week (following his arraignment), I was astonished to read that the police had allowed him to bail out immediately following his arrest. Wouldn't you think they'd hold him until the evidence had...um...reappeared? But no, they released him within hours and he returned to Massachusetts. You've probably already guessed his plea: not guilty.