Staff Reports
The Murrieta Police Department in southern California has decided to get creative in their compliance with a new state law that restricts sharing suspect photos for nonviolent crimes. Instead of showing suspect faces in lineups, they are now covering them with Lego heads. Talk about a building block for privacy protection!
Conservative Republicans, like the writer of this article, believe that law enforcement officers should have the right to share suspect photos to help with crime prevention and prosecution. The new law, Assembly Bill 994 & Penal Code 13665, might be well-intentioned, but it could hinder law enforcement’s efforts to keep communities safe. After all, if someone is suspected of committing a crime, shouldn’t the public know who to look out for?
WTF, California Police Department Replaces Suspects’ Faces With Lego Heads https://t.co/KaRRUU45L7 pic.twitter.com/bHz40USRAo
— 𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗔 1775🇺🇸 (@Mar50cC5O) March 19, 2024
While some commenters praised the new law for protecting innocent until proven guilty, others pointed out that sharing officers’ personal information is still fair game. It seems like a double standard – why protect suspects’ anonymity but not the officers who risk their lives to protect us every day?
The bill’s mandate to use any name provided by the arrestee, even if it’s false, could create confusion and make it harder to track down suspects. Imagine trying to catch a criminal known only by a fake name – talk about a wild goose chase!
Overall, this new law and the MPD’s response to it show a growing trend of prioritizing suspects’ rights over public safety. Let’s hope that common sense prevails, and law enforcement can continue to do their job effectively without unnecessary restrictions.
