What Happened?

  • The Murrieta Police Department has been using creative methods like Lego heads and emojis to obscure the faces of suspects in mugshots shared on social media.
  • This approach is in response to new California laws (Assembly Bills 994 and 1475) that prohibit law enforcement from posting mugshots of nonviolent suspects on social media and require their removal within 14 days unless special circumstances apply.
  • The department aims to balance community transparency with legal rights and individual protections.

What is the Conservative media saying?

  • The Murrieta Police Department has employed a humorous and creative approach to obscure the faces of suspects in booking photos and mugshots with Lego heads, emojis, Barbie dolls, and “Shrek” characters. [nypost.com, foxnews.com, Washington Examiner, newsmax.com]
  • The use of creative methods such as Lego heads by the Murrieta Police Department for anonymizing suspects in social media posts began prior to the new law going into effect on January 1, showcasing a longstanding commitment to balancing community transparency with legal rights and individual protections. [nypost.com, foxnews.com, Washington Examiner, newsmax.com]
  • The Lego Group has formally requested that the Murrieta Police Department cease using Lego heads to replace the faces of suspects in their social media posts, leading to the department stopping this practice. [nypost.com, foxnews.com, Washington Examiner]
  • Public reactions to the Murrieta Police Department’s approach to anonymizing suspects with Lego heads and other characters have been mixed, with some finding it humorous and others critical, citing concerns over public safety and potential mockery of legal statutes. [nypost.com, Washington Examiner]
  • The law that prompted the use of creative methods to anonymize suspects introduces new requirements for law enforcement, such as using suspects’ preferred names and pronouns in mugshots, although legal names can still be included for practical reasons. [Washington Examiner]
  • As an alternative to Lego heads, the Murrieta Police Department is considering the use of emojis to continue obscuring suspects’ faces in compliance with the law. [Washington Examiner]

What is the Liberal media saying?

  • California lawmakers have banned police departments from posting mug shots of nonviolent suspects or acquitted defendants on social media platforms, with the law taking effect this year. [Los Angeles Times]
  • The Murrieta Police Department has announced plans to continue sharing photos of suspects on its social media accounts but will use images with obscured faces, initially using Lego heads for this purpose, in compliance with new state law. [Los Angeles Times, Independent.co.uk]
  • A photo shared by the Murrieta Police Department on social media showed a lineup of suspects with their faces obscured by yellow cylinders, specifically yellow Lego heads. [Los Angeles Times]
  • The Murrieta Police Department stated it aims to maintain transparency while honoring legal rights and protections, even for suspects, by obscuring faces in suspect photos shared on social media. [Los Angeles Times]
  • Criminal justice professor Peter Hanink criticized the Murrieta Police Department’s tactic of publishing lineup photos with obscured faces, suggesting using more conventional methods like blurring or black boxes and arguing against the dehumanization of those arrested. [Los Angeles Times]
  • Lego has requested the Murrieta Police Department to stop using digitally added Lego heads to mask the identities of suspects in mug shots. This request was complied with by the department. [Los Angeles Times]
  • The Murrieta Police Department is exploring alternative ways to publish engaging content without using Lego heads, as communicated by Lt. Durrant. [Los Angeles Times, Independent.co.uk]

Sources:

  • nypost.com
  • foxnews.com
  • Washington Examiner
  • newsmax.com
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Independent.co.uk

Links:

  • https://nypost.com
  • https://www.foxnews.com
  • https://www.washingtonexaminer.com
  • https://www.newsmax.com
  • https://www.latimes.com
  • https://www.independent.co.uk