Should Mug Shots be (Automatically) Public Record?

Megan McArdle addresses some unsavory types who mine mug shots, host them and then, for a fee, remove them.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-09/mugshots-shouldn-t-be-extortion-bait.html

What say the practicing journalists on the board?

 

Did you read the referenced Times article from last week: http://nyti.ms/1bQE6EB

Just inquiring with Google & the credit card companies led to changes.

 

One place I worked at did that and I absolutely hated it. I can see for real high profile cases or convictions. But not for every freakin' PI arrest. I felt they were just going out of their way to embarrass people at their bad moments. And, of course, never ran anything when the charges were dropped or defendants acquitted.

Plus, it gave off the image that the community was a bunch of criminals and sociopaths when, in fact, the crime stats were about normal compared to other towns in our state.

 

That does sound like a textbook definition of extortion.

 

When I did the crime beat, I only requested and ran shots for the major ones (murder, major assault/battery, robbery, etc.). Just grabbing them all every day was pointless.