Law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of the internet and linking mugshots to pages with the person’s name, date of birth, race, and gender. The good. In some cases, it has increased arrests for crimes that would have gone unnoticed if not for social media. Cases solved through “mugshot” searches have been documented in California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania.
Law enforcement has also used mugshots to identify fugitives on a national level, like placing a suspect wanted in Pennsylvania who was arrested in Texas while using the alias “Bob Jones.
It is also common for bail bond companies to have pages on their websites featuring mugshots of individuals recently arrested. For example, you can see mugshots for Springfield MO if you visit this page, https://www.bobblockbailbonds.com/greene-county-mo-mugshots/.
But online mugshots are being used too much, and it’s abusive. They’re being placed without the consent of the person or person’s family, and they’re often kept up by people who have nothing to do with the crime. We should not go after every crime in our community on the internet, but we should be vigilant of who, and if we see something suspicious, go forward with caution.
The other major issue raised was that of privacy. Concern arose primarily from photographs being taken of children, which have the potential for harm as criminals easily misuse them. It is unclear whether this law will effectively prevent mugshots’ misuse on the internet, as it only applies to images of adults and does not apply to young people under 18 years of age, nor does it prevent mugshots from being used for immigration purposes. It also poses no threat of criminal charges or imprisonment for the persons posing in the photograph unless they are so specified in the law.
Pros
Promotes community awareness and law enforcement. It gives a person’s personal information to other individuals who can’t get the information elsewhere. Media organizations gain access to police reports, court files, and other information sources previously unavailable to them. It makes it easier for law enforcement to solve the person’s identity through facial recognition software.
Mugshots taken by law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly widespread to capture criminals, arrest them, and bring them to justice. Many people see this as an invasion of privacy and a violation of human rights; however, there are also positive aspects. One positive part is that captured criminals can be arrested more quickly as they do not have proper documentation of their identity, and police may use other means, such as email or telephone numbers, to track down a suspected criminal. Another main benefit of these mugshots is their numerous advantages to the police department. For example, the list of mugshots can be used to help researchers in law enforcement, criminology, and criminal justice, as well as other departments. Similarly, the mugshot database can be used by others to look up information on it.
Cons
The media have used mugshot photos to get readers to see their work. The press may show several mugshots of criminals after committing a crime to get more readers and viewers for their articles. They can also use mugshots that may have never been published to protect their sources and conceal information from the public eye.
Newspapers, magazines, and other forms of media have used mugshots in various ways, including using them as a lead feature story, using the photo as the face of their magazine or newspaper, and even flashing them on-screen during an interview with a person whose face is otherwise hidden.
Journalists use mugshot photos to assign a story to a source they want to interview. The journalist can then see if the source looks familiar or if they know the person in the photo. The journalist can then decide whether or not he wants to interview that individual for his story.
These pictures are used for self-promotion of information and comments in the media with little social value. However, it is pretty difficult to prove this is bad because their audience is fulfilling their needs as consumers.
The best way to avoid being misused by newspapers and other forms of media is to avoid having your picture taken in the first place. However, this may be easier said than done.