DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – More and more law enforcement agencies are turning to social media to catch criminals, but some are asking if one area department went too far.
After posting surveillance pictures to Facebook, the Door County Sheriff’s Department is still looking for two shoplifting suspects.
But some people on Facebook believe the post is inappropriate, because the suspects could be juveniles.
State statute urges news media to use restraint in identifying juveniles connected to a criminal or court proceeding.
The surveillance pictures have been shared more than 1,200 times since the Door County Sheriff’s Department posted them to its Facebook page last week.
Door County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Pat McCarty tells WLUK…
“Just by gauging off the content and comments on social media, the public seems to be torn on whether or not they’re juveniles.”
One Facebook user commented, “Juveniles? Why would you post pictures of juveniles?”
Another said, “How about trying old fashioned police work before destroying a young girl’s reputation.”
But others defended the post saying, “To think they should be protected from their actions is ludicrous” and “It’s theft, it should be.”
McCarty says the department posted the images with the belief that the suspects are not juveniles.
McCarty says that assumption was made because one of the suspects is wearing a University of Notre Dame sweatshirt.
Also, the store clerk told police the suspects claimed to be seasonal workers, staying with a host family in the area.
McCarty says he would not have posted the images if he knew for a fact that the suspects were minors.
“Then I would consider it would be inappropriate to post the pictures.”
The Door County Sheriff’s Office has a policy for using social media. But that policy does not address protecting or identifying juveniles.
