A California police department has come up with a unique solution to protect the identities of certain suspects by using Lego heads to cover their faces in booking photos and mugshots. The Murrieta Police Department recently revealed that this approach is in response to a state law that prohibits law enforcement agencies from sharing images of suspects arrested for nonviolent crimes on social media.
The specific legislation in question, known as Assembly Bill 994 and Penal Code 13665, also mandates that mugshots of suspects posted on social media must be removed after 14 days unless there are extenuating circumstances. In a statement shared on Facebook, the Murrieta Police Department emphasized its commitment to transparency with the community while also respecting the legal rights and protections of all individuals, including suspects.
Interestingly, the MPD had already been using Lego faces to obscure the identities of certain criminal suspects well before the law officially took effect on January 1. According to a police spokesperson, this practice has been in place for several years as a way to comply with regulations while still keeping residents informed about public safety matters in the community.
Back in November, the department made a conscious decision not to publish images of individuals who had been arrested, citing reasons such as the presumption of innocence and the potential negative impact that social media posts could have on the individuals or their families.
