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Uncategorized Friday, September 28th 2012 at 6:20 pm

Pennsylvania Paper Pins Local Mugshots to Pinterest, Sees 58% Increase in Arrests

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In our ever-increasingly technology dependent world, social media has become a force with which to be reckoned. Our old institutions are still trying to bridge the gap, but the good folks in Pottstown, Pennsylvania certainly seem to understand our evolving world better than most. After a local paper, the Pottstown Mercury, started pinning mugshots to Pinterest, the local police have seen a 58% increase in arrests.

The Pottstown Mercury explains in greater detail what’s been going on:

Dozens of tips have been called in from people who have perused the Wanted by Police list created by The Mercury. The list features photos of those wanted for a variety of crimes and a brief description of the offense they’re charged with. Offenses range from felony drug charges to felony assault; theft to fraud; and DUI to attempted murder.

Pottstown Police Capt. F. Richard Drumheller said his department has seen a dramatic increase in the number of people with outstanding warrants they’ve been able to capture thanks to the public.

“We have seen an increase in tips” from Mercury readers, he said. “Last time we checked, from when we first started (publicizing the outstanding warrants with The Mercury,) we have increased (the number of arrests) by about 58 percent. That’s pretty good.”

This is probably the best use we’ve seen yet for Pinterest, which is usually used for such lovely things as goofy cat furniture and elaborate nail art. Mugshots might just complete the holy trinity, if this trend continues.

(Pottstown Mercury via Boing Boing)

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  • Donutz87

    I like how the white kids picture just says “…drug offenses…” meaning absolutely jack shit! Kid could be a Columbia druglord or was caught smoking a joint at a local park at night as far as anyone could tell from that shit… I can’t stand that people just think “Hey he broke the law, that means he’s a criminal!!”, wrong people, FUCKING WRONG! In literal terms sure, anybody breaks a law that’s in place and they’re a “Criminal”, but did that person really commit a crime if they weren’t harming anyone at all? I mean seriously if I go outside, find some marijuana seeds magically on the street, grow a plant, roll up a joint, burn the plant and stand outside and smoke that joint, I am not, hurting anyone or even hurting myself, but by definition, I am a criminal.

    That makes no sense, and as long as lawyers keep charging small fortunes to help the poor bastard who was found on the wrong side of the law, there’s no hope, the government will continue to inflate laws in order to LITERALLY find as many individuals guilty of something they could be charged for financially in order to help fill the pockets of politicians and local government employees.

    If a car dealership sells cars and the economy is bad, their best bet is to sell economical cars in order to stay in business. If an electronic retailer is having troubles due to economical struggles, their best bet is to sell economical electronics. IF LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT isn’t making the same income that it used to make because the economy is bad and people just don’t go out(and get into trouble) as they used to(or are more careful) then their best bet is to MAKE NEW LAWS, LOSE ALL MERCY AND GOOD WILL, AND HIRE MORE COPS to literally CHARGE people with crimes that they probably wouldn’t have had the economy not been in such a downer… Uncle Sam will get his money, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but Uncle Sam will never starve, even if he has to dig into your pockets while YOU’RE starving to get some money for a cheeseburger.

  • Anonymous

    Not to mention that all of the debt is going to be placed on the laps of children once they grow up. It is all just silly when you stand back and look at it. If it were really a free society then land owners and organizations you have agreed to comply with would decide if you could use drugs on their property. Don’t like drugs? Move into a neighborhood that doesn’t allow them. Like em? I am sure there are plenty of like minded people out there.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000084887330 Bonnie Sweitzer

    Good use of the internet.

  • Idlethoughts

    First off this was a pretty convoluted tangent to your personal agendas.

    That being said, breaking the law is breaking the law, if you don’t like the laws bring it up with the government’s legislative or judicial branch not their executive, which is what the cops are. Also as for “Uncle Sam’s”money making, he makes it by taxes and one of the major things he does with that money is give it to the needy and poor, which is why many of those people receive more from the government than they give, this is also why death by starvation is not a major problem in the US.
    If politicians really wanted to increase there own income they would try to raise there own salaries or take bribes, usually to enforce the law less well. They would not however try to make money by fining people or putting them into jail, which prevents them from earning anything to tax, because, A. thats an inefficient way to make money, and more importantly B. They do not get payed proportionally by how much the government earns; when the government collects more money that means they can do more things with it, such as paying off debt from money they borrowed to do even more things, like providing welfare, building infrastructure, providing medicare, or funding defense, in other words their job.
    Ironically I was initially going to address your views on drug control, but it turned out you had so much “Big oppressive and evil government” craziness to untangle that I’m not even going to bother. Get these fact straight first and then we can talk.