Version: 2008

Comments on: The city where every arrest gets Twittered

A Twitter page in the name of a Dallas-area police department appears, featuring mugshots and other details of every arrest. It's actually the work of a student.

Add a Comment (Log in or register) (26 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
by webmastercorey April 18, 2009 1:10 PM PDT
This is horrible.
Reply to this comment
by zepol22 April 18, 2009 1:46 PM PDT
How is this horrible? Is it wrong to show the people of this city who the dirtbags are?
by monkeyfun14 April 18, 2009 2:43 PM PDT
@Zepol

Bringing someone in who gets a speeding ticket and forgets their drivers license is no need to publicly humiliate them.
by Don Key April 18, 2009 4:43 PM PDT
Yes, just because someone is arrested doesn't mean that they are guilty. Remember innocent until proven guilty. Anyone that favors this is of a mob mentality.
by BlutoNYC April 18, 2009 5:23 PM PDT
@Zepol22

So if the Denton PD wrongfully arrests you, would you mind being twtterred? Then during trial would you like your jury picked out by a pool of people who have seen the post and are already tainted? Would you mind being labeled a dirtbag then?

Think before you speak, dude.
by manny1673 April 19, 2009 4:02 AM PDT
What you all seem to forget is it is PUBLIC information. Don't like it, cry to the politicians. And you've got to be kidding me...wrongful arrests? I don't deny it has happened, but give me a break...IT'S RARE. You would probably be more likely to be struck by LIGHTNING!!!!

Being arrested for a speeding ticket and not having your license with you...what kind of stupid example is that...doesn't happen unless the person who's receiving this ticket does something stupid after the fact to get themselves arrested.

As far as juveniles having their photos posted...doesn't happen. It's against the law. Juveniles are protected.

And what about marijuana possession makes it not a CRIME...sorry but the last time I checked, marijuana is ILLEGAL!!!

It seems to me we have a lot of people here who are talking about this being unfair. I agree people are innocent until proven guilty, but common people take responsibility for your mistakes and stop making excuses.

I'm tired of people complaining that because it's not "Murder" or "Rape" it isn't a big deal. A crime is a crime. Some obviously worse than others, but none the less they are crimes.
by webmastercorey April 19, 2009 1:15 PM PDT
Dirtbags? Mind you they may have faulted in some way, but there's no reason for calling them that. You don't even know the circumstances behind their life, all you have is this one instance to judge their life. Perhaps they were treated like "dirt" their entire life by an angry drunken father and found themselves leading their life from only what they had known. Some people aren't blessed with the "perfect wealthy loving parents" who show them the love and attention they need. No one is rigteous and no one wants to do good. Those who do "good" seek things as "good" because they benefit their own self in some way. If you only love others because of what they "good" they have done for you where does that place your "love"?
by zepol22 April 19, 2009 3:33 PM PDT
@ all the idiots above except manny

Are you kidding me. What pathetic attempts to to derail my argument. LOL at forgetting the drivers license, nice try. If you look at most of the crimes being twittered, they are mostly nothing major, like murder or rape. So its not like there will be a long investigation to prove they are guilty. They are! I don't understand those who try to back up those who break the law. A crime is a crime no matter how minor or foolish (like forgetting a drivers license). No one is above the law, and if you break it, I believe it is my right to know that way I can protect my family. So you guys can pull out the liberal card and say they might have been wrongly arrested and they are innocent until proven guilty. Whatever, I am sure a cop knows when someone was drunk and if someone had made a traffic violation. I don't see how they could have not been wrongly arrested for such crimes.
by pentest April 20, 2009 1:36 AM PDT
"Being arrested for a speeding ticket and not having your license with you...what kind of stupid example is that...doesn't happen unless the person who's receiving this ticket does something stupid after the fact to get themselves arrested."

BS

I have seen it happen with absolutely no cause.

The cops are thugs.
by d3vildog69 April 21, 2009 11:29 AM PDT
zepol:

So you can protect your family against someone who forgot their license?

Get a life dude, if they are so minor you don't need to protect your family. Everyone makes mistakes, there is absolutely no reason to have it shoved in your face, only that person can absolve himself. 9 out of 10 times, the person already feels like a d-bag for what happened. So drop the smug attitude.
by MacGirl1985 April 18, 2009 1:39 PM PDT
I like the concept. This would be a good technology to use for the FBI's Most Wanted. Or for Amber Alerts.
Reply to this comment
by assman April 18, 2009 5:48 PM PDT
Some of them are under 18.. and for stupid things like marijuana possession. Maybe it should be limited to violent arrests >18y.o.
Reply to this comment
by nicmart April 18, 2009 6:31 PM PDT
What a stunning bore.
Reply to this comment
by emeshuris1 April 18, 2009 9:54 PM PDT
I do agree with the original poster, photos of a person being arrested should not be twittered, I would even go a step further and not allow the police to show the photos. However, what is being twittered, can already be seen on any pc...
Reply to this comment
by hitlerwwasasocialist April 19, 2009 7:38 AM PDT
At least a family member or friend might be able to find out what happened to you when you go missing and placed into the system.
Reply to this comment
by nSeika April 19, 2009 8:00 AM PDT
The technical side is not so clear in the article. Did Mr. Baugh develop a bot that scrape the Denton PD's site and post it on Twitter automatically, or did he do all that by hand one by one ?
Reply to this comment
by MatchesMalone April 19, 2009 8:20 AM PDT
It would be interesting to see if they could get a court to rule that the Twitter account name does indeed belong to them. However, a preemptive first strike by Mr. Baugh could be to change the name of the account itself. Put the link to the myspace page in the link section, and in the bio description, tell what the Twitter account does. Court should throw it out....
Reply to this comment
by manny1673 April 20, 2009 1:24 AM PDT
@webmastercorey

You definitely make a valid point. But I still feel regardless of how you were raised or what kind of environment you grew up in, we ALL have to make choices. There are a lot of people who have struggled with adversity in their lives that decided to make good choices and not fall prey to their environments. If you decide to make a bad choice and get caught, take responsibility for actions and make no excuses.
Reply to this comment
by d3vildog69 April 21, 2009 11:39 AM PDT
People can take responsibility for their actions without having said action shoved in their face. Esp something minor, we all make choices, sometimes we make bad ones. But who is worse here? Those who judge the criminal without knowing the true story, or those who look at them and think that just maybe there may be more to the story than what twitter says. Nobody can really know how bad someone feels about a mistake than that person. Let them beat themselves up for their mistake, don't add to that weight.

(Not saying you are, just responding the the post)
by pentest April 20, 2009 1:37 AM PDT
Nothing new here, most cops are immoral thugs.
Reply to this comment
by manny1673 May 13, 2009 4:28 PM PDT
@pentest

That really is an ignorant comment. It's like saying everyone who lives in the hood are criminals, which couldn't be further from the truth. Most people who grow up in our rough neighborhoods are good people trying to live an honest life. It's always a small percentage of people who make their culture look bad. Don't judge all cops based on the minimal experience you have had or heard about. Most people don't understand the methods cops use in their daily duties and I understand why. Just remember that cops routinely run into situations most people run away from. They put their LIVES at risk to protect us!! Sure there are "immoral thugs" patrolling our streets, but I guarantee most of them are good people trying to make a difference. Until you have lived in one's shoes, don't judge.
by zepol22 April 20, 2009 5:54 AM PDT
@ Pentest

You sir are an idiot. Thanks for contributing your retarded comment to this discussion.
Reply to this comment
by d3vildog69 April 21, 2009 11:40 AM PDT
Slinging insults will only be matched with the same treatment.
by joyofsomeone April 20, 2009 11:15 AM PDT
First of all, i would like to point out that the verb is not "to twitter", but is instead "to tweet". Sorry, but that was starting to get on my nerves...
And let's look at this another way. Not the way all of you seem to be looking at it, the "They do/don't deserve to have this done", not the impact on that single person who caused the crime. Take a look at the effect it will have on other people. This is the modern day, much more civilised version of putting someone in the stocks, having them humiliated. This will discourage more people from committing these crimes, due to the EXTREMELY public nature of the humiliation to follow. I say it's a damn good idea!
Reply to this comment
by d3vildog69 April 21, 2009 11:56 AM PDT
You say that until you're in the stocks. There is no reason to humiliate someone for their mistakes.
by zepol22 April 22, 2009 2:59 PM PDT
@devildog

You must feel pretty important to come to this page and fill it with your liberal nonsense. Life isn't meant to always work out in the ways we wish it would. This article talks about using technology in order to hopefully bring crime down. People will not want their picture up on the internet and therefore they will be less likely to break the law. It is that simple. So before you start to cry and say it's not fair because it will humiliate people; why don't you just keep the liberal talk out of this. You make a mistake, no matter how minor, you get to pay the consequence. If I were to make a mistake I would understand the punishment. Also, by humiliating the people on this feed, I can bet they will think twice about speeding or doing any other type of crime.

"Slinging insults will only be matched with the same treatment."
Unlike you, I can take the "treatment" and not cry about it. You fail.
Reply to this comment
(26 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

15 sites that went kaput in 2009

Web sites launch all the time, but they also shut their doors. We highlight 15 that bit the dust this year.

Top 10 news stories of the decade

Let the debate begin: Was the iPhone more important than iTunes? Was anything bigger than Google finding a great business model? CNET offers its list of the 10 most important stories of the '00s.

About Technically Incorrect

Chris Matyszczyk brings a fresh and irreverent perspective to the tech world in his CNET blog, Technically Incorrect. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Technically Incorrect topics

advertisement
advertisement
Click Here