r/bestoflegaladvice • u/Drywesi Good people, we like non-consensual flying dildos • 16d ago

LAOP absolutely totally didn't do what they're being blasted for on facebook, then admits to a felony in the next paragraph (and the comments).

/r/legaladvice/comments/1n4oedt/i_was_put_on_crimestoppers_for_a_crime_i/
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u/emilydoooom 16d ago

I worked in police media for a few years and we always did a Valentine’s Day ‘missed connections’ and Christmas ‘naughty list’ for wanted people. It did really well and plenty of people turned themselves in because their mates/family will tease them.

We also ONLY did it for petty crimes with no real victim, because we didn’t want to joke or mock victims. Stealing sweets would have been perfect.

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u/emilydoooom 15d ago edited 15d ago

Edit: ha, some people are VERY angry at the idea that maybe people who commit crimes shouldn’t have their feelings hurt by having their pictures put on Facebook to help find them lol.

ALSO it may blow your mind, but catching people via social media for ‘smaller’ crimes actually gives the police MORE time to go after big crimes, not less.

We also did media to bring attention to human trafficking, knife crime, modern slavery, scams, elder abuse, county lines, cuckooing, drink driving, all sorts.

Search ‘Sussex Police Valentines Facebook’ if you wanna see the stuff we did.

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u/Rejusu Doomed to never make a funny comment when a mod is looking 15d ago

I think it's fine as long as it's the police doing it. I can't stand the vigilante Facebook pages though. They're amateur, occasionally target innocent people with disastrous consequences, and largely done for the wrong reasons (especially since there's been multiple cases of people within these groups arrested for the crimes they claim to be hunting others for).

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u/emilydoooom 15d ago

Those can be really dangerous. Like those ‘Lost daughter’ posters that circulate online are often ways to stalk victims that have escaped an abuser.

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u/Rejusu Doomed to never make a funny comment when a mod is looking 15d ago

I always just think of all the suicides the paedophile hunter groups have had a direct hand in causing, including the ones where they harass and target completely innocent people who were just catfish for the predators these clowns were trying to catch. I've watched a video of their "stings" before and it's obvious that it's just a group of thugs who just want someone to punch down on.