California is a crime-ridden progressive object lesson, one its residents are fleeing in massive numbers. And who’s allegedly committing all the crimes? In one Golden State locale, it’s apparently caused by plastic brick mini-figures.
Welcome to Murrieta, California, a SoCal city of over 100,000 residents. According to Neighborhood Scout, a website that tracks local statistics for use by potential homebuyers or renters, “[t]he crime rate in Murrieta is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America,” with residents standing a 1 in 65 chance of being the victim of some sort of crime.
When criminal suspects get around to being arrested and charged there, however, officials want residents to know that, thanks to a new privacy law in the state, they’ll be covering the mug shots with faces of Lego figurines.
“On January 1st, a new law went into effect that restricts the how and when law enforcement agencies in California share suspect photos & mugshots,” the police department stated on Instagram.
“The new law, Assembly Bill 994 & Penal Code 13665, now prohibits law enforcement from sharing suspect photos for nonviolent crimes, unless specified circumstances exist. Additionally, the new law requires agencies to remove suspect mugshots from social media after 14 days, unless special circumstances exist.
“The Murrieta Police Department prides itself in its transparency with the community, but also honors everyone’s rights & protections as afforded by law; even suspects. In order to share what is happening in Murrieta, we chose to cover the faces of suspects to protect their identity while still aligning with the new law.”
Fair enough, perhaps — but this?
Do liberals care more about criminals than victims?
Well, that’s entirely unhelpful unless someone stole your Lego Porsche instead of the real one. I guess it was an inside job, if that’s the case.
The response was generally derision: “The point of the mugshots is that people know who is dangerous, YOU IDIOTS,” one user wrote.
“Why not just stop arresting anybody? What good is it anymore?” another wrote. “Let the Libs drown in their own lawless sewer.”
“California has lost its mind. Let’s give criminals more rights. Insane,” a third wrote.
According to version of the bill as it came out of the California state Senate Committee on Public Safety, the legislation that Murrieta is responding to amends statutes to “require a police department or sheriff’s office to remove a booking photo shared on the department’s social media page within 14 days unless specific circumstances exist, and requires a police department or sheriff’s office sharing a booking photo on social media to use the name and pronouns given by the subject of that photo. “
Those specific circumstances include “[a] police department or sheriff’s office has determined that the suspect is a fugitive or an imminent threat to an individual or to public safety and releasing or disseminating the suspect’s image will assist in locating or apprehending the suspect or reducing or eliminating the threat” or if “[a] judge orders the release or dissemination of the suspect’s image based on a finding that the release or dissemination is in furtherance of a legitimate law enforcement interest,” among other “exigent circumstance[s]” that might necessitate a mug shot being up on social media.
Again, fair enough — but again, Lego faces?
It’s unclear whether this is a permanent thing and I understand that Murrieta officials can’t control what the Democrats in the state house do aside from electing officials who might do otherwise.
It could even be that the Murietta PD is actually making fun of the liberals who wrote the law. Even then, it’s a drop in a pond of liberal insanity when it comes to California.
And just because the left is soft on crime doesn’t mean police, of all people, need to make light of the crimes these people are arrested for allegedly committing by photoshopping toy heads over their faces.
Why not play “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie” in the background while people look at the mugs on the city’s website? Couldn’t get the rights cheaply enough? It’s already a slap in the face that officials seem to pretend crime is child’s play and not lethal and costly. Now they’re quite literally reinforcing that idea.
Here are some examples of the policy in action:
California is a verifiable mess. Smash-and-grab robberies are at epidemic labels there, Chilean theft rings are reportedly engaging in “burglary tourism” in the SoCal area thanks to a visa waiver program and loose enforcement of property crime, and one infamous Walgreens in San Francisco (the most-frequently pilfered store in the chain, according to media sources) even keeps chewing gum behind lock and key.
And state legislators shouldn’t be let off the hook, either. Quality-of-life issues are plaguing Californians and what are the progressives in Sacramento concerned with? Making sure mug shots stay off of social media — or at least get covered up with Legos.
The idea of doing this because those charged are innocent until proven guilty might indeed be a noble one if there weren’t a panoply of other issues facing the Golden State at the moment.
In 2024 California, it’s a hideous affront to the upstanding, law-abiding citizens who are the victims of progressivism run amok.
Will the last decent Californian please shut out the Lego lights when you leave the state? Thanks in advance.
