A police department in California started using Lego According to reports, the people responsible will stop the practice after the toy company proactively contacted them and asked them to stop the practice.
Murrieta Police Department, California Hide the faces of arrested suspects Often in various ways over the years.For example, last year, the police department used Photoshop to shrek and donkey face Two people were arrested on suspicion of stealing $1,800 worth of merchandise from Target. But the department’s recent move to slap Lego heads on the faces of people it arrests, often with funny expressions, isn’t making everyone laugh.
Murrieta Police Lt. Jeremy Durant tells us fox news On Friday, the company will stop using Lego faces in questionable photos and sharing them on social media after being contacted by Lego.
“The LEGO Group reached out to us and respectfully asked us not to use their intellectual property in social media content, which we certainly understand and will comply with,” Durant said, according to Fox News. “We are currently exploring this. Other ways to continue posting our content in a way that is engaging and interesting to our followers.”
Gizmodo reached out to the Murrieta Police Department and Lego for comment Tuesday but did not immediately receive a response.
Some may ask: How did police departments get into the habit of pasting Lego heads on photos of suspects and hiding faces? In November, the police department posted on Facebook that it decided to take this approach after the California Legislature passed the bill. AB 1475 In 2021, police departments in the state are prohibited from releasing booking photos of suspects involved in non-violent crimes except under certain circumstances.
“Some reasons [the decision was taken] Presumption of innocence until proven guilty in court [and] The impact the post may have on the individual or their family may be subject to outside criminal proceedings (public humiliation),” After reading.
Additionally, California’s new law, AB 994, which took effect in January requires law enforcement Delete suspect’s photos from social media 14 days later. The Murrieta Police Department still has grainy photos dating back to at least last year on its Facebook account, so it’s unclear whether the new law applies to photos on social media that don’t show the suspect’s face.
Lego’s claim to be asking police departments to stop using its toys to cover the faces of suspects makes sense. The last thing a beloved toy company like Lego needs is for parents and children to start associating its iconic Lego heads with crime, or thinking crime is funny because police used Lego heads in photos.