VICTIMS of crime can now track the progress of police investigations at the touch of a button – from arrest all the way to sentence. A national crime-mapping website has been logging reports of crimes on a street-by-street basis since January. Now it is displaying the outcomes of investigations, too. Police even plan to add the names and photographs of convicted criminals.
The move will, for example, allow a burglary victim in Wigan to find out what punishment the person who broke into their home has received. The outcomes being displayed on the site include whether an investigation is under way, whether an arrest has been made or a charge brought, whether a suspect has been taken to court and what sentence they received.
The move was welcomed by Greater Manchester Police. Assistant Chief Constable Dawn Copley said: “We support any initiative that increases transparency in the criminal justice system. “This new feature of the website will give residents in our communities access to not only information about the number of street-level crimes in their area but, just as importantly, what happens to those criminals who are responsible.
[more...]
We now have research suggesting that having a public sexual offense registry is increasing sexual recidivism. Perhaps police should think about the consequences more critically before posting photographs and names of defendants.
ReplyDelete