If you are suspected of shoplifting in Aurora, you might get arrested. But at least your mug shot won’t be posted on the police department’s Facebook page.
As part of a crackdown on shoplifting, the Aurora Police Department recently began posting mug shots of suspects on its Facebook page. But Police Chief Dan Oates has decided to stop the practice and post them after conviction.
Some were critical of the policy of posting mug shots before conviction. The reversal in policy was first reported on the Aurora Sentinel’s website Wednesday.
“The chief had second thoughts about doing it and changed his mind,” said Sgt. Chris Amsler.
Amsler said a task force to reduce shoplifting in a stretch of retail centers along the Interstate 225 corridor began posting the mug shots of suspects in March, but the chief did not know about the practice.
“The whole purpose of us doing that was to try to get the message out to the public that if you shoplift in Aurora, you’re not only going to get a ticket, you’re going to jail,” Amsler said. “We were using it as a deterrent to prevent people from shoplifting.”
The department’s efforts to reduce shoplifting, which began in March, are paying dividends. Shoplifting was down 60 percent in March this year compared with the same month in 2012 and 2013, he said.
The Town Center at Aurora is one of the businesses working with police.
“At Town Center at Aurora, we are diligent in creating a safe, secure and comfortable shopping environment for our customers, and merchants,” mall general manager Don Cloutier said in an e-mail.
“Working closely with APD is an important component of our holistic approach.”
