Police in Murrieta have agreed to stop slapping pictures of LEGO® heads on suspect photos, but not before the clever stunt caught the attention of national media.
Under AB 1475, police departments in California are prohibited from sharing booking photos of suspects involved in non-violent crimes. Murrieta PD still wanted some imagery to go with their arrest announcements, so they started photoshopping Lego heads onto suspects’ faces to protect their privacy.
The internet found the images hysterical. But the Lego company wasn’t laughing. They sent a cordial letter to Murrieta PD last week asking that they refrain from using their product in arrest announcements, citing trademark laws. The police department says it will comply with Lego’s request.
Now, for the question on everyone’s mind: how should Murrieta PD display the images instead? Emojis are one alternative being considered. What would you use?