Innocent until photographed?

Posted on by Rob Close

Publishing arrest data has become common in this city; the Asheville Daily Planet has considered it page 2 news since their inception. Now we have the Asheville Housing Authority newsletter and the Asheville Police Department’s Web site going so far as to share pictures of people, whether caught with pot in the projects or arrested [for] supposedly soliciting a prostitute.

What’s important here is the supposedly. We aren’t being shown pictures of recently convicted criminals, but rather those recently arrested—pre-conviction. This is a bastardization of the very basis of the American legal system—innocent until proven guilty—for the cheap-thrill benefit of glorifying our police department. And how much effort do these publicizers put into repairing the damage done to reputations [of the] innocent? None.

If you know someone who has had their arrest data publicized for a crime that they were never convicted of, please share your story with [Citizens Awareness Asheville] so we can document and compile them. You can come join us at St. James Church on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m., or leave a detailed message at 398-4817.

— Rob Close
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Innocent until photographed?”

  1. Lady Passion

    Great going, Rob!

    I, too, find the publicizing of such info unethical and probably sue-worthy.

    Led by media-savvy Chief Hogan, the APD is steadily trying to improve its battered image. According to my inside source, the APD has recently become a “media reporting entity.”

    This is why Xpress and other publications keep running fluff pieces praising particular officers instead of investigating why APD still has no hardcopy citizen complaint form.

    Glad to see CAA is still working hard to keep such issues in the forefront of Ashevillans’ minds.

    Member, Asheville Justice Watch

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.