Petition launched to end Lethbridge Police’s ‘Wanted Wednesday’ social media posts

It notes that the practice of posting the photos of particular individuals “bypasses the presumption of innocence and defines people entirely in terms of their alleged offence”.

“It also promotes ill-informed racist and sexist comments on a public forum, and does nothing at all the promote useful dialogue.”

LPS RESPONSE

The Lethbridge Police Service issued a response to Lethbridge News Now, stating that ‘Wanted Wednesday’ is one of the many investigative tools used by the LPS to locate and apprehend people who have been charged with Criminal Code offences, and “are evading arrest on those matters”.

“It is a long-standing and effective strategy employed by many law enforcement agencies that relies on the assistance and support of the community. The information on charged persons is part of the public domain and is accessible to all through the courts.”

“Social media is a polarizing entity, and while the feature does attract replies from those who do not agree with its use, there are also many comments from supporters. The Lethbridge Police Service social media channels are monitored and inappropriate comments are moderated as promptly as possible, although we do not have resources to do so on a 24-hour basis.”

“While there are no immediate plans to discontinue publicly sharing information surrounding these individuals wanted on warrants of arrest, LPS will be reviewing its use of this tool, along with its short and long-term communications strategies, as part of its action plan to better service the community.”

The goal of the petition is to reach 500 signatures. It will then be sent to the Lethbridge Police Service and the Lethbridge Police Commission. As of Tuesday morning (April 27), 335 people have signed.

by Justin Goulet

Petition launched to end Lethbridge Police’s ‘Wanted Wednesday’ social media posts

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