BUCYRUS — In an attempt to better serve the community and readers of Crawford County Now, the staff of the North Central Ohio Media Group is changing the format of the monthly mugshots report.
“The intent of posting the mugshots taken at the Crawford County Justice Center each month, was to inform the public of wrongdoing in the community and to show the work done by our local law enforcement funded by taxpayer money,” news director James Massara said. “Crawford County Now’s management and staff have decided now is the time for a change to better serve the community.”
Beginning in 2015, the Crawford County Now staff began posting mugshots in their entirety and since added a disclaimer that the photo appearing in the report does not indicate guilt of the charge or charges listed.
“We became aware of various instances were people who were never convicted of a crime were negatively impacted by their photo appearing in the report, years after the report was published,” Massara said. “It is always our intent to inform the community of local news in a true and unbiased manner, but it is never our intention to publicly shame members of the community for possibly making a single mistake.”
North Central Ohio Media Group General Manger Kim Jenney said a person’s life should not be upended due to a moment of poor decision making.
“I do not feel it fair to shame a member of our community for a one-time offense,” Jenney said. “A bad choice is a bad choice. However, most of time, these one-time offenders are not criminals, nor should they be treated as such. I do not feel a bad decision should risk someone’s employment, especially at such a time as this. I feel strongly that everyone deserves a second chance.”
She said unnecessary fear, shame and overall negativity is unnecessary, especially with the uncertainty the coronavirus pandemic brings to many people.
As an alternative, Crawford County Now will begin posting the mugshots of individuals who have been arraigned on charges considered egregious in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. These individuals will have been formally charged and will appear in court.
“This will allow Crawford County Now to continue to provide information pertinent to the public in a more concise and fair way,” Massara said.
Mugshots of individuals who are arrested are available to any member of the public through a public records request. The new arraignment report will begin in June.