The Murrieta Police Department in southern California has announced it will discontinue its unconventional method of using Lego figurine heads to conceal the identities of suspects in social media posts. This decision comes after the Lego Group contacted the department, requesting they refrain from utilizing the company’s intellectual property.
This comes days after the police department recently went viral for using Lego heads to conceal the identities of suspects in photos to comply with California’s privacy laws restricting the sharing of suspect photos for nonviolent crimes.
Specifically, Assembly Bill 994, effective January 1st, mandates that booking photos be removed from social media within 14 days unless certain conditions are met. An earlier law from 2021 prohibited posting booking photos of suspects accused of nonviolent offenses, with limited exceptions.
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In response, the Murrieta Police Department began digitally imposing Lego character heads over suspects’ faces in images shared on social platforms like Instagram.
Lieutenant Jeremy Durrant explained that while the laws explicitly refer to booking and mug shots, the department interpreted the “spirit” of the legislation as applying to all suspect photos, including field images.
Durrant stated the department’s intent was to shift the focus toward highlighting the positive work of its officers within the community rather than emphasizing the alleged criminals encountered. However, after Lego requested they cease using the company’s intellectual property, the police department agreed to comply and is currently exploring alternative methods for engaging its social media followers.
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