At least two police departments in New Brunswick have started using social media to get the public’s help in finding people with outstanding warrants.
They call it Warrant Wednesday.
Every week, the Woodstock and Kennebecasis police forces post a list of people’s full names, and sometimes the fines or jail time they owe, on Facebook.
Usually, these warrants are for people who have been convicted of something like a driving violation, but haven’t paid a fine or served time in jail, or haven’t shown up for their court date.
Woodstock has been doing it since November 2022, while Kennebecasis began the practice in January.
“It’s just a new approach, when we’ve tried everything, people are avoiding the police and we feel we owe it to the public to enforce these [warrants],” said Inspector Mary Henderson of the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force.
Henderson said in the first three weeks of January, they cleared warrants with 12 people, some of whom had more than one warrant to their name.
WATCH | Will Warrant Wednesday work?
Outstanding order? You may be kicked out of Facebook
“Warrant Wednesday” is the weekly practice of at least two New Brunswick police departments to post on social media the names and ages of people with outstanding warrants.
So far, the department has published lists of those convicted of impaired operation of motor vehicles, driving with a suspended license and outstanding arrest warrants.
Warrant Wednesday can cause harm, ethicist says
Timothy Christie, a philosophy professor at the University of New Brunswick who writes about ethics, doesn’t believe Warrant Wednesday is fair.
He said people are held accountable for their actions through the court system and receive penalties such as fines or jail time.
“They definitely deserve these things because they went through a process in court where that was determined and it was determined to be an appropriate sanction,” Christie said.
“Nowhere in this sanction is public shaming included.”
However, Henderson said Warrant Wednesday is not about shaming people.
Timothy Christie, a UNB professor who writes about ethics, thinks Warrant Wednesday could have unintended consequences for those named in the posts. (Roger Kosman/CBC)
“It’s a very public place for people to watch, but does that outweigh the need to enforce these warrants and public safety?”
Christie said the justice system punishes people so they can reform and reintegrate into society.
“This thing that the police are doing, it seems to me, is not helping people reintegrate into society in a meaningful way, but it’s actually going to make things more difficult for them,” Christie said.
He said life can be more difficult because being listed on Facebook can affect one’s reputation.
The Kennebecasis Regional Police Force began a warrant on Wednesdays in January. (Roger Kosman/CBC)
“[Warrant Wednesday] it doesn’t contribute to any of the long-term goals that we have that we use to punish people,” he said.
Henderson disagrees with his assessment.
“I don’t think anyone should be unable to reintegrate into society,” she said. “They got a lot of opportunities from our staff [to resolve their warrants].”
She said if someone’s order is upheld, their name is removed from the Facebook post.
Criminologist sees value in Warrant Wednesday
Mary Ann Campbell, director of the Criminal Justice Research Center at UNB Saint John, said the police are part of the community and therefore part of the work they do requires the support and assistance of the community.
And she thinks it’s something that can work.
“I suspect it will be more effective than not. So by having a list out there, there’s probably at least one person on that list that someone can call the police and let them know where they are,” she said.
Criminology professor Mary Ann Campbell said an initiative like Warrant Wednesday can help free up time for police to work on other issues. (Roger Kosman/CBC)
She added that getting simple tips from the public — like a phone call that someone might live or work somewhere — can help departments work on other issues.
“These types of situations can save a lot of taxpayer dollars by allowing the police to apprehend this person quickly. They can then devote their time to other types of criminal cases,” she said.
But it’s not just about publishing names. Woodstock forces also include memes — a social media visual — in their Warrant Wednesday posts.
Meme posted by Woodstock force for Warrant Wednesday. Campbell said whoever makes the posts should ensure that the memes don’t miss the mark. (Woodstock Police Force/Facebook)
The Woodstock Police Force did not provide an interview for this story. The force did not respond to a question about the use of the emailed memes before this article was published.
Campbell said the intent was probably a way for people to look at the list of names.
“I think using humor for a serious topic is the best way, I think it’s something that’s open to interpretation,” she said.
She said it was important that anyone making the posts thought it through to make sure they didn’t miss the mark.
Add Comment