"Publication of police booking photos ... vastly overstates the propensity of black and brown men to engage in criminal behavior,” SFPD Chief William Scott said.
San Francisco police will stop releasing most mug shots in an effort to curtail any racial bias they may perpetuate, the department's chief announced Wednesday.
“This policy emerges from compelling research suggesting that the widespread publication of police booking photos in the news and on social media creates an illusory correlation for viewers that fosters racial bias and vastly overstates the propensity of black and brown men to engage in criminal behavior,” Scott said in a statement posted to the San Francisco Police Department website.
But even if cases are dropped or charges dismissed against someone, their mug shot doesn't go away — an issue that also disproportionately affects people of color. Mug shots contribute to Americans making an unfair association between people of color and crime, Scott said."This is just one small step but we hope this will be something that others might consider doing as well,” he said of the SFPD measure.
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