If you don’t like publicity, don’t do the crime

If you don’t like publicity, don’t do the crime

I don't rhyme very well, but there used to be a song which had these words: "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime."

I'm a "stringer" for a newspaper and, as such, routinely submit certain kinds of information for publication. One thing which I do weekly is to visit a sheriff's office and list all the most recent arrests. Our paper has a policy which precludes publishing the names or offenses of juveniles (unless the court or competent authority determines they are to be treated as adults), but if you're an adult and your name appears on an arrest report, you and your neighbors will probably find it in our paper.

We're not unique by any means. Most papers carry such information, some more detailed than ours. My point is that police arrest reports are public record and while some consider old newspapers only good for bird cages or wrapping old fish, the information will be available for all time and can easily be found by routine investigation.

I believe that most people who get in trouble with the law did not get up in the morning making a decision to do so. People should realize that one of the results can easily be not getting a job or losing one because of information which might be found in your neighborhood newspaper.

Since some encounters with the law result from over indulging, this might be a good reason to rethink drinking habits. Remember, what gets your name on a police report can come back to haunt you years later. If you don't want the publicity, don't do the crime. (Maybe someone can come up with a good rhyme.)