Our Own Past Usage of Occasional Mugshots Looked Into
A recap of recent Our Town Reno reporting plus bonus content.
After we posted about the current halt of publicly posted local mugshots, due to a recent circuit court ruling, Sergeant Kristin Vietti from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office got back to us giving more detail to what is now posted on their inmate search page:
“After the recent 9th Circuit decision, the Sheriff's Office is no longer releasing mugshots proactively. If there is a situation in which the Sheriff's Office is actively searching for a suspect and there is a public safety reason to release, a mugshot may be proactively released. As the 9th Circuit case evolves, the Sheriff's Office will continue to consult with the District Attorney's Office as needed.”
Comments on our post indicating that mugshots and identifiers will no longer be available for local public viewing varied from those relieved to those expressing disappointment.
One commenter on Instagram said: “I get this is to protect the privacy of those wrongfully arrested but some victims of DV [Domestic Violence] like to keep tabs on their abusers using inmate search. It brings comfort knowing when they’re locked up.”
Another commenter, who had been angry we had previously posted a montage of screenshots from an inmate search following arrests in a suspected fencing operation at a local restaurant, again criticized our very rare use of mugshots in our own reporting.
The commenter indicated that the Associated Press had stopped posting mugshots, but what we were able to find with an internet search was more nuanced, in that the national news agency announced several years ago that it will no longer release mugshots or the name of suspects involved in “brief stories about minor crimes.”
For the fencing story we weren’t implicating that those being held were guilty, but we thought the accusation was unusual, as well as the fact one of those detained was still wearing his restaurant apron when his booking photo was taken.
As we noted in a Facebook response yesterday, other rare instances we have included mugshots are when white nationalist and former UNR student Pete Cytanovic was being held last year at Parr Blvd. on a felony fugitive warrant from Virginia, or when a bloodied photo was posted of David Turner in April 2023.
Turner was sentenced to a life in prison this year after being found guilty of an intentional hit and run on a community meal, which volunteers had witnessed. Two of them were injured, while an unhoused woman was killed. Before the photo was posted, some online had pointed to another local David Turner in that gruesome crime.
In its own policy discussions, AP noted it was unnecessary to post mugshots or include identifiers in stories it would probably not further pursue. In the case of Cytanovic and Turner, those are stories we’ve reported about extensively, while the suspected fencing is also a matter we will keep an eye on.
Local tv stations and other hyperlocal accounts such as 775 Times have made much more use of mugshots in their own coverage in recent years and months, meaning their own style of reporting will be altered much more.
News 4 wrote at the end of an article this week: “As a result of this ruling, you will likely see a change in our coverage — at least for now.” The ruling could be appealed, but these conversations are important as we move forward with our own coverage within the community.
Our Recent Reporting
Eden Nightclub Faces 30 day Suspension
Connor Dacko, Trying to Pursue College Life at UNR While Awaiting a Kidney Transplant
Eco-Art Serves as a Warmup Act for a Dinner for the Revolution at Reno Food Systems
Marliena Landeros: Smiles Make a Difference at Pangolin Cafe
