EDITORIAL: Fair warning issued to all future thieves

EVERY week The Morning Bulletin gets calls from upset people who have been before the courts and their story published.

EVERY week The Morning Bulletin gets calls from upset people who have been before the courts and their story published.

When we get these complaints, it's very rare that the problem is associated with the information in our print edition.

Their main source of anxiety comes from having their name on our website and therefore the World Wide Web.

News spreads fast on the internet grapevine we know as Facebook, and reputations are trashed in a matter of hours.

This leads to people losing jobs, missing a career opportunity and even damaging their relationship with family and/or loved ones.

Of course that type of impact concerns me as an editor responsible for publishing such material.

But people who decide to commit a crime should know by now a huge part of the ultimate consequence - and you will be caught - is having your name before the courts.

The court is a public place where most matters are reported in order to show that justice is done in an open and transparent manner and also to provide a public deterrent to those who would also consider offending.

The internet has taken the scope of issuing this public information to a global level.

So take this as fair warning: if you commit a crime, expect to see your name on the web, including Facebook.

But if you are worried, there is a solution.

To those who are concerned about tarnishing their good name - don't commit any crime and you won't appear on prime time.

If you are starving and need food, there are agencies available that can help you in a crisis.

My advice is, don't steal and you will never have to worry about your name appearing in a Bulletin court story.

Originally published as EDITORIAL: Fair warning issued to all future thieves