O'Fallon posting photos of shoplifting suspects

O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) - Police in the St. Louis suburb of O'Fallon are hoping that posting photos of shoplifting suspects on the department website will shame them into repenting. Defense attorneys say the notoriety isn't fair for people who are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/16V8sBj ) reports that O'Fallon police officials announced the new effort this week. The website now shows the mug shot, arrest date and arrest location for each person suspected of shoplifting.

Police Chief Roy Joachimstaler says larceny is the most common crime in O'Fallon, a fast-growing St. Charles County town of 81,000 residents.

Defense attorney Joel Eisenstein says that if he had a client on the website he would seek court action to remove that person until the case is completed.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com