The following message first appeared on BaxterCountySheriff.com, reprinted with permission.

One of the more rewarding activities as Sheriff is when an organization asks me to speak to its members. One of the most often asked questions concerns the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office Inmate Roster. The Inmate Roster is part of the BCSO website and lists all persons who have been arrested and booked into the county jail. These questions usually range from ‘why can we post their names and pictures’ to asking whether I believe it has helped reduce DWI and other alcohol-related offenses.

With more than 50,000 visits to our website each month, it is obvious that the Inmate Roster (the section that displays the names and photos of those arrested) is very popular with the public. Several hundred people have signed up for email alerts and receive an email every morning listing all that have been arrested in the past 24 hours. While other sections of our website are very popular, such as Press Releases and Most Wanted, the number of visitors has more than quadrupled since the addition of the Inmate Roster last July.

The answer to the ‘why can we post’ is very simple. The arrest, charges, photos, etc are all public record. This simply means that anyone from the public can go to the law enforcement agency and obtain the information. Our website is automated so it updates the inmates automatically when they are booked in our jail.

The second question of its impact on crime is, of course, subjective and calls for an opinion. While you will never stop everyone from drinking and driving, I do think it has become a strong deterrent. Numerous times I have heard people talking among themselves at restaurants stating they would not have that second drink so they wouldn’t end up on “The Sheriff’s Website.”

There are a few that may argue that our website is an invasion of privacy or somehow violates their rights. My answer is simple. Don’t break the law in Baxter County and you won’t end up in our jail, and on our website where upwards of 50,000 people will see you each month.

Sheriff John Montgomery