SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office is soon ending its longrunning-public service of posting arrest photos from the Sweetwater County Detention Center.

Interim Sheriff Rich Fischer has opted to end the online publication of booking photos, which the sheriff’s office says will take place this week.

The SCSO will continue publishing arrest information, including the name of the person arrested, the arresting agency, the booking date, the alleged charges, and other appropriate information. The change applies only to the automatic publication of a booking photo following an arrest.

Fischer said the decision reflects the importance of personal privacy, respect, and human dignity. It is also informed by privacy concerns recognized by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which has noted that booking photos create a powerful visual association with criminal activity and can preserve the stigma of an arrest long after legal proceedings end.

A media release from the sheriff’s office says once posted online, booking photos can be copied, archived, and redistributed through search engines, social media, and third-party websites, with the SCSO having little control over where the images appear, how they are presented, or how long they remain accessible.

“A person may be arrested once on suspicion of a misdemeanor drug offense, have the case dismissed, and never have another encounter with law enforcement,” Fischer said. “Ten years later, that booking photo may still be one of the first things a prospective employer sees in an internet search. The case may be gone, but the stigma created by the photo remains.”

Under the new directive, booking photos may still be released to the media or public when doing so serves a clear public safety, investigative, or community interest. This will generally include serious felony cases, particularly those involving violence or threats to public safety, as well as circumstances in which a photo may help:

• Locate a wanted or escaped person;
• Warn the public about a credible threat;
• Identify a suspect or assist with an active investigation;
• Locate a missing or endangered person;
• Identify additional victims or witnesses; or
• Inform the community about a matter of significant public concern.

Release decisions will be based on the circumstances of each case, including the seriousness of the alleged offense, public safety and investigative needs, the value of the photo to public understanding, personal privacy, and the presumption of innocence.

Booking photos will continue to be taken and maintained for identification, investigative, and detention purposes. The directive changes what the Sheriff’s Office routinely publishes, not how it enforces the law.

“This is not about concealing arrests or reducing transparency,” Fischer said. “The public will continue to know who was arrested, what charges were alleged, and which agency made the arrest. We will still release photos when the seriousness of the case, public safety, or investigative needs warrant it. This is about exercising good judgment before placing someone’s image online permanently when guilt has not been determined.”

Requests for booking photos and other public records will continue to be reviewed individually and handled in accordance with Wyoming law.