So one thing led to another and I ended up on Paul Dodd’s website, featuring his Models from Crime Page series. Maybe those pictures were based on the Crime Stoppers flyer, which apparently also has its own on-demand cable channel.
Before I fled Rochester, back when I used to get the newspaper on paper, I always looked for the Crime Stoppers page. Who’s there? What did they do? Do I recognize any of the faces or names? (I’m pretty sure that Jeffery Baker isn’t the same guy who interviewed for a library job). When I used to teach about how you can’t trust everything you find online, I would point my classes to Felon Spy, which never failed to captivate my classes, even after I pointed out that it was a hoax. (Try putting UMW’s address in the search box. See how many felons are in your neighborhood!)
I think all that relates to some of the readings this week. Hawthorne writing about his trip to the wax museum, Bierce commenting on crimes in California – all highlight a fascination with criminality that’s always been with us, and never leaves.
I love this, I’m always on the Fredericksburg Police Blog, and Crime Stoppers. Its so true we are madly fascinated with crime and even more fascinated with the terror that comes with knowing if there are bad people around you. When I first came to Fredericksburg, my friend and I went on the Sex Offender Registry and I just was oddly fascinated knowing how many bad people were out there. I really wonder why we love crime so much. I know I will always be fascinated by it, but I really would like to know why!