back to article NZ cops claim 'first Facebook arrest' of bungling safe-cracker

A failed safe-cracker has been cuffed after New Zealand police posted CCTV images of an attempted burglary on Facebook. CCTV cameras captured the hour-plus attempts of a man who attempted to prise open a safe at the Frankton Arms Tavern in the early hours of Monday morning. The man broke in through the ceiling of the bar …

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  1. Charles Manning

    Face blur, bah!

    Why blur the face when it was published on Facebook, as well as various media outlets. eg: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4816461a11.html

  2. Russell Howe
    Stop

    Those fateful words...

    Queenstown Police has tagged you in a photo...

  3. Peter Moodie
    Coat

    to Charles Manning

    This is how the NZ Police image now appears in Facebook. It was un-blurred when they were looking to identify him, now that they have, he's an 'alleged' burgler and so they have to protect his identity.

  4. Horridbloke
    Flame

    Can I be the first to say...

    ... ha ha, what a tard.

  5. John Bayly
    Boffin

    Makes us feel better about the UK (or possibly less worse)

    It's nice to know that it's not only our yoofs that are thick as shit.

    On a complete tangent, shouldn't the Title inputbox be allowed to fill it's container, and not be constrained to 258px?

  6. Muscleguy
    Happy

    Wot? no #8 wire?

    Good to see good old Kiwi have a go is alive and well. Got a safe to crack and only an angle grinder and a crowbar? No worries, you'll find a way. Now if only he had thought to bring along the #8 wire . . .

  7. Paul
    Coat

    With a face...

    that blocky, no wonder someone recognised him.

  8. Ben
    Coat

    Spotters Badge

    I can't believe that NZ's finest needed Facebook for this. How hard can it be to find the only bloke in town with a face like an overcompressed JPEG?

  9. Seán

    Facebook brutality

    If facebook is the polis now then it had better start applying for overtime straight away.

  10. Andy Barber
    Stop

    @ Charles Manning

    ... & El Reg has to keep it's legal integrity because until the trial, he is still only 'accused.'

  11. Nordrick Framelhammer
    Happy

    The funny thing was...

    He was doing this in a small room which is described as "rather warm at the best of times" and he took his balaclava off because he was sweating.

    They showed the footage of him on the TV news when he spotted the camera in the roof. It was priceless watching his face falling faster than Paris Hilton's knickers at the first sign of a video camera.

    And they identified him in one day.

  12. Jon Minhinnick
    Thumb Up

    What's more

    The alleged perp didn't see several hundred $$ in coins on the shelf behind him.

    FAIL.

  13. Cheese
    Paris Hilton

    TV News

    I'm sure that the TV news services showing the CCTV footage (not just a still) and taking the piss out of the guy probably had something to do with it; he had the balaclava down at first, but pulled it up when he, supposedly, started getting a bit toasty.

    Paris, because she also likes peeling off in front of a camera.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    hear hear

    "On a complete tangent, shouldn't the Title inputbox be allowed to fill it's container, and not be constrained to 258px?"

  15. Harry
    Alert

    "he is still only 'accused.'"

    Fair enough. What irritates me is news reports that say that somebody is "alleged" to have done something, even *after* that person has been found guilty and sentenced for the crime.

    But then again, why don't we go the whole hog and insist that because accused people (generally, not specific to this case) are *supposedly* innocent until proved guilty, they shouldn't have their NAMES disclosed publicly unless and until they are found guilty.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    New Poke options?

    So do I expect to find 'Arrest' next to 'Throw a chicken at' then?

  17. Moss Icely Spaceport
    Joke

    I was only robbin' the register!

    What a complete tool.

  18. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    NZ has previous form on this type of name-and-shame

    They saw someone stealing transformers from a billboard so took a photo and published it on their own billboard. Classic, great use of the old K.I.*

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/4771229a11.html

    *(Kiwi Ingenuity)

  19. Eddie Edwards
    Joke

    @ John - I guess it's to avoid people writing their entire post in the title

    See title.

  20. Winkypop Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Munted

    LOL

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