Finding the baddies via tv and the newspaper is so yesterday!

We all know “Aktenzeichen XY Ungelöst”, a show with the purpose of finding criminals with the help of attentive citizens who watch the program and might have the last clue to solve the case.

Same goes with appeals in newspapers. A photo or description of the possible offender is published with the aim to find this person or get further information about the case.

But now that less people read the newspaper thoroughly and online media starts to take over, Europol decided to not fight this movement but use it. Thus they launched a “EU Most Wanted”- advent calendar. Twenty four windows, a new profile every day. Europol puts it this way: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year to lock up these EU Most Wanted criminals.” (http://m.spiegel.de/panorama/justiz/a-1123862.html#spRedirectedFrom=www&referrrer=)

Reading the comments under this article, I could not help but notice, how angry people got about this. Instead of appreciating this approach to modern ways of spreading information, people criticize the ironic tone that Europol uses. Yet I think that they are simply following the trend of companies getting more approachable and down to earth in their way of communicating with their customers.

In some ways it is a hunt. That is true. But it has always been. Nevertheless back in the days when people were declared “vogelfrei”, people were allowed to kill the offender if necessary. Luckily this isn’t the case anymore yet the danger of this happening again still exists. People tend to think that self justice is a heroic act. But if you think of this calendar as a humorist way of solving crime and an appeal to citizens to take action and if this is the way to help actually catching the criminals, than I am good.