Letter from Amy Malcuria

No Tolerance for Shaming

I am writing to express my deep concern over the racist and inappropriate comments that continue to be allowed on posts shared by the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office on Facebook. The most recent post included multiple upsetting and disturbing remarks that never should have been tolerated in a public forum (“Is this guy from another country? Is he here illegally? Deport him! 1 (800) ice”).

When a person’s photo and name are shared widely online, it becomes too easy for people to forget that an accusation is not a conviction. The comment sections quickly turn into spaces where community members pass judgment from the comfort of their keyboards, often with cruelty, bias, and in some cases, outright racism. That is not justice—it is public shaming, and it contributes to a harmful and unsafe culture for many in our community.

I believe that our law enforcement agencies should have a responsibility not only for public safety, but also for professionalism and accountability in the spaces they manage. Allowing racist or inflammatory comments to remain visible sends the message that those attitudes are acceptable or even encouraged. At minimum, these posts should be moderated, and hateful or inappropriate comments should be removed. It would be very easy to just turn comments off.

Ultimately, this letter is in no way meant to suggest that I condone these individuals’ alleged crimes. However, I do not believe local arrests should be treated as entertainment or used as fodder for Facebook voyeurs. These situations involve real people, real families and serious allegations—not content for public ridicule. If public information is going to be shared online, it should be done responsibly and with appropriate moderation to prevent harmful, biased, and dehumanizing commentary.

Amy Malcuria
Cooperstown