An interesting difference between police in the Merrimack Valley and police just north of the border in New Hampshire, is that Granite State police have a tendency to send out press releases, along with mugshots, for a lot of their arrests.

What does this mean?

Well, it means that if you get accused of shoplifting, or of, say, hiding in a store at the mall and then stealing $10,000 worth of DVD's and stuff, that not only will it make the newspaper, your picture will make the paper too.

That almost never happens with folks who get caught stealing here in Massachusetts. Police and the DA's office here tend to be much more resistant to releasing mugshots, even when we ask them too.
In New Hampshire, they send the mugshots before we even request them.

Which is how Mitchell Camrol, 20, of Tyngsboro, came to appear here this afternoon.

He is accused of being one of four men involved in stealing $10,000 worth of DVD's, games and gadgets from FYE at the Pheasant Lane Mall on Dec. 16. He was arrested this weekend.

Angelique Johnson, 29, and Paula Goodwin, 32, both of Dracut, were likewise arrested in Salem, NH for allegedly shoplifting from Marshall's department store.

Had these three been arrested in Massachusetts, you likely never would have seen their pictures. Plus, it's not like you save on sales tax by stealing.