So far, the department has posted lists of people convicted of impaired operation of a vehicle, driving with a suspended licence and with outstanding arrest warrants. 

Warrant Wednesday could cause harm, says ethicist 

Timothy Christie, a philosophy professor at the University of New Brunswick who writes about ethics, doesn't believe Warrant Wednesday is fair. 

He said people are held accountable for their actions through the court system and receive penalties such as fines or jail time.

"They definitely deserve those things because they went through a process in court, where that was what was determined, and it was determined as an appropriate sanction," Christie said.

"Nowhere in that sanction did it include public shaming."

Henderson, however, said Warrant Wednesday is not about shaming people. 

Timothy Christie, a UNB professor who writes about ethics, thinks Warrant Wednesday may have unintended consequences for those named in the posts. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

"It is a very public venue that people get to look at, but does that outweigh the need to execute these warrants and public safety?"

Christie said that the justice system imposes punishments on people so they can correct themselves and reintegrate into society. 

"This thing that the police are doing strikes me as not helping people reintegrate into society in a meaningful way, but actually will make things more difficult for them," Christie said. 

He said life may be more difficult because being named on Facebook could impact someone's reputation.

The Kennebecasis Regional Police Force started Warrant Wednesday in January. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

"[Warrant Wednesday] doesn't contribute to any of the long-term goals we have that we use for punishing people," he said.

Henderson disagrees with his assessment.

"I don't think someone shouldn't be able to reintegrate into society," she said. "They've been given ample opportunity by our officers [to resolve their warrants]." 

She said that if someone's warrant is resolved, their name is taken off the Facebook post. 

Criminologist sees value in Warrant Wednesday

Mary Ann Campbell, director of the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies at UNB Saint John, said police are part of the community and therefore some of the work they do requires the support and aid of the community.

And she thinks this is something that could work.

"I suspect it will be more effective than not. So having a list out there, there's probably at least one person on that list that someone might call the police about and let them know where they are," she said. 

 Criminology professor Mary Ann Campbell said an initiative like Warrant Wednesday can help free up time for police to work on other matters. (Roger Cosman/CBC)

She added that eliciting simple tips from the public — like a phone call saying someone might be living or working somewhere — can help departments work on other issues.

"Those types of situations can save a lot of taxpayer dollars in allowing the police to apprehend that person quickly. Then they can dedicate their time to other types of criminal matters," she said.

But it's not just about posting names. The Woodstock force also includes memes — a  visual staple on social media —in its Warrant Wednesday posts.

     A meme published by the Woodstock force for Warrant Wednesday. Campbell said whoever is making the posts need to ensure the memes don't miss the mark. (Woodstock Police Force/Facebook)

The Woodstock Police Force did not provide an interview for this story. The force did not respond to a question about its use of memes sent through email prior to the publication of this article. 

Campbell said the intent is likely a way to get people to look at the list of names.

"Whether using humour for a serious topic is the best way to go, I think, is something that's open to interpretation," she said.

She said it's important that whoever is making the posts needs to consider them carefully to ensure they don't miss the mark.