WEAU 

LA CROSSE, Wis. - Even the Crime Stoppers can get it wrong.

La Crosse police are apologizing after issuing an alert via the Crime Stoppers system. It included a surveillance video image of a woman suspected of using a stolen credit card at a local Kwik Trip convenience store.

Someone who works with the woman saw it and recognized her. Then the co-worker jokingly told the woman she was on Crime Stoppers. That's when she went online and watched the video.

It was her ... but she hadn't done the crime.

Police say the mistake happened when police matched surveillance video with cash register information, trying to identify whoever used the stolen card. Officers didn't realize there were two similar transactions about the same time, and they focused on the wrong one.

The public service announcement ran for three days before it was pulled.

Police have posted a new Crime Stoppers message with corrected information and a public apology. They've also sent the woman a letter of apology.

Comments (2)

pros: ... When the ACLU gets ahold of this, it will be, "Open your CHECKBOOK". 1 March 29, 2008 Bink: ... Unless I read the story wrong the error was on the part of the merchant (who provided the wrong video) Crime Stoppers and the police department ran with the photo they were provided. By the way it proves the system works. The photo was identified. 2 March 30, 2008

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