A Staten Island Mall is the first mall in America to flash the mugshot of convicted shoplifters.  The mugshots flash across  65-inch, high-definition plasma screens that otherwise project images of stuff to go buy.  

The shots are preceded with a question and statement:

“Want to be famous?” Shoplift in this mall and you could have your face right here.”

Oh Snap!  Actually, three snaps and a handcuff click.  But I’m willing to bet that this is one hell of a determent to any teenager walking around looking to score a free Cinn-A-Bun or whatever kids steal these days.  

—Adspace Digital Mall Network — which owns video kiosks in 105 malls in 39 cities, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Houston — says this is the first time its video displays have hosted criminal mug shots. 

The company sells most of its ads to mall merchants, movie studios, car companies and other businesses that have products in the mall.

“It’s never come up before, but it’s a really clever idea,” CEO Dominick Porco says. 

The company is talking to other district attorneys about running similar ads, he says.

Adspace gave the district attorney a 50% discount because it considers the advertisement a public service, Porco says.

District Attorney Daniel Donovan spent $8,000 from funds forfeited by criminals to purchase two months of air time on Adspace’s video kiosks in the Staten Island Mall.

Donovan says the ads remind an expected 1.3 million mall customers over the holidays that shoplifting is a crime.—walletpopÂÂ