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(Photo Credit NYC.gov)

New York, NY - An  NYPD commander is using Twitter to distribute the names and mugshots of convicts recently returned to his neighborhood after serving prison sentences — and his actions could result in a lawsuit.

Capt. Jeffrey Schiff, commanding officer of the 76th Precinct, which covers Red Hook, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and part of Gowanus, said his goal is to protect his community and keep residents safe.

But his actions, though praised by some local residents, have caused privacy concerns among others and provoked the threat of a lawsuit from Legal Aid.

“Everyone can absorb this information and intelligently assimilate it and look out for their neighbors and look out for their community,” Schiff said in an interview with DNAinfo New York.

“The only way to get the community involvement that I’m looking for is to let people know what’s going on in the precinct.”

Schiff, who appears to be the NYPD’s first commanding officer to personally launch and update his precinct’s Twitter feed, has named 10 men on @76PrecinctNYPD since it debuted in August.

Of them, six were identified in connection with a recent arrest or conviction. The four others were felons reportedly seen within the confines of the 76th Precinct — Twitter messages about them were titled “release alert” or “recidivist alert.”

Content is provided courtesy of DNAinfo.com

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