I've long thought it is inappropriate for the Boston Police Department's communications folks to try to put funny headlines on stories on their blog (BPDNews.com) -- for two reasons: A) it's not right for the agency processing the accused to publicly mock them, and B) this is the same forum where they're also reporting stories of people traumatized, injured, or worse.
Today, my point is demonstrated by a BPD blogger who thought to make a play on the phrase "paying the price" when writing about kids caught shoplifting. Get it? Shoplifters don't pay the price -- but then getting arrested is paying the price of a different kind! Clever, right?
Unfortunately, the resulting headline:
SHOPLIFTERS PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE IN DORCHESTER
...appears immediately above the headline:
ORLANDO STREET HOMICIDE VICTIM IDENTIFIED
...which kind of makes the jokey reference to paying "the ultimate price" look kinda tactless, insensitive, and generally disgusting, no?