It certainly was not a "quiet week in Lake Wobegone" these last few weeks in the Mankato region.
We have an sheriff's deputy shooting a man in Kasota after a confrontation. About a week later, we have two dead bodies in the St. Peter area, a murder-suicide that appears to involve two men and one woman. A four-year old child was left at lake dock and not found until 11 p.m. at night, bitten by bugs and traumatized.
We doubt the Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been this busy in one county in this short of time period ever.
When you're the messenger in these situations, the anger is aimed at you, no matter how unjustified. We've taken it from all sides.
We're in the classic Catch 22 with these situations. Usually, law enforcement cannot give a lot of detail in the timeline newspapers operate under. We have to go with what we've got, however incomplete, to serve our readers who want to know 1: Are they safe 2: What is being done about the people who committed these violent and deadly crimes.
Vitriolic and in my opinion unreasonable expectations from so-called friends of law enforcement who can't face us through anything but e-mails, expect us to say nothing until police have completed their investigation. That' s just not going to happen, my friends.
We have to remember, the public safety is served when the public has information. We don't need ALL the information on any given case any time. But we do NEED the BASIC INFORMATION (that required by law) and we will do anything necessary come hell or high water to get that. We hope law enforcement understands that. We know our readers expect that.
At a very minimum people need to know if they are safe, or if the perpetrator is still on the lose. I commend the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for giving us those facts on the St. Peter murder suicide as soon as possible. The agency said in a statement that "the public is not in danger. No suspects are being sought." That tells people, it's a murder suicide, even if the BCA can't confirm that yet with forensics.
In the Kasota shooting, the information has not been quite as good. We think law enforcement could do a lot to quell some of the anger and unease in the community be releasing a little more information on the details. So far, what has been reported by witnesses came from friends or acquaintances of the victim. We know that information may not be the whole picture, but again, we have to go with the information we have.
In this case, a little information may be all people have to go on. And we know people act irrationally when they only have one side of the story.
So in the large context of public safety, a little more information could go a long way.
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Why do you think law enforcement officials "face" you via email? You complain when they're not at your office giving you all the information you think you NEED, but then you go and complain when they aren't out there doing what they're supposed to do....their job. Are they not supposed to be out there gathering any and all information that you claim to NEED? Is anyone on your staff ever satisfied with the local law enforcement?
ReplyDeleteWhere in law enforcements job description description does it say that they have to give the media all the information on a particular case? I understand the media has a job to do, but so do those officers, deputies and agents. They are out there trying to find out what it is that happened and hope to prevent something like it from happening again.
I really don't think you would have a newspaper to sell, Mr. Spear if it weren't for the information that area law enforcement willingly gives you. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Kim. If you read the article closely. You'll see I am well aware we do not need "ALL" the information, nor do we ask for it immediately.
ReplyDeleteBut in this case, a tiny little bit more information would help develop a more balanced picture. That's being pretty helpful to law enforcement in my mind.