[Vision2020] Crime Reporting & Fairness

[Jennifer McFarland]

Ted, Chas, Visionaries,
 
It is a delicate line, and I appreciate this discussion about it.  One thing
that we consider in doing a press release as opposed to just putting it on
the board and letting people view it or not at their discretion is the issue
of public safety.  In practice what this means is that I don't do press
releases about specific people arrested for domestic violence, for example,
since the crime target (victim) is specific and personal.  In all likelihood
the general public is not in danger though the specific victim is/might be.
Likewise, I don't generally do a press release and post a picture of a
person who is arrested for small-scale vandalism.  Rapes, murders, random
violent crimes, high profile offenses, and offenses to the general public,
however, do result in a broad press release.  We do not consider the
identity of the accused; so, if I were arrested for sexual assault or
battery, for example, we'd issue a press release about that, too.   We're
trying to balance the rights of the accused with the rights of the public
and of the press.  In doing the releases about an arrest, as an effort to
portray things fairly, I generally stick to information that was written in
the probable cause affidavit (which is a public document open to public
review) as opposed to opining about the arrest or crime.  I also try to make
it clear that the arrested party is "accused of alleged" crimes instead of
saying "hey, here's a rapist/murderer/etc."  I appreciate hearing thoughts
on the issue particularly from the people who read about our activities.
Thank you.
 
--Jennifer

PIO Jennifer L. McFarland
Latah County Sheriff's Office
Public Information Officer
PO Box 8068
Moscow, Idaho 83843
(208) 882-2216
Fax (208) 883-2281

Truth is the summit of being; justice is the application of it to affairs.
***Ralph Waldo Emerson

  

 

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