Talk about unfortunate timing.
On Wednesday, a day after the national “Night Out Against Crime,” no fewer than five felonies were reported in Columbus.
The support the “Night Out” campaign receives from the public and area law enforcement should be applauded. Though it occurs only once a year, it is an effort to make a real connection with citizens, to build trust and open the lines of communication between those who protect us and residents.
In recent years, area law enforcement has made significant strides to improve communication. Public information officers facilitate communication between departments and the media. Social media, particularly Twitter, has been better used to share information.
Sometimes, though, we only receive a bare minimum amount of information from law enforcement. That’s a shame.
We hasten to say that we understand that, during an ongoing investigation, some information must be withheld to protect the integrity of the investigation. Some information is sensitive and sharing it could compromise efforts to locate and arrest suspects.
Yet we continue to find that much information is withheld that doesn’t fit that criteria.
Why is that important?
When a felony is committed, the average citizen does a risk assessment based on the information that is available.
Where was the crime? What was the nature of the crime? Was it a random act or was it a personal dispute? Was the crime drug or crime related? Was it a gang-related?
What we are talking about here is context, and that’s important. To understand what this crime means to our personal safety, we need the answers.
There is another negative consequence of withholding that sort of information from the public.
We like to know that our police department in “on top of things” when a crime is committed. The more information shared, the more confidence we have that police are well-informed and on top of the situation.
When such information is withheld, it creates a vacuum. As we know, nature — especially human nature — abhors a vacuum. Rumor and innuendo rush in to frame a false, potentially dangerous, narrative when those reliable facts that are withheld. We’ve seen this play out countless times, especially on social media.
This serves no one’s interest, least of all the police.
We urge law enforcement to share as much — rather than as little — information as they can.
Doing that, as much as anything, serves the public interest.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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