Dear Mr Editor,
Police Press Releases
I write to express my concern at the inadequacy and inaccuracy of some of the police press releases you have recently been publishing.
An example is last week’s story on the 24 year old Statia Valley man who was arrested for burglary. In my humble opinion, the item is misguided in at least two ways.
Readers of the article will note that the suspect’s name was not given. All details that could identify him were concealed. His privacy, you may say, was fully protected, so that neither he nor his parents and family would feel any shame at his alleged involvement in this burglary, and subsequent arrest.
These press releases would be much improved if they published the name, occupation and address of the person arrested. The press release should be clear that the person has been arrested on suspicion of committing the offence. It should be clearly stated that the person has not yet been tried, and that he is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The release on the burglar suspect, as published, describes him repeatedly as an “offender”. This is a mistake. “Offender” means that he was proven to have offended. But, we know that word is incorrect as he is only a suspect in the offence.
Finally, to be fully effective, his photograph on arrest ought to have been published with the press release. Let everyone see who the arrestee is. Naming and shaming is a well-proven method of crime prevention. Parents will have an incentive to do their parenting properly, and delinquents will have a reason to restrain themselves. I am willing to bet that after you have published a few of those press releases of arrests with photographs, the incidence of crime in Anguilla will significantly decrease.
By comparison, poor old “Kitty” from West End, a harmless mental patient who doesn’t take his medication, collects garbage at his house, and occasionally wears dresses, has his full name, address and pictures published in the newspaper. We can do this to Kitty, but not to persons accused of murder, rape or burglary?
Yours sincerely,
Don Mitchell
Editor’s note:
Mr. Mitchell has written directly to the police from whom the press releases are sent to all the media houses in Anguilla.
