The Washington Times
July 30, 1991, Tuesday, Final Edition
Fairfax County police rapped for lacking public, pre
BYLINE: Frank Wolfe; THE WASHINGTON TIMES
SECTION: Part B; METROPOLITAN; Pg. B1
LENGTH: 567 words
Fairfax County Supervisor Thomas M. Davis said yesterday
that county police should improve procedures for getting information to the
public and the news media."The police have a number of responsibilities,
the most important of which is catching the bad guys," said Mr. Davis,
Mason Republican. "But can we be more responsive? Yeah, we can do a better
job."
Following published reports and complaints from reporters
that information about some crimes has been withheld, Mr. Davis said he will
suggest meetings be held among police, county supervisors and reporters to
improve the flow of crime information. Mr. Mason's election opponent, County
Board Chairman Audrey Moore, was more cautious."I think the goal should be
to balance the public's right to know with the confidentiality needed to
protect police investigations and the rights of victims," she said.The
comments come at a time when Fairfax County police are being criticized for not
initiating the release of several newsworthy incidents.The three incidents
cited by the Fairfax Journal were:* The burning of the word "Jew"
into the front yard of a West Springfield family last month. Police said the
report on the incident was a destruction of property report. Police spokesman
Warren Carmichael said yesterday his office doesn't normally look into such
destruction reports because they are usually not of interest to the media.It is
up to the commanders of the seven district stations, he said, to give his
office further details. In addition, he said, police are concerned with
protecting a family's privacy.An account of the lawn burning appeared in a
local newspaper when B'nai B'rith officials and the family reported it to the
paper. County police should probably have given the information to all news
outlets after the public information office learned of it, Mr. Carmichael
said.* County police did not report the kidnapping of a British Royal Air Force
officer from a Tysons Corner parking lot last month. The officer was taken in
the trunk of a car to Prince George's County, where he managed to get out using
a tire iron.Several days later Fairfax police arrested two suspects. Mr.
Carmichael said yesterday that county police did not report the incident
because it was an FBI case."If it's not our case, it's not our place to
give out information," said Col. John E. Granfield, chief of the
985-member county police department.* On July 12, a fight between Hispanic and
black youths broke out near Jeb Stuart High School at Baileys Crossroads.
Headquarters again learned of the incident from a local newspaper and called
the Mason District station to get the necessary information.One of the youths
involved was charged with attempted malicious wounding and six others were
charged with disorderly conduct. Those charges showed up on a police computer
in the public information office. But such minor charges are not normally
considered newsworthy and a comprehensive station report on the incident was not
given to the public information office, Mr. Carmichael said."We will
continue to emphasize to our people in the field that they be sure to forward
the reports to us or call us," he said.The police public information
office receives daily activity reports on all major crimes, such as homicides
and robberies.