A Full Description – Buz Blog

“Nothing matters but the facts. Without them, the science of criminal investigation is nothing more than a guessing game.” – Blake T. Edwards

Many years ago, all of the media stopped giving full descriptions of suspects of crimes reported in the news. Most law enforcement agencies left out full descriptions of suspects in their press releases. The presumed logic is that the power elite didn’t want to brand or infer that a particular group or race of people were a criminal class. What a colossal disservice to the public that imbibes in these news services. While few police agencies will not include the race of a suspect in their communications within the law enforcement community, it is intolerably illogical and counterproductive not to release this information to the public, especially about violent criminals.

What good does it do the public to describe the suspect of a robbery, burglary, rape, assault or murder, as a male, between 20 and 30, six feet tall and heavy set, if his race is not included? If the suspect is a rapist, wouldn’t women of every nationality want to know the race of a sexual predator? Wouldn’t liquor store clerks want to know the race of serial convenience store robbers?

This lack of a full description is occasionally overcome by the numerous public and private video cameras and cell phone cameras. But in the case of sex crimes and assaults there is usually no video available. At these times, a full description of the suspect is necessary so that the public can be forewarned about the danger these violent crooks present.

It is incumbent on news and law enforcement agencies to notify the people of dangerous criminals, and part of that duty is to provide a full description, including the race of the suspect if it is available. When possible, a full description should include any distinguishing characteristics, such as tattoos, facial hair, or lack thereof. Also, clothing, while suspects often do change it, when the apparel is found, it can be used as evidence later. In addition, a unique shirt, hat, pants or shoes might cause a citizen to remember an acquaintance or neighbor who wore such attire.

In a similar vein, the lack of naming juveniles who commit crimes, are caught and adjudicated, is illogical and counterproductive. While certain age restrictions, say under the age of 12, should be applied before publishing the name of a minor, above that age, the world should know who it is. There are several reasons for this. The parents of these delinquents may be more inclined to take their parental duties more seriously. People who know this juvenile can be more aware and alert when he or she is around. The social pressure put upon the parents, guardians and the juvenile, could, in some cases, dampen the criminal intent of that delinquent.

When I was a sergeant on the Vice Squad in the Long Beach Police Department, years ago, I tried to get the local newspaper to publish the names of the men arrested for soliciting the street prostitutes that infested our main highways. At first the editor said he would consider it after a conviction or a guilty plea, but later backed down. If he had agreed and implemented that policy, street prostitution would have dried up in Long Beach.

By publishing the full descriptions of suspects, the media help keep the populace safer. By publishing the names of juvenile delinquents, the news organizations can do their part in putting social pressure on the juvenile and his family, as well as putting people on alert of a possible danger.

One other area where the media and some law enforcement agencies are failing to inform and protect the public, is when they fail to identify the apparent fanaticism or motivation of a suspect. It seems like whenever the suspect or suspects are White, the left press will immediately point that out and find a pejorative label for them. The Duke lacrosse boys who were falsely accused of rape, where called “Frat boys” and White supremacists.

Yet they never put an uncomplimentary name on the man who shot up a gay nightclub in Florida as a radical Muslim. The first speculations were that the killer must be a “homophobe”. When it turned out the the shooter was a radical Muslim, the mainstream media never made the obvious observation that radical Islamists are, by their nature, homophobic.

The main duty is that the public has a right to have a full description of suspects of crimes. When a suspect is caught, people have a right to know the motivation for the crime, especially if violence is involved. If the authorities and media don’t provide this information, they are not fulfilling their obligation to the people they serve.