Comments on: Crime Report for September 22-28 http://fallschurchtimes.com/9852/crime-report-for-september-22-28/ Falls Church City's Online Community Newspaper Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:22:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Teddy Rutledge http://fallschurchtimes.com/9852/crime-report-for-september-22-28/comment-page-1/#comment-3891 Teddy Rutledge Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:42:04 +0000 http://fallschurchtimes.com/?p=9852#comment-3891 Thanks, Captain, but your response still puzzles me. "Reduces the field of suspects." That would imply, I think, a perp is still on the loose and a description has been given (or not, so one is to assume). However, the above list sounds as if these persons were arrested. Wasn't their color obvious at the time? I'm not trying to beat a dead horse here. I just don't want to continue to see it reinforced that minorities/people of color are the only ones we hear, loud and clear, involved in crime. Thanks, Captain, but your response still puzzles me. “Reduces the field of suspects.” That would imply, I think, a perp is still on the loose and a description has been given (or not, so one is to assume). However, the above list sounds as if these persons were arrested. Wasn’t their color obvious at the time? I’m not trying to beat a dead horse here. I just don’t want to continue to see it reinforced that minorities/people of color are the only ones we hear, loud and clear, involved in crime.

]]> By: Teddy Rutledge http://fallschurchtimes.com/9852/crime-report-for-september-22-28/comment-page-1/#comment-3881 Teddy Rutledge Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:13:06 +0000 http://fallschurchtimes.com/?p=9852#comment-3881 Why is it necessary to report, "Two black male suspects stole...," when all other incidents merely state, "A 40 year old Adelphi, MD resident...," A 32 year old Oakton man...,"A 23 year old Arlington woman...," etc. This is done in most news outlets, be it print, TV, or radio. We're always quick to identify black, Hispanic, and Asian. Rarely do we hear, read white. Eleven people were identified in this list...yet, it was [only] pointed out that two were black. The other nine were purple, green, blue, or perhaps (OMG) white? <em>(EDITOR'S RESPONSE: We passed this question to the City's communications director, Barbara Gordon, who obtained the following reply from Falls Church Police Capt. Richard Campbell: "Generally speaking, if we have a description for a suspect we will put it out in the hope that if anyone has additional information, they would contact us. As to [the] question "how does the information "black males" help anyone to identify a possible suspect?", I would have to say that, obviously, eliminating females reduces the field of suspects by about 50%. Other descriptors, such as a suspect's race, ethnicity, hair color, etc. further reduces the field of possible suspects.") </em> Why is it necessary to report, “Two black male suspects stole…,” when all other incidents merely state, “A 40 year old Adelphi, MD resident…,” A 32 year old Oakton man…,”A 23 year old Arlington woman…,” etc. This is done in most news outlets, be it print, TV, or radio. We’re always quick to identify black, Hispanic, and Asian. Rarely do we hear, read white. Eleven people were identified in this list…yet, it was [only] pointed out that two were black. The other nine were purple, green, blue, or perhaps (OMG) white?

(EDITOR’S RESPONSE: We passed this question to the City’s communications director, Barbara Gordon, who obtained the following reply from Falls Church Police Capt. Richard Campbell:

“Generally speaking, if we have a description for a suspect we will put it out in the hope that if anyone has additional information, they would contact us. As to [the] question “how does the information “black males” help anyone to identify a possible suspect?”, I would have to say that, obviously, eliminating females reduces the field of suspects by about 50%. Other descriptors, such as a suspect’s race, ethnicity, hair color, etc. further reduces the field of possible suspects.”)

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