Investigators searching for the serial sniper in the Washington, D.C., area are defending their limited release of information about the case, and they are completely justified.
But the officials need to be careful in their public relations balancing act if they are to best protect their community. Just as they shouldn’t release too much, they shouldn’t keep too much in. There needs be a balance between enlisting the public’s help and revealing too much to the killer.
Since the shootings began Oct. 2, 10 people have been shot in Maryland, Virginia and Washington. Each of the victims were hit with a single shot, apparently at random, while going about daily errands, such as going to school, mowing lawns and pumping gas.
It seems the only lead a massive task force of county, state and federal officers have to go on is a tarot card left at one shooting scene with the cryptic words, “Mister Policeman, I am God.”
Officials have released composite images of a box truck, based on witness descriptions from more than one of the shootings, with many features that could be immediately identified by the public.
No descriptions of possible suspects have been released.
Officials have refused to answer questions about any details of the investigation or reveal any additional information to the media.
Montgomery County police Chief Charles Moose agreed Sunday that there needs to be a “fine balance” between helping find the sniper and revealing too much, therefore hindering the investigation.
“We understand the power we have with the media in the 21st century, but we also know that we must use that appropriately,” he said.
The media is a powerful tool that can swiftly change the public’s opinion. But it also can be detrimental to a high-profile hunt such as this one, when information relayed to help find the perpetrator can backfire and compel them to conceal themselves even more.
Moose refused to comment on a Time magazine report that the FBI asked the Pentagon to search its records for recently discharged GIs who had gone through sniper school. The school teaches snipers to work together, with one as the spotter and the other as the shooter.
Information such as this is pertinent to the investigation, but might not be crucial knowledge for the American public. Likewise, there is some information the public needs to know for their safety.
Officials are trying their best to keep the balance between informing and revealing too much. In revealing every detail of the investigation, it is possible the serial sniper could be completely hidden and not flushed out.
It is important for all officials involved with the case to reveal details such as composite sketches of the suspect or suspects to the media, but anything that could reveal every step of their investigation could cause an arrest to be further out of their grasp.
The public must realize there has to be a fine balance in the dissemination of information or else the serial sniper or snipers will never be brought to justice.
Both police and media officials need to keep in mind the importance of public safety as it relates to these events.
