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Residents deserve to know [UPDATED]
Published 10:02am Monday, November 19, 2012 Updated 12:06pm Monday, November 19, 2012It is unfortunate that the Fergus Falls Police Department had to deal with a situation early Saturday morning where a woman allegedly stole a squad car, struck police officer and led police on a chase through Fergus Falls.
It is unacceptable, however, that members of the local media — and ultimately Fergus Falls residents — were not fully informed of the incident until five days after it happened, when the woman was formally charged.
The fact is, the incident was a newsworthy story, and residents want to know about it.
Fergus Falls Police Department is funded by local taxpayers to protect and serve the public. Part of serving the public is to inform residents in a timely matter of the issues officers are dealing with. And informing the local media is the most efficient way to inform local residents.
Failing to explain a clearly newsworthy situation and leaving media to discover it only through a court document does not qualify as informing residents in a timely matter.
So, is it now the position of the Daily Journal that if their staff do not cover a story in the region, it is the fault of the persons involved not contacting the Journal, then waiting for the arrival of the press before dealing with the situation? Can’t a reporter check the daily police logs, the jail booking reports, the morning court dockets to read who is being brought before the courts on charges from the prior night?
Your complaint that this story was not reported should be directed at your reporters, not the police. The police heve their jobs, you have your job. Are the police supposed to do your job now?