Fairfax County police rapped for lacking public, press candor

The Washington Times


July 30, 1991, Tuesday, Final Edition


Fairfax County police rapped for lacking public, press candor


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.