Sherman R. Frederick/Properly Subversive
When it comes to crime reporting, I’m a big fan of the catchphrase from the old Dragnet TV series: “Just the facts, ma’am.”
With that in mind, let me take you to two events reported over the Sept. 15-16 weekend that appeared to pull punches with the facts. I can’t be 100% sure as to the motivation for this, but it appears to be an effort to be politically correct.
The first came in a press release from San Rafael Police Department detailing the mayhem that took place in the Canal District on the night of Guatemalan Independence Day. The police press release took great pains to point out that the official celebration of the Guatemalan Independence Day at Northgate as “peaceful.”
But as day turned to night, “others” gathered, making it a public safety nightmare, filled with shootings, a knifing and the closing for several streets in the Canal District.
The press release makes a point to say that the official celebration of Guatemalan Independence Day was peaceful, but this “other” thing was something else.
No it wasn’t.
It was all a celebration of Guatemalan Independence Day. One occurred officially during the day, and the other occurred unofficially at night. Both were celebrations of a foreign country’s independence day. Suggesting otherwise is shading the truth.
In another event the day before (Sept. 15), the Marin Sheriff’s Department reported on two kids shoplifting from a store in “southern Marin.” One of the kids reached for a loaded, unregistered gun on his person as he was being apprehended.
The crime did in fact occur in “southern Marin.” But it didn’t occur in Sausalito, or San Anselmo or Strawberry, it occurred in Marin City. What’s the point of obfuscating that? Are we trying to shelter Marin City from its high-crime reputation?
All I know is if this had happened in Novato, the Sheriff’s Department would never – ever – report that it happened in “northern Marin.”
Look, all I’m saying is that crime needs to be reported accurately. Just report crime the way it happens and let the chips fall where they may.
Just the facts, ma’am. It’s best for the community.
(“Properly Subversive” is a commentary written by Sherman R. Frederick for Marinscope Community Newspapers, the “mother ship” of the Novato Advance, the Ross Valley Reporter, the San Rafael News-Pointer, Mill Valley Herald, Twin City Times and the Sausalito Marin Scope. Mr. Frederick leads Battle Born Media, a news organization dedicated to the preservation of community newspapers. You can reach him by email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.)
Yes is always needs to be reported we always need to know what’s going on so we can take more safety measures for us and her kids
I absolutely agree, growing up in Mill Valley, I assumed it was there! So worried about political correctness. I don’t like when they won’t identify race either…., crime is a very rampant in Marin right now, I don’t care what the race.