For Your Information, It's None of Your Business
America is supposed to be the land of the free, home of the brave. It's where Freedom of the Press was put right there in the ole First Ammendment. The first one, not the 16th, not the 22nd, but the first. Yet, you'd be suprised how much freedom we don't have.
The times it's most obvious, is when things happen after 5pm and on the weekends. Some (and please underscore the word Some) law enforcement organizations become an information freeze zone.
Let's say you hear there's been a shooting somewhere. You simply want to know if it's true and where it's happened. That's all. You don't want names. You don't want to know who was at fault. You don't want to know what type gun was used. You don't want to know if they deserved it. Just some basic stuff. So you call and a dispatcher gives you the most helpful piece of information in the free world, "I'm not allowed to give out that information."
Obviously it's not the dispatchers fault. They are just following the rules put in place by someone higher up. And the angry reporter in me, would like to say to the higher up sometime: "Your organization is run by the people and supported by tax payer money. You don't run a private club here. I'm not asking for much. We simply want to know if what we've heard is true and whether it's worth our time to drive out to see what's going on." Of course we don't want to take time away from a dispatcher who's busy. If they've got a job to do, understood. But I don't mind waiting on the line, until they do have a second.
I just go back to what I've said on here before. Remember, you're not really talking to a reporter, when you talk to a reporter. You're talking to the people at home. You're talking to the people who voted you into office. You're talking to the people who pay your salary. We're asking the questions, because average Joe out there is too busy. Or maybe he's too scared to ask.
So cut us a break. If you're going to stonewall us, at least stonewall on something a bit bigger than whether or not a bakery truck's collided with the ice creme man. I know, I know, you're not allowed to give out that information.
This post might be gone as soon as I cool down. So read while you can.
The times it's most obvious, is when things happen after 5pm and on the weekends. Some (and please underscore the word Some) law enforcement organizations become an information freeze zone.
Let's say you hear there's been a shooting somewhere. You simply want to know if it's true and where it's happened. That's all. You don't want names. You don't want to know who was at fault. You don't want to know what type gun was used. You don't want to know if they deserved it. Just some basic stuff. So you call and a dispatcher gives you the most helpful piece of information in the free world, "I'm not allowed to give out that information."
Obviously it's not the dispatchers fault. They are just following the rules put in place by someone higher up. And the angry reporter in me, would like to say to the higher up sometime: "Your organization is run by the people and supported by tax payer money. You don't run a private club here. I'm not asking for much. We simply want to know if what we've heard is true and whether it's worth our time to drive out to see what's going on." Of course we don't want to take time away from a dispatcher who's busy. If they've got a job to do, understood. But I don't mind waiting on the line, until they do have a second.
I just go back to what I've said on here before. Remember, you're not really talking to a reporter, when you talk to a reporter. You're talking to the people at home. You're talking to the people who voted you into office. You're talking to the people who pay your salary. We're asking the questions, because average Joe out there is too busy. Or maybe he's too scared to ask.
So cut us a break. If you're going to stonewall us, at least stonewall on something a bit bigger than whether or not a bakery truck's collided with the ice creme man. I know, I know, you're not allowed to give out that information.
This post might be gone as soon as I cool down. So read while you can.
posted by Carson Clark @ 8:48 PM
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