OUR VIEW: Sheriff must communicate better on big stories
Published: August 30, 2009
» When circumstances change in an important case, Branch needs to release news in a timely fashion.
Culpeper County Sheriff Jim Branch was doing so well. Then not so well. Now, it’s back to so-so.
What are we talking about?
We’re talking about communication with the public during a major event that involves citizens’ safety and, just as important, allegations by the CCSO of serious criminal activity by a man who just might be innocent of a specific crime.
Early on, the CCSO, under the leadership of Branch, did a fine job of keeping the media (and by extension the public) informed about Monday’s alleged home invasion, car chase and ensuing manhunt for a potentially armed suspect. It released the name and photo of Gregory Lee Wallace, a 27-year-old Remington man investigators had every right to believe was the culprit. After his arrest Tuesday morning, the CCSO quickly alerted the public.
Here’s where things went wrong.
In ensuing press releases, the CCSO still referred to Wallace as the manhunt suspect but glossed over the fact that he wasn’t charged in connection with the crime. He wasn’t even present for any of Monday’s mayhem — a claim supported by witnesses and reportedly known by investigators early in the process.
Yes, Wallace has a seedy past. But he’s not the guy those canines were seeking, and that’s now obvious.
When this newspaper was working that part of the story Wednesday and Thursday, the sheriff — either through his public information officers or by not returning e-mails and phone messages — never said a word. Never said something to the effect of: “Gregory Wallace is still a person of interest, but we now believe he was not the target of Monday’s manhunt.”
Instead, the sheriff waited until Friday to issue a press release that said very little. Thankfully, when asked to clarify several key points, Branch released important details — details that easily could have been shared days before without doing any harm to the investigation.
While we commend the sheriff for finally answering the questions a lot of folks were asking, we hope he will take a more timely approach when stories of public safety — and a suspect’s personal reputation — capture the community’s attention.
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Reader Reactions
It sounds to me like a reporter did not get his/her way with the Sheriff and they are a little “miffed” about it. I believe that the Sheriff is more capable of knowing what should or should not be released to the press in an ongoing investigation. From what I have read, Wally Bunker, our “town crier”, is an excellent choice/2nd source to verify criminal activity here about, before you go to press. Maybe the county might want to consider hiring him for $40.00 an hour,so he, instead of the supervisors themselves, will keep us informed about county crime activities. First and foremost, I am the first line of defense for myself and my family, after that, I certainly feel more safe and secure with the Sheriff’s Department protecting me, rather than lets say, a reporter/columnist from the CSE. For those of you that feel differently regarding your personal safety, please feel free to call 922, I’m sure the CSE will immediately dispatch a reporter to save you from the evils of our society. Every organization in our society has a role to play, stick to what your job description calls for and what you do best, and allow the other organizations to do the same. Only a “thin line” separates us from total anarchy in the streets, that line,is our law enforcement officers. Jerry R. Beckett
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