Friday, May 07, 2010

Why The Taciturnity?


The Press-Republican is still pursuing the story of a man who was allegedly beaten at the residence of a local fraternity. But there's an impression from the latest article that the Plattsburgh Police Department is holding back on details once again.

Headlined "Fraternity linked to assault has history of problems," (4/7/10) the article mentions new information provided by Michael C. Viscosi, an Albany attorney representing one of the suspects:

"Viscosi said Thursday that another arrest had been made in the case. But City Police Chief Desmond Racicot said the incident remains under investigation and that no further information would be released Thursday."

If another arrest has been made, shouldn't that be public knowledge? Why is the PD so tightlipped at times about information it possesses that should be available to the public ? As far as I know, there is still the concept of the public's right to know. Or did that get tossed out with the passage of the so-called Patriot Act?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...
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tourpro said...

Probably the details behind the incident are as dumb as we would expect.

I like how PSUC just "suspends" them so that they can deny any relation to these fine collegiate specimens.

Gratefully, I look forward to Graduation so that Plattsburgh can return to its Summer Tranquility.

Unknown said...
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Anonymous said...

The comment (TOURPRO) misses the problem altogether. The apparent cozy relationship between the press and the police in Plattsburgh has existed for more than a decade. A news anchor married to a police chief invites all sort of speculation, which if the news director at Ms. Gorin's station were at all ethical, would demand that one of the partners step down. I am not suggesting that something unholy is going on, but pointing out that journalism must be sensitive to the "appearance" of bias at all times. To ignore such a possible conflict of interest is arrogance of the lowest order, and would not be tolerated by a news provider that respected its consumers or cared for its own professional reputation. To think that this sort of shabby treatment of people in the North Country has been allowed for a decade adds insult to injury.
As to TOURPRO's comment on our "fine college specimens", I challenge this person to imagine what Plattsburgh will be like when the college shuts its doors and those adolescents TOURPRO is so fond of maligning have taken their money elsewhere. What passes for a dying town at present will be a frozen memory of better times when SUNY and Air Force payrolls filled pockets, put bread on tables, and made life in the Siberia of America passable.