POLICE EARN RESPECT BY SOLVING CRIMES, NOT BY HIDING INFORMATION

Canadians are fortunate to live in a country where the rule of law
prevails and crime is an anomaly. In societies plagued by anarchy,
murder, robbery and assault are everyday occurrences that often go
unreported and unresolved. But in Canada, such crimes are rare
deviations from public order that disturb our peaceful communities.
Criminal acts violate the code of conduct Canadian legislators have
put in place to govern public behaviour.

For this reason they are newsworthy. Most Canadians appreciate that
they live in a place where murder is still front-page news and not
merely a notation on a police blotter.

However, a report by the communications section of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police suggests the media are fueling an irrational fear of
crime and recommends its spokespeople be a little less forthcoming.
The report suggests a more selective and strategic response to media
inquiries in an effort to reduce the number of crime stories. It
cited an analysis of British Columbia newspapers that found 67 per
cent of front-page stories were about crime and that the more people
hear, watch and read, the more fearful they are of becoming a victim.
As well, the more fearful people are, the less likely they are to
think the police are doing a good job, the study concluded.

In a poll of 750 B.C. residents commissioned by the RCMP, 68 per cent
were concerned that their family would be a victim of crime although
only 14 per cent had been robbed and five per cent assaulted.
Eight-two per cent of those afraid of crime were daily news
consumers, compared with 74 per cent of those were unafraid.

It could be argued that the poll results have an unacceptably high
margin of error or that the newspaper analysis, which did not
identify the papers reviewed, overstated the number of crime stories
viewed by most readers. The Vancouver Sun's own count showed crime
was the subject of only 26 per cent of its front-page stories last month.

But even if the data were unassailable, the recommendations of the
RCMP report would still be wrongheaded.

First, people tend not to pin the blame for crime on police but on
politicians for failing to provide the resources needed to fight it.
Citizens concerned about crime want more police with more firepower,
which would appear to help rather than hinder police lobbying efforts
at city hall or the legislature.

More importantly, people have the right to know what's happening in
their communities and the media's job is to tell them.

Trying to suppress news to reduce coverage of crime is not
appropriate in a democracy that upholds freedom of the press.
Manipulating public perceptions by withholding information will do
nothing to combat crime.

Besides, not all stories about crime are negative. The media
dutifully reported recently that Canada's overall crime rate has been
declining. It fell five per cent last year, with notable drops in
break-ins, car theft, counterfeiting and thefts under $5,000,
although there was little change in the rate of violent crimes, such
as homicide, attempted murder and assault with a weapon. There were
two homicides per 100,000 population in Canada, compared with 5.5 in
the United States. But Canada's break-in rate is 863 per 100,000
compared with 730 in the U.S.

Overall, there were 7,761 Criminal Code offences per 100,000
population last year, down from 8,166 in 2004. Canadians are less
likely to be victims of assault than Australians, the British or New
Zealanders, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation
and Development.

The reason these statistics are known is that police report them.
Information about crime is essential for making informed public
policy decisions. Not knowing about crime provides no social benefit.

The RCMP will earn the respect it deserves by solving crimes, not
hiding them from public view. The police have a tough enough job
battling criminals; they don't need to pick a fight with the media.