It’s a double-edged sword. Massive media publicity can galvanise the public to be on the lookout for missing people, especially children, before anything tragic happens.
Information of the suspects, via photofits or CCTV images, can also help the people alert the authorities and bring the perpetrators to justice.
This is so apparent in the ongoing search for five-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar.
But such publicity also gives mischief-makers a field day, resulting in false leads, causing even more pain and anxiety to the family.
There are many strange and sick people out there who spread devious information and are prepared to profit from the misery of others.
More troubling also is that police investigations are often hampered because of our thirst for the latest and most explicit information.
Many are not aware that demanding a blow-by-blow account of ongoing investigations not only strains existing police resources but also enables the perpetrators still at large to plot their next moves.
Let us not be misled by TV series and movies where a crime at the beginning is always solved at the end. In reality, the perceived lack of new information is no indication that investigations have stopped or are not making headway.
Police work must be thorough and every shred of evidence painstakingly gathered so that the real perpetrator is apprehended.
Careless and slipshod work that cannot withstand the rigours of a criminal trial will allow the guilty to go free.
On the other hand, the pressure to show results fast may also lead to the innocent being hauled in, only to be let off a few days later for want of any real connection to the crime.
It is not easy, in high-profile crimes, to walk the thin line that separates the public’s right to know and the police’s duty to carry out a thorough investigation. In the case of Sharlinie, members of the public can help by keeping their eyes and ears open. It is her rescue and safety that is paramount.
If you have a lead that could help the police, show up at the nearest police station and provide the evidence. Calling the parents and the press is not helpful as precious time would be lost if indeed such evidence is solid.
Let us continue to pray and hope for Sharlinie’s safe recovery. But let us also let the police do their job efficiently and quietly.
Source : The Star
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