Question

Should an officer withhold information in a press release if that information could later affect the prosecution of a suspect? Is “setting the stage” for a press release professional or deceitful?

Answer 1

I think law enforcement folks NEED to withhold information at times, especially in an ongoing investigation. (Do I sound like all those folks on TV?!) The point is that law enforcement's ability to catch and prosecute the bad guys should always trump the public's "need to know" (which I don't buy half the time, anyway!). I don't think it's deceitful; I think it's necessary most of the time.