What is with description of criminals? (Minneapolis: apartment, moving, campus)

[Unsettomati]

Originally Posted by tipitop

It was at Fox 9 that women was sexually abused around U of M. Someone punch her and abused her at same time 2 other guys watch around. It was news. And no description of suspects??? What hell is this? First time in my life I see it. I mean no one word about description - race, age, clothes, nothing???

You must be referring to this story:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23824310/sex-assault-near-university-of-minnesota-ups-safety-awareness

You're right, no description of race. But there are other descriptions. You do know that news stories are cut down to size to fill whatever time happens to be available, right? Anyway, even in the online story, no race. Huh. Why could that be? Well, I see that numerous posters in this thread have determined that it's political correctness. How have they made this determination? Oh, just by claiming that's what it must be. No actual evidence is necessary, of course.

Let's see if any of the other local news sources are reporting on the issue, shall we?

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/10/30/police-increase-patrols-near-u-of-m-after-sexual-assault/

There is no very detailed description for the men involved. Police said the best way to avoid situations like this is strength in numbers.

Huh. Now, could it be that someone in the middle of the night is not able to identify that race of her attackers? That just could not be! Alternately, perhaps the police have withheld the description (as they occasionally do in cases where there is a tactical or strategic reason to do so). Na! Couldn't be! Well, looks like it's the police (not the news) being politically correct. Right?

Here's an idea - let's put this idea of rampant political correctness preventing the media and/or law enforcement from ever identifying the race (unspoken subtext: 'they only do this for non-white suspects!') of a suspect to the test.

[googles local news organizations and the words 'suspect' and 'describe' - picks only stories from the past few months]

Police release sketch of attempted sexual assault suspect - KMSP-TV

Police describe the suspect as a 16-20 year old black male, 5-foot-7 and between 140-150 pounds with short, curly black hair. He was wearing jeans and white leather gym shoes.

Girl,14, Reportedly Abducted In Duluth, Help Sought Finding Suspect « CBS Minnesota

Authorities describe the suspect as a Native American man about 5-feet, 11-inches tall, with black hair in a braid, wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with a Chicago Bulls logo on the back.

Anoka County Sheriff Releases Sketch of Andover Assault Suspect | KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul

Police describe the suspect as a white male in his early 30s, about 6 feet tall, with a slender build, dark hair, and a scruffy, unshaven look.

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23455476/police-seek-armed-suspect-in-downers-grove-robbery

Police describe the suspect as a Hispanic man in his teens or early 20s, between 5-foot-6 and 6 feet, skinny in stature with facial hair on his chin.

Huh. Gee, how about that? I also found some stories with no description of race (so, clearly, that is not unusual). But, just as clearly, there is no inhibition on releasing race as a part of descriptions in general (you can do this, too, and, no, you don't have to look much to find examples such as the ones I posted here).

Even a little effort could have dispelled the embarrassing conclusions so eagerly jumped to in this thread. But then, some people prefer to believe what they want to believe, rather than doing anything that might prove their preconceived (and firmly clung-to) notions.

[Lafferty Daniel]

Originally Posted by Unsettomati

You must be referring to this story:
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23824310/sex-assault-near-university-of-minnesota-ups-safety-awareness

You're right, no description of race. But there are other descriptions. You do know that news stories are cut down to size to fill whatever time happens to be available, right? Anyway, even in the online story, no race. Huh. Why could that be? Well, I see that numerous posters in this thread have determined that it's political correctness. How have they made this determination? Oh, just by claiming that's what it must be. No actual evidence is necessary, of course.

Let's see if any of the other local news sources are reporting on the issue, shall we?

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/10/30/police-increase-patrols-near-u-of-m-after-sexual-assault/


Huh. Now, could it be that someone in the middle of the night is not able to identify that race of her attackers? That just could not be! Alternately, perhaps the police have withheld the description (as they occasionally do in cases where there is a tactical or strategic reason to do so). Na! Couldn't be! Well, looks like it's the police (not the news) being politically correct. Right?

Here's an idea - let's put this idea of rampant political correctness preventing the media and/or law enforcement from ever identifying the race (unspoken subtext: 'they only do this for non-white suspects!') of a suspect to the test.

[googles local news organizations and the words 'suspect' and 'describe' - picks only stories from the past few months]

Police release sketch of attempted sexual assault suspect - KMSP-TV

Girl,14, Reportedly Abducted In Duluth, Help Sought Finding Suspect « CBS Minnesota

Anoka County Sheriff Releases Sketch of Andover Assault Suspect | KSTP TV - Minneapolis and St. Paul


http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/23455476/police-seek-armed-suspect-in-downers-grove-robbery
Huh. Gee, how about that? I also found some stories with no description of race (so, clearly, that is not unusual). But, clearly, there is no inhibition on releasing race as a part of descriptions in general (you can do this, too, and, no, you don't have to look much to find examples such as the ones I posted here).

Even a little effort could have dispelled the embarrassing conclusions so eagerly jumped to in this thread. But then, some people prefer to believe what they want to believe, rather than doing anything that might prove their preconceived (and firmly clung-to) notions.

Game. Set. Match.

[Teddy52]

If it isn't political correctness, why do they bother releasing the gender when they have no other identifying info ?

Because releasing the gender ( and no other info) is "pc" but releasing the race is not "pc"

[WriterDude]

Originally Posted by Unsettomati

Huh. Gee, how about that? I also found some stories with no description of race (so, clearly, that is not unusual). But, just as clearly, there is no inhibition on releasing race as a part of descriptions in general (you can do this, too, and, no, you don't have to look much to find examples such as the ones I posted here).

Even a little effort could have dispelled the embarrassing conclusions so eagerly jumped to in this thread. But then, some people prefer to believe what they want to believe, rather than doing anything that might prove their preconceived (and firmly clung-to) notions.

Hm. With your observation that missing ethnicities are "not unusual," I'd think that you would also realize that people who make observations about the lack of ethnic identifications in crime reporting are responding to SOMEthing.

On the other hand, you seem inclined to believe that "clearly, there is no inhibition on releasing race as a part of descriptions in general."

It's a little embarrassing to see you leap to your own preconceived notions here, while you're chastising people for what you feel are preconceived notions. However, perhaps some day you'll find a way to acknowledge that some opinions you don't hold are based on something more than idle belief.

From my perspective, the notion that the media actively reports ethnicity on crime news is laughable. Sometimes they do - it would be silly to make a categorical statement here. However, I'm guessing you've never extended your news search to places like the San Francisco Bay Area, and you probably don't know much about national journalistic standards. But wow, you googled, so you "know" something.

I'll post just one (never fear: just one) link from SFGate, the San Francisco Chronicle's website. This one is about a mass shooting in an east-side Detroit barbershop. Think that might have had an ethnic component? This is an article from the AP: 2 killed, 7 hurt in Detroit barbershop shooting - SFGate. Why do you think they just described the cars driven by the subjects? What is the essential rhetoric of this report? Personally, I don't understand how they can so baldly report on a human tragedy of that scale, but that's a tangent.

To understand the reporting, here's the pertinent section of the AP Stylebook:

"Identification by race is pertinent:
- In biographical and announcement stories that involve a feat or appointment not routinely associated with members of a particular race.
- When it provides the reader with a substantial insight into conflicting emotions known or likely to be involved in a demonstration or similar event.
- In some stories that involve a conflict, it is equally important to specify that an issue cuts across racial lines. If, for example, a demonstration by supporters of busing to achieve racial balance in schools includes a substantial number of whites, that fact should be noted."

Otherwise, they don't consider it pertinent. So they don't mention it. If you want my opinion about the reason for the guideline above, whether you agree with it or not, look at my first post on this thread.

But hey, the AP is just the biggest news organization in the world. It's not as though they set standards and stuff like that. It's much better to get your news from WCCO in Minneapolis and draw sweeping conclusions from that.

Ah, but you might benefit from looking at the byline for your sources, or just pay closer attention to where you're getting your news. You linked to 3 local news pages that mentioned race, and declared that conclusively proves your point. Didn't you notice that two of your articles included police sketches, so it would be a little peculiar not to include the race of the person illustrated, and one involved an active kidnapping where they described the kidnapped girl in detail, too. Yeah, clearly no inhibitions - if there's a police sketch of the alleged perpetrator.

And as a side-comment, when people say things you disagree with, that doesn't mean they deserve to be treated with disrespect. A little respect makes it much easier to be agreeable when you're the one who turns up on the short side of the facts.

[jasper1372]

Makes you wonder what would happen if a remote island in the Pacific had a population of 1000 people, all one race (pick any), and one single guy of another race (pick one). A crime is committed by the one single guy who's race is different than the other 999 people.

Would the cops include his race in their description of him to the public.....or would they stick to the PC, he was a thin male, approx 5'10" tall wearing a blue shirt ?

These days it's like we're all running around with one hand tied behind our back due to being so afraid of violating political correctness.....at some point it gets into the ridiculous area. Trying to find somebody and leaving out the most obvious detail(s) ?? Really ??

[Teddy52]

When they have only a limited description............" black male ".........why is it ok to release the gender but not the race ?

To those that say political correctness is not involved, I laugh at your futile attempt to deny it.

[tipitop]

I read some link that above guy posted. They wonder about crime rise around U? There is currently a few dozen of black guys that hang around dinky town. They all together do not have 5 years of school. They show up in last 2 years or so. I work lot in that area and know situation. I must say have not idea why they hang at cross entire day there?

[Ghengis]

Originally Posted by tipitop

I read some link that above guy posted. They wonder about crime rise around U? There is currently a few dozen of black guys that hang around dinky town. They all together do not have 5 years of school. They show up in last 2 years or so. I work lot in that area and know situation. I must say have not idea why they hang at cross entire day there?

why don't you ask them what they're up to?

[Govie]

Originally Posted by tipitop

It was at Fox 9 that women was sexually abused around U of M. Someone punch her and abused her at same time 2 other guys watch around. It was news. And no description of suspects??? What hell is this? First time in my life I see it. I mean no one word about description - race, age, clothes, nothing???

This has been going on for years. Probably a combination of the NAACP, ADL and ACLU and their lobbying efforts as a means to not offend certain groups.

Originally Posted by Ghengis

I've always been curious as to what benefit it was to John Q to be made aware of the race of the suspect, can somebody explain what benefit that had in apprehending the perp? I mean we are talking about skin color right? It's not like you're going to have a bunch of Gomer Pyles running around making citizen's arrest on everyone of that color anyways. The stats are available if one needs to cluck their tounge and wag their fingers at a particular demographic anyways. I hardly see what good it does to have Jamie Yuccas tell me to be on the lookout for a 5' 10" Chinaman with a funny lookin' tattoo.

LMAO

Ostrich

[moving123456]

Currently on WCCO... no gender... no race...

Originally Posted by WCCO

The University says the suspect showed a weapon while attempting to steal a laptop is about age 20, approximately six-feet tall and is wearing a puffy black hooded jacket.


U Of M: Person Possibly Spotted With Gun In Classroom Building « CBS Minnesota