Written by C.Connell   

I am a mental health Social Worker in the community and I work with many vulnerable populations, including some individuals who may get featured in the community logs for arrests or legal violations. I believe it reinforces natural consequences for those arrested to have others know of the crime, and it also shows that the community is taking action for safety.
I was a victim and reporter of community crime in the past many months, involving public indecency and stalking. Months later and still the crime I reported has never been covered by any media. I am personally aware of how challenging all the different systems are to navigate; Police, probation, courts- the fragmented and painfully slow judicial system. Crime victims and reporters of crime can feel as though reporting does not produce a result. For community to continue to have an investment in reporting on crime it is important to see some result occurring as a result of the struggle. Ideally the justice system would move quicker, but that is not the reality here in Connecticut.
I think media publishing community logs is a step in a positive direction for victims of crime being able to heal, as community awareness is important for restoring a sense of safety for a victim. Sometimes it is the community who is the victim and needs to heal, and I believe media does a really positive public service in expressing that the community has a right to know. I think it shows a lot of integrity for media to be able to take criticism and respond with action- and that is the type of community I am proud to be involved with. I hope that the community logs are given a regular section (as they are every bit as important as meeting schedules and menus, if not more in my opinion), and that media maintains an awareness that the stories being acknowledged are important for the victims. If time and space are an issue, then I recommend a triage process to report the most serious offenses, those which are sexual or violent in nature, where an offender poses a continued risk based on available information, those with a known victim, and those in which a community member went out of their way to do their part for "If you see something, say something." News media can serve an important role in improving the collective mental health, and I am dedicated to collaborating within the community to make it a safer and more aware place to live and work.

http://asocialworkerbelieves.blogspot.com/