This article indicates that police in Saanich (a suburb of Victoria, BC)
and various other jurisdictions have decided to only identify missing
people by first name and picture, omitting the last name. They've also
decided NOT to indicate if the person was found alive or dead when they announce that a search is over.

https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-police-drop-surnames-missing-person-alerts

The first of those makes *some* sense, based on the reasoning put
forward, but not that much. If person is missing and a business wants
to go through credit card records to see if and when that person
patronized their business, how are they supposed to do that with only a
first name and a picture to go on, given that they almost certainly
don't have a picture in their records but DO have a last name so that
they can tell Mike Smith from Mike Jones.

I do NOT understand why mentioning whether the search for the missing
person ended with finding the person alive or dead is "better" for
anyone, except possibly in the case of the family wanting to suffer
their grief privately if they lost someone and not be bombarded with condolences.

I would argue that the general public has some right to know how such
searches end. Our regional police seem to follow the same policies and
one recent case featured a news story saying only the search for the
missing individual was over and thanks to those who searched. I was left
with no idea of if the person had survived or died. I have no desire to
invade the family's privacy but I'd gain a degree of comfort from
knowing that the person was found safe and sound or at least alive. I'd
also like to know if they were found dead and if that death marked any
kind of hazard to ME. Is an uncaught serial killer lurking amongst us?
Do I need to avoid certain areas?

The paternalism of the police in deciding that I don't need to know
concerns me.


--
Rhino

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

This article indicates that police in Saanich (a suburb of Victoria, BC)
and various other jurisdictions have decided to only identify missing
people by first name and picture, omitting the last name. They've also >decided NOT to indicate if the person was found alive or dead when they >announce that a search is over.

I, uh, what? How can anybody justify covering up major crimes, or the circumstances of death (other than of natural causes)? That's absolutely necessary public information, critical so the police cannot cover up the
most important investigations?

https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-police-drop-surnames-missing-person-alerts

I agree with the rest of what you wrote.

. . .

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

This article indicates that police in Saanich (a suburb of Victoria, BC)
and various other jurisdictions have decided to only identify missing
people by first name and picture, omitting the last name. They've also decided NOT to indicate if the person was found alive or dead when they announce that a search is over.

https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-police-drop-surnames-missing-person-alerts

The first of those makes *some* sense, based on the reasoning put
forward, but not that much. If person is missing and a business wants
to go through credit card records to see if and when that person
patronized their business, how are they supposed to do that with only a
first name and a picture to go on, given that they almost certainly
don't have a picture in their records but DO have a last name so that
they can tell Mike Smith from Mike Jones.

I do NOT understand why mentioning whether the search for the missing
person ended with finding the person alive or dead is "better" for
anyone,

It’s better for local government to not mention they’ve never found anyone alive.






--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On 2024-08-20 7:34 PM, anim8rfsk wrote:

Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

This article indicates that police in Saanich (a suburb of Victoria, BC)
and various other jurisdictions have decided to only identify missing
people by first name and picture, omitting the last name. They've also
decided NOT to indicate if the person was found alive or dead when they
announce that a search is over.

https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-police-drop-surnames-missing-person-alerts >>
The first of those makes *some* sense, based on the reasoning put
forward, but not that much. If person is missing and a business wants
to go through credit card records to see if and when that person
patronized their business, how are they supposed to do that with only a
first name and a picture to go on, given that they almost certainly
don't have a picture in their records but DO have a last name so that
they can tell Mike Smith from Mike Jones.

I do NOT understand why mentioning whether the search for the missing
person ended with finding the person alive or dead is "better" for
anyone,

It’s better for local government to not mention they’ve never found anyone
alive.

That sounds more than a little cynical yet, given the ever-crappier job
the police seem to be doing, it may well be 100% right.


--
Rhino

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Tue, 20 Aug 2024 15:41:30 -0400, Rhino
<no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

I would argue that the general public has some right to know how such >searches end. Our regional police seem to follow the same policies and
one recent case featured a news story saying only the search for the
missing individual was over and thanks to those who searched. I was left
with no idea of if the person had survived or died. I have no desire to >invade the family's privacy but I'd gain a degree of comfort from
knowing that the person was found safe and sound or at least alive. I'd
also like to know if they were found dead and if that death marked any
kind of hazard to ME. Is an uncaught serial killer lurking amongst us?
Do I need to avoid certain areas?

The paternalism of the police in deciding that I don't need to know
concerns me.

I agree with Rhino - my mother's death was not a criminal or missing
person death but it WAS spectacular enough I had to deal with 3
separate reporters in the week after her passing and I have a surname
rare enough to tell anybody who knew her exactly what had happened.

Wasn't easy or anything but a horrific week but we got through it and
got on with our new situation.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)