Woodstock Early Bird has been struggling with this particular issue: Whether to press Woodstock Police for a standard-issue press release on the accident that left Dr. Hasse Halley dead on October 1st or whether, due to circumstances, to let it be — for the time being.
It’s been over two weeks since the tragedy, a tragedy we presume not just for the victim, her family and our community, but also for the person driving the vehicle that hit Halley. We hear that the individual who was driving the vehicle on that fateful morning is an older person known locally to many. We also hear that the individual is not in good health and, perhaps, for that reason, there may be some foot-dragging by the police on issuing a full report (or pressing charges if that is still a possibility). But that is the issue and the point: Woodstock Early Bird has not been able to get the simple facts from officials about what really happened that morning. For our WEB report that day we went to scene, observed the situation and spoke to friends of the family who told us what they knew.
Today, WEB went to the police station to inquire as to the facts of the matter from Police Chief Blish. However, he is apparently out of the office this week. We asked if an official press release had ever been given out summarizing the bare-bones facts of the incident that fateful morning. The answer is no, no press release. We were told that Officer Peter Mantello was the person following the investigation and that as of last week, it was not complete.
We hear pretty much all over town that “everyone knows” who was driving that morning. But, do we have the official facts? The answer is no. Are we doing a service to this individual or to Dr. Hasse Halley by allowing rumor and whispering on the street to be the guiding source of “fact through story-telling” about this incident? We don’t think so.
With all due respect to ALL the individuals involved in this tragedy, we, the public have a right to know — in a timely manner – the basics of that fatal accident and frankly, of ALL accident and incidents to which our public police servants respond. Even for ambulance calls where legal privacy issues are of paramount importance, the public has a right to know how many people were transported by our Woodstock ambulance from the scene of an incident and whether they were male or female. It is natural for people to want to know what is happening in their community. Not all of it is our business. But a lot of it IS.
A press release should be issued routinely for anything of any substance that occurs in our community. This should not be foreign concept to anyone, or even be a subject in need of discussion. Let’s say three words: Freedom of Information. Let’s say another word: Democracy. For example, just up the road, over in Hartford, Vermont, the police department issues press releases routinely to WEB and every other member of the working press in the Upper Valley. This is done on every incident of substance. The responding officer fills in the blanks on a sheet, sends it up to a supervisor for approval and it’s sent out through a listserv. We (and that means you!) can then get the official news of “what happened” within 24 hours on traffic crashes, assaults, robberies, incidents involving drugs or alcohol and so forth. Our Hartford police neighbors do it, why can’t Woodstock?
In this case, what we might refer to as the “Hasse Halley Fatal”, neither WEB nor any other media outlet has actually been issued the facts of the case : 1. The names and ages of those involved. 2. The type of vehicle. 3. The time of day. 4. The weather. 5. Was speed involved? 6. Was alcohol involved? 7. Were all parties apparently, or apparently not, obeying the traffic laws at the time? 8. Was anyone transported from the scene? 9. Where did the incident happen?
WEB knows that our Woodstock Police Department is a group of well-trained professionals. It’s not rocket science to write and issue a press release and to do so routinely. We’re pretty sure they could make up a form to do it. It’s perfectly acceptable to let us know an incident is still under investigation or that no charges have yet been made. That said, let’s get the whispering and rumor out of the picture for this and all future incidents. The days of a small town quaintly and quietly protecting individuals by sweeping information under the rug are over. Not in this day and age when the internet is faster than a phone call. Now, there is an even greater need for timely and accurate information than ever before. Greater. Not less. Keeping information from the public does not keep the truth from becoming known. I’m sure there are some World Historians who could tell us a lot more about that.
Let’s get more specific about the current “accepted” situation with Woodstock Police: A week-late Twitter feed of vague one-line reports on some, but not all, incidents doesn’t cut it from a public information point of view. And while everyone — including Woodstock Early Bird — enjoys a good newspaper “Police Blotter” read about all the funny skunk and dog rescues in town and who hit a deer, a “Police Blotter” cleansed of all stains (real criminal behavior that absolutely does occur here – drug activity, domestic and sexual assault) does not serve the public good. We (You!) need to have all the information — good and bad.
Woodstock Early Bird writes this particular call for information — in part — as a result of a conversation with a long-time journalist, now retired to Woodstock , who, although hearing — as in hearsay — “on the street” the details of the fatal accident and who he heard was driving the vehicle actually wanted to know the FACTS of the accident. “What,” he asked, “really happened?” “Who was,” he wanted to know, “actually involved?” This journalist said, “You know, this isn’t Russia, we have a right to know.”
Julia Carlisle
Woodstock Early Bird 