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As some of you know, not only do I write this blog for the WDKX website, I also serve as the Chairperson for the "You Bet I Told" Campaign. In case you don't know what "YBIT" is, I'll briefly sum it up for you:
"You Bet, I Told" is a 365-day campaign to encourage those who have witnessed heinous crimes to tell what they know in order to save lives. It is an initiative from the Board of Stewards of Baber African Methodist Episcopal Church. Our mission statement is:
"Invoke change in the method in which law enforcement responds to information coming from the community in a manner that minimizes fear and maximizes trust"
Over the last few days, I've done numerous television interviews about our upcoming Community Forum that will take place on Tuesday, February 26th. I also participated in a press conference held due to some incorrect information that was circulating on local news reports.
So you ask, "Why is the Dean's List mad as hell?" I'm beginning to really dislike the media!
They took information they dug up about De'Marri Shaw, one of the 15 year old young men murdered last week and ran with it. They created their own version of the story and focused on it. They created the perception that De'Marri's death was in some way related to him being a potential witness in the James Slater murder case. Even though DA Mike Green and RPD Police Chief David Moore both ensured them that this was not the case, the media continued to focus on the possibility. The "YBIT" Committee called the press conference to dispel the rumors and clear up any questions the public may have had.
We were very clear that there was no connection and shared our take on the entire situation. One of the main priorities of "YBIT" is to create a system where people feel safe when reporting violent crime. In this case, the presiding Judge wouldn't seal the case records, which made all information regarding the case, including witness names, public record. We stated that we wanted to form a partnership with law enforcement, community leaders and the judicial members and come up with an initiative to promote citizens of Rochester to report violent crime.
Only one television station clearly reported what we said. All of the others took bits and pieces of what we said and built their own story around it. One station even listed a caption on their website, "Local Pastor Says It's OK To Snitch". Pastor Marlowe Washington never said that. Our campaign frowns upon that statement and we are actually trying to counter the phrase with, "You Bet I Told - Criminals Snitch - Citizens Report".
So, in my open letter to all of the media outlets in Rochester:
Get your story straight. Please don't sensationalize a story just to get ratings. This community is broken enough, we don't need you to embellish stories so you can get attention grabbing, "New At 11:00" sound bites. Have some compassion.
Sincerely,
The Dean's List - Where You Always Get The "Real" Story
"You Bet I Told" Community Forum
550 Meigs Street
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
6:30 PM
W/Special Guests - The Monroe County Law Enforcement Council
Free Dinner will be served
Open To The Public
If you have comments, ideas or questions, you can write the Dean's List at: thedeanslist1@gmail.com
