Thanks to the Redondo Beach Police Department
The last couple of days have been long and tough, covering the awful story of a baby found dead in a trash can in Redondo Beach.
Police officers worked hard to make an arrest. Reporters worked hard to cover the story.
Those two things sometimes don't mix. News people and police can sometimes butt heads.
But rarely in Redondo Beach. That's why I wanted to publicly thank the Redondo Beach Police Department for consistent excellence in getting the news out and working with us in the media. They did it again Wednesday and Thursday.
Oh sure, our photographer got pushed back a few yards from where he wanted to stand Wednesday and didn't like it, but for the most part, the day went off without a hitch.
It all starts with Sgt. Phil Keenan, the dean of South Bay police public information officers. He was among the first officers on scene Wednesday and actually saw the baby in the garbage. As the day progressed, he provided information and updates about what was happening. It allowed me and TV reporters to quickly relay the information to the public on the Web and television.
Keenan's been doing that for years and his fellow Redondo Beach officers have followed his lead. For whatever reason, Redondo Beach has routinely been the best department at working with the media, and especially the Daily Breeze.
Lt. Joe Hoffman recently took the reins of the detective bureau. I talk to him quite often about cases that develop. He even called me as I drove home Wednesday night to make sure I had everything I needed for my story.
I called him a few times Thursday as I wrote a followup. He never told me to stop calling.
Sometimes you wonder why we don't have followups or much information on homicides and other stories in some cities. That's because some other departments don't follow Redondo Beach's example.
On Wednesday, as I wrote the baby story, a reader sent me an email asking about the two dead bodies found in Carson a couple days earlier. I told him I had nothing to offer. Nobody at the Sheriff's Department responded to my requests for information. It's frustrating so I gave up.
That's just not the way it is with Redondo Beach.
So that's why I wanted to say thanks to the officers in Redondo Beach. They assist the media, we assist them in getting information out, and the public benefits as a result by knowing what's going on and sometimes providing the tips that solve a crime.
And that's what it's really all about.
Police officers worked hard to make an arrest. Reporters worked hard to cover the story.
Those two things sometimes don't mix. News people and police can sometimes butt heads.
But rarely in Redondo Beach. That's why I wanted to publicly thank the Redondo Beach Police Department for consistent excellence in getting the news out and working with us in the media. They did it again Wednesday and Thursday.
Oh sure, our photographer got pushed back a few yards from where he wanted to stand Wednesday and didn't like it, but for the most part, the day went off without a hitch.
It all starts with Sgt. Phil Keenan, the dean of South Bay police public information officers. He was among the first officers on scene Wednesday and actually saw the baby in the garbage. As the day progressed, he provided information and updates about what was happening. It allowed me and TV reporters to quickly relay the information to the public on the Web and television.
Keenan's been doing that for years and his fellow Redondo Beach officers have followed his lead. For whatever reason, Redondo Beach has routinely been the best department at working with the media, and especially the Daily Breeze.
Lt. Joe Hoffman recently took the reins of the detective bureau. I talk to him quite often about cases that develop. He even called me as I drove home Wednesday night to make sure I had everything I needed for my story.
I called him a few times Thursday as I wrote a followup. He never told me to stop calling.
Sometimes you wonder why we don't have followups or much information on homicides and other stories in some cities. That's because some other departments don't follow Redondo Beach's example.
On Wednesday, as I wrote the baby story, a reader sent me an email asking about the two dead bodies found in Carson a couple days earlier. I told him I had nothing to offer. Nobody at the Sheriff's Department responded to my requests for information. It's frustrating so I gave up.
That's just not the way it is with Redondo Beach.
So that's why I wanted to say thanks to the officers in Redondo Beach. They assist the media, we assist them in getting information out, and the public benefits as a result by knowing what's going on and sometimes providing the tips that solve a crime.
And that's what it's really all about.
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About the Blogger
Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
E-mail Larry at larry.altman@dailybreeze.com.
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Classy post, Larry.
Nice to see the professionalism working both ways.
Is good to hear that Redondo Beach PD are cooperating with the press in an effort to inform its citizens. As horrible as crime is, its better to know more about our community then to be kept in the dark. Keep up the great work.
Thank YOU for Thanking the police officers.
They get so few pats on the back and we love them and everything they do for us! Thanks guys and gals in PD,