MONDAY UPDATE: Fairfax Police Cannot Verify Reports of a Sex Offender Arrest in McLean
Checking reports from McLean neighbors
Monday June 18, 10:04 am. Fairfax County police said Monday morning they cannot verify the arrest of a sex offender in Linway Terrace Park last week.
"I spoke with patrol supervisors in McLean and was unable to verify this information. I would need a more specific date/location/name in order to find any arrest details," said Lucy Caldwell of the Public Information Office of the Fairfax police.
"I will also reach out to the FCPS (Fairfax County Public Schools) Public Relations team to see if they have any details IF it, indeed, involves 6th grade students at Chesterbrook Elementary," Caldwell said.
The department added that a station commander, two sergeants, and a PIO have done all they can to find any record, but have found nothing.
Reports circulated through communities around Linway Terrace Park, including Potomac Hills, that a man was acting suspiciously around sixth grade girls in the park. The police were called and he was taken away.
McLean Patch asked the police about the reports so that we could give readers the facts.
FRIDAY UPDATE 3:55pm. Fairfax police have not yet responded to your questions about reports of an alleged sex offender in McLean.
McLean Patch sent an inquiry to the police department at start of business this morning.
The Public Information Office is having a busy day.
THURS. UPDATE: 5:28pm. A spokesperson had told us that police will have information tomorrow morning.
ORIGINAL STORY: McLean Patch has asked Fairfax County Police about reports that a sex offender was arrested at Linway Terrace Park earlier this week.
We sent the reports we had received from neighbors to the police public information office shortly after 8 am today and are waiting to hear back from the police.
McLean Patch wanted to let the neighbors know that we have inquired about the reports and will share any information as soon as we receive it from police.
From the reports Patch received, neighbors near Linway Terrace have heard a report that a man was acting suspiciously around sixth grade girls in the park. The police were called and he was taken away.
Rob
6:42 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
"From the reports Patch received, neighbors near Linway Terrace have heard a report that a man was acting suspiciously around sixth grade girls in the park."
Just so that I'm clear, the gist of the story is that the Patch reporter heard rumors about other people hearing rumors, and then subsequently reported those second-hand rumors without independent confirmation. Furthermore, since according to this secondhand rumor, the alleged suspect (check that, "sex offender" -- with no "alleged" prefacing it) had already been arrested by the police and therefore did not pose a subsequent danger to the public, it was even more important that this information be published before it could be confirmed.
What am I missing here? Oh yeah, the part where it turned out to be bogus and therefore had the potential to cause unnecessary panic for no good reason.
Rational McLean
8:33 pm on Monday, June 18, 2012
This is the worst type of fear mongering. It appears the label sex offender has been created out of thin air by this moron.
There appears to be zero facts about the event, including whether the man was arrested or not.
Literally, no news is better than this news. How terribly irresponsible.
diana bork
6:36 pm on Thursday, June 21, 2012
When my husband was a journalist, he was required by his editor to have two independent verifiable sources before he could print a story. . . . .