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I am very concerned that the sheriff’s department did not notify our community for over 24 hours that a murder occurred near Hope on April 5. They told some neighbors to “lock their doors.” BCSO stated they did not have a suspect for 24 hours — thus how could they know where he was? At the very least they should have told us there had been a suspicious death. Completely understand no names or specific address.

Nixle was never utilized — not in the initial notification nor once the potential suspect had been apprehended. I get Nixle alerts when a street is re-opened. Surely the capture of a local murder suspect is more newsworthy. Initially the capture was only posted on a Facebook page — not even a press release.

The sheriff’s office pulled the link to all dispatch records, stating they are looking into a “better” way. Meanwhile we can look forward to getting our up-to-the-minute news from Facebook “swap and shop” sites after someone has interpreted a call they heard on their home scanner.

I have great respect for law enforcement, the tough job they do, and the difficult decisions they must make. However, they must be able to clearly articulate why they made those decisions and be held accountable for them.

If there is a plausible reason for the 24-plus hour delay I believe the public has a right to hear it. My call to the BCSO has gone unreturned.

MARY FRANZEL

Clark Fork