I understand your point of view and agree to a point. People want to feel safe, they want to be able to send their children to school, their young adults back to campus, go about their daily lives, and celebrate the holidays in safety rather than fear.
What I’m unsure about is how PD can make people feel safe.
How can LE warn the public in any effective way other than they already have. People should be careful, take care of each other, be aware of your surroundings, lock your doors, be ready to protect yourself. What else could they say that would not cause more problems?
Releasing a criminal profile would seem like a good idea, then they would know what type of person to watch out for and stay away from? I think that is a bad idea.
Profiling isn’t that exact of a science, the public would have reactions
-Against certain types of people, that could get out of hand
-Away from certain types not mentioned that could be dangerous
Some would act upon their own fears, delusions, anger, sense of justice, zealot mindset.
There is a more terrible idea- to these two things at the same time;
1) a profile on the killer
2) a monetary reward for information
Idaho is a gun toting state, like Texas. Someone would interpret that as a bounty. Vigilantes would bring someone, or someone’s head in a box to the Moscow PD.
Disgusting, yes. Fiction? No.
JMO