Dear editor,
I have subscribed to the Lake Orion Review for as long as I have lived in Lake Orion – 29 years.
I have always enjoyed getting the hometown news and knowing what is going on in my community.
Unfortunately, I am forced to complain about your Public Safety page.
First, in the past this page listed all police/deputy reports, not a selected few that appear to be someone’s idea of sensational.
Listing all reports allows citizens to follow crime in the community and in their own neighbors. Your current practice of only including selected reports deprives us of this important information.
Secondly, the titles of these little crime stories are ridiculous! On February 17th the “Canned for cannabis” is a lovely stab at alliteration, but this literary device is best saved for fiction or poetry, not journalism.
“Dump Him” is very judgmental. “Tough Love” is innane. “Stuff Snatched” is just plain ignorant. “Lights on, no one home” is insulting. And “Sad Goodbye” is insensitive and cruel. One gets the impression that this page is being written by a child playing in the field of journalism, not an actual professional journalist.
In place of this attempt at cuteness, might I suggest the following:
‘Canned for cannabis – Drug arrest
‘Dump him – Illegal use of credit card
‘Tough love – Domestic violence
‘Stuff snatched – Vehicle break-in
‘Lights on, no one home – Drunk driving arrest
‘Sad goodbye – No “title” at all!!!!!!
Actually, I would prefer the previous practice of a listing of reports by date without any attempt to sensationalize, title or jazz up in a ridiculous way.
-Bonnie Britton
Editor’s note: The Review does not run a ‘selected few? police/deputy reports. Please see ‘A better way to be informed,? Jan. 27.