The Silence is Deafening…tic toc, tic toc

Posted on September 16, 2015 by Tim Burrows

UPDATED: 2015.09.16 @ 3:20pm 
The Irving Independent School District released a statement reversing the suspension.

The Irving Police Department issued a press release announcing no charges. 

Hope they all enjoy the damage control for the delay of informing the public…of anything at all. This just can’t happen nowadays.

ORIGINAL

If I didn’t know what goes on behind the scenes in police investigations and the politics that are in play between government agencies when they all share the media spotlight I would be absolutely astonished by the lack of information coming out of Irving Texas right now. 

Unlike most people, I do have that insight and I can understand what is going on right now even though I’m not there.

The police are running an investigation. The school and school board are trying to do damage control scenarios. The mayor and the city hall staff are on the phones trying to get to the bottom of this all and find a quiet way out.

The problem is, I do know all that and I am actually still astonished that NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT that should be talking about it.

Ahmed Mohamed has become the latest poster child for government gone wrong and in the process is fuelling the divide between old institutions and new realities.

Right now the police, the school board and the town of Irving are having their reputations destroyed because no one is talking from their respective agencies and in this day and age of instant communication, that is not acceptable.

If someone says something negative about you in the social age and you aren’t willing to counter it, explain it or defend yourself and your actions then you are simply judged based on the information available. Right now, the only information available is that a brown student was arrested, handcuffed, detained, interrogated and faces criminal charges for making a clock. Making a clock and taking it to school to show is engineering teacher his accomplishment….enter the large bus from stage left.

Please…someone from the Irving Schools, Irving Police and or Irving City Hall…say something…say anything otherwise the public (on a national scale) is going to make up their minds on what they have available and that is a bunch of, “I told you so.”

Even good information on those agencies social channels is being destroyed by the fact the public has no where else to vent their frustrations and be heard. I’m willing to bet that the agencies you are partnering with wish they were not involved with you right now.

Please, get out in front of the information. Tell your story, add to the narrative, explain the process…do something. Stop being silent, because right now, you’re the only ones that are.

Screen Shot 2015-09-16 at 2.49.03 PM


New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/us/texas-student-is-under-police-investigation-for-building-a-clock.html?_r=0

Dallas Morning News
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2015/09/social-media-world-explodes-after-irving-students-arrest-for-taking-homemade-clock-to-school.html/

 

About Tim Burrows

Tim Burrows was a sworn police officer for 25 years with experience in front line operations, primary response, traffic, detective operations and supervision. He has training in a broad spectrum of policing responsibilities including, IMS, Emergency Management, computer assisted technology investigations, leadership, community policing and crisis communications. Tim is available to assist you with your social media program and communication. Click here to contact him http://bit.ly/ContactTimBurrows
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2 Responses to The Silence is Deafening…tic toc, tic toc

  1. julieanneda says:
    September 17, 2015 at 4:12 am

    Fear is such a powerful motivator for negative action, leading to negative inaction in this case

    Reply

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