Sunday, April 25, 2010

C.L. Park District Police still mum

Personnel at the Crystal Lake Park District Police remain unavailable regarding information regarding a reported death by suicide in a Crystal Lake park last week. Several calls to Park District Police Chief Ron Lyons have not been returned, and email to him and to Sgt. Steve Welch has drawn no reply.

On Thursday the Crystal Lake Police Department referred me to the Crystal Lake Fire District, which referred me to the Park District Police.

A Facebook page has been started at "RIP Jimmy Olson", providing his age as 19. A young man yesterday told me that Jimmy Olson was a graduate of Crystal Lake South High School and was a student at McHenry County College.

No obituary or story has appeared yet in either the Northwest Herald or the Daily Herald.

The Centers for Disease Control offer the advice to investigating agencies that "No Comment" is not the proper response to press inquiries.

From a CDC workshop:

"The mission of a news organization is to report to the public information on events in the community. If a suicide is considered newsworthy, it will probably be reported. Health-care providers should realize that efforts to prevent news coverage may not be effective, and their goal should be to assist news professionals in their efforts toward responsible and accurate reporting.

"'No comment' is not a productive response to media representatives who are covering a suicide story.

"Refusing to speak with the media does not prevent coverage of a suicide; rather, it precludes an opportunity to influence what will be contained in the report. Nevertheless, public officials should not feel obligated to provide an immediate answer to difficult questions. They should, however, be prepared to provide a reasonable timetable for giving such answers or be able to direct the media to someone who can provide the answers.

"All parties should understand that a scientific basis exists for concern that news coverage of suicide may contribute to the causation of suicide.

"Efforts by persons trying to minimize suicide contagion are easily misin- terpreted. Health officials must take the time to explain the carefully established, scientific basis for their concern about suicide contagion and how the potential for contagion can be reduced by responsible reporting.

"Some characteristics of news coverage of suicide may contribute to contagion, and other characteristics may help prevent suicide."

Source: www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00031539.htm

9 comments:

FatParalegal said...

"...responsible reporting..." Is that what you are trying to achieve here?

What'sIt 2U said...

Why are you harping on this tragic event? I think it's time for you to start talking about your campaign. Mahon has a fundraiser coming up. I have seen him at expos and a pro-life breakfast. It's time to get in the game or get out and let Mahon bring down the "Cell Phone Sheriff" aka "The Bully". Forget about the suicide and let the family grieve. Start campaigning!

2horseygirls said...

Gus -

PLEASE leave this alone. If no information is being released, there is a reason. There are enough unfortunate suicide stories that can be used in workshops and conferences and by counselors to help students in need.

There is NO benefit to continuing to pursue this, other than to satisfy your own morbid curiosity, and to harangue the CL Park District Police because they has the audacity not be available at the exact moment you wanted to speak with them.

I beg of you - please take up another hobby - knitting, woodworking, gardening - SOMETHING other than harrassing people who have just experienced a tragedy in their lives.

Please.

Gus said...

2horseygirls, thanks for your comments, but a death of this nature is news. I can think of no good reason for police officials to withhold all information about the death.

Further, your snide comments about "morbid curiosity, harangue, audacity" are unmerited. I have left courteous messages for the police, and they could return the calls. That's part of their job. There is no harassment here.

A decision here or elsewhere just might prevent a death by suicide. Ever think about that?

llipglosnletdown said...

James is worth the time although I'm not sure he meant to be talked about. I'm tired of people acting although it never happened or assuming that I, or others could see signs like depression or sadness, being angry...He was none of those and I'm actually very confused, I would have never guessed anything was wrong. We talked, we laughed, and he was always looking to the bright side of everything whereas I could crab about anything. I honestly had no idea and I still find it hard to believe. I'm just glad someone outside his friends or family has acknowledged his existence. It matters to me.

llipglosnletdown said...

I just hope you're not doing it for any wrong reasons.

Gus said...

llipglosnletdown, thank you for your comment. I didn't know James, but I know some who did.

Gus said...

My hope is that many conversations will take place about James and that they will honor him and also be a cause of inquiry for the purpose in preventing this type of death in the future.

Thanks again for posting your comment.

Anonymous said...

I know this is way after you initial post, but I feel that it's been a little while since it happened and I don't think it's inappropriate knowledge to share. Plus you seem rather curious. But at the time, I don't think it would have been appropriate for the NW Herald to ask a grieving mother about the death of her only son.
Jimmy was one of my close friends. We were friends since sophomore year of high school and were in the same tight knit group ever since. He did not do this because he was depressed, according to him. His purpose for his actions was essentially an experiment with life and death because he wanted to know what happened. I have a hard time seriously understand this to be honest. He felt that he "got the gist of this life, pain, love, intimacy, ect." He said there are so many possibilities for an 'afterlife,' or what the secrets of the universe are. He said that he knew it was selfish and he was deeply sorry to his family and friends, but didn't want to be over-mourned. This information I recalled from his note.
I actually went to Veterans Acres/Sterne's Woods with Jimmy on Saturday, April 3, 2010 and he really wanted to go to high point (the local nickname for the location in which he was found on April 21, 2010) but we didn't. I'm kind of glad about that now though. He didn't seem unusual at the time, but looking back he may have been a little quieter than normal. There really weren't any interpretable "signs" that he was planning on doing this. Looking back, yeah it probably was planned but Jimmy's always been rather private about his personal life. I only met his family once before he died, at our high school graduation. He was a dude, he kept most of his feelings inside...you know how guys are. His mom said she noticed he was more quiet in the weeks before it happened. I can see that and I also think he was kind of keeping people at a distance, no one had really hung out with him for a week or so before he did it. The last time I hung out with him was April 3, 2010, I saw him a week after that but only briefly.
He had the most promise out of all of us to make something of himself. He was amazing at math, and helped a lot of people in high school pass their math classes. He was aspiring to go to NIU and become a computer scientist.
There is a memorial tree & plaque at Four Colonies Park (Crystal Lake) that some friends and I got set up if you'd like to visit it.