How police work works

The Crystal Lake Police Department distributed information to the media about an arrest of a 20-year-old Lake in the Hills man who allegedly had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old Lundahl Middle School girl last November.

I hope I got the word "alleged" in the right place. I think the Crystal Lake P.D. didn't. The Northwest Herald story said "Investigators confirmed that (the suspect) had a sexual relationship with the girl on or about Nov. 20" in a Crystal Lake residence.

The reporter was careful to use the a-word in the first paragraph of the story. Staff at the school apparently heard about it on about May 12 and reported it to police. At the "onset" of the investigation and during the "initial" investigation, the girl denied that such a relationship had happened. Then the police and school decision it had happened.

Won't the true story about what happened and how the information came out be interesting? What tactics were involved to get a different story, if they did? How did they decide that the initial information was credible, if the victim said otherwise?

If the girl lied initially and made false statements to the police, will she be charged with obstructing justice?

The police and the newspaper have no compunction about publishing the name and photograph of a person accused. Since a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, should release of identity be withheld until after a court case settles it?

Here's another interesting "tidbit". A warrant was issued, but the suspect "turned himself in without incident." Did he read the cops' minds? Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned police work? You know, the kind where the cops go to the door and arrest the person who is wanted? Sure is nice that a 20-year-old could come up so quickly with $6,000 for his 10% bail on the $60,000 bond. The newspaper article doesn't report that he was transported to the McHenry County Jail; apparently, he was bailed out at the police station.