Nearly nine months after Rachel Hoffman was killed, state lawmakers are proposing the Rachel Hoffman Law. The law will require confidential informants to seek legal advice before consenting to undercover work.
In May 2008, Tallahassee police caught Hoffman with marijuana and pills not prescribed to her. After being threatened with prison time, Hoffman agreed to work as an informant and set up a deal with her dealer. Police gave her $13,000 to buy 1,500 ecstasy pills, two ounces of cocaine and a handgun.
With a deal running well over $10,000, Hoffman’s dealers were on to her. During the investigation, police lost contact with her and her body was discovered two days later.
After finding Hoffman's body, the Tallahassee Police Department called a press conference where they basically blamed Hoffman for her own death. They made sure that they publicly announced her criminal charges and boldly implied that her death was the result of her breaking protocol during the sting operation.
As a PR student, we’re taught to never blame the victim. TPD not only blamed Hoffman but they displayed a lack of sincerity in the tone of their response.
If I were part of the PR department, I’d make sure that these five steps were completed.
1. Take Responsibility
2. Clearly communicate what went wrong
3. Explain what action you're going to take
4. Describe what steps are being taken so a situation like this doesn’t happen again and
5. Most importantly apologize!
As a PR Professional, what would you have done differently? What should TPD have done?
-Travis Francis
I agree with the five steps given to respond to a crisis such as the one that occured with Rachel Hoffman. TPD was very insensitive to Hoffman's family and friends by blaming her. It may have very well been her fault but that does not need to be brought out in a court of public opinion, it should be brought out in a legal court. I believe that TPD was trying to make sure that they would not be held responsible in a civil trial but that was not the proper way to go about it. A victim should never be blamed for what goes wrong.
ReplyDelete-Nicole Jackson