Shots Across The Bow

Sniper is talking

The sniper is talking to the police, although they won't tell us what he is saying.

"[I] just want to ask the indulgence of the media that the message that needed to be delivered is that we are going to respond to a message that we have received," Montgomery County Police Chief Charles Moose said. "We'll respond later. We are preparing our response at this time."

Interesting quote. The police are trying to keep things quiet for two reasons. The first, and most important, is that by keeping the details quiet, they reduce the amount of noise generated by wanna bees, and can focus on the sniper. Since nobody knows what the message said, impersonators can be weeded out, reducing increasing the signal to noise ratio. The second reason is related to the first. By not tipping their hand, they give the sniper less to go on. We are already seeing signs that he is adapting is tactics to law enforcment action.

• They started military reconnaisance flights; he moved further down range.
  
• They noted a pattern in his timing, i.e. no weekend shootings; he waited for a weekend for his next attack.

By not letting the sniper know whow much they know, they reduce his ability to countermove.

The police have valid reasons for maintining a high level of secrecy, reasons which have nothing to do with avoiding public hysteria over a possible Middle Eastern terrorist link.

Posted by Rich at October 21, 2002 11:11 AM