The commissioner added that he could have used the help of his former assistant, Tim Motz, an ex-aide to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy who had been director of the press office. The Suffolk County Legislature eliminated Motz’s job in November.
Police had released misinformation on the case from the start, initially informing the media the remains were found in Oak Beach. They later issued a correction that the discoveries were made down the road in Gilgo Beach.
Police also told the media that Gilbert had been on her way to meet a client on Fire Island—a separate barrier island just to the east of Jones Beach Island. Gilbert’s missing persons poster only mentions Oak Beach, from where she made a frantic 911 call and was last seen running into the brush.
When asked to explain the discrepancy, a Suffolk police spokesman said that Gilbert was destined for Fire Island after her visit to Oak Beach. Dormer later clarified that Gilbert was only heading to Oak Beach.
Nevermind the department’s various misspellings of Gilbert’s first name.
BRASS, TAXED
The commissioner showed his lack of media savvyiness with the full money quote: “I’m not going to say that,” he said in response to the question of whether cops suspected a serial killer. Then he added: “But certainly, we’re looking at that—that we could have a serial killer.”
Pay dirt for reporters, but it also raised some eyebrows.
“I think that they are totally unprepared and woefully inexperienced for this event,” said one local public relations expert who asked to remain anonymous. “Their methods of information dissemination are questionable.”
Take, for example, Dormer’s attempt to ease public fears by offering a vivid depiction of what a serial killer might look like: “I don’t want anyone to think we have a Jack the Ripper running around Suffolk County with blood dripping from a knife.”
Said the PR pro: “It illustrates how confounded the SCPD has been on this case. If the message is ‘don’t be afraid,’ that has not been clear.”
But Gary Lewi, of Manhattan-based media relations firm Rubenstein Associates, said it is unfair to expect police to be publicists when their job is to fight crime.
“I wouldn’t be too particularly critical when a police official makes a comment about a case that is as dramatic as this and it doesn’t ring well in some parts of the media’s audience,” Lewi said. “This would not be the first time, and certainly will not be the last time, that somebody in law enforcement says something that the rest of us find jarring.”
Four days after the bodies were found, Suffolk police named Deputy Inspector William Neubauer as the official spokesman on the case. He gave one press briefing playing down the serial killer speculation and has been unavailable for comment ever since. A Suffolk police spokeswoman said an update will be given once there is new information to share.
“The interesting thing about a criminal investigation, particularly one of this magnitude, they don’t proceed in a straight line,” he told reporters after authorities swept the entire island to ensure there were no more bodies. “There’s all sorts of twists and turns and crossroads as we go down a number of avenues all at the same time. Sometimes we run into roadblocks.”
With what little is known in this case, that may not be much comfort to LI.