reporting crime story

Reporting on crime is not as easy as i thought it would be. "how did incident took place, when. where and waiting for why from police source", is all i thought i've to do while reporting crime but it was more than that. The most important, i've learnt is while reporting on crime, i should be critical and as well as smart enough to ask policeman as much question i can, if i have to give good crime story but without hurting sentimental of families.
The next, i learnt was to be strong and never ever get emotionally involved, where i shaded dead dropped tears while reporting on a young gal suicide near expressway leaving me despair n affecting my story. That was the day when i decided, i would never go to suicide spot or accident spot neither murder spot, it really makes u bent on your knees!!! (But who cares about what i decide) so, probably tomorrow i might be in a accident spot reporting, so u see reporter don't really have choices :)
The most important and foremost is know your source and keep your source with you. Be it chuma or SP, good relation is very vital and this is why i say i've few officers whom i know well. BUT usually it is misinterpreted we have an affairs.....If i have to get information, we need to smile, talk and give a gud hearty joke...(in a second thought, if i m informing people with accurate details then i don't mind in smiling and laughing with police source!!
We are often told, or should i say discriminated as a woman who can decieve policeman and collect information. I don't understand what judgemantal man wants to create here, but i say if you have good speaking skills, decency, patience and most important maintain your professional relation then everything will be fine!!
To write bits on patience, you need it because out of many sources, police takes longer time to be intervieweed than anyone in the ministry. They talk and talk and talk only to find, they refuse to give full information in the end :P but in my case everyone has been very good, although at times i face problem influencing them LOL...
There are those statistics, which they never share because it is sensitive for country, then are ppl not viable for right to information? (ANYWAY NONE OF MY BUSINESS) :)
But this is something to think about and how i wish they would let us access through any data with any police or head officers.
Reporting on crime, i have learnt lot on laws, procedures, prison terms, crime name, technic words and list goes on.
The most hardest part in reporting crime is when confused whether to give details of deceased person, murderer, con man, buglar or any kind of suspects. If i mention it is against my journalism ethics because they deserve every right to hide thier identity until court proves them guilty but if i don't i m usually critised by critics for not mentioning their name??? And now i decided, i will go according to what i thinkis is right, which means i m avoiding critics and staying with the right of a person!!!
You often gets abused because of reporting and is often literally struck with criticism becuz you dont report on the incident, crime is one crazy reporting. "What i feel worse is our mind gets stuck with word dead, which means if someone dies then only it is story for us" else who cares.
But i have always enjoyed reporting on crimes but i m thinking how far can i go on reporting and making fun of death, reporting on suspect, who might have done under compulsion and those teenage burglar, they might have stole to fill their stomach.
Visiting center jail was one great experience i had in my life, knowing and talking with convicts, it did touch my heart....but other than feeling sorry i cannot do anything.
if i want i have so many things to jot down but dont wanna bore people, so i can only say i am having fun doing crime reporting :P and happy i know uncle chief, who is highly regarded in country...
cheers!!