The local police have received a warning that a known criminal could be approaching our area. We have to give them credit for informing the media about the situation, so we could in turn inform the public.

That's a great professional relationship to have with the law enforcement. That's also a great relationship for the law to have with the public.

In this case, a man known for passing illegal checks, that has struck in our area before, could be heading back this way.

When the police notified us of the situation, we were able to inform the public so they would know what to look for.

Businesses, banks and individuals now have a set of statistics to look at and know how to identify the individual and potentially illegal checks.

When law enforcement works with the media and public, we're all in a better situation.

Our safety is more secure, our community's crime rates go down and we're all able to enjoy the magnificence that is Covington County.

However, when the law, the media and the public don't work together, bad things happen.

Trust is broken. Crime happens. Blame is passed.

We're fortunate enough that our county, state and local law enforcement works well with all of us.

We know there are times when we, as a newspaper, might get a little pushy, and there are times when the law enforcement officials might get a little silent.

What we fail to realize is that both entities are working for the common good of the public. It doesn't take long though before both the media and the law are working together for the common good though.

There are times when the public tends to lose trust in both the media and the law Š and its our responsibility to regain that trust, and it's the law enforcement personnel's responsibility to regain that trust.

Without, we couldn't feel secure in our homes or at work.

Theories of cover-ups by the media and law are human nature. We work together to protect the public and defend the public's right to know.

We are the first to call law enforcement to the table when we believe they've wronged us, and vice versa.

Fortunately, those situations don't happen - at least on a routine basis.

What we can be sure of though, is that this is an example of everyone working together, and hope that is a trend that continues.