At Big Bend Reporter, we spend a lot of time writing about what government officials and public employees do wrong. That’s not because we enjoy conflict. It’s because accountability is one of the most important functions of local journalism. When public officials make mistakes, abuse authority, violate policy, or forget that they work for the public, somebody has to be willing to document it. But accountability means recognizing good conduct, too. If we’re going to criticize people when they get it wrong, we should be just as willing to praise them when they get it right.
This week, Lt. Estevan Marquez got it right.
The situation began when Big Bend Reporter was preparing a story about the arrest of Jeff Davis County Republican Party Chair-Elect Jake Knobloch. The booking information released by the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office identified the arrested individual as “Jason Knoblock.” The problem was obvious. The Republican Party official’s surname is spelled Knobloch, not Knoblock. One letter may not seem like much, but when you’re reporting on criminal charges, one letter can mean the difference between identifying the correct person and falsely identifying someone else.
Rather than rushing to publish the story, Big Bend Reporter attempted to verify the information. That is what responsible journalists do. We don’t get bonus points for being first if we’re wrong. Accuracy matters more than speed, especially when somebody’s reputation is involved.
Unfortunately, the initial response from the sheriff’s office was less than professional. According to recordings reviewed by Big Bend Reporter, a dispatcher informed the publication, “Mr. Flash, we don’t deal with you anymore.” The statement was repeated a second time. No effort was made to answer the question, verify the information, or direct the inquiry to someone who could help.
To understand why that happened, some context is necessary.
Big Bend Reporter has previously reported critically on Sheriff Danny Dominguez and the Presidio County Sheriff’s Office. We reported on conditions at county facilities that reflected poorly on the community. We reported on interactions with the sheriff that we believed were inappropriate. We have also previously reported on conduct involving the dispatcher involved in this latest incident. In other words, there is history here, and it would be fair to say that some people within the sheriff’s office are probably not fans of this publication.
That’s fine.
Public officials do not have to like reporters. They do not have to enjoy scrutiny. They do not have to appreciate stories that cast them in a negative light. But professionalism requires treating people fairly regardless of personal feelings. Government employees do not get to pick and choose which members of the public they will assist based on whether they like them.
That’s why Lt. Marquez’s conduct stood out.
Big Bend Reporter reached out to Marquez, explained the issue, and asked a simple question. Was the booking record referring to Jake Knobloch, and was the difference in spelling simply a typo?
His response was immediate and professional.
“Yeah for sure! Let me check!”
A short time later, after reviewing the information, Marquez responded:
“Your correct it was a typo!!”
The problem could have ended there, but it didn’t.
After learning how the publication had been treated when attempting to verify the information, Marquez added:
“I apologize for the dispatchers behavior! Ill talk to the sheriff about it!”
He then followed up again, stating:
“Yeah thats fine and we will correct the misspelling of the last name!”
In the span of a few messages, Marquez accomplished what should have happened from the beginning. He checked the facts, answered the question, acknowledged the mistake, apologized for poor treatment, and indicated the error would be corrected.
What makes this worth writing about is not that Marquez did something extraordinary. It’s that he did something that should be ordinary.
He knew exactly who was asking the question. He knew the publication. He knew the history. He knew Big Bend Reporter had previously reported critically on the sheriff’s office. None of that mattered. He didn’t make the situation personal. He didn’t hold a grudge. He didn’t use a routine verification request as an opportunity to settle old scores. He simply did his job.
The contrast could not have been clearer. One response was essentially, “We don’t deal with you anymore.” The other response was, “Let me check.” One response created a controversy. The other solved a problem. One response made government look petty. The other made government look professional.
Many readers assume that because Big Bend Reporter sometimes publishes stories critical of law enforcement, we must somehow be anti-law-enforcement. Nothing could be further from the truth. We believe in accountability. We believe in professionalism. We believe public officials should be held to high standards. And when somebody meets those standards, they deserve recognition.
That is why we are writing this editorial.
The truth is simple. When Big Bend Reporter needed help verifying a public record, Lt. Estevan Marquez acted professionally, treated people with respect, checked the facts, and helped ensure the public received accurate information. That’s what the public should expect from every government employee.
This week, Lt. Marquez set an example worth recognizing.
Well done, Lieutenant.
