The Public's Right to Know

This post just appeared on the Facebook page Whale Tales and, in my opinion, expresses some pretty valid concerns.
"Whale TalesWithin a day or two of the sexual assault that occurred in downtown New London on July 20, Whale Tales received, in addition to news of the assault, a description of the suspect.
Yet, it was not until July 23, in a short article that appeared in The Day confirming that an assault had taken place, that the public was made aware of this.
According to the article "New London Deputy Chief Peter Reichard said that due to the nature of the complaint and the ongoing investigation, no further information would be released at this time."
What, exactly, does that mean?
Does it mean that, traditionally, police do not reveal any personal details of the victim, or, that by releasing any further information, the investigation might be hampered or could it mean that there is a question that a sexual assault even took place?
What is the public to think about the way this report of a sexual assault has been handled?
The public has a right to know of any event that might jeopardize their safety yet, still, no information regarding a suspect description is forthcoming from either the police department or Mayor Finizio's office.
In response to persistent questioning by citizens, Finizio finally responded essentially saying it's not his job to release any information and placing the responsibility on Deputy Chief Reichard.
The problem with the mayor's response is that he has previously stated that information coming from the police department is approved by him.
Is Mayor Finizio, reportedly concerned over racial issues, going to leave it to social media sources such as Whale Tales to release information?
Why was one of Finizio's first questions, upon hearing of the assault, "What color was the suspect?"
This is not an issue of race as in Alfred Mayo's case, Mayor Finizio.
It is an issue of public safety.
Do your job. Don't leave it to others.