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C00002 00002	secret[w84,jmc]		Things that should be kept secret
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secret[w84,jmc]		Things that should be kept secret

	When I read how some criminal was caught or some crime prevented,
I often regret that the information was released, because the release
of the information may prevent future crimes from being prevented or
criminals caught in the same way.  The news agencies vie to put all
facts before the public, the courts often require details of how
the criminal was caught to be released to be part of the testimony,
and releasing misleading information about the matter may result
in an acquittal.

	Consider some real and hypothetical examples:

	1. Psychological profiles of potential hijackers.  Certain
classes of people are very much more likely to hijack airplanes than
others.  I remember no case in which a middle aged woman dressed
respectively did so.  In fact perhaps middle aged men dressed
respectably and who constitute a substantial fraction of travelers
have never hijacked an airplane.  Of course, if it were known that
this criterion was used, it could be simulated to some extent.  A
well organized and financed organization could find out the criteria,
but most hijackings are done by one or a few people acting almost
on impulse and don't do research in support of hijacking.

	2. People likely to be kidnapped could wear transponders
imbedded in their shoe heels provided this fact could be kept
secret.  This would be worthwhile only if it didn't have to be
revealed the first time someone was thereby rescued.  The rescuers
would have to be able to claim that they succeeded because of
some stupid blunder by the kidnappers.  Subsequent kidnappers would
not modify their behavior.  I don't know whether transponders imbedded
in shoe heels are feasible.

	3. Another technology that would best be kept secret temporarily
is isotope tagging of bullets sold commercially together with keeping
track of who bought which box of bullets or at least what shop sold
it when.  If such a system were instituted without being announced,
and several years elapsed for old bullets to be flushed out of the
system, then when a bullet was found in someone, it would be known
who bought it.  If, when the first convictions were announced, the
authorities secretly put a lot of allegedly old bullets on the
underworld market, that were actually tagged, they'd get a lot
more catches.  If the authorities were allowed to use other evidence
that they looked for when the tagged bullets led to suspects, the
criminals would be in more trouble.  Certainly, the 20 year old
thinking of going in for gas station stickups would be then be
quite unsure where untagged bullets could be obtained.  This might
make him more reluctant to shoot his robbery victim.

	4. If I were after the Red Brigades or the IRA or
Palestinian terrorists I would put on the surplus market equipment
they would want that would be bugged.