Why police took hours to warn public that Monterey Park mass shooter was on the loose

Arena commentary in the LA Times:

In a story about a 5-hour delay to warn the public of the fugitive Monterey Park mass shooter, Arena’s J. Peter Donald shared his perspective, drawing on his experience with the 2016 Chelsea bombing in New York:

Peter Donald, a former assistant police commissioner with the New York Police Department and founder of communications agency Arena, said the public can provide vital leads in an investigation.

During the 2016 Chelsea bombing investigation, authorities got a tip that led to the suspect’s arrest about 90 minutes after the NYPD released his picture and description, Donald said.

“Communicating clearly with the public is a part of policing,” Donald said, adding that at NYPD, “it was about communicating very timely information even if it is preliminary.”