Then the critics of the proposed centre in Park Place – sorry, "Ground Zero Mega Mosque" – go on about dubious sources of funding and suspect statements by its principal protagonist, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.
Recording suspects' statements in custody on tape, Mr. Kelly correctly noted, "can aid not only the innocent, the defense and the prosecution but also enhance public confidence in the criminal justice system by increasing transparency as to what was said and done".
In religion, for example, it would render suspect the statement that God exists, which, being metaphysical, would be strictly speaking meaningless.
Regarding the speculation about its phone business spin-out, I suspect the statement was really made more to relieve pressure in the system than anything else.
"I suspect the statements that make people maddest are those they worry might be true".
It would protect the police from false claims of abuse, create a clear record of suspects' statements and it would bolster public confidence in the legal system.
If the suspects' statements have not provided a precise timeline of the crime, they have been of great use to investigators as they tracked leads across New Jersey and down the Eastern Seaboard.
