Roswell [GA] policeman looks for clues to UFO mystery
This Atlanta Journal Newspaper clipping provides a basic introduction to the efforts and insights of police officer Michael Hitt. Published in August of 1997, the clipping recalls Hitt’s pursuit of discovery, truth, and explaining the unexplained occurrences of extraterrestrial sightings; he hopes to uncover “trends and common denominators” that might not have been visible before. Over the course of a year, Hitt has spent his timing researching and compiling information about UFO, and other unexplained or otherworldly, sightings in Georgia. Already, he has filled “two 2-inch-thick binders with tales of UFO sightings,” and plans to “assemble a massive map detailing all reported sightings in the state” with the help of his roommate, Charles R. Brown. Hitt continues to research all reported sightings by contacting newspaper companies in areas that reports have been made and using the vast library system to look into past documentation of otherworldly contact. As a police officer of Roswell, GA, Hitt has become known as a credible and trustworthy person regarding the truth and facts behind UFO reports, as well as pinning him as a “fine historian” due to his unsurmountable research. This, in turn, gives reliability to Hitt’s sources as he denotes them as “credible people making sightings.” Often times, those that claim to have seen a UFO or have experienced some other sort of extraterrestrial contact are written off as doubtful and untrustworthy because of their civilian status. However, sightings reported by police officers and other officials, because they come from people with a higher standing in the government’s eyes and are often seen as credible by the public, are typically more believed and accepted. Though civilian reports should be held to the same standard and credibility as officials’ reports, there are other reasons as to why police officers’ reports could provide a spectacular insight to these phenomena. For example, the fact that “police… have the advantage of being closely tied into a communications network that allows them to alert colleagues in different locations to events in progress” could allow more for than just a single person to view the anomaly (Hall 169). Having multiple spectators, especially in several different locations, allows for a much better perspective of the event in question. Also, police “are trained to observe events, question witnesses, make notes, and file reports in a systematic manner,” making them prime investigators and spectators of UFO phenomena (Hall 169). Compared to the average civilian, they are typically much more equipped to take in, handle, and recall their sighting or contact experience more clearly and effectively.
Metadata
- Contributor – Michael Hitt, Louise DeLong
- Coverage - Georgia
- Creator – Scott Marshall
- Date – published (8/17/1997)
- Description – A basic overview of Roswell policeman Michael Hitt’s outlook on the UFO phenomena, his proposals for future actions, and his already completed efforts towards furthering information coverage on UFO sightings.
- Format – Newspaper clipping
- Language - English
- Publisher – The Atlanta Journal and Constitution
- Subject – UFO sightings in Georgia
- Title – “Roswell policeman looks for clues to UFO mystery”
- Type – Newspaper article
Citations:
Hall, Richard H.. The UFO Evidence: A Thirty-Year Report, Scarecrow Press, 2001. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/ugalib/detail.action?docID=1221440.
Marshall, Scott. “Roswell Policeman Looks for Clues to UFO Mystery.” Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 17 Aug 1997. UFO Sightings. Carton 50, Folder 15. Georgiana Vertical Files collection- General topical files, MS 3609. Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Georgia Libraries. Accessed 7 Nov 2019