The police took the position that if they had publicized the fact that a serial rapist was attacking women in the area, he would have simply committed his crimes in a different location, making his apprehension difficult. In fact, the Toronto police had threatened to charge Doe with mischief, because she put up posters in her neighbourhood warning about the Balcony Rapist.
The police thought that informing about the serial rapist would cause him to relocate, complicating capture efforts. Meanwhile, the Toronto police were considering penalizing Doe for posting warnings about the Balcony Rapist on neighborhood boards.