Final answer:
The consideration of a neighbor as a suspect creates problems for police including overwhelming information from numerous leads, the risk of racial profiling affecting community relations, and the diffusion of responsibility impacting the case’s progress due to unreliable eyewitness accounts.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a neighbor was considered as a suspect, it created several problems for the police. First, a large pool of possible suspects can strain resources. In situations where many tips and leads are to be followed, such as the example of the DC sniper with over 140,000 tips, it can be overwhelming for the police to sift through the information to identify credible leads. This issue is compounded by the issue of suggestibility, where eyewitness memory can be influenced by misinformation, potentially leading to false memories and erroneous leads.
Additionally, risk of racial profiling can become a concern, particularly when laws such as Senate Bill 1070 encourage law enforcement to question citizenship based on reasonable suspicion. This practice can lead to profiling based on racial or ethnic appearance, further complicating the relationship between the community and the police.
Lastly, the social phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility can hinder the police’s ability to gain reliable information. When multiple witnesses are present, individuals may assume others have already reported a crime, which can impede the police's efforts to quickly apprehend suspects.