Photo by Josh Cotton Since the Pennsylvania State Police took control of the search last weekend, Lt. Col. George Bivens has been the point person for the latest information.

YOUNGSVILLE, Pa. — After patiently taking a high volume of questions during each afternoon press briefing, Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police has made it a priority to wrap up the gathering by making a simple, yet important statement. He praises those in attendance — the media — and notes an appreciation for the job they are doing.

“I thank you all for your assistance in getting this out and letting the communities know and reminding them to be vigilant and to help us help them keep themselves secure and safe,” said the agency’s deputy commissioner of operations on Wednesday.

Since Saturday, when the State Police took control of the search for high-profile escapee Michael Burham, Bivens has become the face of the investigation. He has answered each query with honesty and has offered as much information that does not harm the search efforts.

Though that can be disappointing to those of us looking for a new angle to the story, it is not uncommon in instances like these. Burham — as advertised — is a survivalist and highly dangerous.

He is the prime suspect in the May 11 shooting death of 34-year-old Kala Hodgkin inside her William Street home in Jamestown.

Later, the former Chautauqua County resident is accused of setting fire to another woman’s car in Jamestown.

More than a week after Hodgkin’s death, Burham allegedly kidnapped a Warren County couple from their Sheffield home at gunpoint. Using their vehicle, he drove the pair to South Carolina.

The couple was found safe, and Burham was eventually taken into custody after eluding police for days by running through the woods. In June, he was extradited back to New York state where he went before a federal judge in Buffalo.

Burham had been moved to Warren County on June 19. He escaped around 11:24 p.m. July 6.

As the effort enters into its second week today, it is interesting to the note the differing tones in two distinct major tracking operations within the region. In Pennsylvania, the State Police have embraced the coverage from all media. They heartily believe the reports are making residents aware of the situation while also noting an increased tip line.

On Wednesday afternoon, Bivens said hundreds of calls have been received from those in Pennsylvania and Western New York since Burham was able to escape from the Warren County Jail. Though some do not pan out, others have been beneficial to the ongoing situation that comes with a level of stress — for residents and law enforcement.

Those pressures had the opposite effect in 2006, when Ralph Phillips was on the run from April through September spending most of his time in Chautauqua County before moving south of the border into Pennsylvania. By all accounts — including those present at the daily Phillips’ briefings — the members of the media who reported on that episode were often lectured, admonished and sometimes given little opportunity to ask questions.

“If he’s willing to shoot a state trooper, I’m convinced he’s willing to shoot anyone,” Rebecca Gibbons, a state trooper, remarked in a 2006 Fredonia briefing noted by an archived New York Times article. Later, during the same discussion, Gibbons noted concerns about Phillips having support from some residents — as well as access to news reports.

“We would like this to end peacefully,” she said. “We’d like if he turned himself in peacefully and these people can all get back to their normal lives.”

At that time, State Police were monopolizing the investigation. Local law-enforcement agencies, which had a better understanding of the county landscape, were not being fully utilized. It caused the search to drag on — and increase the frustration of those living in northern Chautauqua County who were being stopped by troopers on an almost daily basis during numerous road checks.

Tragically, the unit changed its attitude once Phillips fatally shot a trooper and injured another on Aug. 31. Once that happened, Superintendent Wayne E. Bennett took control of the search from Western New York commander Maj. Michael T. Manning. During the next week, local law enforcement became part of the process and media were treated as partners, not adversaries.

Fittingly, the teamwork and communication paid off. Phillips was caught days later in Warren County.

Pennsylvania State Police — and Bivens — understand the power of collaboration and getting the word out. It could ultimately be the difference in this operation taking less than the five months it took in 2006 to capture the fugitive.

John D’Agostino is the editor of The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer in Warren, Pa. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 716-487-1111, ext. 253.