Security officers will strike at Kaiser www.privateofficer.com

Security officers to strike at Kaiser www.privateofficer.com

Atlanta Ga. April 27 2008
Courtesy Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jennifer Kelly, 213-300-3336
Friday, April 25 2008

Inter-Con Security Officers to Launch Strikes at Kaiser Hospitals Across California, Defend Civil Rights

Officers Issue 10-Day Notice of Unfair Labor Practice Strike

Oakland, Calif. – Security officers at Kaiser Permanente hospitals are ramping up their fight against employer Inter-Con, today issuing 10-day notice of an unfair labor practice strike in California to defend their civil rights. Inter-Con workers held the first-ever strike by hospital security officers last month in response to Inter-Con threatening, intimidating, and spying on workers who were trying to form a union for better conditions.

“We wanted a union for better pay and benefits—just like other workers inside Kaiser. But instead we’ve got Inter-Con violating our civil rights. We go to work every day to protect these patients and employees, but we have no protections ourselves,” said Warren Chauvin, Fremont.

Momentum from the first strike has built as Inter-Con continues to break the law and violate workers’ civil rights. Officers also filed more federal charges today against Inter-Con, and workers are preparing to protest Inter-Con’s unfair labor practices at several Kaiser healthcare facilities throughout California on May 6, 7, and 8. The facilities include locations in the Bay Area, Sacramento and Los Angeles and could cover more 240 workers—more than double the number of the first strike. Officers will also hold their first national solidarity activities at Kaiser in Colorado, DC, Ohio and Virginia during the California strike.

Inter-Con officers work for poverty wages, many making as little as $9/hour while at Kaiser. Many Inter-Con officers cannot afford the family healthcare coverage and do not have paid sick days. By comparison, facility janitors have free family healthcare, make a minimum of $11.50/hour and accrue paid sick leave.

“Without paid sick days, many of us are forced to work while we’re sick. If I were to have to miss even one week I would be in danger of losing my apartment,” said Dale Brown, Sacramento. “Plus I’m a single mother, and the insurance plan is too expensive for me to enroll my two kids.”

“I work to protect patients and hospital workers, but can’t event take a day off when I’m sick because we don’t have sick days,” said LaRonda Lynch, Compton.

Since November 2005, 1,500 Inter-Con security officers at Kaiser Permanente in California have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are the only workers at Kaiser—either direct employees or subcontracted—who do not have a union, fair pay, free family healthcare, paid sick leave and more.

Worse, Inter-Con still owes security officers $4 million in recovered wages for requiring employees to work off the clock. The money was part of a settlement issued in Sept. 2007 for a class-action lawsuit against Inter-Con.
With 1.9 million members, SEIU is the largest and fastest-growing union in North America and the largest property services union, representing more than 250,000 security officers, janitors, and other service workers. SEIU United Service Workers West represents 10,000 private security officers across California.

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Police capture suspects in security officer assault www.privateofficer.com

Reno NV. April 27 2008

By: Rick McCann

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

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Police announced that they have made three arrests in case that began as a shoplifting Thursday but quickly turned violent as one of the suspects beat a security officer.

The Reno Police Department responded to the Mervyns at 6895 Sierra Center Parkway about 7 p.m. on a report of a shoplifting that had just happened.

Police were told that two of the men went into the store and shoplifted about $1,000 worth of clothing and then ran out of the store.

A third suspect was waiting in a dark blue Dodge Durango and as security agents attempted to detain the suspects. At that time police said the third suspect attacked the security officers, police said.All three suspects then got into the vehicle and fled, police said.

Officers on the scene notified other officers of the descriptions of those involved and the Regional Gang Unit responded and looked at the video surveillance tape and were able to identify the suspects, police said.

Police later arrested two of the wanted subjects in Sparks and the third person in Reno. Police said that at the time of the arrests some of the clothing items was recovered.

Arrested on suspicion of burglary, grand larceny, robbery, possession of stolen property and conspiracy were Erik Joseph Barajas , 19, Carlos Antonio Vides, 20, and Cezar Gabriel Vides , 19.
There was no further information given on the security officer’s injuries or if any of them were treated at the hospital.

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US Marshal’s capture man wanted on child sex charges www.privateofficer.com

U.S. Marshal’s capture man wanted on sex charges www.privateofficer.com

Hays County Texas April 27 2008

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has sent the following news release:

Arrest/Indecency with a child 4-25-08

On 4-25-08, at approximately 3 p.m., the U.S. Marshal’s Service, working in cooperation with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office arrested Prakashanand Saraswati, DOB 01-15-29, known to his followers as Shree Swamiji, at Dulles Airport in Washington D.C. He was transported to Alexandra, Virginia where he is in custody at this time.
He was arrested on indictments alleging twenty counts of indecency with a child/sexual contact. The indictments stem from an investigation that began in August 2007 by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division and the Hays County District Attorney’s Office. The indictments were issued in April 2008.
Saraswati has waived extradition and arrangements will be made to transport back to Hays County.
Saraswati is the founder of Barsana Dham Center located on FM 1826 in Hays County.
Due to the integrity and sensitive nature of this investigation, no further information will be released at this time.

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Security officer aids in capture of burglars www.privateofficer.com

Tampa Fla. April 27 2008

By: Bryan Hill

Security News Magazine

www.privateofficer.com
Deputies arrested two teenagers Friday morning after they burglarized Durant High School, smashed vending machines and broke into students’ lockers, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office say that they were called by a security patrol officer who had spotted several subjects breaking into the school.
Riley James Reynolds, 18, of 809 Jerry Smith Road and Anastasios Mastorides, 17, of 2814 Laurel Leaf Drive were charged with burglary and criminal mischief.
Investigators said the teens entered the school at 4748 Cougar Path in Plant City about 3:18 a.m. through an unlocked window and went into the boys’ and girls’ locker rooms.

Four vending machines were damaged and cash had been taken from them.

In addition, 25 students’ lockers were damaged and the contents were tossed onto the floor.
Responding deputies surrounded the area where the security officer had seen them flee to and Deputy James Woods and his dog, Cowboy, tracked the teens to a nearby orange grove, where they were found inside a vehicle and arrested.
Reynolds was taken to Orient Road Jail. Mastorides was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center, officials said.

Deputies recovered $139 taken from the vending machines.

The damage to the lockers and vending machines was estimated at $3,500.

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Macy’s employee arrested in refund scheme www.privateofficer.com

Skoie IL. April 27 2008

By: Rick McCann

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

www.privateofficer.com Investigators with the loss prevention department of Macy’s and the police have arrested a Macy’s employee today after an investigation into a refunding scheme.

Police say that Benjamin Vazquez, 36, of 9050 Lacrosse, Skokie, was arrested on felony theft charges stemming from an investigation conducted by store loss prevention agents.
Vazquez is scheduled to appear in court April 18 on a felony retail theft charge resulting from incidents between the morning of June 23 and the night of April 9 in Macy’s at the Old Orchard mall.
Police said Vazquez, a Macy’s employee, refunded merchandise that he had stolen from the store and that was not his own and then credited his credit card account.
The internal investigation showed that Vazquez took more than $50,707 from last June to April.
Authorities call this a large retail theft case but would not say if any other employee of Macy’s was involved in this refund scheme.

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Officer arrested during drug sting at school www.privateofficer.com

Police officer arrested during drug sting at school www.privateofficer.com

PINEVILLE, LA. April 27 2008 — A Pineville police officer has been arrested in connection with an undercover drug operation that took place at a Pineville elementary school — at least part of which was somehow broadcast on a police scanner frequency.

Pineville Police Patrolman First Class Raymond Eli Smith, 37, of Pineville, was booked with conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine, authorities reported.

Smith was also charged with malfeasance in office, officials said.

Rapides Parish Sheriff Charles Wagner said Smith met with a informant working for authorities around 2 p.m. Wednesday in the parking lot at Lessie Moore Elementary School while Smith was on duty.

The two talked of a trip to Detroit to sell and distribute cocaine, valued at $25,000, Wagner said.

Their conversation was heard by at least two media outlets and members of the Alexandria Police Department.

“That could be an extremely serious problem,” Sheriff’s Assistant Chief Herman Walters said, referring to officer safety.

“We need to sit down and talk with the (officers) involved and see if they did anything differently to try to determine what happened.”Asked why the Sheriff’s Office allowed an undercover operation to take place on school grounds, Wagner said it happened “spur of the moment.”“It was something we had to act on to take care of it to make sure that this cocaine did not make it into the school,” he said.

A Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office corrections officer also has been arrested in connection with the undercover operation.

Marcus Mandrell Taylor, 35, of Pineville, was booked with conspiracy to distribute powder cocaine.

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Security officer shoots robbery suspect www.privateofficer.com

St.Louis MO. April 27 2008

Kyle T. Greene

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

www.privateofficer.com

A St. Louis police officer moonlighting as a security officer at a restaurant shot and killed a would-be robber early Friday, police said.
The suspect was identified as 37-year-old Brett Holloway of Waynesville. The officer’s name was not released. He is a two-year veteran of the department. He was placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
The episode happened at 1:25 a.m. at a Denny’s restaurant in south St. Louis. Police gave this account:
The officer was working a second job as a security guard at the restaurant and was seated at the counter, in his police uniform, when the suspect came in.
Police said Holloway pulled a stocking down over his face, pulled out a handgun and pointed it at the officer and workers at the counter. The officer drew his gun and fired several shots at the suspect.
Holloway fell behind the counter still clutching his weapon. The officer ordered him to drop it, but when the suspect refused, the officer fired several more shots.
Holloway was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. He was identified through a driver’s license found in a vehicle at the rear of the restaurant.
No customers were inside the restaurant the time. The officer and employees were not hurt.
The shooting was the latest of several in recent years involving gunfire between St. Louis police and suspects. Police Chief Joe Mokwa said Wednesday that while crime in the city is down sharply so far this year, assaults and violent crimes against officers are up from a year ago.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Web site, STLtoday.com, reported Holloway was on parole after serving 12 years in prison for several robbery convictions out of St. Louis and St. Louis County.

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Security guard, teen arrested for plotting Columbine style attacks www.privateofficer.com

Mishawaka Indiana April 27 2008

Kyle T. Greene

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

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A 16-year-old boy in Indiana and a 33-year-old man in Ohio plotted by e-mail to wage coordinated attacks in the two states using guns and explosives, law enforcement authorities said Friday.
The teenager, whose name has not been released, and the man, Lee M. Billi of Lakewood, Ohio, are in custody.
The teenager sought Mr. Billi’s help in buying a TEC-9 semiautomatic handgun, noting in an e-mail message that it would be “awesome” to carry the same weapon used by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold in the Columbine High School killings of 1999, according to a statement by Michael A. Dvorak, the prosecutor in St. Joseph County, Ind.
Mr. Billi and the boy planned to carry out their attacks on Sept. 11, 2008, Mr. Dvorak said. The plot involved simultaneous assaults in two states: The teenager planned to attack his school, Penn High in Mishawaka, Ind., near South Bend, while Mr. Billi would attack an unknown target in Ohio, the authorities said.
By e-mail message, the pair agreed to research how to make explosives, discussed obtaining “weapons of mass destruction” and talked about ways to obtain schematic drawings of the teenager’s high school, complete with the location of security cameras, according to Mr. Dvorak’s statement. There was no indication from the authorities how Mr. Billi and the boy met.
The boy was detained on Tuesday after a school police officer discovered his writings on the Internet expressing support for the Columbine shooters, Mr. Dvorak said. At his home, the police found more than 100 knives as well as several dangerous and illegal snakes, which were confiscated by animal control officers, according to Mr. Dvorak’s office.

The boy had searched the Internet for information on how to make propane tank bombs, and had written references in notebooks to killing large numbers of people, Mr. Dvorak said.
The boy was denied release at a detention hearing Friday morning and was being held at a juvenile justice center in South Bend, said Peter J. Nemeth, Probate Court judge in St. Joseph County.

After the hearing, Judge Nemeth said he believed that the boy was a danger to himself and others, and ordered him to undergo psychological evaluation.
No arraignment date has been set for the teenager, Judge Nemeth said. The prosecutor plans to charge him with conspiracy to commit murder. Mr. Billi is scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning, said Ryan Miday, a spokesman for the prosecutor’s office in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.
Mr. Billi worked as a security guard, said Lt. Gary Sprague of the Lakewood police.

He was arrested early Friday morning, said James Packwood, 15, a resident of the building who saw the arrest. The police said they had confiscated three boxes of handgun ammunition from his apartment.
Several neighbors said Mr. Billi seemed friendly but rarely spoke. “Lee was roly-poly, kind of dorky,” said Laura Budny, 53. She said she and Mr. Billi would complain about mice in the building and neighbors who left the front door open in the winter.

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Gang members arrested for murder at Va. mall www.privateofficer.com

Springfield VA.April 27 2008

Kyle T. Greene

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

www.privateofficer.com
Two alleged MS-13 gang members have been arrested and charged with the late-night December 2007 murder of a Springfield man in the parking lot of the Cerro Grande restaurant at Springfield Mall.
Rafael Parada-Mendoza and Hosman Perez-Amaya, both 21 and both formerly of Fairfax County, were arrested in Texas on March 14, 2008.
A federal grand jury indicted the pair in Alexandria on April 25.
At 1:45 a.m. on Dec. 2, 19-year-old Christian Argueta left the Cerro Grande Restaurant, which is also a nightclub, just before it closed at 2 a.m. Argueta and two suspects started arguing in the parking lot, and Argueta was shot and killed.
Since the incident, county police have been trying to establish a link between the shooting and a Nov. 30, 2007, Springfield stabbing at a Pizza Hut along Commerce Street.
The indictment charges that Parada-Mendoza, also known as “Chevi,” and Perez-Amaya, also known as “Dandy,” belong to the Pinos Locos Salvatrucha clique of the street gang Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13.
Argueta was an alleged member of rival gang South Side Locos. Justice Department officials maintain that the suspects committed the murder to “maintain and increase their position in the gang.”
Both suspects are natives and citizens of El Salvador, according to Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs records obtained by the FBI. According to the search warrant affidavit, at least one of the suspects, Parada-Mendoza, was ordered deported on Feb. 23, 2006, but “failed to appear for deportation as required.”
An FBI investigator interviewed an alleged MS-13 member present at the nightclub the evening of the homicide. Each interviewee attested that Parada-Mendoza admitted to them that he had killed Argueta.
“In addition to interviewing [the informant], my colleagues and I have interviewed two other people who told me that ‘Chevi’ was a member of MS-13 and admitted that he shot the victim outside the Cerro Grande. In addition, my colleagues interviewed another cooperating witness who said Chevi possessed a gun and showed the gun to that cooperating witness,” the affidavit said.
The pair have been charged with murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder and assault in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The maximum sentence for the murder in aid of racketeering charge is death or life imprisonment.

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Security agents injured by shoplifter www.privateofficer.com

College Station TX. April 27 2008

By: Rick McCann

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

www.privateofficer.com

Shoppers at a local mall said that there was some scary moments as several men were fighting at one of the stores..
CSPD officers responded to a call for help from loss prevention agents who said they were trying to detain a man who was fighting with them.
Police arrested Lee Allen Langston after allegedly beating up two store security officers at Target on Texas Avenue, when they tried to detain Langston for allegedly stealing merchandise.
The two employees tried to detain Langston before police arrived, but he allegedly fought back.
During the struggle which got violent and involved several store employees and the shoplifter, two of the security agents suffered a number of injuries.
One of the employees received a large wound on his head when he was slammed into a concrete wall.
Langston has been charged with robbery.
The loss prevention agents received medical attention and were released.

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Family wins lawsuit against security company www.privateofficer.com

WARREN OH. April 27 2008 — A jury deliberated more than three hours Friday before awarding a 21-year-old shooting victim $100,000 and his mother $25,000 in the aftermath of a parking lot attack by a security guard in 2004.

Eddie Robertson Jr., who was 17 at the time he was trying to buy picnic supplies for a 2004 Labor Day get-together, was grazed on the right side of his head by a bullet fired by a security guard for REMCO Security.

The company supplied guards for the Sparkle Market in Austin Village Plaza.Robertson and his mother, Charlene Robertson, spent the week hearing the case played out for a jury of seven women and a man in the courtroom of Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge John M. Stuard.

The total $125,000 in compensatory damages are believed to be a midway figure between an amount offered by an insurance company representing REMCO and what the family was seeking.The guard, Michael Harris, died of natural causes in 2005.In the 2004 shooting, Harris ordered Robertson from the store in the belief that he had been banned for stealing wine. He followed Robertson outside, then ordered him to get out of his car in the parking lot, according to testimony.

That’s when two shots were fired at him, including one from Harris’ .38 caliber Taurus revolver that grazed Robertson’s head.Harris had faced criminal charges stemming from the shooting, including felonious assault, but died before the case was resolved.

He had claimed self-defense, saying he thought Robertson had a 4-inch knife.

No knife was found on the teenager.Robertson originally sued Sparkle and Harris’ estate following Harris’ death.

All defendants except REMCO either were dismissed or settled out of the case before the trial.

Harris was hired by the company despite a felony conviction in New Jersey 18 years earlier.

A REMCO spokesman testified that some blame should have rested with the State of Ohio since Harris never should have been issued a firearms bearer certificate due to his prior New Jersey conviction.

But he had one when he was hired and when he worked for other security companies.

Robertson and his attorney, Rhonda Baker Debevec, say REMCO still failed to perform an adequate background check before hiring Harris.

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Drug dealers take kids for ride www.privateofficer.com

Drug dealer takes children along for ride www.privateofficer.com

Brockton MA. April 27 2008

Kyle T. Greene

Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers

www.privateofficer.com
When Brockton police stopped a suspected drug dealer, they found young children in the back seat.
When police stopped a suspected drug dealer minutes after an alleged sale, officers discovered more than heroin.
In the back seat of the suspect’s Jeep were three children, aged 8, 2 and 3 months.
“When the officers moved the children from the seat, they discovered the 3-month-old had been laying on top of a glass tube crack pipe, and under the 2-year-old’s car seat was an exposed razor blade,” Lt. John Crowley, chief of detectives, said.
Police found syringes, burnt spoons believed used in drug use and other suspected drug paraphernalia in the vehicle, Crowley said.
Police stopped the Jeep after a security officer at Kmart noticed Thursday afternoon suspicious activity in the parking lot and then a suspected drug transaction, Crowley said.
Police, armed with a description and license plate number of the Jeep, stopped the suspected dealer’s vehicle on Hayward Avenue, Crowley said.
Officers recovered 10 small baggies of suspected heroin from the woman in the Jeep, who was identified as the children’s mother, Crowley said.
The driver had $4,726 on him, he said. Suboxone pills were also seized.
Barbara A. Nixon, 26, of 848 Montello St., Brockton, was charged with possession of a class E drug, Suboxone, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Korrie Penna, 30, of 848 Montello St., was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, subsequent offense, distribution of heroin and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Also, three people were arrested outside the store.
Meghan Young, 20, of 30 Albert St., Brockton, was charged with possession of heroin, possession of Suboxone, conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Kayla Gould, 19, of 57 Mellen St., Brockton, was charged with possession of heroin and conspiracy to violate the drug laws.
Annalise Walsh, 19, of 135 Manners Ave., Brockton, was charged with possession of heroin.

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Fed Ex driver helps police nab shoplifters www.privateofficer.com

Durango CO. April 27 2008

By:Bryan Hill

Security News Magazine

www.privateofficer.com
Three people were were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of stealing a bundle of clothes from J.C. Penney.

Authorities say that store loss prevention agents followed the suspects as they fled from the store.
All three were captured by police and arrested at Santa Rita Park and were being held at the La Plata County Jail.

Police say that all of the shoplifters live in New Mexico but came to Colorado to do their crimes.
Raphel Sherman, 36, and Jason Kole, 37, were being held on $230 bail. Rhonda Sanchez, 39, of Farmington, was being held without bail on a probation violation. All three are suspected of theft.
The incident occurred about 10:43 a.m. at the Durango Mall, said Durango police spokeswoman Capt. Micki Browning.
About $146 worth of goods were stolen from J.C. Penney, she said.
Police credited a Fed Ex driver for providing a good description of the get-away vehicle and a direction of travel in helping to make the arrests.
Police were investigating whether other property in the trio’s possession was stolen, Browning said.

The investigation continues as police look into the possibility that the three are involved in a shoplifting ring operating out of New Mexico.

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