Archive for January, 2009
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
Buffalo cop arrested for assaulting court security www.privateofficer.com
Buffalo NYJan 31 2009
Buffalo Police say that an off-duty officer upset that a vehicle had doubled parked at the city court decided to take the matter into his own hands by punching the driver of the other car.
Officer Michael J. Strobele was arrested Thursday on a charge of third-degree assault after fighting John Stronka, a court security officer authorities said.
Strobele, a 10-year veteran of the force, was off-duty when he and Stronka, of Cheektowaga, fought at about 10 a. m. on Delaware Avenue near West Eagle Street, according to Buffalo police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge.
Strobele, 35, also was charged with second-degree harassment. Stronka, who was not charged, and suffered facial injuries, DeGeorge said.
Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson directed the department’s Professional Standards Division to begin an investigation into the incident. Strobele has been suspended without pay.
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Posted in police, security officer injured | Tagged: buffalo ny, john stronka, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, michael strobele, national association of private officers, officer strobele arrested, police, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
Public’s tips lead to arrest in store robbery www.privateofficer.com
LAKEWOOD NY Jan 31 2009- Lakewood-Busti Police are crediting the public for information provided which ultimately led to the arrest of two Jamestown residents for allegedly stealing a TV from Wal-Mart earlier this month.
Christopher M. McCullon, 34, and Joshua W. Goulding, 21, both of Jamestown, were charged with petit larceny following an investigation.
At about 5:12 p.m. Jan. 12, the duo was allegedly spotted by Wal-Mart security officials picking up a 26-inch Sanyo HDTV and leaving through a fire exit with it, which set off the store’s alarm system. Security footage also captured them getting into a silver Chevy Trailblazer and leaving the parking lot.A few days later, Sgt. Investigator Paul Gustafson with the Lakewood-Busti Police sent out a news release publicizing pictures from the store’s security cameras. That, Gustafson said, generated solid information which ultimately resulted in formal charges being leveled against McCullon and Goulding.
”I probably got almost a dozen calls from people in the community,” Gustafson said. ”Some were people who thought the suspects resembled someone they knew, but one caller knew that they committed the crime. I went and interviewed both of them and by that point they were very cooperative. We charged them both with petit larceny and couldn’t have done it without help from the public. We are very appreciative for everyone who called with information as their concern was of great value.”
Both McCullon and Goulding were charged and are scheduled to appear in Busti Town Court on Feb. 5.
Anyone with information about ongoing criminal investigations in the Lakewood-Busti area is asked to call 763-9563.
Posted in loss prevention, police, security made app/arrest | Tagged: christopher m mccullon, joshua w goulding, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
Shoplifter leaves kids in freezing car www.privateofficer.com
Wilmington DE Jan 31 2009
A man accused of shoplifting from a Walmart, found himself hit with an additional charge after leaving his children in a parked car.
Joe Harvin, Jr. was arrested for shoplifting from the Leland Walmart over the weekend.
While being arrested, Harvin then told police he left his kids in the car in the parking lot.
The children were alright; they’d been in the car for a little over an hour. The officer filed a misdemeanor child abuse charge in addition to shoplifting.
This is the second time in a week that police have charged a parent with leaving children in a car.
Two young children were found in a van Wednesday night in sub-freezing temperatures in the parking lot of the Motel 6 on Market Street.
The parent, like Harvin, was charged with misdemanor child abuse.
Posted in loss prevention, security made app/arrest | Tagged: joe harvin jr, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, shoplifting arrest, walmart, wilmington, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
College security help nab felony suspects www.privateofficer.com
Elmira OH Jan 31 2009
Elmira police arrested two men Thursday after receiving reports from Elmira College security officers who saw the suspects slashing tires in the area of W. 5th Street.
At approximately 1:17 a.m. Thursday, Elmira police officers were dispatched to the college following a report that Elmira
College security officers chased two people who were slashing tires in the area.
College security saw the subjects and chased them into a house on W. 5th Street.
Elmira police located and arrested Philip Sambroski, 22, of Elmira, and Patrick J. O’Leary, 20, of Elmira and charged them with second-degree criminal mischief, a class D felony.
Officers found several vehicles in the area that had at least one tire with a puncture wound into the sidewall of the tire, causing the tire to be flat and damaged beyond repair. Sambroski and were scheduled to appear at 9 a.m. this morning in Elmira City Court.
The Elmira Police department has taken complaints from 39 different owners reporting damage to their tires.
Posted in security, security made app/arrest | Tagged: elmira ohio, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, patrick j o'leary, phillip sambroski, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
1 Million gang members push crime up in U.S. www.privateofficer.com
Nashville TN Jan 31 2009
Criminal gangs in the USA have swelled to an estimated 1 million members responsible for up to 80% of crimes in communities across the nation, according to a gang threat assessment compiled by federal officials.
The major findings in a report by the Justice Department’s National Gang Intelligence Center, which has not been publicly released, conclude gangs are the “primary retail-level distributors of most illicit drugs” and several are “capable” of competing with major U.S.-based Mexican drug-trafficking organizations.
“A rising number of U.S.-based gangs are seemingly intent on developing working relationships” with U.S. and foreign drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal groups to “gain direct access to foreign sources of illicit drugs,” the report concludes.
The gang population estimate is up 200,000 since 2005.
Bruce Ferrell, chairman of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association, whose group monitors gang activity in 10 states, says the number of gang members may be even higher than the report’s estimate.
“We’ve seen an expansion for the last 10 years,” says Ferrell, who has reviewed the report. “Each year, the numbers are moving forward.”
‘Growing threat’ on the move
The report says about 900,000 gang members live “within local communities across the country,” and about 147,000 are in U.S. prisons or jails.
“Most regions in the United States will experience increased gang membership … and increased gang-related criminal activity,” the report concludes, citing a recent rise in gangs on the campuses of suburban and rural schools.
Among the report’s other findings:
*Last year, 58% of state and local law enforcement agencies reported that criminal gangs were active in their jurisdictions, up from 45% in 2004.
*More gangs use the Internet, including encrypted e-mail, to recruit and to communicate with associates throughout the U.S. and other countries.
*Gangs, including outlaw motorcycle groups, “pose a growing threat” to law enforcement authorities along the U.S.-Canadian border. The U.S. groups are cooperating with Canadian gangs in various criminal enterprises, including drug smuggling.
Assistant FBI Director Kenneth Kaiser, the bureau’s criminal division chief, says gangs have largely followed the migration paths of immigrant laborers.
He says the groups are moving to avoid the scrutiny of larger metropolitan police agencies in places such as Los Angeles. “These groups were hit hard in L.A.” by law enforcement crackdowns, “but they are learning from it,” Kaiser says.
MS-13 far-flung from L.A. incubator
One group that continues to spread despite law enforcement efforts is the violent Salvadoran gang known as MS-13.
Michael Sullivan, the departing director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, says the gang’s dependence on shocking violence to advance extortion, prostitution and other criminal enterprises has frustrated attempts to infiltrate and disrupt the insular group’s activities.
“MS-13’s foothold in the U.S. is expanding,” Sullivan says.
Kaiser says the street gang is in 42 states, up from 33 in 2005. “Enforcement efforts have been effective to a certain extent, but they (gang members) keep moving,” he says.
MS-13 is the abbreviation for the gang also known as Mara Salvatrucha. The group gained national prominence in the 1980s in Los Angeles, where members were linked to incidents involving unusual brutality.
Since then, it has formed cells or “cliques” across the U.S., says Aaron Escorza, chief of the FBI’s MS-13 National Gang Task Force.
The task force was launched in 2004 amid concerns about the gang’s rapid spread. Gang members were targeted in broad investigations similar to those used to bust organized crime groups from Russia and Italy.
Among law enforcement efforts:
*Omaha. The last of 24 MS-13 members swept up on federal firearms charges and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine were sentenced last year in the largest bust since the group emerged there in 2004.
The gang’s strength dimmed as a result, but the nine-month probe did not eradicate the group, says Ferrell, who assisted in the investigation.
*Nashville. During the past two years, 14 MS-13 members pleaded guilty on charges ranging from murder to obstruction of justice.
Davidson County, Tenn., Sheriff Daron Hall, whose jurisdiction includes Nashville, says MS-13 started growing there about five years ago, corresponding with an influx of immigrant labor.
Last April, county officials began checking the immigration status of all arrestees. “We know we have removed about 100 gang members, including MS-13,” to U.S. authorities for deportation, Hall says.
*Maryland. This month, federal authorities said they had convicted 42 MS-13 members since 2005. More than half were charged in a “racketeering conspiracy” in which members participated in robberies and beatings and arranged the murders of other gang members, according to Justice Department documents.
In one case, Maryland gang members allegedly discussed killing rivals with an MS-13 leader calling on a cellphone from a Salvadoran jail, the documents say.
Escorza says a “revolving door” on the border has kept the gang’s numbers steady — about 10,000 in the U.S. — even as many illegal immigrant members are deported.
The FBI, which has two agents in El Salvador to help identify and track members in Central America and the United States, plans to dispatch four more agents to Guatemala and Honduras, Escorza says.
“They evolve and adapt,” he says. “They know what law enforcement is doing. Word of mouth spreads quickly.”
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Posted in police | Tagged: 1 million gang members in us, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, ms-13, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
Prison guard charged with aiding in escape www.privateofficer.com
NEW CASTLE, Ind.Jan 31 2009 – A guard at a state prison in New Castle faces charges that he helped an inmate escape by silencing a door alarm at a minimum security dorm.
The Indiana Department of Correction says that 38-year-old Maurice Melton of Indianapolis has been suspended without pay from his job at the New Castle Correctional Facility following his arrest on a felony charge of aiding an escape.
Melton works for The GEO Group, the company that operates the prison.
He was being held in the Henry County Jail. Melton is accused of helping inmate Jeffery Kinartail of McCordsville leave the dorm Thursday night and then drive him to Indianapolis.
Kinartail was serving a sentence for cocaine dealing and was arrested early Friday at an Indianapolis motel.
Prison officials say Melton expected to be paid for helping in the escape.
Posted in police, security | Tagged: loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, maurice melton, national association of private officers, new castle indiana, prison guard arrested, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, the geo group, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 31, 2009
Two arrested in armored truck robbery www.privateofficer.com
PUEBLO, Colo. Jan 31 2009
Two suspects are in custody following an armored car robbery in Pueblo Friday morning.
Police said two men hit the Brinks armored car in the Safeway parking lot, 617 W. 29th St., just after 9 a.m.
The two suspects pepper-sprayed a Brinks security officer and then were able to gain access to the armored car and steal a money bag, according to police.
Juan Rodriquez, 42, and Anthony Sena, 22, were captured by Pueblo Police after being chased by the Brinks guard and police.
The guard chased the suspects on foot until a second struggle in the Rent-A-Center lot on North Elizabeth Street, police said. One suspect fled, but the guard was able to hold on to the other until police arrived. The second suspect was arrested by police at a nearby golf course.
Posted in police, security, security officer injured | Tagged: loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Father, wife, son charged in store robbery www.privateofficer.com
Brownsville TX Jan 30 2009
A father, a wife and a son were in jail after the family was arrested for allegedly stealing perfume at a department store, Brownsville police said Wednesday.
Raul Saldaña Jr., 42, his son 21-year-old Raul Saldaña III and the father’s wife, 39-year-old Margarita Ramirez, were charged with robbery.
They were arrested Tuesday afternoon for allegedly taking two bottles of perfume from Kohl’s along the North Expressway, said police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique. They were each given a $15,000 bond on one count of robbery and were transported to a Cameron County detention center.
The more serious charge of robbery was used instead of shoplifting because the father knocked down a store employee causing him to hurt his knees, Manrrique said.
“Robbery applies to this case because the theft resulted in the injury of a person,” he said.
According to police the store’s loss prevention officer noticed Ramirez and the younger Saldaña just past noon as they picked up two perfume bottles and passed them off to the father. Raul Saldaña Jr. then hid the bottles under his shirt in the waistband of his pants, Manrrique said. Each bottle contained 1.7 fluid ounces of perfume. One brand was Calvin Klein Eternity and the other was Burberry London.
As the family departed the store the loss prevention officer attempted to stop Raul Saldaña Jr. but was knocked down, Manrrique said.
The family left in a white Dodge Intrepid but was later caught by police in the 1700 block of Loma Linda Street while on the way home, police said.
Posted in loss prevention, security made app/arrest, security officer injured | Tagged: brownsville texas, kohl's, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, magrarita ramirez, national association of private officers, raul saldana, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Discarded MP3 player had US military files on it www.privateofficer.com
Atlanta GA Jan 30 2009
CNN
It sounds like the opening line to a bad joke. And this case was a bad joke — for the Pentagon.
Chris Ogle of New Zealand was in Oklahoma about a year ago when he bought a used MP3 player from a thrift store for $9. A few weeks ago, he plugged it into his computer to download a song, and he instead discovered confidential U.S. military files.
“The more I look at it, the more I see, and the less I think I should be,” Ogle said with a nervous laugh in an interview with TVNZ.
The files included the home addresses, Social Security numbers and cell phone numbers of U.S. soldiers. The player also included what appeared to be mission briefings and lists of equipment deployed to hot spots in Afghanistan and Iraq. Most of the information appears to date to 2005.
The New Zealand journalist who first reported the story was able to contact at least one of the soldiers by dialing a phone number found in the files. He hung up once she explained why she was calling.
Pentagon officials told CNN that they are aware of the MP3 player, but can’t talk about it until investigators confirm that the information came from the U.S. Department of Defense.
“The government isn’t doing a good job of protecting the information that it collects,” said Marc Rotenberg of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington.
Despite government efforts to protect sensitive information, this is a growing problem, privacy experts say.
Two years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs lost track of a laptop with the personal information of millions of soldiers. And computer hard drives with classified military information have been found for sale at street markets in Afghanistan.
“When you can identify American personnel, when you have their names, their home address, their cell phone numbers, you put people in a dangerous position,” Rotenberg said.
In this case, the personal information for several hundred soldiers landed in friendly hands. Ogle told CNN the MP3 player is being kept in a safe place and he will happily turn it over to U.S. military officials if they ask for it.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, military files found on mp3 player, mp3 had documents, mp3 player had government files, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Fresno teacher arrested for student relationship www.privateofficer.com
Fresno CA Jan 30 2009
ksee.com
Allegations of an inappropriate student – teacher relationship at Fresno’s University High School have shocked the small campus located on Fresno State.
On Tuesday, authorities from University High School contacted University Police about 31 year old music teacher, Jonathan Malcolm and suspicions he was having a relationship with an under aged student.
Malcolm, who has been a teacher at the high school for 3 years, was arrested Wednesday night on charges of annoying and/or molesting a child under the age of 18 and distributing lewd material.
Although, all of the students and parents KSEE 24 News spoke said they don’t believe the allegations, Dr. James Bushman, the head of University High School said the concerns are legitimate.
Bushman said, “We came upon some information we thought that should be acted upon and again, we weighed the validity of that information and made a decision in this case that we needed the University Police to do a full investigation.”
A joint investigation between University Police and Fresno Police prompted a search warrant resulting in enough information to arrest Malcolm.
Malcolm was booked into the Fresno County Jail Wednesday night.
He has since made bail.
Dr. Bushman said all parents of University High School students have been notified about the allegations and arrest.
The School Board is scheduled to meet Friday to discuss the music teacher’s employment status.
Posted in police, teacher arrested | Tagged: fresno ca, jon malcom, jonathan malcolm, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, teacher arrested, university high school, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Target employee charged in retail crime scam www.privateofficer.com
St. Charles IL Jan 30 2009
By: Brett Davis
Staff Reporter
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Loss prevention agents at a local Target store have arrested an employee for theft and conspiracy.
Cheryl Jean Mizak, 52, of the 4N100 block of Kenwood Avenue in West Chicago, was arrested Saturday and charged after repeated thefts while working as a cashier, according to store investigators.
The police report indicates Mizak used two different methods to steal. One was having a friend come to her register to buy items with coupons. Mizak would scan the coupons twice to lower the sale prices beyond what they would normally be.
.The second method was having a friend pay for items with Mizak’s Target debit card and request cash back. Mizak would then give the friend more cash than was requested.
Store security agents began investigating the thefts and took Mizk into custody and notified police.
The total amount the store lost was about $1,345.
Posted in loss prevention, security made app/arrest | Tagged: cheryl jean mizak, cheryl mizak, employee arrested, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, st charles il, target, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
25 Arrested in high school brawl www.privateofficer.com
HOLLYWOOD FLA Jan 30 2009
SunSentinel.com – Classes resumed at South Broward High School apparently without any disturbances this morning after a lunchtime brawl Wednesday that involved as many as 50 students forced officials to temporarily lock down the campus.
Several police cars were parked in the area as students came to school today.Police said today that a total of 25 people have been arrested.
Authorities say Wednesday’s incident began with an exchange of words in the cafeteria. District spokesman Keith Bromery said today that it appears groups of students who had been arguing off campus brought their dispute to school.
Within minutes, police say, a full-blown brawl was raging.Police took away 18 students in handcuffs — 17 boys and one girl.
They have been suspended for 10 days, and school authorities are investigating whether any should be expelled, Broward Schools spokesman Andrew Feirstein said.
Seven more people, including five more students, were arrested off campus after school let out.”There were no weapons, just punches,” police spokesman Lt. Manny Marino said. “One or two of them might have a bump, bruise, or black eye, but nothing that required medical treatment.
“The melee inside the school at 1901 N. Federal Highway broke out at about 11 a.m., when an argument between a few students got physical.”Before you know it, more kids jumped in, and we had to have officers there to break it all up,” Marino said.By the time the school resource officer responded, between 30 and 50 students were throwing punches at each other, and the crowd of onlookers had swelled to about 100, Marino said.
The school security guard called for backup, bringing a swarm of Hollywood police.
Officials ordered a lockdown to keep other students safely inside classrooms while police broke up the fight and looked for those responsible.
When it was over, 18 students had been arrested on misdemeanor charges of disturbing a school function and disorderly conduct, Marino said.They were released to their parents and guardians after being processed at the Hollywood police station.The other seven people were arrested as they were hanging around an abandoned nearby restaurant, Marino said. They were charged with misdemeanor trespassing.
Five of them were South Broward High students. Who the others were wasn’t immediately available.Bromery said clashes between the cliques of students had spilled over into the school before, but never to the extent of Wednesday’s fight, he said. The previous campus conflicts had been mostly verbal, Bromery said.”This is groups of students from neighborhoods down there that have had a conflict for whatever reason,” he said. “The school has been dealing with whatever spills into the school.
They’ve tried to talk to the parents.”District investigators used surveillance cameras to differentiate between participants and spectators, he said.The principal has not recommended any of those students be expelled from school, Bromery said.Instead, school administrators are working with parents again, he said, to see “if there’s mitigation there.”
“There’s no automatic expulsion,” he explained. “It has to go before the board.
“South Broward, a D-rated school, has an enrollment of 2,140.
The brawl was this year’s first major fight at a South Florida school.
Posted in police, security, security made app/arrest | Tagged: brawl, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, south broward high school, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
VCU police chief snared in sex sting www.privateofficer.com
Richmond VA Jan 30 2009
Richmond Dispatch
Suspended Virginia Commonwealth University Police Chief Willie Fuller appeared briefly in a Chesterfield County court this afternoon for arraignment on charges of soliciting sex with a minor in an online sting operation.
Fuller, who appeared by video teleconference from the jail, did not yet have an attorney. A preliminary hearing was set for April 2.
After the hearing, Chesterfield Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Rigler said Fuller thought he was talking to a 14-year-old girl, not a detective, when the alleged offenses occurred Jan. 10.
“There was one day of chatting,” he said, “everything he was charged with happened on that one day.”
He was charged with two counts of using a computer to solicit sex from a minor and two counts of attempted indecent liberties with a minor.
Fuller is 50, but Rigler said he portrayed himself online as being about 35. Fuller’s screen name was hotcop2006, Rigler said.
Earlier today VCU said it had suspended Fuller without pay.
–Mark Bowes
12:36 p.m.
Virginia Commonwealth University Police Chief Willie B. Fuller has been arrested in an online sting operation in Chesterfield County and charged with soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl, police said today.
Police said Fuller, 50, was arrested last night at his home in the 9000 block of Meadowfield Court in Henrico County. He was charged with two counts of using a computer to solicit sex from a minor and two counts of attempted indecent liberties with a minor.
His arrest resulted from a sting operation that involved undercover detectives going to online chatrooms or other Internet sites popular with juveniles. The detectives then create fictitious posts and pose as minors.
Although police declined to provide more specific information in this case, meetings are usually arranged between the detectives and the people with whom they communicate, most of whom are seeking sex.
Chesterfield Police Maj. Dan Kelly said Fuller clearly believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl.
“I’m not sure which [Internet] medium the detective was using at the time it occurred,” Kelly said. “But it was part of our ongoing online efforts in these areas. When time permits, our detectives trained in this area will utilize their time and go online.”
Kelly declined to say when Fuller made contact and over what period of time.
“We’re going to wait to talk more about the investigation at a later time,” he said.
Fuller is being held without bond in the Chesterfield Jail pending a pre-trial hearing this afternoon in Chesterfield Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court.
VCU suspended Fuller without pay and appointed Carlton Edwards, a VCU police captain, as interim chief.
“We’ve taken action,” said VCU Rector Thomas Rosenthal. He said he received a call from university President Eugene Trani this morning about the arrest.
“We regard this situation as extremely serious,” Trani said in an alert sent to member of the campus community. “We have taken aggressive action to address it, and we will cooperate in all appropriate ways with the Chesterfield County Police investigation.”
Fuller came to VCU as police chief in 2000 from Virginia State University, where he was also police chief, said John M. Bennett, VCU senior vice president for finance and administration. Fuller also previously worked for VCU police.
Bennett said VCU instituted criminal background checks on all employees at some point after Fuller was hired, but he said he knew of no complaints against him.
He also said he did not know if any VCU computer equipment had been taken by Chesterfield police from Fuller’s home. Bennett said VCU did not plan its own investigaton.
Chesterfield Police Chief Thierry Dupuis notified VCU officials this morning of Fuller’s arrest, Bennett said. The board of visitors was notified and about 30 minutes later VCU President Eugene Trani alerted the university community by e-mail.
Bennett said Edwards, the acting chief, had been with VCU for 24 years and was the most senior captain on the force, which has 82 officers. Bennett said he met with the officers this morning and “they are stunned and shocked, as we all are.”
But he said there will be an orderly transfer of power. Edwards had filled in as chief previously when Fuller was on medical leave.
Fuller was an art student at VCU in the 1970s and worked as a student security officer. In a 2003 interview with The Times-Dispatch, he said it was from that experience that he found that he liked police work.
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Posted in police | Tagged: chief fuller, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, police chief arrested, richmond va, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, sex sting, vcu, vcu chief willie fuller, virginia commonwealth university, willie fuller, www.privateofficer.com | 1 Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Macy’s shopper caught with the goods www.privateofficer.com
JENSEN BEACH FLA Jan 30 2009
By: Rick McCann
http://www.privateofficer.com/ — Sheriff deputies have arrested a Port St. Lucie woman accused of stealing hundreds of dollars worth of clothing from Macy’s, according to an affidavit released Monday by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
The affidavit states Elizabeth Guitierrez Ruiz, 34, of the 500 block of Southeast Sunny Brook Terrace, purchased shoes and other items from Macy’s at the Treasure Coast Square mall Friday afternoon.
According to store security agents, after making the purchases, Ruiz began walking around the store and put a watch and bottle of perfume in her Macy’s shopping bag, the affidavit states. A security watched, she then removed 11 items of women’s clothing from a rack and brought them into a dressing room.
Store security later observed Ruiz leave the dressing room carrying two Macy’s bags and stopped her as she exited the store without paying. More than $600 worth of unpurchased items were found in the bags.
Ruiz was charged with felony retail theft and booked into the Martin County jail.
Posted in loss prevention, security made app/arrest | Tagged: elizabeth g ruiz, jensen beach florida, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, macy's, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, shoplifting arrests, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Armored truck robbed in Miami www.privateofficer.com
Miami Fla Jan 30 2009
The FBI said it was searching for a man who robbed an armored truck driver by gunpoint at a Miami shopping center.
At about 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, a Brinks truck went to pick up money from a CVS store and a Publix, the FBI said.
Both stores are in the same shopping center at 152nd Street and 137th
The Brinks guard was loading the bags in a shopping cart as he was leaving when the man pulled out a handgun and demanded that the guard hand over the money.
The FBI said the suspect took the bills and the checks but left the coins before fleeing.
Authorities said no shots were fired during the robbery.
Police temporarily closed some access to the shopping center and rerouted traffic during the investigation.
Posted in police, security, security officer injured | Tagged: brinks truck robbed, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, miami, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
Store security officer injured in fracas www.privateofficer.com
NATICK MA Jan 30 2009
daily west news
A security guard was attacked on Wednesday as he tried to take a shoplifting suspect into custody, police said.
Daniel Gerard Smith, 21, of Dorchester was arrested after the 8:16 p.m. fracas in a Natick Collection parking garage, but two other suspects got away, police spokesman Lt. Brian Grassey said.
Lord & Taylor security guards were watching a man and a woman they said they recognized from a previous theft. The woman, who has not been identified, grabbed eight to 10 pairs of $110 gloves, and the couple, along with another man, left the store.
Police believe all three were working together, Grassey said.
Security caught up with them as the group entered the parking garage. Security guards grabbed the woman and she dropped the gloves. The men had climbed into a van.
“As (the security guard) was trying to take the woman into custody, (Smith) jumped out of the van and hit him in the head,” said Grassey. “This forced (the guard) to let go of the woman so he could defend himself.”
While the security guard and Smith struggled, the woman grabbed several of the pairs of the gloves, jumped in the van and drove away with the other man, the lieutenant said.
Several people called police to report the fight. Mall security came out and helped the Lord & Taylor security guard take Smith into custody, Grassey said.
The store believes the two who got away had $880 worth of gloves from the store.
Smith, of 20 Patterson St., was charged with assault and battery, disturbing the peace and larceny of property worth more than $250.
Smith was scheduled to be arraigned yesterday in Natick District Court, but a clerk said he had not been arraigned by 4 p.m. and the results of the arraignment would not be available until today.
Posted in loss prevention, security made app/arrest, security officer injured | Tagged: daniel gerard smith, lord and taylor, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, natick ma, national association of private officers, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, shoplifting arrests, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 30, 2009
OFFICER DOWN…..PA. www.privateofficer.com
OFFICER DOWN
Police Officer Chris Jones
Middletown Township Police Department Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Thursday, January 29, 2009
Biographical InfoAge: 37
Tour of Duty: 10 years Badge Number: 4466
Incident Details-Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Thursday, January 29, 2009
Officer Chris Jones was struck and killed while conducting a traffic stop on Route 1, near the I-95 interchange.
As he was returning to his patrol car two other cars collided and careened into his vehicle, which then struck him. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.Officer Jones had served with the agency for 10 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Agency Contact Information:
Middletown Township Police Department
5 Municipal Way
Langhorne, PA 19047
Phone: (215) 750-3845
Please contact the Middletown Township Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Posted in OFFICER DOWN, police | Tagged: chris jones, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, middletown township pa, national association of private officers, officer chris jones, officer jones killed in wreck, officer jones middletown township police, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 29, 2009
OFFICER DOWN CULVER CITY www.privateofficer.com
OFFICER DOWN
Sergeant Curtis Massey
Culver City Police Department California
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Biographical InfoAge: 41
Tour of Duty: 17 years Badge Number: Not available
Incident DetailsCause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Sergeant Curtis Massey was killed in an automobile accident when his unmarked vehicle was struck head-on by a vehicle driven the wrong way in I-10 at approximately 5:00 am.The driver of the vehicle that struck him was also killed in the accident.
Sergeant Curtis had served with the agency for 17 years and was assigned to the Juvenile Detective Bureau. He is survived by his wife and three young children.
Agency Contact Information:
Culver City Police Department
4040 Duquesne Avenue
Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: (310) 837-1221
Please contact the Culver City Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information
Posted in OFFICER DOWN, police | Tagged: culver city california, culver city police, curt massey, loss prevention agent, loss prevention association, national association of private officers, officer killed in wreck, security association, security guard, security guard association, security guard training, security officer, security officer assaociation, security police association, security training, sgt curt massey killed, sgt. curtis massey, sgt. massey, www.privateofficer.com | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 29, 2009
OFFICER DOWN…MASS STATE POLICE www.privateofficer.com
OFFICER DOWN
Captain Richard J.(Rick) Cashin
Massachusetts State Police Massachusetts
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Biographical InfoAge: 52
Tour of Duty: 28 years
Incident DetailsCause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Captain Richard Cashin was killed in an automobile accident on Route 1, in Saugus, while on duty at approximately 1:45 am. His patrol car left the roadway and struck a utility pole.
Captain Cashin was assigned as the shift commander of Troop A and had served with the agency for 28 years. He is survived by his wife and four children.
Agency Contact Information:
Massachusetts State Police
470 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: (508) 820-2300
Please contact the Massachusetts State Police for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Posted in OFFICER DOWN, police | Leave a Comment »
Posted by privateofficernews on January 29, 2009
OFFICER DOWN SOUTH CAROLINA www.privateofficer.com
OFFICER DOWN
Chief of Police Johnny Hamilton
New Ellenton Police Department South Carolina
End of Watch: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Biographical InfoAge: 55
Incident DetailsCause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Chief Johnny Hamilton was killed in an automobile accident while en route to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in Columbia. His patrol car collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Walker Street and Poole Road in the town of Perry.
Agency Contact Information:
New Ellenton Police Department
200 Main StreetPO Drawer 459
New Ellenton, SC 29809
Phone: (803) 652-7770
Please contact the New Ellenton Police Department for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Posted in OFFICER DOWN, police | Tagged: CHIEF HAMILTON KILLED, CHIEF OF POLICE JOHNNY HAMILTON, JOHHNY HAMILTON, JOHNNY HAMILTON, NEW ELLENTON POLICE DEPARTMENT | Leave a Comment »
