Archive

Archive for January, 2009

Buffalo cop arrested for assaulting court security www.privateofficer.com

Buffalo cop arrested for assaulting court security http://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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Public’s tips lead to arrest in store robbery www.privateofficer.com

Public’s tips lead to arrest in store robbery http://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.
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Shoplifter leaves kids in freezing car www.privateofficer.com

Shoplifter leaves kids in freezing car http://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.
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College security help nab felony suspects www.privateofficer.com

College security help nab felony suspects http://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.
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1 Million gang members push crime up in U.S. www.privateofficer.com

1 Million gang members push crime up in U.S. http://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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Prison guard charged with aiding in escape www.privateofficer.com

Prison guard charged with aiding in escape http://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.
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Two arrested in armored truck robbery www.privateofficer.com

Two arrested in armored truck robbery http://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.
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Father, wife, son charged in store robbery www.privateofficer.com

Father, wife, son charged in store robbery http://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.
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Discarded MP3 player had US military files on it www.privateofficer.com

Discarded MP3 player had US military files on it http://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.

Fresno teacher arrested for student relationship www.privateofficer.com

Fresno teacher arrested for student relationship http://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.
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Target employee charged in retail crime scam www.privateofficer.com

Target employee charged in retail crime scam http://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.
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25 Arrested in high school brawl www.privateofficer.com

25 Arrested in high school brawl http://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.
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VCU police chief snared in sex sting www.privateofficer.com

January 30, 2009 1 comment

VCU police chief snared in sex sting http://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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Macy’s shopper caught with the goods www.privateofficer.com

Macy’s shopper caught with the goods http://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.
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Armored truck robbed in Miami www.privateofficer.com

Armored truck robbed in Miami http://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.
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Store security officer injured in fracas www.privateofficer.com

Store security officer injured in fracas http://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.
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OFFICER DOWN…..PA. www.privateofficer.com

OFFICER DOWN…..PA. http://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.

OFFICER DOWN CULVER CITY www.privateofficer.com

OFFICER DOWN CULVER CITY http://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

OFFICER DOWN…MASS STATE POLICE www.privateofficer.com

OFFICER DOWN…MASS STATE POLICE http://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.
Categories: OFFICER DOWN, police

OFFICER DOWN SOUTH CAROLINA www.privateofficer.com

OFFICER DOWN SOUTH CAROLINA http://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.

Security training facility faces opposition www.privateofficer.com

Security training facility faces opposition http://www.privateofficer.com

Temecula CA. Jan 29 2009
BY: Rick McCann
NTL. ASSOC. PRIVATE OFFICERS
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Last year, Riverside County officials gave a private security firm the go-ahead to build a 194-acre training facility near Temecula.
The company soon could break ground on the project. When it’s finished, the site would include a driving track for tactical vehicles, a mock town, and outdoor firing ranges.
But now a small group of vocal opponents are making some noise over this compound that will train heavily armed persons with an array of armament.
Some people are afraid of what might take place on this tract of land and they don’t’ want bullets flying over their heads, bombs exploding or people from unknown places coming into their town and training for who knows what.
But a spokesperson for the company called, Procintu which means “ready for battle” in Spanish said that this site is training facility security and law enforcement training and would not be used to train military contractors.
Anne Weston is a retired school teacher from Menifee who leads the opposition said that she and others are worried about the site’s proximity to homes and a high school. They aim to derail the project by blocking Procintu’s public use permit.
It exempts the company from some noise and zoning restrictions. Such permits are usually reserved for hospitals or homeless shelters.
Riverside County says the project qualifies as a school. But Weston says the county bent the rules.
Procinctu has also drawn unfavorable comparisons to Blackwater Worldwide, the private military contactor implicated in the killing of Iraqi civilians two years ago.
But, Procinctu’s CEO says the center will be no danger to residents and that his company should not be compared to companies such as Blackwater.
If opponents can’t stop the project, the recession might. Procinctu is still looking for financing to complete the training facility.
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SPOTLIGHT——–SECURITY MANAGER—-KEN WHEELER www.privateofficer.com

SPOTLIGHT——–SECURITY MANAGER—-KEN WHEELER http://www.privateofficer.com

TUPELO MS Jan 29 2009 – As the head of security for North Mississippi Medical Center, Ken Wheeler is essentially on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
But watching over six community hospitals, as well as outpatient centers, offices and medical clinics with the security staff, doesn’t keep him from a long list of volunteer commitments with CrimeStoppers, Association for Excellence in Education, Tupelo Schools and the Jim Ingram Leadership Institute.Wheeler says he’s just one of a legion of volunteers who make Tupelo function.
“In the Tupelo area, it seems like everybody you meet serves on some board,” said Wheeler, who said he’s been inspired by the Tupelo story and leaders like the late Felix Black. “The spirit of community service is already prevalent here.”
He’s recently joined the board of the Boys & Girls Club and is helping organize an alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, which covers Holly Springs, Oxford and Tupelo.So much more”He does more than work at the hospital,” said Tupelo Police Chief Harold Chaffin. “We need more like him.”Wheeler was a founding charter member of CrimeStoppers of Northeast Mississippi and helped organize the Police Athletic League. “These programs you start as a leap of faith,” Chaffin said. “If you don’t have people like Ken, these community-based organizations don’t happen.” The Memphis native has been in Tupelo since 1983, when he joined the NMMC staff. He’s served as the director of security services at the hospital since 1989.
Through the years, the hospital has encouraged and supported its employees’ volunteer efforts. Wheeler said his strengths don’t lie in drumming up a lot of money. “My strength is strategy,” Wheeler said. “I’m not the kind of person who can go out and raise a lot of funds.”
But he enjoys working with others to go from brainstorming to a completed project, which he did with CrimeStoppers and has continued to do so as a volunteer for 15 years.”I just can’t let it go,” Wheeler said. “It’s a great opportunity to have an impact on the personal security of the community.”Several of Wheeler’s commitments revolve around children. Wheeler and his wife, Cheryl, have two children, Tiffany, a senior at the University of Mississippi, and Brandon, a Tupelo High School ninth-grader. “You want to leave a legacy,” Wheeler said.
“What greater way to leave it than through kids.” Working with other AEE members to support Tupelo High Schools’ senior projects has been really rewarding. The organization provides mentors and resources for the seniors and hosts a culmination day where the students present their projects. “They’ll never forget their senior project,” said Wheeler, who was amazed by the detail and dedication the students put into their work. “
As adults, we can put that work in a proper venue.”

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Mother arrested after leaving kids in freezing car www.privateofficer.com

Mother arrested after leaving kids in freezing car http://www.privateofficer.com

January 29, 2009
Brett Davis
Staff Reporter

http://www.privateofficer.com/ A mother is facing with child endangerment charges on Tuesday night.
Police say 27-year-old Viviano Lourdes of Chicago left her two children in an unheated car for 30 minutes while she shopped at a north suburban mall.
Someone saw the 3-year old boy and 8-year old girl in the car outside the Lincolnwood Town Center on Monday night and notified security officers.
Mall security investigated and called Lincolnwood police.
Officers were able to locate the mother and placed her under arrest. It was 16 degrees outside with a wind chill of 8 degrees.
Police said that the children did not need medical attention.
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Categories: Uncategorized

Sex offenders posing as security arrested www.privateofficer.com

Sex offenders posing as security arrested http://www.privateofficer.com

Fresno, CA, Jan 29 2009(KFSN) — A registered sex offender is under arrest after Fresno Police said he was caught impersonating an officer.
Neighbors at this apartment complex on Alamos, near Shaw called police to complain about two suspicious men posing as security in an unmarked jeep. One was wearing a C.S.I. hat and badge and another was wearing a correctional officer’s hat.
Investigators also discovered children’s toys and items of a sexual nature inside the car leading them to further question the men’s intentions.
“Anytime somebody poses either as a police officer or security officer, it raises the danger and suspicion on what they were doing, what kind of criminal activity they are doing in this particular area,” said Mike Doyle with the Fresno Police Department.
Officers arrested the two men for being under the influence of a controlled substance. The suspects may face more charges after police complete their investigation.
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Security guard arrested for drug trafficking www.privateofficer.com

Security guard arrested for drug trafficking http://www.privateofficer.com

TAMPA FLA Jan 29 2009 – A security guard for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department has been suspended without pay after police arrested him on a drug-trafficking charge, officials said.
Ronnie Lee Gipson, 38, was wearing his security uniform about 11:55 p.m. Tuesday when he sold nine pills of the prescription painkiller oxycodone to an undercover officer for $120, Tampa police said.
Gipson was charged with felony armed trafficking minutes after the meeting at North Jasmine and East 108th avenues, records show. He was being held without bail at the Orient Road Jail today.
Officers seized three pistols from Gipson, as well as 46.7 grams of oxycodone, 23.8 grams of Xanax and $5,267 in cash, a report states.
Linda Carlo, a spokeswoman for the Parks and Recreation Department, said Gipson has been suspended without pay pending a pre-disciplinary hearing. He has worked for the city since 2003.
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Police charge four after shoplifting spree www.privateofficer.com

Police charge four after shoplifting spree http://www.privateofficer.com

OCALA FLA Jan 29 2009
Kyle T. Greene
NTL. ASSOC. PRIVATE OFFICERS
http://www.privateofficer.com/ – Sheriff’s deputies say two women and two teenage girls face theft charges after they were seen removing hundreds of dollars worth of clothing from two department stores.
The suspects hid the clothes in handbags and carried them to a vehicle parked outside, according to Marion County Sheriff’s Office reports.
On Tuesday, security with Bealls at 9598 S.W. 114th St. told deputies they saw four women – later identified as Amy Renee Hope, 46, Karlyn R. Zanders, 20, and two teens, ages 17 and 16 – enter with handbags and walk around the store.
The witnesses said the four entered separate dressing rooms, and, when they left, their bags were full. The four then went to a white, four-door Lincoln.
At the Wal-Mart at 9570 S.W. State Road 200, deputies said the four ran into the store, grabbed clothing and ran out. Store officials estimate the total loss at $802.92.
Deputies caught the women in the parking lot of Big Lots at 8602 S.W. SR 200.
Hope and Zanders were taken to the Marion County Jail, while the teens were taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
The four were also issued trespass warnings.
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Police use Taser on shoplifter www.privateofficer.com

Police use Taser on shoplifter http://www.privateofficer.com

Kelso WA Jan 29 2009
A Kelso officer used a Taser to help capture a fleeing shoplifting suspect in the food court of the Three Rivers Mall on Tuesday morning, police reported.
Dwight Mark Thornell, 30, Skamokawa, was arrested on suspicion of theft and resisting arrest, according to police.
A Target employee reported Thornell had been seen on surveillance videos stealing stereos on two other occasions, and he was in the store Tuesday morning, according to police.
A Kelso police officer was speaking with a woman in Thornell’s car outside Target when Thornell came outside and fled when he saw the officer, according to police.
The Kelso officer chased him through the mall and shot him in the back with his Taser, according to police.A Taser shoots darts that deliver a powerful electrical charge to stun and immobilize a person.
Thornell cut his face and was treated by Cowlitz 2 medical personnel, according to police. He was booked in Cowlitz County Jail. Bail was $40,000.
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Chicago cops arrested for shaking down tow truck operators www.privateofficer.com

Chicago cops arrested for shaking down tow truck operators http://www.privateofficer.com

Chicago IL. Jan 29 2009
The FBI arrested another Chicago police officer Wednesday in a towing scam investigation that has already brought charges against three other cops.
According to authorities, then-Officer Jimmie Akins shook down a tow-truck driver for bribes between March 2006 and April 2007.
The driver recorded several conversations with Akins, 41, in which he paid the officer for access to towing jobs in the East Chicago District on the North Side, authorities said. Akins and other officers involved in the scheme alerted bribe-paying tow-truck drivers to traffic accidents and disabled autos, giving them a head-start on towing jobs, while fending off competitors who might show up, according to the FBI.
In audio recordings of their conversations, Akins repeatedly pressured the driver to make payments of $100 per vehicle, and when the driver was late making payments, racking up a $2,300 tab, Akins charged him interest, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court.
When the investigation caught up to him, Akins resigned from the department in November 2007, FBI officials said.
He is charged with attempted extortion. In the recorded conversations, Akins allegedly boasted that he usually collected bribes on at least 10 cars a week. Akins also described in detail how he arrested another tow-truck driver attempting to take towing jobs that the officer was trying to broker to other drivers, authorities said. “We’re [expletive] him, charging him with all kinds of [expletive],” Akins said on the recording.In another recording, Akins allegedly asked another tow-truck driver who was working undercover with authorities why he wasn’t doing much towing in other police districts. He responded that other drivers had already made bribe arrangements with police in all of the other police districts.
Federal agents have been investigating the scam since 2003 and have made previous arrests in other North Side districts. Officials said Wednesday that the investigation continues.
A source said dozens of officers may have been involved.”I expect all of our police officers to uphold the law,” Police Supt. Jody Weis said Wednesday.
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Gulfport MS. mayor charged in Katrina insurance fraud www.privateofficer.com

Gulfport MS. mayor charged in Katrina insurance fraud http://www.privateofficer.com

JACKSON, Miss.Jan 29 2009 – The mayor of a Mississippi city devastated by Hurricane Katrina pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he lied to get disaster assistance to repair his damaged beachfront home.
Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr is the highest-ranking public official so far to be charged with fraud related to the storm that slammed the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005.
He and his wife, Laura, pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges in a 16-count indictment that was issued Jan. 22 but not made public until Wednesday.
Brent Warr declined comment when contacted Wednesday on his cell phone. He said in a statement the charges have nothing to do with his role as mayor and he will continue to run the coastal city of about 73,000 people 80 miles east of New Orleans.
The mayor and his wife are accused of seeking a homeowners assistance grant for a storm-damaged beachfront home they owned but did not live in. The government is seeking forfeiture of $222,798. Warr, 45, and his wife, 43, also are accused of making false claims to their insurance company.
“This inquiry has been going on for more than a year now, and we hope and pray for a much faster resolution,” Warr said in his statement. “We have entered a plea of not guilty. Out of respect for the justice system and the government, I will not speak further about the claim made against us.”
U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton declined comment.
Warr’s attorney, Joe Sam Owen, said the charges all center on whether the stately white house with tall columns was the couple’s primary residence when the Katrina hit.
Brent Warr bought the house in 2004 and was almost finished with renovations and close to moving in when the storm blew ashore, Owen said. He was already staying there some nights.
“He was just around the corner from the entire family moving in,” Owen said.
Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering, whose office was involved in the investigation, said the Warrs face up to 210 years in prison and $4 million in fines if convicted on all counts.
The charges include conspiracy to defraud the federal government, making false statements to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and insurance fraud. A trial is set for April 6.
Pickering said his office — part of the Katrina Fraud Task Force along with other state and federal agencies — had filed Katrina-related charges against some two dozen people in the past year and had 100 other cases under investigation. He did not provide details about the other investigations.
Warr, a first-term Republican mayor and wealthy businessman, was sworn in just weeks before the storm ravaged the area and had been praised for his leadership. He was mentioned in 2007 as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Trent Lott, but said at the time he had too much work to do helping Gulfport recover from Katrina.
Mississippi Rep. Steven Palazzo, R-Biloxi, said he prays Warr will be cleared of the charges.
“He wouldn’t do anything intentionally to hurt the Gulf Coast,” said Palazzo, who has known the Warr family for decades.
Jackie Smith, a Gulfport City Council member, said word of Warr’s indictment was shocking.
“We’ve got to continue right on and that is what we’ll do,” Smith said. “And I’m sure the mayor will keep on and moving our city forward … Certainly our prayers are with the mayor and his family.”
Gulfport is home to the State Port of Gulfport, which was heavily damaged by the killer storm. The area is best known for its manmade beaches and glitzy casinos.
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Alert security officers aid in burglary arrest www.privateofficer.com

Alert security officers aid in burglary arrest http://www.privateofficer.com

OCALA Fla Jan 29 2009
A 24-year-old Ocala man who burglarized a store was arrested Wednesday after a foot chase and charged with commercial burglary and resisting without violence, according to an Ocala Police Department report.
A security officer told officials he was on duty at the Albertsons shopping plaza on State Road 40 when he saw a man walk by the supermarket and disappear near Buddies Home Furnishings. The security person said he heard a popping noise and saw a man “duck-walking” through the business. He called police.
One officer saw the burglar walking away from Buddies with items including a Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 in his hands.
The suspect ran, dropping some of the merchandise. As an officer was gaining on the suspect, officials say he turned around with something in his hand. The officer could not see what was in the man’s hands, so he hit the suspect with a Taser.
Officials say the man took off and hid in nearby bushes, then refused to show his hands and was tased by another officer. The man, later identified as Novel Williams, was then arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail.
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