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Montgomery County suicide rate jumps 40% in one year www.privateofficer.com
Dayton OH Nov 19 2011 The number of suicides in Montgomery County jumped in 2010 and is trending high again this year, a development that has local suicide prevention advocates alarmed.
In 2010, 105 people in Montgomery County died by suicide — an average of two a week. That was a 40 percent increase over the previous year.
The upward trend has continued this year, with 83 suicide deaths in the county through Oct. 31, a significant increase over the yearly average of 69 between 2001 and 2009.
“This is a call to action for everyone to be aware of what is going on in this community,” Eddie Allen, chairman of the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Coalition said. “Listen to people who hurt. Listen with your heart and you’ll feel their pain.”
Ken Betz, director of the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, said the group includes individuals who suffered from depression, young adults involved with relationship break-ups and senior citizens.
He said about a dozen suicide notes mentioned job loss or economic insecurity.
Tricia Marks, president and CEO of the Suicide Prevention Center Inc., which answers crisis calls from the 937 and 513 area codes, said calls have increased from 3,200 to 4,000 a month since the start of the economic downturn.
“It’s loss of job, loss of business, loss of home,” she said. “Many of our clients have had their cars repossessed.”
There are three high-risk age groups in this area: youth ages 14 to 25, men and women 65 and older and men 35 to 55.
Carolyn Givens, executive director of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, said there is no one reason behind a suicide.
“There are usually multiple factors,” she said. “When you’re living a dysfunctional life, it’s like trying to keep the plates on a spindle spinning.”
Givens calls suicide an urgent health concern in Ohio that should be recognized as a public health issue, not a character flaw. About 1,300 Ohioans die on average each year from suicide, Givens said. About 90 percent had an undiagnosed or under-treated mental illness and/or substance use disorder,
“I’m concerned the numbers are really under reported,” Givens said. “My mission is to make sure we get information into the hands who need it, so we can divert an attempt.”
Ohio’s average annual medical cost for each suicide is $3.9 million, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Coalition will hold its first Survivors of Suicide Memorial today at 10:30 a.m. outside Fifth Third Field in downtown Dayton. The public is invited.
The memorial brings together individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide for mutual support and to remember the 110 Montgomery County citizens who died by their own hand between July 2010 and July 2011.
“Suicide touches every community in Montgomery County,” Beverly Jones-Arthur, director of behavioral health operations for Montgomery County’s Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board said.
The oldest person to be remembered is an 86-year-old Clayton resident. The youngest, a 15-year-old from Dayton. Thirty-one of the deaths involved a Dayton resident, with 41 residing in the county’s south suburbs, including 10 each from Miami Twp. and Kettering. All but 17 were males and most were white.
Allen, who has worked as a trauma counselor and also is a member of the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation Board, said depression can be a key indicator that a person is at risk.
“If a person has attempted suicide before, they’re talking about it, writing about it, listening to morbid music, they’re detached from the past, withdrawn, I’m troubled by those,” he said. “If they’ve been depressed, then suddenly get real happy, they many have made up their mind.”
Family members of those who have died urge others to be mindful of the warning signs.
Beth Ann Corcoran, established a habit in her preteen years of making dinner dates with her dad, the Rev. John Corcoran of Miamisburg, whenever she needed to talk. Their conversations were lively, with one trying to out wit the other, John Corcoran said Wednesday.
He wasn’t alarmed when she dropped by one day to set up a luncheon date. When he called the following day to confirm the meeting once, twice, then three times, the 29-year-old never answered. She had died of a self-inflected gun shot wound.
“It’ll be 11 years in January,” said Corcoran, pastor of the Rejoicing Life Church of God in Miamisburg and a member of the Montgomery County Suicide Prevention Coalition.
Corcoran, a licensed addiction therapist and a grief counselor, said he has replayed those final days with his daughter searching for warning signs, but found few. When his own grief turned to depression after her death, he sought help. It’s important for survivors — people left grieving after a suicide — not to be ashamed or fearful of seeking treatment for themselves.
“There is going to be pain. You have to accept that and work through it,” Corcoran said. He also offered advice to anyone who fears a loved one might need help. “If someone expresses they aren’t having a good day, stick around. Talk to them. If they show definite signs of suicide, you need to have the courage to take them to a hospital or therapist.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 is staffed 24/7, can be used anywhere in the U.S.
Source:Dayton Daily News
Armed nuclear guard fights for concealed weapons permit www.privateofficer.com
John F. Kennedy, 48, of 719 Greenland Road, is scheduled to appear in Portsmouth District Court Tuesday when he’s expected to ask a judge to annul a 2001 denial of his license to carry a concealed weapon. If the judge does not agree to the annulment, Kennedy wrote to the court, he’ll appeal the 2001 denial.
According to court records, the denial was originally issued by then-Deputy Police Chief Michael Magnant, who subsequently served as police chief, then retired.
Magnant’s denial letter to Kennedy, filed at the city court, noted “several incidents involving you and this department” as the unspecific reason Kennedy could not have a gun license.
Court records show Kennedy appealed Magnant’s denial before Judge Sharon DeVries while presenting the court with a letter from a psychiatrist noting he was “not in need of anger management” and did not “suffer from impulse control problems.”
The judge denied the appeal on July 18, 2001.
Court records also show Kennedy reapplied for a license to carry a concealed weapon on June 29 of this year. On Aug. 5 he received another denial notice, this time from Chief Lou Ferland who cited Judge DeVries’ 2001 denial.
In a letter to the local court, Kennedy said he had a subsequent meeting with Ferland, during which he asked “what it would take” to prove to the city, the court and the police department that he’s suitable for a license to carry concealed.
Kennedy wrote that he’s worked in security for 26 years, is employed as an armed officer and is a member of several armed units affiliated with Seabrook Station.
He said he’s held an “armed license” issued by state police from 1987 through 2009 and has completed numerous classes in firearms safety and training.
Kennedy also noted in his letter to the court that he’s been subject to regular criminal background checks and psychological tests as part of his employment.
Ferland, wrote Kennedy, suggested he petition the local court. Judge Sawako Gardner has cited a conflict of interest with the case which is scheduled to be heard Nov. 15 by Judge Stephen Morrison.
Citizen helps nab women wanted in assault on security officer www.privateofficer.com
PORT ANGELES WA Nov 19 2011 — A 34-year-old woman was taken into custody earlier this week for investigation of shoplifting and assaulting a Walmart security officer after an unidentified citizen detained her.
Lorena A. Loushin, 34, a Clallam County resident, was stopped just after 2 p.m. Wednesday by security officers at the Walmart at 3411 E. Kolonels Way in Port Angeles because they suspected she had taken some items.
Investigating deputies said she apparently panicked.
She allegedly assaulted a security guard, ran to her car parked in the lot and attempted unsuccessfully to leave the crowded lot before an unidentified person detained her, said Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Keegan.
“It was not the usual call we get at Walmart,” Keegan said.
“We usually don’t get the drama,” he added.
Loushin was taken into custody at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday for investigation of theft of $480 worth of merchandise and fourth-degree assault on a Walmart security officer, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
She was not listed in custody in the Clallam County jail Thursday.
When Loushin attempted to drive out of the lot, “she kept getting blocked in by cars,” Keegan said.
Eventually, another person in the parking lot detained her, and she and was in a verbal dispute with that person when deputies arrived, he said.
“I’ve got to give it to our citizens when they do that,” Keegan said.
Source:peninsuladailynews.com
Security officer stabbed during burglary of store www.privateofficer.com
Modesto CA Nov 19 2011 Officers arrested a 21-year-old man suspected of burglarizing a Modesto electronics business before he stabbed a security guard in the hand with a screwdriver during a failed attempt to avoid capture, a police spokesman said.
Brandon Hobbs of Modesto was arrested Thursday morning on suspicion of robbery, burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest and violating probation, said Sgt. Rick Applegate.
He said the security guard suffered minor injuries and was treated by medics at the scene.
The burglary occurred shortly before 7 a.m. at Willie Electric Supply at 101 S. Seventh St., just north of B Street. Officers were sent to the business to respond to a burglary alarm.
Applegate said the suspect broke a window to enter the business and was inside stacking merchandise near an exit when he was confronted by the security guard who had been notified by the alarm company before police.
The security guard chased and cornered Hobbs in a nearby yard, holding him at gunpoint. Applegate said Hobbs stabbed the guard’s hand and ran away.
Hobbs ran toward Highway 99, where a police officer was waiting. Applegate said Hobbs spotted the officer and ran back into a nearby property.
The officers created a perimeter around the area. Officer Mark Ulrich and his police dog Stryker found Hobbs hiding.
Applegate said Hobbs tried to run again, but was apprehended by Stryker, who bit Hobbs’ arm. Hobbs was arrested and treated at a local hospital for the bite before he was taken to the Stanislaus County Jail.
Source:www.modbee.com
Rock Hill SC nurses aid charged with murder of patient www.privateofficer.com
ROCK HILL SC Nov 19 2011 An employee of a Rock Hill assisted living home was charged Thursday with killing an elderly resident shortly after the victim accused the worker of stealing checks from her.
Braquette Wykina Walton, 30, was charged with murder in the death of Pau-line Cook, 82, who lived at the OakBridge Terrace assisted living home at 3025 Chesbrough Blvd. in Rock Hill. If convicted, Walton faces a minimum of 30 years to life in prison.
Detectives responded to the home Sun-day morning and found Cook “deceased in what appeared to be a suspicious scene,” according to a Rock Hill police news release issued Thursday morning.
The York County Coroner’s Office noted her injuries were “not consistent with what initially appeared to be a fall,” the release said.
A warrant for Walton’s arrest said she committed murder by “causing and attempting to conceal the death of the victim.” No other details were available.
Cook died Sunday, a day after she alerted a supervisor at OakBridge Terrace that an employee had stolen checks from her, according to Rock Hill Police reports.
At about 5 p.m. Saturday , police responded to a call at the home, where a supervisor told police that Cook had found four checks in her banking records that didn’t match her signature. The checks totaled more than $1,200, the incident report says.
The supervisor told police that the employee in question had access to the residents’ rooms. Walton, an employee at OakBridge Terrace , was arrested Monday and charged with forgery in connection with the incident, Belk said.
Walton had no prior offenses in South Carolina except for a charge of driving under suspension in March, SLED records show. The records do not indicate if the charge has been resolved.
Walton was hired in July as a certified nurse’s aide, said Michael Smith, a spokesman for OakBridge Terrace.
“We perform comprehensive background checks on every person we employ. There were no concerns from the background check performed with the individual charged with this crime,” Smith said. “She was seen as a very good employee from her reviews.”
“Without question the safety and wellbeing of our residents and employees is our highest priority,” he said. “This was not a security issue. Something like this has never happened here.”
“We are a very close-knit family here, and we are grieving the loss of one of our beloved residents.”
Cook was a 1947 graduate of Clover High School and a graduate of Evans Business College, according an obituary in The Herald. She was a member of Sandy Plains Baptist Church. She was secretary for the Gaston Country Club for over 37 years and amember and past president of Professional Secretaries International Association.
Source:heraldonline.com
SC school janitor charged with sexual assault of student www.privateofficer.com
Authorities say Clifton Smith, Jr. is accused of assaulting and sexually harassing a teen girl earlier this year.
The incidents were reported to officers on Oct. 17 after the teen told a school counselor. Smith has since been fired from his job.
He is currently out of jail on bond.
Source:WIS
Moore County NC school police arrest teacher for having sex with teens www.privateofficer.com
Schools police arrested Yolanda Shonta Williams, 23, Wednesday afternoon. She is accused of taking three students from Pinecrest High School to her home at 115 Austin Ridge Circle in Southern Pines for alcohol and sex, according to an incident report.
The report alleges that Williams had sex with one student.
Williams, a regular substitute teacher at Pinecrest, was charged with one count of sex offenses with a student and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. She was jailed but later released after posting a $25,000 secured bond Thursday.
A statement released by the school system Thursday afternoon said that the system will press criminal charges “regarding inappropriate employee-student relations” and all charges relate to actions that took place off school campus.
“This is an unfortunate situation,” the statement said. “However, Moore County Schools works diligently to protect the physical and emotional safety of our students, which is our first and foremost priority.”
Williams was approved to serve as a substitute teacher Nov. 8, 2010, following a background check that all applicants must complete. She was removed from the school system’s substitute list Monday.
Source:thepilot.com.
Temescal Canyon High School teacher accused of sexual assault on student www.privateofficer.com
Lake Elsinore CA Nov 19 2011 A resident substitute teacher at Temescal Canyon High School has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a minor.
Faysal Hill, 34, was taken into custody Thursday afternoon by detectives from the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station following the service of a search warrant at his home located at 22874 Canyon Lake Drive North, in Canyon Lake.
The investigation began when someone told a school resource officer at Temescal Canyon High School that a male teacher later identified as Hill was having an inappropriate relationship with a student, according to a report from Riverside County sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick Chavez.
During an investigation into the allegation, it was determined that Hill, who has served primarily in a substitute coaching role at the school, had unlawful intercourse with a minor this past summer, the sergeant said.
Hill was booked into Southwest Detention Center for unlawful intercourse with a minor and is being held on $5,000 bail. He is due to appear in court Nov. 22.
Hill is currently on unpaid administrative leave with the Lake Elsinore Unified School District.
Detectives are still investigating and are asking that anyone with information call sheriff’s investigators at 951-245-3000.
ID theft ring recruited waiters at high end restaurants www.privateofficer.com
Some 28 people have been indicted on racketeering and other charges. Arraignments were ongoing Friday.
The group had waiters use so-called “skimming” devices to copy at least 50 restaurant-goers’ credit-card data surreptitiously while running their tabs at such powerhouse eateries as Smith & Wollensky and Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said. His office, the New York Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service built the case.
The ring made up counterfeit credit cards with the stolen information, then had associates fan out to buy watches, handbags and other merchandise at luxury stores including Chanel, Neiman Marcus and Cartier, authorities said. The group manufactured fake drivers’ licenses to back up its shoppers’ phony identities, and ringleaders accompanied them to direct the purchases, prosecutors said.
The group kept some of the loot for its own use and sold the rest, sometimes stashing it in a Manhattan storage locker, authorities said. They said they seized luxury watches, a cache of expensive wine and more than $1 million in cash in various searches in the case.
The actual credit-card holders ultimately didn’t end up having to pay for the items, authorities said.
“The high-end targets of this case make it notable, but, disturbingly, this case is far from unique,” Vance said in a statement. The announcement came two days after his office announced indictments of three men accused of planting skimming devices and video cameras to capture ATM users’ bank-card numbers and passwords.
Utah attorney arrested with gun at airport www.privateofficer.com
Attorney Craig Swapp was arrested at the Salt Lake City International Airport after a small handgun and a magazine holding ammunition was found in his briefcase, police said. Swapp said the gun itself was not loaded and called the incident “an honest mistake.”
“I was just headed to Boise this morning, catching the 8:58 (a.m.) flight and just left my house like normal, kind of in a bit of a rush trying to make sure I made it on time,” Swapp said Thursday.
He has a concealed carry permit and said he usually stores the gun in his safe when he travels, but was in a rush to get to the airport and forgot the gun was in his briefcase.
“I travel frequently, but for some reason that just spaced my mind,” he said. “So, when they found it in security, it surprised me probably as much as it did them.”
He said he was taken into custody at the airport and eventually booked and released from the jail.
“From there it was a big deal, and I can see why,” he said. “If people have handguns, that is a real breach of security.”
Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann confirmed Swapp’s arrest for possession of the handgun. Last month, airport security made five arrests for similar incidents.
Swapp said it wasn’t his intent to take or use the weapon and that it was his first arrest. “I’ve been to the jail a lot of times to help clients, but not on that side of the wall,” he said.
Meantime, he isn’t necessarily sure what will follow the arrest.
“It really depends on the prosecutor on what kind of charges they want to bring against me for it,” he said. “It was a mistake and I’ll take care of whatever I need to take care of.”
He said he thought his experience might help others avoid a situation like the one he currently finds himself in.
“This will be a good reminder for other people, too,” Swapp said.
Source:desert news
Johnson City store employee charged in theft www.privateofficer.com
Johnson City TN Nov 19 2011
A Johnson City woman responsible for a mall store’s bank deposits is accused of taking those proceeds for herself, according to a Johnson City police report.
Jerryn Alicia Jolly, 34, 907 Antioch Road, No. 46, was arrested Wednesday and charged with theft over $1,000.
According to the police report, Jolly worked at Crazy 8, a store in the Mall at Johnson City, and part of her duties included making bank deposits from store sales.
An in-store audit revealed that two deposits Jolly claimed she made had not been processed at the bank, and that nearly $2,000 was missing.
During the investigation, Jolly reportedly told a store supervisor that she took $86 from the register, but denied taking any other funds.
Jolly was being held in the Washington County Detention Center in lieu of $10,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in the Washington County Sessions Court today for arraignment.
Source:www.johnsoncitypress.com
Two Juneau residents accused of stealing $50,000 www.privateofficer.com
Cheryl L. Hansen, 67, and Paul E. Hansen, 63, appeared for an arraignment hearing Wednesday in Juneau Superior Court after being indicted by a grand jury earlier this month.
Both face one count of first-degree theft, a class ‘B’ felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, a $100,000 fine and 25 years of probation. Presumptive sentencing for that charge is usually between one to three, or two to four years in jail, depending on if prior convictions exist. Neither of the Hansens appear to have a criminal record.
According to the indictment, the grand jury found that on or between May and June of 2010, the Hansens obtained property in the amount of $25,000 or more each and “knowingly fail(ed)” to make the required payment or disposition of funds received.
Judge Louis Menendez entered a not guilty plea for the Hansens on their behalf as they had not yet conferred with an attorney. Both will likely have court-appointed attorneys. Menendez referred Paul Hansen to the state Department of Administration’s Office of Public Advocacy and Cheryl Hansen to the Public Defender Agency.
Outside the courtroom, Cheryl identified herself as a former bookkeeper for AMMA. Paul, she said, helped with maintenance of the building. They are both due in court for scheduling later this month.
Source:JUNEAU EMPIRE
Lord and Taylor agents nab man with $1,600 worth of stolen watches www.privateofficer.com
Clarkstown police said Roderick Rivers is accused of fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property in connection with a shoplifting incident at Lord and Taylor. Polie said Rivers was arrested about 7:15 p.m. Tuesday at the store.
Police said the total value of the watches involved is $1,685.
Former McCracken County achool employee on trial for theft, fraud www.privateofficer.com
The McCracken County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office says former McCracken County School Bus Garage Foreman Tommy Clement engaged in what amounted to public corruption. Prosecutors say Clement stole money from the system, scrapped metal and stole proceeds, as well as bought parts, engines and tires and then put them on his own car.
The Commonwealth Attorney’s Raymond McGee says Clement and another employee stole around $130,000 from July of 2009 until late December of 2010.
Clement’s co-worker, Chris Stamper, is a co-defendant in the case. He pleaded guilty in August to theft by unlawful taking of more than $500, theft by deception of more than $500 and first degree official misconduct. Stamper agreed to testify against Clement for a reduced sentenced.
On Wednesday, Raymond McGee called a witness from a local NAPA Auto Parts store, who testified Clement asked her to falsify an invoice. However, an employee at Snap On Tool testified Clement did not ask him to falsify an invoice.
McGee painted a picture of Tommy Clement running an operation that lined his own pocket while stealing from the school system.
Clement’s attorney, Tod Megibow, painted a much different picture. Megibow claims Clement was only doing what he was told, following orders, and did so in fear of losing his job or receiving retribution of some kind.
For more on this case and developments from Wednesday’s proceedings, watch the video. If you are viewing this story on our mobile app, head to the videos section.
Source:wpsd.com
$100,000 reward offered in armored car robbery www.privateofficer.com
On July 7, several armed people entered the secured Commonwealth International Inc. at 12356 Barringer St. by climbing down a rope from the roof and surprising employees inside, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department report.
Once inside and in control of the business, the suspects loaded cash into a getaway car outside. They also made off with the security video machine, which was recording the robbery, leading investigators to believe they were familiar with the operation of the business and its floor plan.
The robbers made off with more than $1 million, police said.
The firm’s insurance company, Lloyd’s of London, has put up the $100,000 reward for the arrest of the people involved and recovery of the stolen money. The payment of the reward will be proportionate to the amount of cash recovered, according to the report.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s department’s Major Crimes Bureau at (562) 946-7893.
Lord & Taylor employees charged with grand theft www.privateofficer.com
West Nyack NY Nov 19 2011 Two workers at a Palisades Center mall department store in West Nyack are accused of stealing $2,200 worth of merchandise from the store, according to Clarkstown police.
Michael Francis, 19, and Rushawn Simpson, 22, both of from Spring Valley, who work at Lord and Taylor, were seen by store security officers making several trips out of the store to a car in the mall lot at about 4 p.m. on Thursday, police said.
An investigation found that Francis and Simpson had hidden clothing from the store under their own clothing and that a total of $2,200 worth of clothing was taken, police said.
Francis and Simpson were arrested on charges of fourth-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and taken to Clarkstown police headquarters in New City and were arraigned in Clarkstown Town Court. They were both ordered held in the Rockland County Correctional Facility in New City on $2,500 bail each.
They are scheduled to appear at a Town Court hearing on Monday.
Oxnard, Calif. high school guard arrested for sexual texts to students www.privateofficer.com
Raymond Aguilar Hernandez Jr., 47, is now facing child luring and enticing charges, KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, reported Friday.
Police said the girls, 15- and 16-year-olds, reported Hernandez sent them sexual text messages, as well as made inappropriate comments to them.
Hernandez works part-time as a campus safety supervisor at Pacifica High School in Oxnard, police said. He also worked as a night custodian at Haydock Junior High School, but police do not believe he victimized anyone there.
The man has posted bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Ventura County Superior Court on Dec. 2.
Source:www.upi.com
Virginia Beach park and recreation employee charged with embezzlement www.privateofficer.com
Children in city recreation programs took field trips to see movies such as “Spy Kids 4″ and “Glee” this past year. Now, an employee with the Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department is accused of embezzling during those trips.
Felicia Hoyle, who oversaw some of the before- and after-school programs and summer camps, is scheduled to appear in court on a charge of felony embezzlement in late December, said Macie Pridgen, a spokeswoman for the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office. She was initially charged in September.
A court document charges she took more than $200. Pridgen put the amount around $3,000. Hoyle, 44, has already paid back some of the money, Pridgen said.
Hoyle pre-purchased movie tickets for the program – usually between $300 to $500 worth of passes – at the AMC Lynnhaven theater on her city card, according to city credit card records. When fewer people arrived on the day of a movie, Hoyle requested refunds on the extra tickets on her personal credit card, Pridgen said.
Hoyle, who worked for the city for 13 years, was fired in October, said Brian Solis, interim co-director of the Parks and Recreation Department.
Larry Cardon, Hoyle’s attorney, said the former supervisor regrets her actions.
“She’s paying dearly for it,” Cardon said. “She made a mistake and she’s very sorry for it.”
Virginia Beach officials have been trying to tighten their controls on city-issued credit cards since The Virginian-Pilot last year alerted officials to questionable spending on a Visa card by a former tourism worker. That employee eventually pleaded guilty to one count of felony embezzlement.
An audit of all city cards last August uncovered no fraudulent purchases.
Beach Auditor Lyndon Remias said officials were surprised to discover the potential for employees to get refunds for city purchases on their personal cards. “Obviously, there are still holes in the process,” Remias said. “There are creative ways for employees to commit fraud.”
The city found out about this situation from movie theater representatives, Remias said.
City officials are informing vendors to be on the lookout for any suspicious purchases by Beach employees, Remias said.
Virginia Beach is also getting new credit cards that will make it easier to differentiate a city credit card from a personal one, Solis said.
The Parks and Recreation Department, which holds a bulk of the more than 400 city-issued cards, is exploring ways to cull down its number of cardholders, Solis said.
Source:pilotonline.com
Kalamazoo County security officer charged with indecent exposure and assault www.privateofficer.com
The Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office charged 39-year-old Anthony Paul Snyder with one count of indecent exposure and another count of assault and battery.
A woman agreed to speak with 24 Hour News 8 as long as we didn’t identify her. She’s so upset about what she said happened at the Kalamazoo County Administration building she could barely get the whole
story out.
“I was confused. I was scared. I didn’t know,” she said. “I was afraid I was going to get in trouble.”
She said a security guard told her to follow him into the elevator and then to an empty room where he started touching her. He even pulled his pants down and started masturbating, she said. That’s when she ran out of the room.
“I did not hear him or feel him move, but when I turned around he had his genitals out,” she said.
Anthony Paul Snyder was employed as a security guard through a private security company and was working in the county building at the time of the alleged incident on Nov. 1.
His employment status is unclear at this time.
“It’s always serious, particularly to the victim involved, when you think of someone making an open and indecent exposure of their body and then making an assault,” said Carrie Klein, Chief Assistant Prosecutor. “So those are serious charges and then the fact that he was working for a private security agency, that might heighten it some.”
24 Hour News 8′s Marlee Ginter went to Snyder’s house. Someone answered the door, confirmed Snyder was inside, but said Snyder didn’t want to comment.
Kalamzaoo County said Snyder works for Advanced Security, a private security firm. Tom Canny, Corporate Counsel for Kalamazoo County said the County has asked Advanced Security not to assign Snyder to another county building.
Source:WoodTV8.com
