Gulf Shores AL employee arrested for stealing from evidence room www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

GULF SHORES, Alabama Feb 1 2012  – A 58-year-old civilian employee of the Gulf Shores Police Department has been arrested for allegedly stealing guns, electronics and prescription drugs from the agency’s evidence room, law enforcement officials said today.

Barry Martin of Gulf Shores remained in the Baldwin County Corrections Center, charged with one count of second-degree theft of property and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, according to Gulf Shores police Chief Ed Delmore.

Martin has been placed on administrative leave and termination proceedings are in progress, according to Lt. Bill Cowan, Gulf Shores police spokesman.

“We’re not talking about a number of employees,” Delmore said. “This is one employee who did something very egregious. And someone who we were completely surprised by. This is a real kick in the teeth to us. But it should not reflect on the entire agency filled with dedicated professionals.”

Martin has been employed with the Police Department since 1999 as a detention officer and in July 2010 was also made the custodian of the evidence room. In a joint investigation by Gulf Shores police, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office, Martin was arrested five days after the local police were notified of the potential discrepancies in the evidence room, according to Delmore.

About 100 or fewer cases could be affected by the thefts, and the District Attorney’s Office is reviewing the files and cases to compare items to what was seized, according to District Attorney Hallie Dixon. “We’re starting with the drug cases. There are 11 Gulf Shores drug cases pending and all have been indicted. We have additional cases pending” that have not been indicted.

Maj. Anthony Lowery of the Sheriff’s Office said the case does not involve the drug task force cases since those are handled through the Sheriff’s Office in Robertsdale.

Source:AL.com

40 Yr Veteran of King County Sheriff’s Office Dies www.privateofficer.com

 

 

King County WA Feb 1 2012 Stan Chapin, 61, a King County sheriff’s deputy who for the past 12 years was part of the police force in Sammamish, died at his home Monday night.

Chapin was the school resource officer in Eastlake High School and Inglewood Junior High, according to a news release from Cindi West, spokeswoman for the King County Sheriff’s Office.

He was close to his 40th anniversary with the King County Sheriff’s Office, she said.

“Officer Chapin was not only an outstanding police officer, he was an outstanding human being,” said Eastlake High School Principal Brad Malloy. “He enjoyed working with students of all ages and guided them toward making good choices in their lives.”

“Stan was a remarkable man,” Sammamish Police Chief Nate Elledge said. “He really put his heart on the line for the students he helped and the community he served. His passing is a shock to all of us who valued his friendship and admired his professionalism.”

Before working in the two schools, Chapin worked as the a D.A.R.E. officer in the Issaquah, Lake Washington and Northshore school districts, West said.

“Over his career, he also served as a patrol deputy, detective, and member of the Seattle FBI’s Fugitive Apprehension Team. And just last month, the city named Chapin the Sammamish Police Department’s “Officer of the Year” for 2011,” West said in the release.

In addition to his police work, Chapin was known as a dedicated runner. He won the 1974 Seattle marathon, West said, and competed in the Boston marathon in 1974, 76 and 77.

Surviving him are his wife, Sue, and three children, Christopher, Bethany and Scott

Shoplifter pulls knife on store security www.privateofficer.com

 

 

SPOKANE, Wash.Feb 1 2012 - Police say a man pulled a knife on a security guard at a Shopko north of Spokane Monday night.

It happened just after 9pm when a male and female were leaving the store. The female left and went to the parking lot. The male was stopped by security under suspicion on shoplifting. Once confronted, the male pulled a knife on the security guard and fled the store. Police believe he was picked up in a car by the female.The suspect got away with an unknown amount of clothes.

The male suspect is described as a thin white male, about six feet tall with long “spikey” hair and he was last seen wearing dark clothing.

If you have any information, you are asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.

i-Dosing-A new legal high sweeping the internet www.privateofficer.com

 

 

FLORENCE, AL Feb 1 2012- There’s a new legal high and all you need is a pair of headphones. It’s called i-Dosing. Its a way to feel like you’re high without breaking the law.

Based on the demonstrations on websites like YouTube, it is becoming popular among teenagers and young adults. All they have to do is put on headphones, plug in and wait as one sound is piped into one ear and a different sound into the other.

“It’s frightening and concerning to say the least,” said Therapist Dr. Drew Jamieson.

Dr. Jamieson works with alcohol and drug addicts in Florence. He also oversees family therapy. He’s used brain stimulation therapy before but he says those techniques are studied for years. He believes i-Dosing takes brain stimulation to a hazardous level.

Jamieson takes it a step further. He compares this latest craze to another legal high, spice. Up until late last year, Alabamians could purchase the synthetic marijuana at most convenience stores. The governor banned it citing health concerns. Jamieson says just like spice, i-Dosing might be legal but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

“It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if a teen came in and said hey I’m having nightmares now, I’m having flashbacks, I’m seeing demons, I’m hearing noises,” said Jamieson.

He said parents should talk to their kids who believes their child is i-Dosing or using other ways to get high. He said he encourages parents to have a relationship with their teens and if they have some curiosity and want to know more about it, just have an open conversation with them.

They put on their headphones, drape a hood over their head and drift off into the world of ‘digital highs’.
Videos posted on YouTube show a young girl freaking out and leaping up in fear, a teenager shaking violently and a young boy in extreme distress.
This is the world of ‘i-Dosing’, the new craze sweeping the internet in which teenagers used so-called ‘digital drugs’ to change their brains in the same way as real-life narcotics.

They believe the repetitive drone-like music will give them a ‘high’ that takes them out of reality, only legally available and downloadable on the Internet.
The craze has so far been popular among teenagers in the U.S. but given how easily available the videos are, it is just a matter of time before it catches on in Britain.
Those who come up with the ‘doses’ claim different tracks mimic different sensations you can feel by taking drugs such as Ecstasy or smoking cannabis.
The reactions have been partially sceptical but some songs have become wildly popular, receiving nearly half a million hits on YouTube.
Under one called ‘Shroom’, Berecz wrote: ‘just listened to this… at the beginning I began to see some blinking light (while eyes closed), then the pitch went up and I began to feel that Im sinking into my chair…as the pitch went down I began to feel confident, and very relaxed, and I dont want to stand up from my chair and I dont want to say any words…’
Not everyone is taking i-Dosing seriously – some YouTube videos show young adults ‘i-Dosing’ on Neil Diamond and mocking the whole phenomenon.

But there has been such alarm in the U.S. that the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs has issued a warning to children not to do it.
‘Kids are going to flock to these sites just to see what it is about and it can lead them to other places, spokesman Mark Woodward said.
He added that parental awareness is key to preventing future problems, since I-dosing could indicate a willingness to experiment with drugs.
‘So that’s why we want parents to be aware of what sites their kids are visiting and not just dismiss this as something harmless on the computer.
‘If you want to reach these kids, save these kids and keep these kids safe, parents have to be aware. They’ve got to take action.’
He added that another concern is that many of these I-dosing sites lure visitors to actual drug and drug paraphernalia sites.
Schools in the Mustang area recently sent out a letter warning parents about the new trend after several high school students reported having physiological effects after trying one of these digital downloads.
‘We had never come across anything like this and anything that is going to cause these physiological effects in a student, that causes us concern,’ said Shannon Rigsby, Mustang Public Schools Communication Officer.
I-Dosing tracks have imposing names such as ‘Gates of Hades’ or ‘Hand of God’ which are ten minutes long – some sound like a ship’s horn being repeated again and again whilst others are more abrasive and resemble cheap synthesizers being played very fast.

But although they use a very modern method of spreading themselves, i-Dosing is actually a variation on a very old method of achieving an altered state.
In 1839 German physicist Heinrich Wilhelm Dove found that two tones played at slightly different frequencies in each ear makes the listener think they are hearing a quick beat.
He called the phenomenon ‘binaural beats’, and it has been the subject of research in the two centuries since.
Binaural beat therapy is used in clinical settings to research hearing and sleep cycles, to induce various brain wave states, and treat anxiety.
Dr Helane Wahbeh, a Naturopathic Physician and Clinician Researcher at the Oregon Health and Science University, said: ‘Binaural beats happen when opposite ears receive two different sound waves.
‘And normally, the difference in sound between each ear help people get directional information about the source of the sound.
‘But when you listen to these sounds with stereo headphones, the listener senses the difference between the two frequencies as another beat that sounds like it’s coming from the inside of the head.’
But Dr Wahbeh denied there was any possibility that someone could experience similar effects to cocaine or ecstasy.
She said: ‘We did a small controlled study with four people, and we did not see any brain wave activity shifting to match the binaural beat that people were listening to.’
However, other researchers say the ‘high’ listeners claim to feel may actually be a placebo effect determined by the individual’s desire to feet it.

Source:WAFF

Burlington Coat Factory security agent stabbed by shoplifter www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Long Island NY Feb 1 2012 – A shoplifter who stole a pair of Phat Farm sneakers stabbed a security guard who confronted him on his way out of a store on Long Island, police said.

The stabbing happened at the Burlington Coat Factory at 650 Stewart Avenue in East Garden City on Monday, January 30, 2012, at about 2:40 p.m., Nassau cops said.

The suspect put on the sneakers and headed to the door without paying, police said. That is when a 34-year-old security officer tried to stop him. The suspect pulled out a knife, stabbed the guard in the face, and then ran off, police said.

Medics took the guard the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Police released a security camera image of the suspect. Authorities describe him as between 20 and 25 years old, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, medium build, and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and black Phat Farm sneakers.

If you have any information contact Nassau County Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS.

Source:www.myfoxny.com

Nashville police officer arrested for “On-Duty” DUI www.privateofficer.com

 

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Feb 1 2012– An on-duty Metro police officer was arrested overnight on DUI and firearm charges.

Madison Precinct Officer Arthur Messmer, 44, was arrested after his supervisor said he smelled of alcohol.

Messmer, who was a midnight shift patrol officer, was called back to the station shortly after roll call to handle some administrative matters. That’s when his sergeant allegedly smelled alcohol on him, and asked him about it. Messmer allegedly said he had drank earlier in the day Monday.

Police said he submitted to field sobriety tasks, which showed indicators of impairment.

A blood test was done that will be analyzed by the TBI Crime Lab.

He was charged with DUI and possession of a firearm while under the influence of an intoxicant.

Messmer was decommissioned of all police authority and will face disciplinary action after an internal investigation into his actions.

A judge set his bond at $10,000 on both charges.

Messmer is a 20-year veteran of the department.

Source:newschannel5.com

Former Los Angeles elementary school teacher gagged-bond-raped two dozen children www.privateofficer.com

 

 

LOS ANGELES CA Feb 1 2012 – A former Los Angeles elementary school teacher was arrested after he allegedly gagged and made bondage photos of nearly two dozen children — possibly inside a classroom, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday.

A department statement said Mark Berndt, 61, was arrested at his Torrance home on Monday and remained jailed Tuesday on $2.3 million bail.

The district attorney’s office said Berndt has been charged with committing lewd acts with 23 boys and girls ages 7 to 10.

Berndt worked for more than 30 years at Miramonte Elementary School in an unincorporated area of south Los Angeles before being fired.

The investigation began when a film processor gave authorities some 40 photographs depicting blindfolded children in a classroom with their mouths taped shut.

Some of the photos showed Berndt with his arm around the children or with his hand over their mouths.

“In addition, the photographs depicted girls with what appeared to be a blue plastic spoon, filled with an unknown clear/white liquid substance, up to their mouths as if they were going to ingest the substance. There are also photos of children with large live Madagascar-type cockroaches on their faces and mouths,” the statement said.

A blue plastic spoon and container found in trash in his classroom tested positive for semen, the statement said.

Source:mercurynews.com

Sussex Tech High School teacher arrested for sex crimes www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Georgetown DE Feb 1 2012 Delaware State Police have arrested a Sussex Tech High School teacher who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17 year old student.

On January 25, State Police Detectives were contacted by Sussex Tech school administration that the victim was involved in a sexual relationship with a teacher. Through further investigation it was determined that the teacher and student have had an apparent sexual relationship since the beginning of January 2012.

Charles B. Coursey, 38, of Milton, was charged with three counts of Sexual Abuse of Child by a Person of Trust and four counts of Unlawful Sexual Contact.

Further investigation revealed, the suspect and the victim entered into a cellular phone text messaging relationship while at school. This developed into them meeting outside of school and engaging in a sexual relationship. In the course of this exchange, Coursey sent obscene photos of himself to the victim.

Coursey has additionally been charged with two counts of Dealing in Child Pornography and two counts of Obscenity and was arraigned at JP3. He is committed to SCI on $80,000 cash bail.

Escambia County High School coach arrested for sexual arrested www.privateofficer.com

 

 

ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. Feb 1 2012 - An Escambia County High School coach is out on bond after investigators said he picked a student up from his home and then sexually assaulted him.

Escambia County Sheriff’s investigators arrested part-time track coach Paul Jones at Pine Forest High School Monday.

“We received a call over the weekend of a student who stated he was sexually assaulted by his track coach,” said Escambia County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sergeant Mike Ward

Authorities said Jones picked the student up from his home around 10 p.m. Friday night.

“They went out, Paul took him to several different bars and adult establishments where Paul provided and bought alcohol,” Ward said.

“He woke up the next morning, in a bed he didn’t recognize, in a house he didn’t recognize, and he was nude.”

Officials said Jones took the student home and later the student complained of internal injuries.

“At some point, he did black out or pass out; so he only remembers the early part of the evening and when he woke up,” Ward said.

Ward said investigators posed as the victim and used his cell phone to send Jones text messages.

“With the text messaging, they had enough information to charge him with sexual battery and giving alcohol to a person under 21,” Ward said.

Jones was released from jail on $60,000 bond.

FOX10 contacted school officials, but they didn’t call us back.

At this time, officials do not know if there was a relationship between the student and coach outside of school.

Source:WALA

Former Birmingham City School security officer pleads guilty to producing child porn www.privateofficer.com

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Feb 1 2012  – A former Birmingham City Schools security officer pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography.

Court documents show that Michael Wayne Wooten, 60, of Alabaster, used an office at Dupuy Elementary school to take modeling pictures of girls between August 2009 and April 2010.

The court documents say that one of the victims informed her parents of potentially inappropriate conduct by Wooden after one of the “modeling” sessions.

Investigators found multiple computers containing child pornography at Wooten’s home. Some of the images produced by Wooten included girls between 4 and 9 years old engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

“Wooten’s crimes highlight the need for us to remain vigilant in protecting our children, the most vulnerable in our society, from sexual predators,” U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance said.

Wooten faces a mandatory 15 year prison term for the child pornography offense with a maximum of 30 years.

The FBI and Birmingham Police Department assisted in the investigation.

Source:CBS42

Bar patron arrested for biting security www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Chandler AZ Feb 1 2012 A man who was arrested on charges of biting the owner and a bouncer at El Coyote Sports Bar in Chandler told one of the victims he has AIDS, police said Tuesday.

Salvadore Navarro, 39, is accused of assaulting the two men after being forced to leave the bar around 1:55 a.m. Monday.

According to police, a Chandler officer saw what he thought was the suspect dancing outside of the bar and then saw the bouncer chasing after Navarro.

The incident started when the owner of the bar tried to throw Navarro out because he was very intoxicated. According to police reports, Navarro then bit him on the arm.

As the bouncer was escorting Navarro out, police say Navarro also bit him in the arm.

Navarro laughed at the bouncer and told him that he had AIDS. According to police reports, Navarro told officers he only said it to scare the bouncer away from him.

He also told police that he has only been in the country for one month and has no place to stay.

Police saw injuries on the victims consistent with biting. Officers also said the bouncer was “visibly upset” over being bitten.

Navarro was booked on charges of aggravated assault and threatening and intimidating.

Tennessee man wore security guard uniform during bank robbery-pleads guilty www.privateofficer.com

 

 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. Feb 1 2012 (AP) — A Tennessee man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to robbing two financial institutions in West Virginia.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin says 51-year-old Charles Jeffrey Asher wore a security guard uniform and threatened tellers with a replica pistol during both robberies.

Asher entered his plea Monday in federal court in Huntington. Sentencing is set for May 3.

Asher admitted robbing the First Priority Federal Credit Union in Barboursville on Aug. 23, 2011 and a BB&T branch in Hurricane on Oct. 3, 2011.

According to court records, Asher was released from a federal prison in Kentucky on Aug. 19, 2011 and taken to a bus station in Huntington. He was supposed to go to a halfway house in Nashville, Tenn., but he never arrived.

Source:KnoxNews.com

Security guard dies in traffic accident www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Shropshire England Feb 1 2012 A man has died and two people were hurt after their security van hit a tree.

Paramedics were called to the A49 in Church Stretton in Shropshire at about 10:30 GMT.

A man travelling in the back was trapped for a time. He went into traumatic cardiac arrest and died at the scene, emergency crews said.

The driver was trapped for about 90 minutes and suffered serious injuries. A third man suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Ambulance crews arrived to find a security van that had left the road and been in a significant collision with a tree.

Airlifted to hospital

“The driver of the van and a man travelling in the back of the vehicle had both suffered serious injuries and were trapped in the van.

“The man in the back of the van went into traumatic cardiac arrest at the scene and received immediate advanced life support.

“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of ambulance staff and the doctor in attendance, nothing could be done to save the man and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

“The driver of the van, a man in his mid 40′s, suffered serious leg, pelvic and head injuries.”

He was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The third man taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for further treatment.

Orlando district fire chief facing road rage charges www.privateofficer.com

 

 

ORLANDO, Fla. Feb 1 2012An Orlando district fire chief is facing charges, accused of beating up a man during a road rage incident.

Rob Rivenbark, a 25 year veteran, was arrested on misdemeanor battery charges. He bonded out of jail on a $500 bond on Sunday.

The incident happened Saturday when Rivenbark was involved in a fender bender.

The man who rear-ended the district chief said it was an accident, but he claims Rivenbark over reacted.

“A fireman, he would have asked are you okay? But he didn’t do that. He threatened to kill me two or three times. He was shaking, beating my head,” said victim, Dave Bremer.

Bremer said Rivenbark was in front of him and slammed on his brakes at the railroad tracks off John Young Parkway. He said he wasn’t able to stop in time and rear-ended Rivenbark.

Bremer said Rivenbark then grabbed him in his car.

“He started telling me he was going to kill me,” Bremer said. “He grabbed me by the neck and hair and just slammed me.”

The police did notify Rivenbark’s superiors about the off-duty arrest.

WFTV asked whether the accused fire chief will face any punishment.

Administrators said once they see all the paperwork they’ll determine if he should be disciplined.

Bremer was also issued a ticket for following Rivenbark’s car too closely.

Source:WFTV.com

California man charged in fraud at Neiman Marcus in the Natick Mall www.privateofficer.com

 

 

NATICK NY Feb 1 2012 — Police arrested a California man Saturday after they say he bought more than $8,000 of Apple computer products and expensive clothing with a credit card he obtained using a fake driver’s license.

Aaron Carter, 33, of Burbank, signed up for a credit card at Neiman Marcus in the Natick Mall on Saturday by using a forged Ohio driver’s license, police said.

Under the name William Sharp, he bought $450 Gucci shoes and a $4,300 Chanel purse, police said.

The same day, Carter bought an iPhone, Macbook Pro, iPad and other merchandise totaling $3,600 at the Apple store in the mall.

Neiman Marcus employees, suspicious of the expensive purchases, alerted mall security, who detained Carter after a brief struggle, police said.

Security officers called Natick Police, who contacted the real William Sharp in Ohio, who identified himself using his Social Security number.

Police arrested Carter at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and charged him with three counts of uttering a forged credit card, two counts of larceny of more than $250, two counts of uttering false documents, one count of identity fraud and possession of a forged Registry document (a driver’s license).

Carter was arraigned in Framingham District Court yesterday and released after paying the $2,000 cash bail set by Judge Robert Greco.

Source:www.metrowestdailynews.com

Tacoma’s Stadium High School security officer charged with sexual contact with students www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

 

Tacoma WA Feb 1 2012 Pierce County prosecutors Monday charged a campus security officer at Tacoma’s Stadium High School with having illegal sexual contact with two students.
Donte D. Lipscomb, 31, pleaded not guilty to four counts of first-degree sexual misconduct with a minor. Superior Court Judge pro-tem Sergio Armijo ordered Lipscomb jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Lipscomb’s attorney, Desmond Kolke, said his client, who is a husband and the father of three, denies the charges and intends to fight them.
Tacoma police arrested Lipscomb last week after a nearly two-week investigation of his conduct. One of the teenage girls Lipscomb is accused of having sex with told school officials about the alleged relationship Jan. 13, according to charging papers.
The girl, now 17, later told detectives she and Lipscomb carried on a sexual relationship from June 2010 to June 2011. Lipscomb sometimes took her out of class so they could have sex on campus, the documents show.
The girl said she gave Lipscomb nearly $300 cash over the course of their relationship because she “thought he would like her more,” court records show.
She told detectives Lipscomb also was having sex with another girl.
That girl, also 17, told investigators she had sex one time with Lipscomb in the school security office in December. She also said Lipscomb called the girls to his office earlier this month and told the other girl to lie about their previous sexual relationship, the documents show.
It is illegal in Washington for school employees to have sex with students, even if the sex is consensual and the student is legally of age.
The school district placed Lipscomb on paid administrative leave and notified law enforcement immediately upon learning of the allegations against him, said Shannon McMinimee, the district’s attorney.
Lipscomb also coached Stadium High School’s “C” basketball team and previously worked at Oakland Alternative School, district spokesman Dan Voelpel said. He began working with the district in October 2006.
The district will conduct its own investigation into the matter, including reviewing policies and procedures involving campus security officers and their access to students, McMinimee said.

Source:www.thenewstribune.com

Police charge man in assault on Manatee Memorial Hospital security www.privateofficer.com

 

 

BRADENTON Fla Feb 1 2012 — A man was arrested Saturday for kicking a security guard in his chest at Manatee Memorial Hospital, an arrest report shows.
Lee Zuccarini, 32, was at the hospital for treatment when he became upset and began to “swing his hands in a punching motion towards the staff,” and kicked a security guard in his chest, the report says.
The incident was captured on surveillance video. Zuccarini was arrested and charged with battery on a security officer and medical provider.

Sgt. Scott receives Court Officer of Year Award www.privateofficer.com

 

Genesee County NY Feb 1 2012 Sgt. William C. Scott of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office has been selected by the New York State Sheriffs’ Association Insititute to receive its “Court Officer of the Year” award.

The award was presented to Sgt. Scott during the 78th New York State Sheriffs’ Association Winter Training Conference Jan. 25 in Albany. Segt. Scott was nominated for this award by Genesee County Sheriff Gary T. Maha.

This award is given to an employee assigned to the Sheriff’s Court Security Division whose exceptional career achievements and conscientious devotion to duty have demonstrated a spirit of selfless public service.

“Sergeant Scott has not only demonstrated exceptional career achievements over his tenure with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, but he continues to demonstrate a strong and conscientious devotion to duty as supervisor of the Court Security Detail,” Maha said.

Scott is a lifelong resident of Genesee County and was hired by the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office on May 23, 1977, as a dispatcher.

On March 27, 1979, Scott was appointed a deputy sheriff and assigned to the Genesee County Jail. He worked in Corrections until June 14, 1983, when he transferred to deputy sheriff (road patrol).

Scott received his basic police training at the Monroe Community College Regional Criminal Justice Training Center. On Nov. 6, 1995, then Deputy Scott was assigned to Court Security Detail.

On Jan. 13, 1996, he was promoted to sergeant and worked road patrol until 1997 when Genesee County built a new, consolidated Courts Facility and Scott was assigned as supervisor to our Court Security Detail, a position he still holds today.

As supervisor of the Court Security Detail, which consists of five deputy sheriffs and himself, Scott is responsible for the daily safety and security of all the judges, courts facility building and visitors to the complex.

He works very closely with all courts and departments within the courts facility, which includes the District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender’s Office, County Court, Family Court, Surrogate Court, and City Court.

During 2010, 66,176 persons were screened and 21,471 items were scanned by the Courts Facility Security Detail. A total of 368 items were secured, which included knives, scissors, firearms, razors, mace and drug paraphernalia.

Scott has received four Meritorious Service Awards, was named Officer of the Year in 1986, and is the recipient of numerous letters and memorandums of appreciation.

He has almost 35 years of service with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office; 14 of which are with the Court Security Detail.

‘‘Sergeant Scott is a great asset to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office and to law enforcement in general. He is most deserving of this award,’’ Maha said.

Source:thedailynewsonline.com

Rapper Machine Gun Kelly, two members of crew arrested in St. Petersburg club brawl www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

ST. PETERSBURG Fla Feb 1 2012 — Richard Baker, a.k.a. Ohio rapper Machine Gun Kelly, and two members of his crew were arrested early Sunday after sparking a huge brawl at Bishop Tavern, according to St. Petersburg police.

The rapper, who was raised by missionary parents, discussed Sunday’s events on Twitter.

“The weirdest part of it was how many inmates in there knew who I was …,” Baker wrote Sunday after his release from Pinellas County Jail.

The incident took place at 3 a.m. at 260 First Ave. N. Baker had performed Saturday night at the State Theatre, then headed to the Bishop, where they were in the second-floor VIP section.

A woman was requesting a song from the DJ, according to police, when the rapper’s manager came up behind her. The manager, Andre Cisco, 26, grabbed her inappropriately, and simulated a sex act.

The woman objected, and a bouncer intervened. Fighting quickly ensued. The club’s manager summoned police, who estimated there were 50 to 75 people involved when they arrived.

Both Baker, 21, and Cisco were charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and freed Sunday morning after each posting $100 bail. Anthony Jackson, 22, a member of Baker’s entourage, was charged with three misdemeanors: disorderly conduct, simple battery and resisting an officer without violence. He was freed Sunday afternoon after posting $900 bail.

Allentown nightclub security officer gunned down after dispute with patron www.privateofficer.com

 

Allentown PA Feb 1 2012 Weeks after he was kicked out of an Allentown nightclub for fighting, Pedro Alicea-Perez returned early Sunday hoping to get back in.

Andy Hernandez Rojas, one of the Tu Casa Night Club’s six bouncers, told Alicea-Perez he was not allowed back because of the past disturbance. Rojas remembered him from the incident four weeks earlier because he got punched that night as he was trying to escort Alicea-Perez out of the club, employees there say.

“Andy told him he had to go,” said Kevin Rodriguez, the 18-year-old son of the owners of the club and adjacent restaurant. “He wasn’t supposed to come back.”

Alicea-Perez left and the night continued without a hitch.

A few hours later — around 2:45 a.m. Sunday — after his shift had ended, Rojas, a 29-year-old father of two, was gunned down in center city. Alicea-Perez has been charged in the killing.

Allentown police have not said what prompted the killing, but employees at Tu Casa are sure it stemmed from the earlier altercation.

According to court records, police found numerous .380-caliber casings and some fragments on N. Morris Street, an alley off Seventh Street, and were told the shooter may have gone to an apartment in the 200 block of N. Seventh St.

Surveillance cameras showed Alicea-Perez leaving that apartment and police found a .380-caliber gun under a bed when they searched the apartment, the records say.

Alicea-Perez, 35, of Allentown is facing homicide and related charges.

Hundreds attended a candlelight vigil Sunday night outside the nightclub, centered in a strip mall at American Parkway and Hamilton Street. Other memorials and fundraisers are planned this week to honor the bouncer known as “El Fuerte,” or the “The Strong One.”

“He was a wonderful person,” said Edward Vargas, a cook at the Tu Nueva Casa Restaurant. “He didn’t deserve this.”

Vargas said he hopes the strong showing by the community will help put an end to the violence on the city’s streets.

Proceeds from Saturday night at Tu Casa will be used for funeral expenses and to help support Rojas’ girlfriend and their two daughters, Rodriguez said. Pledging their support, DJs from local nightclubs Maingate and La Gran Palma will perform that night at Tu Casa.

Other local businesses are also accepting donations and holding their own fundraisers to help the family. Rojas worked two jobs to support his family, as a forklift operator in the daytime and a bouncer at night.

Rojas was more than just an employee, Rodriguez said, he was family, literally a distant cousin. He said Rojas began working for the club when it opened three years ago. Other relatives also worked at the club or the restaurant, he said.

Rodriguez and Rojas worked closely at the club: Rodriguez at the front door accepting entrance fees while Rojas checked IDs and did pat-down checks. Besides the six bouncers watching the 200 to 300 club-goers, the club hired off-duty Allentown police officers to watch the outside, he said.

Rodriguez said he does not know what the fight inside the club was about that forced bouncers to kick Alicea-Perez out four weeks earlier. When a person is kicked out of the club, he is not allowed back in for several weeks, if at all, depending on what he did.

“He punched Andy that night,” Rodriguez remembered about the incident four weeks earlier. “He was just doing his job.”

Thieves steal 125-year-old cementary wrought iron fence www.privateofficer.com

 

 

LUCEDALE, Miss. Feb 1 2012 – The George County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the theft of a 125-year-old wrought iron fence that borders the Fairley Cemetery in the Benndale community southwest of Lucedale.

Sheriff Dean Howell tells The Mississippi Press thieves interrupted a place of rest and peace by stealing the fence last week from around the cemetery.

Sheriff’s detectives say the thieves ripped the wrought iron fence right out of the ground, leaving only the cemetery gate.

The gate has been cemented into supporting posts.

Detectives say the metal structures were likely taken by thieves with the intention of selling them at a scrap yard, a common source of income for methamphetamine users.

Source:gulflive.com

Broward Sheriff’s deputy arrested after confrontation with a driver www.privateofficer.com

 

PLANTATION Fla Feb 1 2012  – A Broward Sheriff’s deputy is under arrest and on administrative leave after he got into a confrontation with a driver last year.

According to the his arrest warrant deputy Paul Pletcher, 37, will likely face a number of charges including burglary by conveyance, battery and criminal mischief.

Neyda Osorio said on May 23rd she was drove her Ford F-150 truck out of a shopping center on 441 near Broward Boulevard headed westbound. She then made a u-turn and started heading east when her passenger, Selvin Guerra, noticed that a deputy was trying to get their attention.

Osorio said Pletcher, who was driving a newer model white Dodge Charger with police striping and a police light bar mounted on top of the vehicle, was verbally abusive.

One of Osorio’s attorneys, Edward McGee, described what Osorio heard the deputy saying.

“The officer made ethnic slurs about her Hispanic heritage and told her essentially to go back where she came from,” said McGee.

She pulled over and as Pletcher came up to them, Osorio asked Guerra to record on her Blackberry.

According to a Plantation Police search warrant, Osorio said Pletcher “repeatedly demanded they give him the phone stating they would be placed under arrest if they did not turn it over.”

Osorio claims Pletcher restrained her when he reached into her truck and put his arm across her neck. He then grabbed her cellphone out of her purse.

She said there was a struggle and her wrist was injured.

Osorio also said she handed Pletcher her driver’s license and green card. According to the arrest report, Pletcher looked at the green card and “then threw it at her striking her in the face area.”

At that point, Osorio said Pletcher told her to drive into a bank parking lot. Pletcher drove away with Osorio’s cellphone and driver’s license.

Osorio told the bank’s security guard what had happened and asked to use his cellphone to call 911.

When Plantation police arrived, they found part of Osorio’s phone in the bank’s parking lot. It’s battery and case were found in the driveway of the East Grove Apartments on West Broward Boulevard.

BSO forensic techs put the phone back together and downloaded the video. Two of Pletcher’s former supervisor’s at BSO identified him in the video.

Osorio said she is still shocked over the incident.
“I never believed a police officer would act in this way,” she said, as translated by another of her attorneys, Paul Finizio.

The search warrant is for Pletcher’s marked BSO vehicle. The warrant says that Osorio’s driver’s license has not been recovered.

The warrant also says “Pletcher was not on duty during the time of this incident and there is no indication of any radio contact with B.S.O. dispatch” during the traffic stop.

Source:CBS4

Eight TSA workers at Newark Airport suspended www.privateofficer.com

 

 

Newark NJ Feb 1 2012 Eight TSA workers at Newark Airport have been suspended from their jobs for a variety of reasons, including failing to screen baggage properly to even falling asleep on the job.

The New York Post reports that a federal probe has been launched to investigate Terminal B at Newark, which handles Delta Airlines flights and some international flights.

An official told the Post: “They did find people sleeping on the job on the midnight crew. A plane goes out at 2 a.m., and there’s no activity for a while, so they’ll sit down and go to sleep.”

Other workers have been probed for stealing and failing to screen bags properly.

NJ.com reports that a veteran screener named Kujuanne McNiel is being let go after an incident on December 22 when he failed to to screen two bags; as a result, two planeloads of luggage had to be unloaded and rescreened, the TSA told the site.

An official with the local union told the site that failures by the TSA workers were likely due to poor training, noting that the previous trainer in charge of Newark’s security, Barbara Bonn Powell, was recently dismissed.

In December, it was reported that 12 TSA workers at Charlotte Douglas International botched screenings. The TSA recommended that they be fired.

NM security officer gunned down www.privateofficer.com

 

 

ARTESIA, N.M. Feb 1 2012  – A security guard in southeast New Mexico was murdered on the job. Police believe the killer is the subject of a 9-1-1 call the guard made, just moments before his phone went dead.

West Main Street in Artesia is a busy place during the day, but abandoned at night. It became a crime scene Sunday night, when police said 24-year old Michael Evans was killed.

Evans was on duty for Sierra Security, guarding the area around the Yates Petroleum building.

He called police to report a suspicious person in the alley.

“Well at ten o’clock at night on a Sunday, that business is closed,” Sgt. Lindell Smith, of the Artesia Police Department explained. “There isn’t anybody that would normally be coming in and out, aside from employees.”

Evans told police the suspicious man walked away when he spotted Evans talking on the phone. When Evans moved toward another building, he saw the man again and told dispatch the man was walking toward him.

The suspect was described as tall and skinny, wearing black gloves, a green jacket or sweatshirt, and had a blue bandana over his face. The man also had a silver gun.

Evans told dispatch it seemed the man was flagging him down, and that’s when his phone went dead.

Police arrived about three minutes after Evans called them, but it was too late. Sgt. Smith said Evans was found in his security car shot to death.

Smith said there were no signs on scene of a struggle. Evans suffered a gunshot wound to the head, and was pronounced dead at the hospital a short time later.

Sgt. Smith said there’s nothing on scene that tells police Evans stumbled on a crime in progress.

“I don’t want to say that this is a random thing because, you know we don’t know that for certain, but Mr. Evans seemed to be on duty, doing what he was assigned to do,” said Smith.

Security cameras in the area recorded the crime, and police are pouring over the tapes and working all leads to find the killer.

“As soon as we identify that person, we’ll hold him accountable for his crimes,” said Smith.

So far, no witnesses have come forward.

This is Artesia’s second homicide this year.

Source:krge

TSA officials leave possible pipe bombs six hours before calling police www,privateofficer.com

 

Queens NY Feb 1 2012 TSA officials have been blasted for ‘outrageous’ bungling after it emerged that they found two possible pipe bombs in a passenger’s luggage at New York’s La Guardia Airport yesterday – but waited six hours before telling the police.

The suspicious objects were kept in a public area used by hundreds of passengers, and at one point were left casually resting on a radiator.

Although the pipes turned out to be harmless, the blunder is a clear violation of TSA policy, under which all suspicious activity must be referred to the police.
One Port Authority police official said: ‘Six hours to report a potential bomb? It’s outrageous.’

Sources told the New York Post that the pipes were confiscated from a male passenger’s bag at La Guardia’s central terminal at around 11.30am.

A TSA employee who spotted the pipes during a bag x-ray was quoted as saying, ‘When I saw the image, I took a step backward and said, ‘What’s that?!’

A second screener who saw the pipes, which were silver and gold in colour and appeared to have springs inside them, agreed they could be bombs.

The pair called their supervisor, who questioned the passenger and was told the pipes were for use in homeopathic medicine.

Sources claimed the passenger was allowed to board his flight without any details being recorded. The confiscated pipes were left lying around the screening area.

It was not until 3pm that the supervisor decided to notify a TSA bomb specialist, who took another two hours to arrive.

The Port Authority Police Department bomb squad were notified when the expert decided that the pipes could potentially be explosive devices, and the security area was closed down.

A TSA spokesman claimed the agency notified the police only ‘out of an abundance of caution,’ adding that the items were ‘voluntarily surrendered’.

The incident is the latest in a series of embarrassments for the TSA, which recently suspended eight airport security workers at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey for failing to check luggage for potential bombs, sleeping while on duty and even allegedly stealing from passengers.

TSA agents also sparked a security scare at Los Angeles International Airport last Friday after they mistook a diabetic woman’s insulin pump for a weapon.

The woman was reportedly detained and questioned while police investigated the possible threat, causing an hour’s delay to flights.

Last week, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, the son of possible Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, claimed he was detained after refusing a pat-down by TSA agents after a scanner found an ‘anomaly’ as he walked through a security checkpoint.

Past incidents have seen TSA officials allegedly helping themselves to cake from passengers’ luggage.

In December, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs attempted to fly to a gig in Denver with two large bags of marijuana in his luggage.

Instead of confiscating it, the TSA agent who inspected the bag instead left simply left a note saying, ‘C’mon son’.