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Philadelphia Eagles coach’s son found dead at Lehigh University www.privateofficer.com
BETHLEHEM, Pa. Aug 6 2012— Garrett Reid, the oldest son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, was found dead Sunday morning in his room at the club’s training camp at Lehigh University. He was 29.
The police chief at Lehigh, Edward Shupp, said a 911 call was made at 7:20 a.m., and that Garrett Reid was dead when a policeman arrived at the campus dormitory. A cause of death has not been determined.
There were no suspicious activities,” Shupp said.
The 29-year-old Reid struggled with drug abuse for years and was imprisoned for a 2007 high-speed car crash in which another driver was injured. Police found heroin, which Reid admitted to using, and more than 200 pills in his car. When he surrendered to begin serving his sentence in that case, prison guards found Reid had tried to smuggle prescription pills into jail.
Reid seemed to have rebounded from his problems in recent times and was assisting the Eagles’ strength coaches at camp in an unofficial capacity, a not-uncommon sort of role for NFL coaches’ sons. Many of the coaches and staff stay in the Lehigh dorms.
In the midst of his legal troubles in his early 20s, Reid said he “got a thrill” out of being a drug dealer in a lower-income neighborhood just a few miles from his parents’ suburban Villanova mansion.
“I liked being the rich kid in that area and having my own high-status life,” Reid told a probation officer, according to court testimony in November 2007. “I could go anywhere in the ‘hood. They all knew who I was. I enjoyed it. I liked being a drug dealer.”
At his sentencing hearing, Reid told the judge: “I don’t want to die doing drugs. I don’t want to be that kid who was the son of the head coach of the Eagles, who was spoiled and on drugs and OD’d and just faded into oblivion.”
His younger brother, Britt, also had problems with drug use and was arrested on the same day as Garrett in 2007 for a road-rage encounter. Police discovered weapons and drugs in Britt Reid’s vehicle.
The Eagles practiced Sunday morning after gathering for a team prayer, but Andy Reid was not present. Assistants Marty Mornhinweg and Juan Castillo ran the team’s walkthrough and will oversee the Eagles until Reid returns. Owner Jeffery Lurie said he expected Reid back this week.
The afternoon session Sunday went on, but Lurie canceled his annual state of the team address.
“Today is one of life’s tough days,” Lurie said. “Andy is a rock solid man. I think what makes him a great coach is his combination of compassion, feeling and strength. And today, he exhibited it all. It’s unimaginable. We’ve all suffered — most of us have suffered tragedy in our lives. Losing a son is unimaginable. Losing a child is unimaginable — the pain. Again, he is rock solid.”
Expressions of sympathy came from everywhere around the league.
“My condolences go out to Coach Reid and his family,” quarterback Michael Vick tweeted. “Stay strong and we LOVE you coach.”
Said Commissioner Roger Goodell: “We are deeply saddened by the news about Garrett Reid. Our thoughts and prayers are with Andy, Tammy and their family. We will support them and the Eagles in any way we can through this difficult time.”
Authorities had few details about Garrett Reid’s death.
“What I can tell you is this morning we were contacted by the Lehigh campus police department and (were) requested to respond for the discovery of a deceased male,” said Northampton County coroner Zachary Lysek. “We are conducting an investigation with the cooperation of the Lehigh campus police department and I personally pronounced Mr. Reid deceased at the scene.”
Andy Reid, a father of five, took a leave of absence from the Eagles during the 2007 offseason to spend more time with his family.
Reid is in his 14th season in Philadelphia. He’s led the Eagles to nine playoff appearances, six NFC East titles, five conference championship games and one Super Bowl loss.
“We’ve been with Andy for a long time. He’s always been strong for us; we’re going to be strong for him right now,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said. “As a father and a friend, we’re all hurting.”
Source:AP
Stuff confiscated at airport is auctioned in Sacramento www.privateofficer.com
There’s a chance your confiscated belongings found a new owner Saturday at the state property auction in Natomas run by the California Department of General Services.
The auction featured hundreds of items that have been confiscated by the national Transportation Security Administration and the California Highway Patrol, along with surplus equipment from various state agencies. Items ranging from computers and cellphones to office furniture and jewelry were made available to the public.
“Most of the crowd consists of small businesses and resellers,” said Monica Hassan, a spokeswoman for General Services. “We’re expecting to see somewhere between 300 and 600 people come through the auction.”
Participants were allowed to preview the items on Friday and Saturday morning. The auction itself began at 10 a.m. and bidders were required to submit a $100 refundable cash deposit in order to receive a bid paddle.
Hassan said the auction draws in a lot of resellers because items tend to be sold in bulk packages. While some lots do provide consumers with the option of bidding on just one item, such as a 17-inch Gateway flat screen monitor, most lots lump similar items together.
Ahmad Aladdasi, a Sacramento resident who has been attending the auction for years, said he makes a point of coming to check out the collection of pocket knives that have been confiscated by the TSA.
“This is my fifth or sixth time here,” said Aladdasi. “I buy various things but mostly pocket knives. I collect them and sell them.”
Aladdasi said that he expects to spend around $150 per box of pocket knives, and that each box contains about 50 knives.
“Half of them are in bad shape already. I throw those ones together in a bag and sell them online for cheap,” he said. “But the others I sell individually on eBay, Amazon and at flea markets, and the really nice ones I keep for myself, for my collection.”
Despite the auction’s attempt to market itself to business owners, many people arrived to make personal purchases as well.
Maureen Lynch said she first heard about the auction through a television advertisement, and that while she had attended estate sales before, this was her first time at an auction.
“I’m here mostly to get a keyboard and monitor for my Dell computer,” said Lynch of Sacramento. “But now that I’m here and there’s a while before they get to those, I’m also looking at the bikes and the jewelry.”
Lynch said that she was going to “play it by ear” and was hoping to pay less than $100 for the monitor and keyboard combined.
“I’m just trying this out. If I can’t get (the monitor and keyboard) together for less than $100, I’ll probably just end up going to a real store,” said Lynch.
General Services said the event brings in some customers like Lynch every year.
“Some people come by just because they’re curious to see what this is,” said Hassan. “And then there are those who, honestly, are just trying to find a good deal, especially on computers and cellphones and other electronics.”
Many participants were using smartphones during the course of the auction to check on retail prices before raising their paddles.
In addition to the usual items that appear at the auction every year, this year’s event also featured a few surprises, including a package containing a snowboard and didgeridoos confiscated by the TSA.
Organizers weren’t sure exactly how the didgeridoos – an Australian wind instrument – got to the auction, but said that particular lot received a lot of attention.
“My guess is that at some point TSA might have thought it could be used as a weapon,” said Hassan. “Or maybe someone left it behind at an airport. We auction off those items as well.”
Tracy Chatters, one of the bidders for the didgeridoos, said she was hoping to get one for her son. She said that her son didn’t care for the snowboard that came with the package and that he just wanted the instrument. Chatters ended up being outbid for the lot.
A total of 1,018 lots were auctioned Saturday, with all the funds going to the state. According to the Department of General Services, the last auction brought in $90,000. The department won’t know until Tuesday how much was raised at Saturday’s auction.
Source:www.sacbee.com
Drexel University police shoot man who assaulted officer-grabbed for weapon www.privateofficer.com
PHILADELPHIA PA Aug 6 2012 – Officials at a Philadelphia university say a campus police officer shot and wounded a man who punched him in the face and grabbed for his service weapon.
Drexel officials and Philadelphia police say a university employee reported at about 6 p.m. Friday that she had been harassed by a stranger as she walked to her car.
Officials said the officer was escorting the woman to her car when the suspect approached, punched him and grabbed for his gun.
They said he got control of the weapon and fired twice, hitting the man in his leg and arm.
The Philadelphia Inquirer said the man, who gave officials a false name, was in stable condition at a hospital.
The office was treated for a cut to his face.
Philadelphia police are investigating.
Englewood Walmart employees accused of stealing goods, selling them online www.privateofficer.com
Danny Eugene Mayes and Andrew Scott Mosher, both 19, were arrested Wednesday after detectives say the pair stole $4,000 worth of electronics from the store they were working in.
Store security contacted CCSO on Tuesday following an internal investigation that two employees were stealing items from the store. Detectives met with security and learned that Mosher and Mayes had been removing items from boxes and hiding the empty packaging at various locations in the store, according to the report.
Among the items stolen were five Apple iPads, a PlayStation Vita, various games, earphones, and a knife. Detectives say both stole the items and Mayes was reportedly selling them on the internet to buyers in Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and Fort Myers for money needed to go to college.
Detectives recovered some of the unsold items and $1,020 in cash from the sale of the other items.
Both have been charged with Grand Theft and Dealing in Stolen Property. Mayes bond was set at $27,000 and Mosher at $7,500.
Source:news-press.com
Civilian Pa. State Police employee charged with stealing $30K www.privateofficer.com
Scott L. Frederick, 42, of Mechanicsburg, allegedly diverted fake reimbursement checks into private bank accounts. Frederick was fired in June for forgery and theft.
He worked as a Budget Analyst within the Bureau of Staff Services.
Investigators say he created fraudulent invoices and altered court subpoenas in order to generate checks made payable to fictitious retired troopers for various court appearances that never took place.
After the paperwork was processed, Frederick would intercept the checks and forge the fictitious names on the back of the checks.
Frederick would present the forged checks to the bank as third-party checks.
Frederick signed his name below the forged signature, and deposit the checks into his own personal accounts.
In all, Frederick deposited 23 fraudulent checks into his personal accounts between October 2011 and May 2012.
The amount of these checks totaled $30,587.52. Frederick was employed by the Department since December 2005.
Frederick is charged with Forgery: 23 counts, Felony 2nd degree -Theft By Deception: 1 count, Felony 3rd degree -Receiving Stolen Property: 1 count, Felony 3rd degree -Tampering with Records or Identification: 24 counts, Misdemeanor 1st degree
Frederick was released on $20,000 unsecured bail. He waived his right to a Preliminary hearing.
Source:WPMT.com
Kansas highway worker killed on Interstate 470 www.privateofficer.com
Topeka KS Aug 6 2012 The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating a fatality accident between a car and a man who was working road construction.
The accident happened just after 6 a.m. Sunday morning in Topeka on Interstate 470. Investigators say the 41-year-old driver struck a worker who was standing on the side of the road.
The victim died at the scene. He has been identified as Curtis Harlan, 22, of Arma. Officials say he was a contract worker with KNAPP Construction. The driver and two passengers in the car suffered minor injuries.
It took emergency crews more than five hours to clear the scene. The highway has been reopened to traffic but one lane remains closed for pavement repairs.
Kimberly Qualls of Kansas Department of Transportation reminds drivers to be extra cautious in construction zones for the safety of those working on the roads.
“Drivers, the heat is on and our crews are out working hard to improve our highways. Please give our workers plenty of room, be patient, focus on the road and take it slow through the construction work zones,” said Qualls.
Source:KAKE.com
NH Psychologist pimped hookers, police allege www.privateofficer.com
PORTSMOUTH NH Aug 6 2012 — A clinical psychologist, with a private practice in Exeter, is wanted by police on a warrant alleging he operated a prostitution business out of a Portsmouth apartment.
Police announced Saturday that Alexander Marino, 38, of 565 #4 Sagamore Ave., Portsmouth, is wanted for a misdemeanor count of prostitution that alleges he knowingly allowed his apartment to be used for prostitution, and that he benefited financially from the sale of sex.
We’re alleging he received money back,” said Capt. Corey MacDonald. “It’s not like he passively owned the apartment.”
Marino is also charged with a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession alleging pot found in the apartment was his, said MacDonald. Marino’s name is on the apartment lease and he facilitated the sale of sex most recently through advertisements on the Web site backpage.com, said MacDonald.
According to the police captain, the prostitution business has been in operation for as long as a year.
According to Marino’s business Web site, he’s a licensed clinical psychologist with a practice on Front Street in Exeter, specializing in post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, panic disorder and insomnia.
A message left at Marino’s business seeking his comment was not immediately returned Saturday.
MacDonald said an investigation began with complaints from members of the community who reported different women bringing men from the apartment pool area into Marino’s apartment.
Witnesses also reported men arriving by taxi cabs and staying for brief periods of time, he said.
Based on those tips, police conducted an undercover surveillance operation and on Thursday night a woman was taken into custody on related charges, said MacDonald. Plain-clothes officers were in the area at the time when they smelled marijuana burning, he said. When an officer knocked on the door to Marino’s apartment, a man climbed out a window “and took flight while holding an open condom,” said MacDonald.
At the scene, police arrested Brooke Parent, 21, of Manchester, on a charge of prostitution alleging she offered to perform a sex act for $100.
A warrant has since been issued for the man police say went out the window and who was identified Saturday as Jim Parra, 22, of Kittery, Maine, for a misdemeanor count of prostitution, police said.
MacDonald said the case remains under investigation and may involve similar alleged crimes in Manchester and Portland, Maine.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call the lead investigator, Det. Rochelle Jones, at 610-7503.
Those individuals who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 431-1199 or (207) 439-1199. Reports may also be made through the Crime Stoppers Web site, http://www.seacoastcrimestoppers.org.
Source:seacoastonline.com
Boulder High School teacher arrested for exposing himself at garage sale www.privateofficer.com
Boulder CO Aug 6 2012 A Boulder High School teacher was arrested Saturday on suspicion of indecent exposure after police say he twice exposed himself to women at a community garage sale in Longmont.
James Kozlowski, 45, was booked and released on a summons from the Boulder County Jail on Saturday after police say he exposed his genitals to women at two separate garage sales taking place as part of neighborhood-wide event in north central Longmont.
“Apparently he came to the garage sales and he was wearing shorts and no underwear,” Longmont police Cmdr. Jeff Satur said. “During separate incidences at two different garage sales he exposed himself to females.”
Longmont police first received calls about Kozlowski’s alleged behavior at approximately 11:35 a.m. Saturday, according to a police report. Witnesses said that after exposing his genitals he left the scene in a new, silver SUV. Police used the SUV’s license plate number provided by a witness to contact Kozlowski, who matched descriptions of the suspect, according to the police report.
Kozlowski appears under the business, computers and technology heading of teachers and staff on Boulder High School’s website. He also serves as the boys golf coach.
Kozlowski, who graduated from Boulder High, coached the school’s girls basketball team to a state title in 1994. He was head coach of that team from 1992 until resigning his post in 2001, compiling a 138-57 record.
Kozlowski declined to comment on his arrest when reached by telephone at his Boulder home Saturday.
Boulder Valley School District spokesman Briggs Gamblin confirmed that Kozlowski is employed by the district but declined to comment on his arrest until district officials could gather more information.
“The district and administration will be reviewing the information from Longmont police first thing Monday morning and taking the appropriate personnel action,” Gamblin said.
Teachers are scheduled to report for the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year on Thursday, Gamblin said.
The first day for ninth-graders at Boulder High School is Aug. 15 with the rest of the student body starting on Aug. 16, according to the school’s academic calendar.
Indecent exposure is a class three misdemeanor under the Colorado Revised Statutes, punishable by up to six months in jail.
Source:the daily camera
Florida Security officer helps in arrest of burglar www.privateofficer.com
BRADENTON Fla Aug 6 2012 - A 24-year-old Bradenton man was arrested Saturday night on a variety of charges after he was caught burglarizing a residence.
The incident occurred just after 11 p.m. at the Swan Lake Mobile Home Park
Jeffrey Charles Perkins was booked into the Manatee County Jail where he is being held without bond. At the time of this arrest the suspect was already on felony probation for a previous conviction out of Manatee County.
According to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report a security guard was patrolling Swan Lake MHP when he observed Perkins, dressed in dark clothing, running from a trailer.
The guard followed the suspect as he ran across the street from the mobile home park into an adjacent apartment complex on 57th Ave. Several MCSO units were dispatched to that location.
Perkins was located in the parking lot of the apartment complex and taken into custody. He was identified by the security guard as the person he saw fleeing from the park.
Investigators went back to the trailer where Perkins had been spotted and found it had been forcibly entered. The owners of the property – who live up North during the summer – were contacted and told detectives they did not know Perkins and did not give him permission to be in the trailer.
A flat screen TV from the residence was also discovered outside the trailer in the front yard. The home had been ransacked investigators say.
Perkins was read his rights and taken into custody. He is facing one count of burglary and a violation of probation charge.
The suspect has an extensive arrest record that includes convictions on giving false information to a pawnbroker and dealing in stolen property charges.
Source: FOX 13
BMW crashes from top deck of mall parking garage www.privateofficer.com
MISSION VALLEY CA Aug 6 2012 — A BMW crashed over the edge of a third-story parking structure at Fashion Valley, injuring a passenger when it landed on its roof onto two parked cars Saturday.
The crash occurred about 1:15 p.m. near Cheesecake Factory and Nordstrom.
Police Officer Frank Cali said the driver of a silver BMW X5 was trying to back out of the space when another driver was passing by. The man pulled back into the space to let the car pass. On a second attempt to exit the space, another driver approached and honked the horn. When pulling back into the space, the man accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake, causing the SUV to plunge over the side of the structure, police said.
The SUV teetered for a bit before it flipped, landing on its roof on the front end of a Kia Sorrento and the back end of a Mercedes Benz sedan, shattering the glass on both vehicles.
The driver, who appeared to be in his 70s, was able to get out of the BMW on his own, police and witnesses said. His girlfriend, who was a passenger, was trapped in the wreckage. Witnesses did not want to further injure her and waited for paramedics to extricate her, said Chad Robley, who saw the crash and stopped to help.
She was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, said San Diego police accident investigator Mike Gottfried. The driver did not require hospitalization. No one on the ground was hurt.
The Kia and the Mercedes were parked illegally, police said.
One ground-level entrance to the parking garage was closed by mall officials, but all three levels of the parking garage remained open during the investigation.
Complaints allege sexual harassment in Las Vegas Constable’s Office www.privateofficer.com
Las Vegas NV Aug 6 2012 A discrimination complaint alleges Las Vegas Township Constable John Bonaventura regularly harassed female employees shortly after taking office in January 2011.
In March of that year, the complaint says, Bonaventura went so far as to talk about his excitement over the “hard body” of Kristy Henderson, Bonaventura’s only female deputy.
It’s one of many instances of alleged sexual harassment in Henderson’s July 16 complaint to the Clark County Office of Diversity. After she did not immediately hear back from that office, she said, she also filed a complaint July 27 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Henderson was fired July 13. She said she was told her “services were no longer needed,” but she believes her firing was retaliatory.
Another former Constable’s Office employee told the Sun that Bonaventura’s “harassing” comments to Henderson were well known throughout the office.
“Once he got to the office, those things started happening,” said Jenny Lawson. “He would even tell me that I was wearing a ‘very sexy dress.’ Him and all of his crew are just a bunch of pigs. … He thinks he is above everybody and there is no oversight.”
Stories of Henderson’s sexual harassment are so well known, employees from Constable’s Offices elsewhere in Clark County told the Sun they had even seen and/or witnessed it happening.
“They say some of the rudest things to their (female) clerks,” one employee, who did not want to be identified, said. “A lot of sexual connotations. No doubt it is a hostile work environment.”
The Sun left several requests for interviews Friday with Bonaventura and his spokesman, Lou Toomin.
Henderson’s 14-page complaint contains several handwritten pages of allegations indicating a pattern of sexual harassment beginning shortly after Bonaventura took office in January 2011. For instance, Henderson alleged, the constable asked her in February 2011 to wear a “mini-skirt and garter” to work instead of a deputy’s uniform.
In an April 2011 incident, Henderson said Bonaventura tried to hug and fondle her before she told him, “Stop. Don’t.”
On June 10, 2011, Henderson said she saw Bonaventura walking around with his pants zipper open. Henderson said another female employee reported it was something Bonaventura did regularity.
In November 2011, the complaint says, Henderson, Bonaventura and Toomin were together when Bonaventura made an inappropriate comment about Henderson. Toomin interjected: “John, you can’t say that. That’s sexual harassment.”
There are many more allegations in the complaint, and Henderson said another female in the office filed a complaint against Bonaventura with the county’s Office of Diversity about a year ago. The Sun could not reach that woman for comment. An Office of Diversity employee said complaints are considered private and never discussed with the media.
A question of jurisdiction lingers over the complaints. Clark County might not be able to do anything with the July 16 complaint, sources said, because it might not have jurisdiction.
Constables in Nevada are responsible for serving legal documents and evicting people, among other duties. The state sets fees for those services, and the constable is an elected official. The county approves the hiring of clerical staff but does not pay for them; the office is funded entirely through collected fees.
State Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas, has said she would introduce a bill in the 2013 legislative session to limit the power of constables in Nevada.
Bonaventura drew Kirkpatrick’s attention earlier this year when the Sun uncovered a YouTube video that was labeled as footage for a possible reality TV show. The video shows one of the constable’s deputies erroneously referring to himself as a police officer, another deputy arresting someone, and footage of staff and deputies cursing.
County commissioners at the time blasted the video as unprofessional.
The constable sent his staff to answer questions from county commissioners in January. They denied anyone was trying to create a reality TV show and told commissioners they were not moving forward with anything of the sort.
Friday, however, the Sun reported that Clark County staff saw a video crew with a deputy in July. Henderson said supervisors in the office asked numerous times for her to write a bio so writers could develop her character for a show.
County Commissioner Steve Sisolak, who has been a strong critic of the constable, said a Constable’s Office spokesman told him Friday that a video crew was taping a documentary for college students but not a reality TV show.
When told about Henderson’s complaint, Sisolak said, “It’s obvious (the Constable’s Office) needs more transparency and accountability in its operations and conduct. Those employees deserve the same protections all other employees deserve. These are serious allegations.”
Henderson was in the original YouTube video that drew Sisolak’s ire in January. Henderson wore bright red lipstick and talked in a native Brooklyn-esque accent. She now believes she was fired, in part, because she made it clear to her supervisors that she would have no part of a reality TV show.
She also believes her termination is related to her standing up for her boyfriend, Deputy Ray Jacoby, who was suspended for five days in early June.
Henderson said she argued with supervisors that the suspension was done without following state statutes, which outline a specific disciplinary process for peace officers. Jacoby has since hired an attorney and is seeking back pay, deletion of the suspension from his record and legal fees.
A few days after that argument, Henderson said, she was told her “services were no longer needed.”
“No explanation was given other than that,” she told the Sun.
Henderson is convinced, though, her termination has to do with Jacoby because of comments she alleges Bonaventura made in June 2012. Those comments, outlined in her complaint, happened when she was in Bonaventura’s office, with two other employees, discussing Jacoby’s suspension.
Henderson wrote: “Bonaventura said, ‘You know we love you, Kristy, just not Ray.’ And Lou Toomin said, ‘John, don’t lie to her. We won’t love you again until you dump Ray.’ Then (another employee) said, “Don’t worry Kristy, nothing will happen to you guys. The office needs to have its female (me), its Jew (Ray) and its black (another employee was named).”
Complaints filed with the EEOC typically end up in the Nevada Equal Rights Division. A spokeswoman in that office said sexual harassment complaints are one of several types of complaints the office receives. If a complaint is reviewed and actions alleged found to be discriminatory, the ensuing process to resolve the matter can end in a few months or last up to two years.
First, the two sides are asked to voluntarily come to agreement with help of a mediator. If that doesn’t work, an investigator will look into the case to seek findings of fact. Those findings can then be appealed to the commission board, appointed by the governor, to hear arguments in the case and make a ruling.
Source:Las Vegas Sun
Newark police officer commits suicide www.privateofficer.com
The officer, who was identified only as a “highly respected” veteran of more than 20 years, died shortly after 5 pm in the 300 block of N. 10th Street.
“He was a highly respected officer among his peers and in the community in which he served with pride. He will be sorely missed by all those with whom he interacted,” DeMaio stated. “On behalf of Chief [Sheilah] Coley and the entire Newark Police Department we extend our prayers to his family. Today is truly a sad and tragic day as we mourn the loss of one of our own.”
West Springfield police balk at use of reserves to patrol Bear Hole Reservoir www.privateofficer.com
Earlier this week, Mayor Gregory C. Neffinger said interim Police Chief Ronald P. Campurciani has asked the Police Department’s captains to work out a system for the patrols with the unions for local police.
About two weeks ago locals 365 and 365S of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, which represent patrolmen and superior officers, respectively, filed a grievance against the city. They grieved the city having reserve police officers patrol at the reservoir rather than pay full-time officers to do the work on overtime, something they argued violated their contracts.
Neffinger said the department’s captains are hammering out a plan that would make patrolling the reservoir part of officers’ regular work schedules. However, reserve police will continue to patrol the reservoir weekends, which they do for no pay as part of being trained, according to the mayor.
Robert F. Dickson, national representative for the two local police unions, said he was notified by the city Monday of those developments.
The union representative said he is satisfied with how the matter is being resolved and that if there is backsliding the union will file another grievance.
Neffinger had closed the reservoir to the public for two weeks partially to crack down on people illegally using all-terrain vehicles there, creating ruts in trails and causing erosion into Paucatuck Brook. The brook feeds into the reservoir, which is a backup source of city drinking water.
The closure was also to allow for clean up of illegally dumped materials at the resource.
Source:masslive.com
Kansas couple charged with lewd behavior in a Walmart pleads not guilty www.privateofficer.com
Hutchinson KS Aug 6 2012 A couple accused of stealing personal lubricant and fondling each other in front of shoppers at a Hutchinson Walmart have pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including lewd and lascivious behavior.
Julian R. Call, 22, and Tina F. Gianakon, 35, are accused of getting a little hot and bothered in front of customers Sunday, witnesses told the police, after allegedly shoplifting more than $100 in merchandise, including a tube of K-Y Jelly personal lubricant, Hutchinson police Capt. Troy Hoover said. A Walmart security guard apparently had been watching the pair open product packages and stash items in Gianakon’s purse when Call suddenly put his hand down the woman’s pants, police said.
The pair appeared in Hutchinson municipal court Friday morning to answer charges of lewd and lascivious behavior, theft and criminal damage to property. Both pleaded not guilty, according to a municipal court clerk.
The alleged theft and sexual behavior occurred shortly before 7 p.m. Sunday as customers browsed store shelves at Walmart, 1905 E. 17th St. Call and Gianakon were “not being secretive at all about this as other shoppers were doing their thing,” Hoover said, referring to the sex act.
In addition to the lubricant, police say the pair stole DVDs, styling gel, batteries, slippers, eyeliner, Midol-brand pain reliever and men’s socks.
Both were arrested on site. They were booked into Reno County Jail, each on $1,000 bail. Gianakon bonded out of jail Sunday, Hoover said. Call posted bail the next day.
Both are scheduled to appear for pretrial at 7:45 a.m. Aug. 29 in Hutchinson municipal court. Neither had an attorney as of Friday morning, the clerk said.
Call and Gianakon live at the same Hutchinson address, Hoover said.
Source:www.kansascity.com
Employee accused of stealing nearly $116K from WCCC bookstore www.privateofficer.com
Brown, 58, of 545 Goos Way, Mt. Pleasant, was charged Monday with theft, receiving stolen property and tampering with records for allegedly processing phony textbook returns, pocketing the cash and then manually altering inventory records from January 2008 through Feb. 8, 2012.
Brown admitted to taking money beginning in December 2011, according to a criminal complaint. An attorney representing Brown did not return a call seeking comment on Thursday.
Brown, a 20-year bookstore employee, was suspended with pay and resigned after school officials contacted the district attorney’s office in February.
Brown was hired as a part-time bookstore clerk in December 1991 and was hired full time as a clerk in August 2006. She was promoted to assistant manager on Dec. 10, 2007.
In January 2008, detectives said, Brown began ringing up textbook refunds on the cash register, taking the cash for herself, then logging in as an administrator to manually adjust the inventory to match the number of books in stock.
“Obviously it’s not a number we’re happy with,” said Ron Eberhardt, WCCC’s vice president for administrative services. “I wouldn’t say we’re surprised… . Quite honestly, I would say we’re disappointed.”
According to the criminal complaint, Brown’s scam was discovered by bookstore Manager Chad Seibel on Feb. 10 after he saw Brown on a security camera take cash from the register and put it into her pocket before leaving for the day.
Seibel then checked the register and found a $266 transaction for a chemistry textbook return, but when he checked the inventory on the shelves and in the back room, the numbers did not match, the complaint alleges.
Using the cash register software program, Seibel could see that Brown logged in as “systemadmin” for each questionable book return, which allowed her to subtract the book from the inventory while covering up the fact that the register indicated a book return.
Seibel told detectives only he and Brown could log in as “systemadmin.”
In May, WCCC hired accountant Jeffrey P. Anzovino of Deluzio & Company in Greensburg to examine other possible thefts. Anzovino traced 213 transactions to Brown totaling $115,809, including nearly $19,000 from Jan. 1 to Feb. 8, 2012.
Eberhardt said WCCC has enhanced its transaction review procedures in the bookstore since the incident, but said a number of controls and triggers already were in place.
The bookstore grosses about $5 million a year, WCCC officials have said, with the average student purchasing five textbooks a semester for a total of $700 to $800.
By taking smaller amounts of money over a period of years, it was more difficult to detect the thefts than if Brown had taken the full amount in one year, Eberhardt said.
“Any larger amounts of money … I don’t want to say make it harder, but yeah, you have to have more specific controls in place to monitor the situation,” he said.
Eberhardt declined to comment on whether the school is trying to recoup the money from Brown, citing the ongoing legal process.
A preliminary hearing for Brown is scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. before Hempfield District Judge James Falcon.
Source:tribweb.com
