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New radar lets police issue tickets without traffic stops www.privateofficer.com
DOVER, TN Aug 9 2012
There’s a new way to ticket drivers without ever pulling them over.
It’s already being used in one Middle Tennessee town and could be headed to your neighborhood next.
Tuesday, Dover police began using a new radar system.
It looks a lot like the old one, but with this, officers can send tickets in the mail without ever leaving their cruisers.
Here’s how it works: the officer sees someone speeding and, just like with the traditional radar, they pull the trigger and record drivers’ speeds. Instead of turning on their blue lights and chasing after the violator, the ticket process has already begun and the driver can expect to see a ticket in the mail in about two weeks.
“It increases safety for the people on the road, being that we don’t have to go above the speed limit ourselves to try and catch up with the vehicles. We don’t have to turn into traffic and possibly risk getting involved in an accident,” said Lieutenant Chris Porter with the Dover Police Department.
Just like the cameras on tops of poles and traffic lights, this new radar is already causing controversy.
“I just don’t agree with it,” said local resident Wilton Cherry.
“All it is, is a speed trap,” Charles Fox said.
Some worry it eliminates an officer’s ability to catch other crimes like drunk driving. Plus, opponents said ticketing with out stopping does nothing to slow speedy drivers down.
“Two miles down the road you might run over someone, but you didn’t get stopped, you just kept going 80,” Cherry said.
With the touch of a button, officers can bypass the electronic ticket and make a regular stop.
If you disagree with the ticket, just like those notorious red light cameras, you still have a right to your day in court.
“My mother actually received a citation, not from this one, but from one of the un-manned units. Personally, I would feel better about this than one of those. This is officer witnessed. This is officer used. I know that there’s an officer standing behind this,” Porter said.
The Brentwood-based company that created the new radar is called Applied Technology Partners.
The city of Dover paid nothing for the new system.
Tickets cost drivers $50. Half of the money goes back to Applied Technology Partners and the other half goes to the city.
For the first two weeks, they’ll just be sending out warnings.
So far, only two other Tennessee cities use the system: Selmer and McKenzie.
Source:WSMV
Homestead police officer fired after woman complains he asked to see her breasts www.privateofficer.com
Juan Senabre, a six-year veteran, was fired in June after an internal affairs investigation led the police chief and a board of senior officers to recommend Senabre’s termination. His attorney, identified in city documents as Teri Guttman-Valdes, didn’t return calls for comment.
Senabre’s termination will go to arbitration, according to a city spokeswoman, and he could get his job back.
Here’s what happened, according to city documents:
Zenaida Figueroa-Ortiz and her boyfriend parked on the side of Krome Terrace to eat some food they had just bought. While they were parked, Senabre drove by twice in his police car.
The couple decided to drive a short distance to a friend’s house, where Senabre stopped Figueroa-Ortiz as she stepped out of her car, telling her she had a suspended license.
Figueroa-Ortiz later told internal affairs investigators that Senabre told her she would be arrested, and put her in his police car. But he didn’t take her to the police station.
Instead, Figueroa-Ortiz claimed Senabre drove around the corner to a dark apartment complex, and turned off the car’s headlights.
“I’m going to help you so you don’t go to jail,” Senabre said, according to Figueroa-Ortiz’s statement.
Then, she told investigators, he asked, “Have you ever been with a crazy policeman?”
Figueroa-Ortiz told investigators she told Senabre she’s “not that type of girl,” and asked to be taken to jail. Senabre then asked to see the woman’s breasts, according to the internal affairs report.
When she refused, Senabre allegedly asked to see Figueroa-Ortiz’s bra. She still refused, and a car started coming toward where they were parked.
Senabre turned on his headlights and took Figueroa-Ortiz back to her friend’s home, telling Figueroa-Ortiz to meet him at court the next day to take care of her suspended license. It’s unclear from the investigative documents whether the woman met with the officer again.
Figueroa-Ortiz reported the incident to Homestead police a few days later.
According to the internal affairs report, Senabre also radioed that he was responding to a call for service at a time when he was running Figueroa-Ortiz’s information through a police database. The call for service, meanwhile, had come from a reserve police officer, who told investigators that no one responded.
At a hearing in front of an assistant city manager, Senabre’s attorney tried to cast doubt on the woman’s complaint, saying there is no apartment complex where the incident is alleged to have happened, and that one of the four witnesses wasn’t able to pick Senabre out of a lineup, according to city documents. Still, the city decided to fire Senabre.
The internal affairs investigation found that Senabre violated several department and city rules, including rules that require an officer to:
• Not behave in a way that embarrasses the department.
• Competently carry out his or her duties.
• Be truthful.
Senabre had been in trouble before.
Police brass recommended Senabre for a five-day suspension after he failed to arrest a man whose ex-wife called police and said she had been strangled. Instead, Senabre had the man committed to a hospital because he was “intoxicated, mixing alcohol and prescription medication, and wanting to kill himself,” according to investigation documents. He didn’t serve the suspension because the investigation took too long under Florida law.
He was suspended for two days after he ripped up payroll checks while making an arrest in a possible fraud case, instead of impounding them in accordance with department procedure. A witness also complained Senabre had roughed up the suspect and arrested the wrong man in the case, but the department didn’t have enough information to prove the allegations.
Senabre has had two other complaints against him, but those files are not available because state retention laws allow records to be destroyed after a certain amount of time. Neither of those complaints was sustained by internal affairs investigators.
Source:www.miamiherald.com
Security Firm Formerly Known As Blackwater Agrees To Millions In Fines www.privateofficer.com
The court documents against Blackwater, which is now known as Academi, LLC, were unsealed in federal court in New Bern.
Blackwater had its headquarters in a sprawling complex in Moyock.
The company and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have both agreed on a deferred prosecution agreement against the company. The feds say the company agrees that it violated the Arms Export Control Act and the International Trafficking in Arms Regulations.
At the same time, the government acknowledges the company’s efforts to reform its conduct.
The settlement with the State Department, according to the feds, is part of a civil administrative settlement.
Sex offender arrested after he is caught exposing himself at store www.privateofficer.com
TROY MI Aug 9 2012 — Police arrested a camera-toting sex offender after they said he was caught exposing himself inside the girls section of a popular clothing store. First, though, they had to withstand two attacks that left him in leg irons and belly chains.
Troy police report that Aaron Frederick-William Lingeman, 33, was arrested after stimulating himself in the girls department of Old Navy in Troy.
A security officer at the store, on 1221 Coolidge Hwy., called Troy police on Friday and said that he observed the man walking around the store, carrying a camera. Lingeman, a registered sex offender, entered the young girls department, stood behind a display and watched a young girl, according to police.
He then lowered his pants while watching her and began touching his genitals.
Officers arrived and confronted the man while he was still in the Old Navy and then escorted him out of the store.
Troy police Capt. Robert Redmond said they are “very thankful for the diligent efforts conducted by store security and the fact that the store felt the importance of having security for their customers.”
Outside, Lingeman tried giving officers a false name; however, police used a fingerprint scanner at the scene — which provided his real name almost instantly.
When told that he was being arrested, Lingeman then tried to run away. He briefly struggled with officers, but they managed to handcuff him and get him in the rear seat of the police vehicle. On the way to the police station and its lockup, Lingeman kicked out both rear door windows. Other officers assisted, placing Lingeman in leg irons and belly chains to keep him from doing more damage.
“We had to fight with the guy to get him on the ground,” Redmond said.
Lingeman may have known the seriousness of this arrest. Judges have wide latitude in cases involving sexually delinquent persons, as statutes allow sentences between one day and life in prison
A search of his car also was revealing and concerned police about the possibility of escalating the situation.
Officers checked his vehicle and found numerous young girls undergarments in the passenger compartment. They also found several cell phones and a camera which contained pictures of young girls. A tool box in the trunk was also found to contain numerous young girls undergarments, make up, and wigs.
Redmond said the girls photographed were between the ages of 7 or 8 and 12 or 13.
“No wallet, no money, walking around a store with a camera in your hand,” Redmond summed up. “He knows” the seriousness of the situation.
The captain said his department has handled some exposure cases but nothing this concerning in recent years.
“I can’t think of the last one we had that was inside a story and following kids,” Redmond said.
The captain said his department has handled some exposure cases but nothing this concerning in recent years.
“I can’t think of the last one we had that was inside a story and following kids,” Redmond said.
The Oakland County Prosecutors Office issued a warrant charging Lingeman with indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person, damaging police property and resisting and obstructing a police officer, all felonies.
Lingeman was arraigned on the charges Aug. 4 and bond was set at $50,000.
According to information about sex offenders, Lingeman was convicted of being a sexually delinquent person in October of 2001. The state prison’s Offender Tracking Information System no longer carries any information about him, clearing records after prisoners are released from state custody.
His prior case was out of Troy, too.
“We’ve had him before,” said Redmond. “He is sick and he can’t quit. In order to protect society, there’s only one place for him — behind bars.”
source-journalregister.com
Making a difference- “The Brooklyn Bike Patrol” www.privateofficer.com
NEW YORK CITY NY Aug 9 2012 — Jay Ruiz’s cellphone rang about 3:30 a.m. on a stifling Saturday.
It was a woman. As usual, she wanted Ruiz to meet her within the hour and take her home.
Ruiz hauled himself off the sofa where he’d been watching TV, jumped onto his bicycle and pedaled swiftly through Brooklyn to the subway station where the caller was due to arrive. Then, after walking her safely to her door, he rode back home, back to his wife of 19 years, and waited for the next call.
This is how Ruiz’s weekends have been since last fall when he saw a video of a shrieking woman fighting off an attacker, which was aired on local TV as police searched for a predator stalking Brooklyn neighborhoods. “That video — I really don’t know why it hit me so hard, but it changed my life,” said Ruiz, who decided to do something.
The next night, he went to a nearby subway station with a friend, held aloft a sign offering to chaperon women home, and waited for customers. The Brooklyn Bike Patrol was born, and 11 months later it has evolved into a borough-wide service with 13 volunteers on call seven days a week, and clients who include doctors, lawyers, tipsy revelers and waitresses working the night shift.
“It’s a real anomaly to have a service like this,” said Elyse Neiman-Seiter, a television producer who first called upon Ruiz in the spring, after she heard about it from someone else, and has used it at least three times. “I think that’s why people at first didn’t believe it.”
Indeed, business was slow at first. “Not a lot of people trusted us,” said Ruiz, who recalled that first night last September, waiting at the station with his friend and hoping for clients. “We stood there for a couple of hours. People thought we were crazy.”
Given the attacks, Ruiz could understand why the women of Brooklyn would be wary of a strange man with a powerful build, a Batman tattoo on his chest and a Kryptonite bike chain around his waist offering to walk them home for free.
But Ruiz, 47, got a lucky break. The Daily News came upon him while reporting on the Brooklyn attacks and did a story on the Bike Patrol. A local news station followed up. Ruiz made fliers, recruited volunteers and set rules: no dating, no taking tips, criminal background checks for every volunteer.
“You have to always have a smile on your face and be over 21,” added Ruiz, who set up a Facebook page with his email and phone number on it and a list of the neighborhoods his volunteers serve, from pricey Park Slope to working-class Crown Heights.
Now, Ruiz and his volunteers, who include a chaplain, a social worker, a college student and a photographer, wear neon-yellow T-shirts that read Brooklyn Bike Patrol, which were donated by a local church, and picture IDs around their necks. A New York senator gave them jackets, and the Brooklyn borough president, Marty Markowitz, has publicly praised the effort.
“You can never have too many extra sets of eyes and ears on the streets,” Markowitz said.
A police spokesman, Paul Browne, said the local precinct had a good relationship with Ruiz and had vetted his volunteers.
Fans have suggested expanding the service to other boroughs. For now, though, Ruiz is sticking to Brooklyn, which like most of New York has seen crime decline but which remains haunted by the 2011 attacks. Browne said police eventually charged three men in connection with the 21 incidents, which spanned from March to October 2011.
New York’s subway runs 24 hours a day, offering cheap transport to the workers and tourists who keep the city humming around the clock. But some of the loveliest neighborhoods during daylight hours can turn frightening in the dead of night, when canopies of leafy trees and shadows of old brownstones turn dimly lit avenues into dark tunnels.
Ruiz was home with his wife, Stacey, when the video of the woman fighting off her attacker, a struggle that lasted more than 30 seconds, appeared on television. The attacker fled.
“I got very angry,” said Ruiz, who by day works as a dispatcher for a bicycle messenger service. “I thought if people had a chaperon from the train stations it would help. Nobody wants to mess with two people. Then it hit me. I could do it on my bike.”
Stacey didn’t object.
“I thought it was a good idea. I just didn’t know if it would work,” she said, joking that if nothing else, it would get Ruiz out of the house so she could have the TV to herself. “I didn’t realize how far it would go — I thought it would just be a little local thing. I’m really proud of how far he’s taken this.”
The system is simple. People call or text Ruiz, whose cellphone shines a picture of his dog, Roxy, when it’s not buzzing, and tell him where and about when they will be leaving a train. Ruiz bikes to the station to wait for the customer or dispatches a volunteer.
One night, he got 17 calls. Some evenings, nobody calls, a sign that reports of street crimes have fallen and people feel safe walking alone.
About the only thing that scares Ruiz, it seems, are rats. “I’d fight Mike Tyson, but I can’t handle a rat,” he said, moving away from a bench after spotting a rat scurrying into a park.
Jumping onto his bike to race across Brooklyn at late hours doesn’t faze the former bicycle messenger, who also spent nearly 20 years coaching Little League and did an Army stint in the mid-1980s. He credits his late father, Ruben, who he says was a wrestler, with instilling in him a sense of chivalry and determination.
Unlike the Guardian Angels or the police, Ruiz and his volunteers do not patrol or carry weapons. Officially, they are on duty from 8 p.m. until midnight on weeknights and until 4 a.m. on weekends, but they try to accommodate people whenever they call. Most customers are women, but at least one man has called for a chaperon.
On Halloween, Ruiz escorted two women — one dressed as a box of cookies, the other as a milk carton — who felt vulnerable because their costumes limited their arm movements. Many of his regulars, who are listed in his phone by their first names and their usual subway stations, are waitresses who work late and who don’t want to spend $20 or so for a cab ride home.
On a recent Sunday, a 21-year-old au pair named Monica Suarez staggered up the steps of a subway station dragging a suitcase and two shoulder bags at 1:15 a.m., about 45 minutes after alerting Ruiz she was en route.
“I was kind of embarrassed to call,” said Suarez, who had just arrived home from visiting Miami and who has been in New York about one year, from her native Colombia. But Suarez knew of Ruiz through a friend and decided to play it safe, rather than make the 10-minute walk through the dark streets on her own.
Ruiz said neither he nor any of his volunteers has been attacked on duty. He credits their bright yellow T-shirts and badges with giving the men an official look that deters troublemakers.
When he started out last September, Ruiz did not envision the service becoming a permanent fixture. But it has taken more than 100 calls since it began, and he expects things to get busy again as summer fades and the days grow short.
“I promised myself I’d do it for a year,” Ruiz said. “I think we have to go beyond that.”
Source:LA Times
Portland man gets 11 years in prison for sexual abuse of child www.privateofficer.com
PORTLAND OR Aug 9 2012 – A Portland man accused of sexually abusing a neighbor boy was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison Tuesday.
Brent Dickwin Armstrong, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of using a child in sexually explicit conduct.
The victim talked to KGW after Tuesday’s court proceedings. He said it was hard to come forward as a victim because of how he had been manipulated emotionally.
“I thought it was an everyday thing until I grew up and finally realized it,” he said. “For the longest time, I could not bring myself to say anything. Then I worked up the courage to talk about it.”
The teen said he just wants to put it all behind him now and move on with his life.
Armstrong was previously indicted on the sexually explicit conduct charges, along with sex abuse, sodomy and prostitution.
Armstrong lived in the 4800 block of North Hougton Street in Portland during the time of the alleged abuse and had been employed as a truck driver on Swan Island for the past several years.
Source:kgw.com
Gainesville teen mother charged with murder of baby www.privateofficer.com
GAINESVILLE, Ga.Aug 9 2012 – A 17-year-old Gainesville mother has been arrested in connection with the death of her 9-month-old baby.
Haley Brook Clark was taken into custody Monday and charged with murder.
Hall County Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Stephen Wilbanks said Clark’s daughter Olivia stopped breathing and was rushed to Northeast Georgia Medical Center on July 18. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Investigators have not yet released any more details about the baby’s death and Clark’s arrest, Wilbanks said.
Clark is being held without bond in the Hall County Jail.
Federal indictment handed down in armed car robberies www.privateofficer.com
Walter Keitric Freeman and Corinthian Phillips, who turned themselves in to authorities, are charged along with Hendrick Dwayne Lynn, Chad Eric Haywood, and Allen Moore, Jr with the robberies of two armored cars in the Houston area. Freeman, 23, and Phillips, 27, both of Houston, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Mary Milloy just a short time ago, at which time the indictment was unsealed as to all charged. Lynn, 29, and Haywood, 23, both of Houston; and Moore, 45, of Dallas, are currently in state custody on unrelated charges and are expected to be transferred to face these charges in the near future.
According to the indictment, from on or about August 7, 2009, through on or about November 21, 2009, the five charged did knowingly and intentionally conspire with one another to interfere with commerce by robbery. Loomis Armored United States Inc ., who operated the trucks during the alleged robbery and robbery attempt, maintains offices throughout the United States, and was engaged in the business of secured armored transport of United States currency in interstate commerce and in picking up and delivering United States currency to financial institutions and check cashing businesses, both of which are industries which affect interstate commerce. According to the indictment, Lynn, Haywood, and Moore were involved in the August 7, 2009 attempted robbery of a Loomis armored truck at the Bank of America at 3704 Old Spanish Trail in Houston. Lynn allegedly drove to the location, at which time Haywood and Moore, armed with Glock pistols, allegedly jumped out and shot a guard in the head.
The guard has since recovered. The second incident occurred on November 21, 2009, at which time another guard was shot. On that date, according to the indictment, Lynn drove Freeman and Haywood to Senor Check Cashing Store #2 located at 5950 S Gessner Rd. in Houston.
Armed with a pistol and a rifle, Freeman and Haywood approached the Loomis armored car guard. Freeman fired his pistol and shot the guard three times. The guard survived. On that same date, Phillips allegedly drove a second vehicle to the Gessner location and, following the robbery, switched vehicles with Haywood, Freeman, and Lynn.
A conviction for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery carries a possible 20-year prison sentence as well as a $250,000 fine. If convicted of discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence, Freeman and Moore also face an additional 10 years in prison, which must be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed. Haywood also face the same 10-year consecutive sentence, but also faces an additional 25-years, also to be served consecutively, if convicted of brandishing a weapon during the commission of a second crime of violence. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Bank Robbery Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennie Basile.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Reported by: FBI
Alabama man fatally struck by lightning while vacationing in Florida www.privateofficer.com
James Keith Brown of Chelsea was vacationing with his family in a boat off Shell Island, which is near Panama City Beach, Fla.
Brown was walking on the beach shortly before noon Aug. 6 when a storm arrived before the family could retreat to cover, according to Bay County Sheriff’s Office’s Public Information Officer Ruth Corley.
Brown was carrying his 14-year-old stepson, Tristan Barger, on his back, as Barger recently broke his ankle in a gymnastics accident.
The duo was struck by lightning. Bystanders attempted to resuscitate Brown, but authorities declared him dead at the scene. Barger is currently in critical condition at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Corley said.
Phoenix police officer charged with sexual misconduct with two teenage boys www.privateofficer.com
Phoenix AZ Aug 9 2012 A Phoenix police officer was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of sexual misconduct with two teenage boys, authorities announced Wednesday.
Officer Christopher J. Wilson, 43, was accused of 10 felony counts of sexual assault with a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old, Phoenix Police Chief Daniel Garcia said at a press conference.
The 14-year-old informed his parents about the incidents. The parents called police Tuesday afternoon and detectives immediately sought more information, Garcia said
The investigation concluded at 8:15 p.m. with the 13-year veteran’s arrest. He immediately resigned to escape termination, Garcia said.
Wilson admitted his involvement and charges imply that the actions were consensual, though law enforcement does not support the illegal engagements Wilson participated in, Garcia said.
“I’m extremely disturbed and disgusted by this conduct,” Garcia said.
The sexual encounters occurred at several private locations, including Wilson’s home, Garcia said.
Detectives learned that Wilson had met the boys through community engagements that were undefined, Garcia said.
Garcia said he wants the community to know this is a transparent investigation.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton issued a statement Wednesday on the arrest.
“As a father of two, my heart goes out to the victims and their families,” Stanton said. “A crime against a child is horrible and unimaginable on its own, but when someone of authority you trust is the suspect, it becomes something far worse.”
He applauded detectives for their “quick” work and subsequent arrest of Wilson.
“The act of one officer does not reflect on the police department as a whole,” Stanton said, adding that the safety of children and Phoenix residents remain the city’s top priority.
Source:www.azcentral.com
Yuma High School teacher arrested on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of minor www.privateofficer.com
Yuma AZ Aug 9 2012 A Yuma High School teacher and athletic trainer was arrested on 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor Tuesday after authorities found alleged child pornography in his home.
Michael Cox, 37, was arrested by members of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (AZ ICAC), Tucson Police Department, Phoenix Police Department and Yuma Police Department detectives. Cox was found in possession of pornographic images of children on his computer after a search warrant was served at his home.
“During the interview, Cox admitted he was in possession of videos and pictures of young children being sexually abused,” stated YPD officials.
Cox was booked into the Yuma County Adult Detention Facility on Tuesday and his bond was set at $100,000.
According to YPD, the AZ ICAC launched an Internet investigation a month ago. YPD detectives assisted AZ ICAC with the execution of the search warrant to Cox’s home in the 2900 block of S. Palo Verde Lane and also seized several electronic media devices.
Yuma Union High School District Superintendent Toni Badone said that Cox has been reassigned and excluded from school property until further notice. She added that they have also alerted the Arizona Department of Education to the case.
With Wednesday (today) being the first day of school for Yuma High and other district schools, their first order of business is to move forward with classes, but they also plan to make sure that students and staff are supported.
“Yuma High is ready for school to start tomorrow and we’re going to focus on our kids… We will have folks on hand to talk with students or staff who are concerned or upset by this news. Needless to say we were all very, very shocked,” Badone said on Tuesday.
District counselors will be on hand to talk with students and staff and Antelope Union High School District will also be assisting with counseling support.
Sgt. Leanne Worthen, YPD public information officer, noted that authorities plan to collaborate with the school in the event of students or staff having information they would like to share about the case.
Badone said that Yuma High administration held a meeting with all teachers reviewing the mandatory reporting process and procedures to support students and staff as well. Following the teacher meeting, school officials met also met with campus coaches.
“In an earlier meeting, athletic directors and athletic trainers from other schools in the district met to develop a plan to support Yuma High athletes during the fall season,” stated YUHSD officials. “Baseline testing for concussion protocols, helmet fittings, wet bulb readings and other pre-season responsibilities normally performed by the athletic trainer are being shared by Yuma High coaches with support from sister schools.”
District officials added that YUHSD employs over 900 people, all of whom must submit fingerprints and be cleared through the Department of Public Safety. Volunteers, with the exception of parents, are also required to be cleared through DPS.
The case remains under investigation. YPD encourages anyone with information or questions about this case to log on to http://www.AZICAC.org or contact the YPD Investigations Bureau at (928) 373-4670 or 78-Crime to remain anonymous.
Source:www.yumasun.com
Large maritime security presence planned for RNC www.privateofficer.com
Tampa, Florida Aug 9 2012 – The Republican National Convention will be the largest maritime security effort the area has ever undertaken, Tampa Police said Tuesday.
The convention site is creating a unique challenge because most of it and its neighboring venues are surrounded by water, but law enforcement tell us it’s a challenge they’re ready for.
“We had to reach out to local partners, partners statewide to make sure we have the staff to implement the security plan to keep everybody safe,” said Corporal James Reiser, with the Tampa Police Department’s Marine Unit.
Cpl. Reiser says 21 agencies are assisting patrols on the water during the RNC and at any given time during the event, there will be 150 officers patrolling the channels and waterways in the downtown area.
The U.S. Coast Guard established seven Federal Security Zones in the waters around the Tampa Bay Times Forum and Tampa Convention Center.
On Tuesday, local law enforcement gave the media a look at the vessels and technologies they’ll be using during the RNC.
Law enforcement will be able to keep an eye under the water, on the water and over the water using equipment like sonar, night vision and infrared cameras.
“Before I can see it with the naked eye, I can see it with the infrared,” said Deputy Paul Shute, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit, as he pointed to the screen showing how they can detect someone hiding under a bridge or even on a balcony of a waterfront building.
Some of the boats are even able to withstand unruly weather.
“If a severe thunderstorm comes through during the RNC, we should be able to maintain some presence on the weather with this boat,’ Cpl. Reiser, explaining the capabilities of some vessels they’ll be using.
While commercial vessels will still be permitted to travel their typical routes, they will have to first get permission and will be subject to inspection.
Recreation boaters will also be banned from several zones while the Convention is in session.
All vessels will be subject to a search at checkpoints if entering the Federal Security Zone during passable times.
Law enforcement warn boaters to be prepared for delays if they plan on boating in the area of the RNC.
“Boaters will be searched, vessels will be searched, that may be with trained K9 units. We will not allow weapons of any kind on board and once you are cleared, you will be escorted, no stopping, no loitering, no anchoring, no mooring,” explained Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Judy Silverstein.
Absolutely no boaters will be allowed in the Garrison Channel in front of the Tampa Bay Times Forum during the week of the RNC.
The Coast Guard says you can expect to see barriers go up in the Federal Security Zone on Saturday, August 25th.
Source:wtsp.com
Man given three years prison for shootout with CHA security www.privateofficer.com
Chicago IL Aug 9 2012 A man who exchanged gunfire with CHA security guards in March was sentenced to three years in prison Tuesday.
Juan F. Arredondo pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful use of a weapon by a gang member, and Cook County Judge Mary Ellen Coughlin sentenced him to three years in prison, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Andy Conklin said.
Arredondo, 34, began shooting at CHA guards about 2:15 a.m. on March 17 in the 2700 block of West Augusta Boulevard, police said. The guards initially approached him because he was acting suspiciously in front of the building.
The guards returned fire, but nobody was struck, police said. Arredondo fled, but the guards and Chicago Police captured him a short time later and recovered a weapon.
Source: Chicago Sun Times
Maryland teacher accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from union www.privateofficer.com
Berlin MD Aug 9 2012 – Authorities in Worcester County have charged a middle school teacher accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the teachers union while she was treasurer.
Police also said the Worcester County Teacher’s Association conspired to cover up the theft by making arrangements for restitution without contacting authorities that a crime had occurred.
Denise Inez Owens, 58, of Ocean Pines was responsible for the taking of more than $433,000 from accounts belonging to the Worcester County Teacher’s Association, according to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
At the time, Owens was in charge of all financial transactions for the WCTA, said Detective Kyle Clark, lead investigator.
“She had full access to the account,” he said. “Nobody really checked it.”
But after a while, the WCTA started to notice a few inconsistencies in its accounting. In early 2009, the union decided to hire an outside agency to audit its books, Clark said.
It was that forensic audit that showed the organization was short $433,784.52. Police did not break down how much money went missing from year to year.
No one outside the WCTA seemed to take notice for years. The police began investigating in February after The Daily Times published IRS tax filings that claimed Owens — then going by her former married name of Denise Tull — had oversight of more than $110,000 in WCTA losses for tax year 2009.
According to a publicly available tax filing dated March 13, 2011, obtained by The Daily Times, the union documented $111,589 in what it called “misappropriated funds” and noted the amount was pending an audit by a bonding company.
A letter attached to the tax filing stated Tull resigned as WCTA treasurer on March 31, 2009, and before that time, she had represented that all tax filings were current.
“However, the (WCTA) officers learned not only had the returns not been filed, but a substantial amount of money was embezzled (more than $100,000),” the letter stated.
Police in February began a theft investigation. It revealed that while treasurer, Owens allegedly had written numerous unauthorized checks to herself and others, and made withdrawals from the account for “personal issues and debt,” police said. Clark declined to elaborate on the nature of those issues.
Police also said they learned Owens and WCTA attorneys agreed to have Owens begin paying restitution, but law enforcement was never notified of any theft or embezzlement.
When detectives met with WCTA leadership, “they denied any involvement with what was going on,” Clark said.
“They didn’t necessarily say it didn’t happen,” he said. “They didn’t want to talk about it. They weren’t cooperating.”
Owens was arrested Friday. She was charged with theft scheme more than $500 and two counts of theft $500-plus. She posted $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on Sept. 7.
When reached by phone Tuesday, Owens declined to comment. Clark said Owens’ statements to police were limited before she secured an attorney.
Owens has been teaching in Worcester County since 1988, according to the school board. At the time of her arrest, she was employed as a special education teacher at Stephen Decatur Middle School.
“We are aware of the arrest and are currently reviewing the charges,” said Barb Witherow, spokeswoman for Worcester County public schools. “This is a very serious matter. Upon thorough review, the Superintendent (Jerry Wilson) will be taking appropriate action.”
Current WCTA president Helen Schoffstall said in a Jan. 11 interview that the union had accounted for all its funds.
“WCTA did not lose any money,” she said. “WCTA finances were not out any money to my knowledge.”
Phone messages asking for comment went unreturned Tuesday by Schoffstall, former WCTA President Terry Springle and Susan Russell, chief counsel for the Maryland State Education Association.
The WCTA most recently filed taxes Jan. 12. The filing notes the organization has about $60,000 in revenue and $49,000 in expenses for filing year 2010.
The group’s tax-exempt status has been revoked since October 2011, according to the website Guidestar, which tracks IRS filings made by nonprofit agencies.
Police also said they learned Owens and WCTA attorneys agreed to have Owens begin paying restitution, but law enforcement was never notified of any theft or embezzlement.
When detectives met with WCTA leadership, “they denied any involvement with what was going on,” Clark said.
“They didn’t necessarily say it didn’t happen,” he said. “They didn’t want to talk about it. They weren’t cooperating.”
Owens was arrested Friday. She was charged with theft scheme more than $500 and two counts of theft $500-plus. She posted $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on Sept. 7.
When reached by phone Tuesday, Owens declined to comment. Clark said Owens’ statements to police were limited before she secured an attorney.
Owens has been teaching in Worcester County since 1988, according to the school board. At the time of her arrest, she was employed as a special education teacher at Stephen Decatur Middle School.
“We are aware of the arrest and are currently reviewing the charges,” said Barb Witherow, spokeswoman for Worcester County public schools. “This is a very serious matter. Upon thorough review, the Superintendent (Jerry Wilson) will be taking appropriate action.”
Current WCTA president Helen Schoffstall said in a Jan. 11 interview that the union had accounted for all its funds.
“WCTA did not lose any money,” she said. “WCTA finances were not out any money to my knowledge.”
Phone messages asking for comment went unreturned Tuesday by Schoffstall, former WCTA President Terry Springle and Susan Russell, chief counsel for the Maryland State Education Association.
The WCTA most recently filed taxes Jan. 12. The filing notes the organization has about $60,000 in revenue and $49,000 in expenses for filing year 2010.
The group’s tax-exempt status has been revoked since October 2011, according to the website Guidestar, which tracks IRS filings made by nonprofit agencies.
Source:delmarvanow.com
West Des Moines JC Penney employee faces a second degree theft charge www.privateofficer.com
Robert Akard III, 21, of Urbandale, was arrested on Aug. 5 after a loss prevention officer at the store watched on a security camera as Akard appeared to complete a return for $1,060 at his cash register when no customers were around, according to West Des Moines police reports.
A follow-up investigation by a store loss prevention officer revealed that Akard allegedly had completed at least 16 fraudulent returns valued at more than $4,650 between July 19 and Aug. 3. He has yet to be charged in any of those incidents.
Akard reportedly told an officer he was conducting the return for a customer who had been overcharged for an item. He said he would then meet the customer at a later date or time to give them their money.
Source:DesMoinesRegister.com
Aberdeen Proving Ground employee pleads guilty in metal theft www.privateofficer.com
Baltimore MD Aug 9 2012 An employee at Aberdeen Proving Ground pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing tons of copper wire from government buildings and other locations in Harford County while on the job, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Baltimore.
Timothy J. Bittner, 52, of Bel Air, used work vehicles and his experience as an electrician in the APG Department of Public Works to conspire with others to steal thousands of dollars worth of the metal from inside government buildings in Edgewood and from underground locations in Eagle Point between March and November of 2011, prosecutors said.
Bittner would file false work reports to “disguise the fact” that he and co-workers were collecting the wire, taking it to their APG vehicles and transferring it to their personal vehicles in the APG parking lot while on duty, prosecutors said.
At home, they would strip the wire of its plastic coating and sell it to metal recyclers, prosecutors said.
In June 2011, after Bittner and his partners in the scheme realized there was a large amount of copper wire underground in Eagle Point, they spent two days while on duty tying exposed portions of the wire to their APG vehicles and pulling it out of the ground, prosecutors said.
“Because the stolen wire weighed approximately five tons, Bittner and a coconspirator rented storage space in Edgewood to store the stolen wire, and bought a stripping machine to remove the insulation from the copper wire at a much faster pace than by hand,” prosecutors said.
They then sold the wire to metal recyclers in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania for more than $48,000, prosecutors said.
In another scheme, they stole another large amount of wire from two government buildings and from three generators near Eagle Point and sold it for more than $30,000, prosecutors said.
Under the agreement, Bittner faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy to steal government property and must forfeit more than $87,000 made through the scheme and pay more than $33,000 in restitution to the government, prosecutors said.
He is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 30.
Source:baltimoresun
Assisted living facility employee accused of stealing from recently-deceased resident www.priavteofficer.com
Portland OR Aug 9 2012 A 50-year-old employee of a Portland assisted living facility was fired and accused of theft and burglary after the son of a recently-deceased resident complained that several of his mother’s belongings were stolen from her apartment.
The executive director of Summerplace Assisted Living in Northeast Portland reviewed surveillance video at the home and and saw Sharlet L. McClain, an employee, take three laundry carts full of property from inside the deceased tenant’s apartment, according to court papers.
When confronted, McClain first denied being in the apartment. When shown the surveillance photos, McClain then admitted having taken some of the deceased woman’s belongings and furniture, including a lap and an end table.
Other video showed McClain stealing a mattress, end tables and a coffee table from the facility, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
McClain was arraigned in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Friday. She was ordered to have no contact with elderly people and to stay away from the Summerplace Assisted Living Community. He next court date is Aug. 16.
source-oregonlive.com
Former Niles police employee pleads guilty to theft www.privateofficer.com
NILES IL Aug 9 2012 — A former employee of the Niles Police Department who was accused of faking a 2011 robbery pleaded guilty Aug. 6 to felony theft and official misconduct.
Gary Amato, 53, of Niles, who had worked as a civilian employee of the Police Department, was sentenced in Cook County Circuit Court in Skokie to two years probation and 100 hours of community service, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Amato will also be required to pay the village of Niles restitution totaling $5,037, the Police Department said.
Amato was arrested in July 2011 following a police investigation of an armed robbery that Amato reported in January of that year. Amato had alleged that three men robbed him of $44,000 in Niles bank deposits while he was driving a village-owned car to a bank near Golf Mill Shopping Center. Most of the deposits were in check form, police said.
Amato also reported that he had been pepper-sprayed and stabbed in the arm, but authorities later said the stab wound appeared self-inflicted and that Amato made up the story of the robbery in order to steal from the village and establish a workmen’s-compensation case or disability claim.
Source:sun times media
Kansas police worried about increase in heroin use www.privateofficer.com
One of those drugs, heroin, has law enforcement officers in south-central Kansas concerned about its increased presence in the Midwest.
Butler County Sheriff Kelly Herzet is concerned about an increase in heroin moving through the area. He is worried about overdose deaths and other problems. Herzet is not alone in his concern.
“I can tell you that I’ve been in Butler County for probably 15 years and this is as much heroin in the last year that I’ve seen in my entire career,” said Andover Police Capt. Justin Phillips.
He is among many in the law enforcement community concerned about the increasing amount of heroin found during drug arrests in Kansas.
Phillips said the drug is more commonly found along the east and west coasts of the U.S.
“I think we know it’s around,” Phillips said. “We just don’t necessarily see it as much as the more popular drugs in the area, like methamphetamine or cocaine.”
Heroin was one of three drugs found when Andover Police officers and Butler County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested three Wichita men following two separate investigations Saturday night near U.S. 54 and Andover Road.
Arrested were Michael Perkins, 30, who was arrested on suspicion of selling heroin; Wilfred Kostis, 49, who was arrested on suspicion of selling cocaine; and Leon Reed, 27, who was arrested for possession of marijuana.
Andover Police and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office worked together for nearly a month on these cases. Capt. Phillips said teamwork is a must when combatting drug trafficking.
“We understand that drugs don’t stay within the jurisdiction boundaries that we’re limited by, so we have to work with other agencies,” he said.
Phillips said cracking down on illegal drugs is a challenge for everybody in law enforcement, but it is a challenge, he says, police are up to in order to keep the community safe.
“Ultimately, it’s a problem for those people who have loved ones that are using it and for those people who are using it,” he said. “It’s a horrible thing for any family to have to go through.”
Source:Kake.com
