Mayors Gauge "Occupy" Impact on City Services, Police, Costs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The nationwide Occupy movement is targeting Wall Street, but it's arguably municipal governments that have felt the biggest impact so far, NPR reports. Protesters have staged weeks-long sit-ins at public spaces from New York to Atlanta to Pittsburgh to Oakland. Although the demonstrations have been largely peaceful, hundreds of protesters have been arrested and there have been a handful of violent clashes with law enforcement. Occupy has put mayors in a delicate situation: balancing respect for civil liberties with the need to maintain law and order and limit the protests' physical toll. The cost of policing the demonstrations has skyrocketed, and there is concern over sanitation and about keeping protesters safe as winter nears. Law Prof. David Sklansky of the University of California, Berkeley says the protests present a unique challenge for city officials and law enforcement. "There are political questions to be answered here about how municipalities and their police forces weigh not only the interests in public safety but also their interests in maintaining public order and access to public spaces," he says. "How do they do that in the context of a movement that has many members of the public as well as elected representatives sympathetic to it?" Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, supports protesters' right to assemble but says they can't camp outside City Hall indefinitely. He led a conference call with seven other mayors to discuss how to handle the Occupy movement and the impact on transportation, city services, and costs. |
Whites Much More Likely than Blacks to Have Drug, Alcohol Problems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Black and Asian adolescents are much less likely to abuse or become dependent on drugs and alcohol than white kids, says to a Duke University-led study reported by the Raleigh News & Observer based on an unusually large sample of kids from all 50 states. "There is certainly still a myth out there that black kids are more likely to have problems with drugs than white kids, and this documents as clearly as any study we're aware of that the rate of [ ] substance-related disorders among African-American youths is significantly lower," said Dr. Dan Blazer of Duke's Department of Psychiatry. The findings, based on analysis of confidential federal surveys of 72,561 adolescents ages 12 to 17 from 2005 through 2008, appear in the November issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. About 9 percent of white kids in the study used substances in ways that indicated they had abuse or dependency. That's nearly twice the percentage of black kids with such disorders. |
Police Body Cameras--Insurance Policy or Overkill? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next time you talk to a police officer, you might find yourself staring into a lens. Companies such as Taser and Vievu are making small, durable cameras designed to be worn on police officer's uniforms. The idea is to capture video from the officer's point of view, for use as evidence against suspects, as well as to help monitor officers' behavior toward the public, reports NPR. The concept is catching on. The cameras have been adopted by big city police departments, such as Cincinnati and Oakland, as well as dozens of smaller cities, such as Bainbridge Island, Wa., where the Vievu camera was initially tested by Officer Ben Sias. "The only thing that really was different about doing business is that I'd tell the person that we're being recorded," Sias says. He sees the camera as a kind of insurance policy. "In this job we're frequently accused of things we haven't done, or things were kind of embellished, as far as contact," he says. "And the cameras show a pretty unbiased opinion of what actually did happen." Sgt. Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild, doesn't like the fact that many departments that have adopted wearable cameras have given their officers little discretion: They're required to record every contact with the public, and can't stop recording until it's over - even if a citizen asks them to. |
Dr. Murray's Defense Had Insurmountable Obstacles: Analysts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Defense attorneys fighting to acquit Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's personal physician, of an involuntary manslaughter charge in the pop star's death faced what many legal experts said was a series of insurmountable obstacles, says the Los Angeles Times. Lawyers had to overcome an incriminating interview their client gave detectives; contend with a victim loved by millions around the globe; and deal with a series of court rulings that limited their attempts to point the finger at another possible culprit: Jackson himself. Jurors were not allowed to hear evidence the defense team hoped would bolster their argument that Jackson was so drug-addled and starved for sleep that he accidentally overdosed on a surgical anesthetic as he prepared for a long-awaited comeback tour. Even a key defense witness inflicted damage to the physician's case. Murray's medical expert conceded last week that the Houston cardiologist violated medical standards by administering the powerful sedative propofol in the bedroom of Jackson's rented home. "The defense was hamstrung from the get-go," said defense lawyer Mark Geragos, who represented Jackson in the early stages of the singer's trial on child molestation charges nearly a decade ago. Defense lawyer Robert Schwartz said he was surprised that Murray's lead attorney, Ed Chernoff, didn't emphasize more that most accusations against physicians are handled in civil, not criminal, court. |
High Court Finally Takes Up GPS Tracking Warrant Case ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today the Supreme Court hears arguments in the GPS tracking case, which NPR says "could have enormous implications for privacy rights in the information age." Police want to use new technology to get the goods on the bad guys, and citizens think that when they leave their homes, they still have some zone of personal privacy in their cars. "It's critical to understand that this case is not about whether law enforcement can use GPS devices. It's about whether they should get a warrant," says Walter Dellinger, who represents defendant Antoine Jones. "If the Supreme Court gave a green light" to warrantless GPS tracking, he says then "any officer can install any GPS device for any reason on anybody's car, even if the officer thinks it would be interesting to know where Supreme Court justices go at night when they leave the courthouse. No one would be immune from having a GPS device installed on their vehicles." The government contends that the Fourth Amendment bans warrantless searches only of private spaces, like homes, the interior of a car, or a locked office desk. The government asserts that the GPS device is just an electronic extension of old-fashioned human surveillance. Pat Rowan, a former federal prosecutor, says, "There's no Fourth Amendment implication for what a person is doing out in the public space, whether they're walking down the street and being observed or whether they're driving down the street and being observed." |
Possible Outcomes of The New Juvenile LIfe Without Parole Cases ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Youth Today assess options for the Supreme Court in newly accepted cases on life without parole sentences for juvenile offenders, which were reported yesterday in Crime & Justice News. Just 18 months ago, the high court banned such sentences for juveniles in non-homicide offenses. A ban on "LWOP" for juveniles would affect more than 2,500 current inmates. More than half of them are in four states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida. A ban on LWOP for youths under 15 appears to be what will be sought by the offenders' lawyers, from the Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative. There are only 73 current LWOP inmates who were convicted for crimes they committed when they were 14, and nine others who were convicted when they were younger. Another possibility is a ban on LWOP for youths who did not commit a homicide but merely were present for an action that precipitated it. There also could be required judicial review of juvenile LWOP usage in mandatory sentencing schemes, a ruling that seem to be in line with Chief Justice John Roberts' suggestions during the previous case that requiring review of LWOP in all juvenile cases would be more practical than a categorical ban on the sentence for certain offenses. |
U.S. Wins $61 Million Over Defective Bulletproof Vests; More Cases Coming ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Justice Department has settled lawsuits with 10 manufacturers of defective Zylon bulletproof vests for more than $61 million. The latest settlement is a $1 million deal with now-bankrupt companies called Point Blank. The U.S. alleged that the Pompano Beach, Fl.,and Jacksboro, Tn., companies manufactured and sold Zylon bulletproof vests knowing that the Zylon materials degraded quickly over time and were not suitable for ballistic use. The Point Blank vests were purchased by the federal government, and by various state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies that were partially reimbursed by the United States under the Justice Department's Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program. The U.S. has pending lawsuits against Toyobo Co., the manufacturer of the Zylon fiber, and Honeywell Inc., Second Chance Body Armor Inc. and First Choice Armor Inc., which were involved in the production or sale of Zylon body armor. |
Holder: Fast & Furious "Flawed," Effects Will Be Felt For Years ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The political nightmare that the Operation Fast and Furious gunrunning investigation has become for the Obama administration won't be going away anytime soon, says Politico. Attorney General Eric Holder will tell the Senate Judiciary Committee today that the carnage linked to Fast and Furious is likely to continue for years. "This operation was flawed in concept, as well as in execution," says Holder. "Unfortunately, we will feel its effects for years to come as guns that were lost during this operation continue to show up at [crime] scenes both here and in Mexico. This should never have happened. And it must never happen again." Some Republican lawmakers have called for Holder's resignation in the wake of the scandal, which stemmed from a tactic known as "gun-walking" in which federal agents had the authority to intercept suspicious weapons but chose not to. Holder will call out Republicans for "headline-grabbing Washington 'gotcha' games and cynical political point-scoring" in connection with the ongoing congressional investigation, while also offering a stark warning about the flood of weapons south from the U.S. "We are losing the battle to stop the flow of illegal guns to Mexico," Holder says. |
Detroit Homicides Jump, Crimes by Probationers Cited ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Detroit reports 23 more homicides in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, a 31 percent increase, says the Detroit News, The latest crime figures show a nearly 19 percent hike in murders so far over 2010, with 301 homicides citywide through Sunday. the department is having "a bear of a time getting our arms around" the widespread number of guns in the city, resulting in more violent conflicts, said Police Chief Ralph Godbee. Some homicides involved suspects who were on probation, said Inspector Dwane Blackmon. Last summer, a crime wave gripped the city, with at least 38 people shot and eight killed from June 21 to Aug. 21 in one zip code. To some city residents, suspects on probation who are committing other crimes reflects a need for changing the culture of the city, including cooperating with police officers and being more proactive when it comes to watching out for their neighbors. |
DEA Deploys Commando-Style Squads Abroad in Drug War ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Drug Enforcement Administration has five commando-style squads it has deployed for the past several years to Western Hemisphere nations - including Haiti, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Belize - that are battling drug cartels, reports the New York Times. The program - called FAST, for Foreign-deployed Advisory Support Team - was created during the George W. Bush administration to investigate Taliban-linked drug traffickers in Afghanistan. Beginning in 2008 and continuing under President Obama, it has expanded far beyond the war zone. "You have got to have special skills and equipment to be able to operate effectively and safely in environments like this," said Michael Braun, a former head of operations for the drug agency. The evolution of the program into a global enforcement arm reflects the growing U.S. reach in combating drug cartels and how policy makers increasingly are blurring the line between law enforcement and military activities, fusing elements of the "war on drugs" with the "war on terrorism." |
Florida Inmate Sues Over High-Soy Diet State Uses to Save Money ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eric Harris, 34, serving a life sentence in a Florida prison for sexual battery on a child, wants a judge to stop the state from feeding inmates soy-laden entrees labeled "Southern BBQ," "meat loaf" and "meaty macaroni," which contain a heaping helping of a low-cost vegetable protein intended to imitate the taste of beef, the Orlando Sentinel reports. He claims in a lawsuit that the processed and blended soy foods have caused painful gastrointestinal cramping, threaten the health of his thyroid and immune system, and constitute cruel and unusual punishment. "These men are guinea pigs who are being fed high levels of soy," said Kimberly Hartke of the Weston A. Price Foundation in Washington, which describes itself as a leading voice on the dangers of soy foods. The foundation, which paid the filing fee for Harris' lawsuit, also is providing legal support for a federal case in Illinois, where inmates made similar anti-soy claims, alleging they "go to the chow hall and [must] choose between eating and getting sick, and starving." Illinois inmates are seeking millions of dollars in compensation, while Harris wants unspecified monetary damages. Florida prisons began dishing soy meals in 2009 to control rising food costs. The prison menu includes stroganoff, turkey dogs, sloppy joes, and chili mac, all spiked with soy. |
New Orleans Arrests, Convictions Drop In Stress on Felonies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Orleans police recorded another slide in arrests in the first half of 2011, continuing declines that began two years ago led by a reduction in arrests for traffic violations, municipal crimes, and other minor offenses, says a Metropolitan Crime Commission count reported by the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro's office saw a sharp drop in the number of felony convictions it won in the first half of the year, one that outpaced a drop in the number of cases the DA accepted for prosecution. Felony arrests in the first half of the year rose from 3,210 in the previous six months to 3,263. The figures mesh with a push by the city to focus on felony arrests, which now make up 19 percent of the total. That's up from 12 percent in the second half of 2009. Rafael Goyeneche, the commission's president, said, "We're not squandering police man-hours or public dollars," he said of the trend lines. "There is a recognition that if we're going to attack our crime problem more strategically, it has to be felony arrests." |
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
8 Nov 2011
2 Nov 2011
Reduced Police Forces Must Deal With More "One-Pot" Meth Labs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Police across the U.S. are struggling with a proliferation of busts for methamphetamine production, fueled by the rise dangerous "one pot" labs, the Wall Street Journal reports. The popular technique has largely replaced the kitchen-size meth lab with a single, two-liter soda bottle. Ingredients for a batch can easily be obtained on a single trip to a pharmacy and mixed almost anywhere. One-pot labs aren't new, but they are spreading as budget cuts are reducing police forces. In Christiansburg, Va., the police department is paying thousands of dollars to clean up toxic labs. Police in Tulsa, Ok., have handled 15 percent more meth-lab busts this year than all of last year, at a time when the department is down 70 officers. Nationally, incidents related to meth production rose above 11,000 last year, after falling sharply to around 6,000 in 2007, says the Drug Enforcement Administration. One-pot operations produce small quantities of meth at a time, but are toxic and highly explosive, occasionally resulting in fires and deaths. Their small scale makes them especially hard to find and stop, partly because they don't require enough pseudoephedrine-an essential meth ingredient found in some cold medications-to run afoul of federal purchasing limits. |
Stanford Experts Draft Limited CA "Three Strikes" Sentencing Reform ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An effort to limit California's tough Three Strikes Law is gaining momentum, with a proposed ballot initiative that would reserve the toughest penalty -- 25 years to life -- for the baddest of the bad, including murderers, rapists, and child molesters, reports the San Jose Mercury News. The initiative, now under state legal review, was carefully crafted by a group of Stanford University law professors and stops far short of the extensive changes proposed under a previous reform measure that narrowly failed in 2004. The legislature and voters passed the law in 1994 after several high-profile murders committed by ex-felons sparked public outrage, including the kidnapping from her home and strangling of 12-year-old Polly Klaas. Since then, the courts have sent more than 80,000 "second-strikers" and 7,500 "third-strikers" to state prison. Though third-strikers make up just 6 percent of the prison population, they are responsible for a disproportionate share of the state's spiraling prison health care costs -- at least $100 million annually -- as they age and need more medical attention. The previous measure sought to restrict felonies that trigger a "third" strike to violent or serious crimes. Under the existing law, life sentences have been issued for such relatively minor crimes as stealing a pair of socks and attempting to break into a soup kitchen. In contrast, the new initiative allows certain hard-core criminals, including murderers, rapists and child molesters, to be put away for life for any felony, including shoplifting, while restricting the third strike to a serious or violent felony for everyone else. |
Police Leading Way On Eyewitness ID Reform: Expert Doyle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today, the Supreme Court revisits the issue of eyewitness identification for the first time in 34 years, hearing arguments in the case of Perry v. New Hampshire. It would be a mistake to see the case as a defining moment, Boston lawyer James Doyle writes on The Crime Report. Says Doyle: "It's true that the criminal justice system is absorbing the science of eyewitness evidence. But it is also true that different components of the system are reacting to the science in different ways and at different speeds." The police are leading the way on the issue, Doyle says. Judges are bringing up the rear. The real story that the Perry case may ultimately tell is that the courts are fighting a determined rearguard action aimed at holding off the full mobilization of the lessons of eyewitness science, he writes. |
Chicago, In Marijuana Trade Terms, is "On the Mexican Border": DEA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chicago's new Scarface is a shadowy Mexican drug kingpin nicknamed Chapo - "Shorty" in Spanish, says the Chicago Sun-Times. His cash crop is marijuana, which his cartel sells by the ton and protects with horrific violence. If you thought Chicago's Italian mob was the worst of the worst in organized crime, think again, federal agents say. "Chapo Guzman would eat them alive," said Jack Riley, head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Chicago office. The 5-foot-6 Joaquin "Chapo" Guzman rules the Sinaloa Cartel, which allegedly smuggles marijuana and other narcotics in planes, trains, ships, trucks, cars, and even submarines. Most of Guzman's product comes from Mexico, but some is grown nearby - deep in Wisconsin's North Woods, whose pristine lakes and pine forests are a paradise for weekend campers, hunters, and anglers. Although Chicago is in the U.S. heartland, in the marijuana trade, "We are on the Mexican border," Riley said. Mexican marijuana dominates the Chicago market as local police and prosecutors are trying to devise a better way to deal with the tens of thousands of people arrested every year for possession of small amounts of pot. Most of those cases get dismissed in court, so several Chicago aldermen recently proposed an ordinance to allow officers to write tickets for minor marijuana possession. |
Newspaper Questions Claims Of Increased Mexican Border Crime ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last month, two retired Army generals, flanked by state officials who had hired them, stood in the Texas Capitol and painted an alarming picture of escalating violence on the Texas-Mexico border. Their report, which relied less on crime statistics than anecdotal evidence, concluded that the Texas side of the border had become a "war zone." The Austin American-Statesman says a closer look at crime numbers in border counties since 2006 - the year Mexican violence began to spike in earnest - does not reveal evidence of out-of-control chaos. An analysis of all 14 counties that share a border with Mexico and two dozen border cities shows that violent crime along the Texas side of the Rio Grande fell 3.3 percent between 2006 and 2010. During the same period, the combined number of murders in the 14 counties fell 33 percent, to 73 in 2010 from 97 in 2006. Further, most counties and cities situated directly across from the worst of the Mexican violence also saw their crime rates decrease, even as thousands were slaughtered on the Mexican side. One reason for the gap between what state officials say and what the numbers show is that state agencies increasingly have moved away from using traditional statistics to describe the security situation along the border, and have instead begun using new categories of crime reporting that in some cases have raised questions about accuracy. |
"All Hands on Deck" Police Deployment in D.C. Gets Mixed Reviews ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Washington, D.C., Police Chief Cathy Lanier's All Hands on Deck program, which floods the streets with police during select weekends each year, is getting mixed public reviews, the Washington Post. reports. Martin Moulton says his neighborhood near the downtown convention center struggles with public urination, loitering, and other quality-of-life issues. Seeing police around is fine, Moulton says, but he doesn't think it impresses or intimidates criminals. "Even the most marginally intelligent criminal, when they see a police officer, will walk away." The police department has had every available officer work back-to-back shifts on designated weekends since 2007. Lanier describes the program as proactive policing that deters crime during times when it has historically spiked. That position has led to repeated clashes with Kristopher Baumann, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Police Labor Department, who characterizes it as a public-relations stunt. Some rank-and-file officers say that the temporary reassignments affect their regular investigations. The matter has gone to court, with an arbitrator ruling that two 2009 All Hands deployments violated the police union contract and ordering the city to pay overtime expenses. That amount, which Lanier estimates is $300,000 to $400,00, is another point of contention. |
Tale of a Pointless New York City Trespassing Arrest ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York Times columnist Jim Dwyer writes about the "pointless arrest" of Samantha Zucker, 21, of Pittsburgh, for not having identification when she was in a public park after its 1 a.m. closing hour. Zucker was handcuffed, and during the next 36 hours, was moved from a cell in a station house in Manhattan's Harlem area to Lower Manhattan and then, because one officer was ending a shift before she could be photographed for her court appearance, was brought back to Harlem. There she waited in a cell until a pair of fresh police officers were rustled up to bring her back downtown for booking, where she spent a second night in custody. The judge proceeded to dismiss the ticket in less than a minute. Dwyer calls cases like this a "staggering waste of spirit, the squandering of public resources, the follies disguised as crime-fighting." Some 40,000 people each year - the vast majority young black and Latino men - are fed like widgets onto a conveyor belt of arrest, booking, and court, after being told to empty their pockets and thus commit the misdemeanor of "open display" of marijuana, Dwyer says, concluding that, "Such arrests are a drain on the human economy." |
Some L.A. County Officials Skeptical of Sheriff Baca's Jail Reforms ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Los Angeles County supervisors pointedly questioned Sheriff Lee Baca's attempts to reform the county's troubled jails, reports the Los Angeles Times. Baca has been under criticism for his oversight of the nation's largest jail system following weeks of reports in the Times and other places outlining accusations of corruption and inmate abuse. The FBI is investigating accusations of jailer misconduct, and Baca has admitted he did a poor job of monitoring the situation. County supervisors approved an outside oversight committee last month and ordered Baca to give them periodic updates. Sheriff's officials have also begun implementing changes recommended almost a year ago by a county attorney. Yesterday, Baca reported progress in several areas, including installing more cameras in Men's Central Jail, prohibiting steel-toed shoes in jails, studying whether deputies should be able to strike inmates with flashlights, and developing a team of sheriff's supervisors to review severe deputy-use-of-force incidents within 30 days. Some supervisors seemed skeptical of the team's ability to quickly and fairly review incidents, given what they viewed as a slow pace of change. |
Portland Chief Reese May Run for Mayor, Probably Not in 2012 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Portland Police Chief Mike Reese may run for mayor--sometime. After reports that he will run next year, Reese told The Oregonian, "No, I like being chief of police. I'm very happy doing what I'm doing. I'm very humble to have the opportunity to serve." He, left the door open for perhaps a future run, in say five years. The Willamette Week reported Reese told associates he's decided to run to replace Mayor Sam Adams, who is not seeking re-election. Reese, 54, a Portland native, has led the Police Bureau for 18 months, having been appointed chief by Mayor Sam Adams on May 12, 2010. Political consultants from The Gallatin Group have discussed with Reese a run for mayor, and also sought input from other community leaders about the chief's potential run. |
Occupy Nashville Vows "Nicer Image" After Judge Halts Arrests ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now that a federal judge has ordered Tennessee to stop arresting and ousting Occupy Nashville protesters from their encampment every night for violating a state-imposed curfew, tents and protest signs have sprung up on Legislative Plaza once again, The Tennessean reports. "We definitely want to present a much nicer image than before," said Devin Pena, part of a team working on logistics and security for the group. State officials and civil rights attorneys are working on a compromise of their own that would let the Occupy Nashville protests continue even as Gov. Bill Haslam's administration insists that last week's 55 arrests - which included a reporter and a student journalist - were justified. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Haslam administration are trying to develop ground rules meant to maintain sanitary conditions and protect public safety on the plaza, where protesters first set up an encampment in early October. Before the state crackdown, Occupy Nashville was overrun by hordes of homeless, drawn to the plaza by the group's donated food and supplies. State officials cited safety and sanitation concerns when they imposed a nightly curfew and daily protest fees for large groups. |
NYC Undercover Cop Who Started Ticket-Fixing Case Promoted Secretly ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The New York City undercover officer whose work led to the investigation into the wide-ranging ticket-fixing scandal was promoted in secret yesterday, reports the Wall Street Journal. The detective, who is assigned to the Internal Affairs Bureau, was promoted up a rank by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly at a private ceremony. In 2008, the bureau got a tip alleging that a police officer was taking part in "various illegal business activities with a reputed drug dealer," Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said last week. Jose Ramos, the officer named by the tipster, owned two barber shops named "Who's First." The undercover officer worked as a barber before joining the police department, and was able to get a job cutting hair at the salons. On Friday, 16 officers were indicted either on charges related to ticket fixing, trying to cover up an assault, or tipping off officers of the on-going investigation. In addition to the officers charged criminally Friday, Kelly said 300 or more officers might face departmental discipline after being tied to fixing tickets during the investigation. |
White: Police-Community Relations Biggest Challenge in Denver ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Louisville Police Chief Robert White, who is leaving next month to become chief in Denver, said there are many good internal candidates the mayor could choose to replace him, reports the Louisville Courier-Journal. White said improving police-community relations and transparency in the department are his greatest achievements since taking over in 2003, when Mayor Jerry Abramson appointed him the first leader of a department that merged the old Louisville and Jefferson County police. White said improving the relationship with the police and community in Denver, which has paid out millions in lawsuits over excessive use of force, will be his greatest challenge in that city. White said he did not pursue the Denver position, but Denver officials approached him "rather aggressively." Denver has about 1,400 officers and a proposed budget next year of about $188 million. Louisville Metro Police has a budget of $143.8 million and 1,200 sworn officers. |
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
31 Oct 2011
| Louisville's White Becomes Denver's 1st African-American Police Chief ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robert White, Denver's incoming police chief, plans to change the culture of a department staggered by a string of firings in excessive-force cases and restore trust between the community and police. "I do have an agenda: That is to help prevent crime and make this a safer community," White told the Denver Post. "The key to making that happen is the men and women of the Police Department and the 600,000-plus residents that live in our community. The two have to become one; that requires a collaborative relationship." Mayor Michael Hancock picked White after a national search that turned up 61 applicants. White, 59, has been police chief in Louisville since 2003. Pending City Council approval, he will be Denver's first African-American police chief and only the second chief from outside the department in 50 years. As long as things are done in the open, the community will accept a chief's decision when controversy erupts, even if many disagree, White said. When he takes over from outgoing Chief Gerry Whitman, his first priority will be to listen, he said |
| Save Webb Justice Commission, Say New York Times, Washington Post ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The New York Times and Washington Post simultaneously came down on Senate Republicans for voting to block a proposal by Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) to create a bipartisan commission to review the nation's troubled criminal justice system and offer recommendations for reform. The Times notes that some senators falsely claimed that it would "encroach on states' rights." With crime down and 2.3 million people in prisons and jails, says the Times, "Reasonable senators should support the bipartisan commission that Senator Webb is calling for, which would cost only $5 million and could help bring about compelling reforms." The Washington Post calls the Webb approach "long overdue," noting that the last comprehensive review of criminal justice was conducted roughly 45 years ago during the Johnson administration. The Post says criticisms from Republicans and the National District Attorneys Association "fall flat," adding that the commission "would only study the policies of local, state and national law enforcement entities and make recommendations about best practices. It would have no power to issue mandates. The federal government, which distributes federal dollars as incentives for states and localities to adopt best practices, has a legitimate need to know which policies work." |
| Justice Groups Seek Senate Funding for Second Chance Act ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several dozen criminal justice organizations have written to leaders of the Senate committee that funds the Justice Department urging continued funding for the Second Chance Act, which aids prisoner re-entry programs. The committee recently voted to zero out the program, saying that more money had to be spent on the federal prison system instead. The groups, which include the American Civil Liberties Union and the Sentencing Project, said they shared concerns "about the severe overcrowding that plagues" federal prisons, but "we believe building more prisons is not the answer." "Rather, it is simply a continuation of a costly and failed criminal justice strategy that states and local governments around the country have already rejected in favor of sentencing reform and alternative approaches to incarceration." The full Senate is likely to vote on the bill this week. The Second Chance program's fate may rest with a congressional conference committee, because the House Appropriations Committee approved funds for Second Chance. The organizations wrote last week to Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) and will communicate soon to the whole Senate. |
| Trick or Treat Warning: Halloween Can be Prime Crime Time ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Halloween night, with its make-believe ghosts but very real assailants, is the worst evening of the year for violent crime victimization in Boston, says Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox. Writing for the Boston Globe, Fox says the evening violent crime count on October 31 is about 50 percent higher than on any other date during the year, and twice the daily average. An hour-by-hour chart shows that the incidence of Halloween-night violence peaks in the early evening. The most popular hours for gathering Snickers and Junior Mints around the neighborhood are apparently also the prime time for violent crime. During the rest of the year, crime incidence rises throughout the evening hours, not peaking until just before midnight. |
| CA Prison Realignment Should End "Massive Inmate Turnover": Cate ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Matt Cate, secretary of California's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, may have the toughest job in state government. His mandate: overseeing a massive downsizing of the $10 billion agency by shifting some prison and parole tasks to counties. Cate lists three signs of potential success for the Sacramento Bee: "We were facing a prisoner release (court) order on the magnitude of about 35,000 inmates. That's (like) emptying seven prisons onto the streets. So if we avoid an early release order from the Supreme Court, that will be a sign of success. We know prison spending has been growing at an unsustainable rate. If we see that coming down [ ] hat will be a sign of success. And if we see recidivism rates reduced from the neighborhood of 70 percent, then we'll know the counties are fulfilling their promise, which has been, "We can do this better." He says prison workers "will have to get used to working in institutions without massive inmate turnover. Last year we had 47,000 inmates serve 90 days or less." |
| NRA, Farmers Square Off Over Sunday Hunting in Pennsylvania ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pennsylvania's ban on shooting on the Sabbath, with roots in the blue laws of the 19th century, is shaping up to be a face-off between arguably the two most powerful lobbies in the state: sportsmen and farmers, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. The National Rifle Association and other firearms and hunting groups are making a big push for legislation to overturn a 138-year-old ban on Sunday hunting, arguing that they should have the right to hunt seven days a week during hunting seasons. They cite economic advantages for expanding hunting, pointing to a new study by a legislative commission that predicts that adding days will create thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue. Those involved in the state's number-one industry - agriculture - and recreation groups say they simply want a day of peace in the countryside each week. Farmers want to preserve the one day they don't have to worry about trespassers, while hikers, bikers, and horseback riders want to continue enjoying public land on Sundays without the fear of getting shot. The legislation - still being debated in a House committee - would not open all Sundays to hunting. It calls for the Pennsylvania Game Commission - which voted, 4-3, last spring to support the bill - to determine which Sundays, in which hunting seasons, would be open to shooting. |
| Despite Death Penalty Bluster, Perry Has Backed Justice Reforms ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Texas Gov. Rick Perry's record on criminal justice is more mixed than his tough stance on the death penalty suggests, partly because of changes in the political and legal climate over his three terms as governor, says the New York Times. Death sentences and average yearly executions have declined during his tenure compared with that of his predecessor, George W. Bush. Persistent efforts to fix Texas's justice system have finally borne some fruit. Perry has not been a crusader, but he has signed reform-minded legislation and acknowledged some of the system's mistakes. Jeff Blackburn of the Innocence Project of Texas said Perry "has done more good than any other governor we've ever had. He approaches criminal justice issues like a lay person rather than like a prosecutor or judge, which makes him open-minded and willing to embarrass the system. Unless, of course, it involves the death penalty." Because the governor has relatively little to do with capital punishment, Scott Henson of the Grits for Breakfast blog says Perry's "bluster about the death penalty is like the rooster who crows taking credit for the sun rising." |
| Few Milwaukee Cops Get Serious Penalties for Domestic Violence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At least 16 Milwaukee police officers have been disciplined after internal investigators concluded they had committed acts of domestic violence, say internal affairs records obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Department leaders don't follow national standards on how to handle accusations of domestic violence against officers. Prosecutors often charge them with lesser crimes - or no crimes. As a result, officers who abuse their spouses or romantic partners are allowed to keep their jobs, carry loaded weapons, and respond when battered women call for help. Police agencies that tolerate abusive officers endanger victims, erode the community's trust, and make themselves vulnerable to lawsuits, said Judy Munaker, who spent five years training cops on officer-related domestic violence through the state Office of Justice Assistance. "They see it as protecting their own, but it's corruption," she said. "They need to stop protecting their own and start protecting victims." Last year the wife of a high-ranking commander in the division that investigates officer misconduct called 911 in fear of her husband. No one wrote up a report. Just three Milwaukee officers disciplined for abusing spouses or romantic partners ended up with criminal records. None of those convictions was for a felony or misdemeanor domestic violence, which would have ended their careers by stripping them of the right to carry guns under federal law. |
| Supreme Court Hears Cases on Bad Legal Advice, Plea Bargains ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments in two cases that ask how principles concerning bad legal work in trials should apply to plea bargains, says the New York Times. The question is of huge importance, because well over 90 percent of criminal cases are settled at the plea stage.I n the context of trials, it has long been established that defendants who can show that incompetent work by their lawyers probably affected the outcome are entitled to new trials. Plea bargaining, on the other hand, "remained all but unregulated, a free market that sometimes resembled a Turkish bazaar," writes University of Pennsylvania law Prof. Stephanos Bibas in California Law Review. Last year, in Padilla v. Kentucky, the Supreme Court took a big step toward supervising the plea bargaining process. Bad advice that persuaded a defendant to plead guilty without understanding that incarceration would be followed by deportation amounted to ineffective assistance of counsel, said the court. A solution to that kind of problem is fairly easy: allow the defendant to withdraw the plea and take his chances at trial. The new cases present a harder problem. What is to be done when a lawyer's incompetence caused a client to reject a favorable plea bargain? |
| Judges Acquit Accused Drunk Drivers In 80% of Massachusetts Cases ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frustrated Massachusetts judges have complained over the years about juries going soft on drunken driving defendants - people whose circumstances and plight jurors may relate to. It is judges themselves, many of them, who are most inclined to give those driving drunk a second chance - a chance, sometimes, to drink and drive and endanger the public again, says a Boston Globe investigation. The judges' acquittal rate now exceeds 80 percent across Massachusetts, the Globe's detailed review of thousands of court documents shows, meaning at least four out of five alleged drunk drivers who place their fate in the hands of a judge are walking out of court free of the burden - and penalties - of a guilty verdict. Free like one acquitted driver who barreled the wrong way onto a highway ramp and slammed into an oncoming car, sending both drivers to the hospital. Or another who deliberately ran over a man, leaving him bloodied and lying on the ground, during an early morning confrontation on another highway. |
| Guns Stolen from L.A. SWAT Unit May Be On Black Market ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ All but three guns in a cache of weapons stolen this month from an unguarded building used by the Los Angeles Police Department's SWAT unit remain missing and may have been sold or traded on the black market, reports the Los Angeles Times. Police arrested two men on suspicion of committing the heist and three others for allegedly possessing the recovered weapons. The rest of the 30 weapons stolen were not found in the suspects' possession. Although the weapons, which included MP-5 submachine guns and large-caliber handguns, had been altered by police to fire only plastic pellets for training, it is possible for them to be converted back to lethal use. Officials have downplayed that possibility, although gun experts and online tutorials suggest that the process is relatively easy and requires only a few parts. Police trying to find the weapons, but don't know how many people may have bought guns from the men or any of their identities. |
| It's Official Now: Justice Department Muffins Didn't Cost $16 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Justice Department didn't spend $16 apiece for muffins at a conference but still should be more careful on meeting budgets, says the department's Inspector General. On Friday, the auditors apologized for saying earlier that the department spent $16.80 each for muffins at a conference at Washington, D.C.'s Capital Hilton hotel, the Washington Post reports. Acting Inspector General Cynthia Schnedar said the muffins were part of a continental breakfast that also included items such as fruit, coffee, tea, juice, and other pastries. The new audit attributed the error to the Justice Department's own Executive Office for Immigration Review, which had documents showing the muffins were not so expensive as initially reported but "inadvertently" did not give them to the inspector general. The alleged $16 muffin caused a major stir at a time when belt-tightening is a watchword in Washington. Republicans and Democrats alike cited the pastries as emblems of wasteful spending. The day after the initial audit was issued, the Obama administration ordered a government-wide review of conference expenses. |
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