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From Los Angeles Times

U.S. awards $10.5 million to help homeless veterans in California

The vouchers, announced by the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs, are to be used for homeless veterans as they enroll in counseling and other programs. A second round of funding will be announced by the end of summer, officials said.

Among agencies in Southern California, the largest grant was $1,851,912 to the city of Los Angeles Housing Authority, followed by $927,747 to the city of Orange Housing Authority, $867,996 to the Los Angeles County Housing Authority and $639,468 to the San Diego Housing Commission.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki has vowed to eliminate homelessness among veterans by 2015.

"This critical assistance will help keep homeless veterans across California off the streets while providing access to services like job training and education," said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

Friday is the beginning of the 24th annual Stand Down event in San Diego where homeless veterans are offered an array of services to meet their medical, dental, legal and psychological needs. More than 1,000 veterans are expected to attend the three-day event.

Begun in 1988 to assist Vietnam veterans, the Stand Down pattern has spread from San Diego to more than 100 communities nationwide.

In California, Stand Down-style events are planned this summer at Long Beach, Santa Ana, Compton, Bakersfield, Fresno, Ferndale, the Nevada County Fairgrounds, Roseville and Redding.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/

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Postal boxes stolen in San Fernando Valley

After several mail collection boxes are stolen, postal authorities are worried about identity theft.

by Ann Simmons, Los Angeles Times

July 15, 2011

A recent spate of postal box thefts has put postal authorities on high alert and raised concern that customers may be vulnerable to identity theft.

But authorities said it was unclear whether the brazen heists were part of a trend.

"The economy the way it is, there is an increase in crime all around," said U.S. Postal Inspector Renee Focht of the Postal Service's Los Angeles division, which has jurisdiction over Southern California. "We can't speculate why the mailboxes are being targeted."

Focht said fewer than a dozen of the boxes had been stolen in Southern California since the beginning of June.

As well as being swiped from in front of post offices, the blue collection boxes, which weigh about 200 pounds, had been uprooted from residential neighborhoods and business parks, Focht said.

"It does take some effort," said Focht said. "They're bolted into the concrete."

Four of the boxes were taken in less than a week from several San Fernando Valley post offices, including in Pacoima, Glendale and Burbank.

Local law enforcement agencies would not comment on the thefts because postal-related crimes are investigated by federal authorities.

Focht said authorities had not yet determined whether any of the thefts were linked.

The postal official acknowledged that the stolen mail could be used for identity theft, but noted that only 4% of identity theft cases are attributed to mail theft.

Focht advised postal customers to deposit mail before the last collection time to ensure that items are not left in postal boxes overnight, when thefts might be more likely to occur.

In published tips to help people avoid being victims of identity theft, the Los Angeles Police Department advises residents to have new checkbooks sent to a post office box or arrange to pick them up at their bank.

Authorities also advise people to pay bills through an electronic payment service. Envelopes containing payments should be mailed inside a post office, rather than at a neighborhood postal box.

The Postal Service has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the San Fernando Valley thefts. Anyone with information is asked to call (877) 876-2455.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mailboxes-20110715,0,7473537,print.story

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From Google News

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Pentagon admits to losing 24,000 files in major network breach

2011 has certainly been the year of the hacker so far. The number of hacks and attacks that have been perpetrated against the US government and businesses is staggering and shows no sign of letting up. Perhaps the most disturbing of all the hacks this year was one perpetrated against the US government that the Pentagon has now admitted happened in the spring of this year. The Pentagon says that the attack was one of the most damaging to date.

The Pentagon has admitted “foreign intruders” stole 24,000 files and the files were taken from a defense contractor. The specific defense contractor that was hacked wasn't named and the nature of the files stolen was not disclosed. Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III noted at a speech to unveil the unclassified portion of the new cyber strategy for the Pentagon that over the past few years all manner of data has been stolen with some of it mundane and some of the data stolen is very disturbing.

The new cyber strategy that the Pentagon is talking about outlines ways that the military will respond to attacks and how they will train their staff to defend against the attacks. It seems that the vast majority of data theft concerning military data comes from contractors. I expect that a large part of the strategy will concern how to secure the data on outside networks.

Lynn said, “[some of the stolen data concerns] our most sensitive systems, including aircraft avionics, surveillance technologies, satellite communications systems, and network security protocols.”

http://www.slashgear.com/pentagon-admits-to-losing-24000-files-in-major-network-breach-15165285/

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Kilmartin Stands By Secure Communities Program

by Dan McGowan, GoLocalProv News Contributor

Menino was one of the earliest supporters of the Secure Communities program and Boston was actually one of its pilot cities in 2008. But Menino expressed concern with the direction the program was going after being made aware that low-level, nonviolent criminals are often the ones subject to federal sanctions under the plan.

But despite Boston's pushback, the program will continue running in Rhode Island, according the Kilmartin's office.

“Attorney General Kilmartin is committed to the Secure Communities program,” Spokeswoman Amy Kempe said this week. “He believes it is an important tool for law enforcement in Rhode Island.”

Providence Asked To Opt-Out

The debate over the program made headlines earlier this winter when Providence Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare informed former head of the State Police Brendan Doherty that the capital city would like to opt-out of Secure Communities.

Pare said fear and mistrust would undermine to program.

“The success of our city's community policing program has been based on the trust developed between law enforcement and the community — especially the immigrant community.” The fear and mistrust will undermine that program,” he wrote in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security.

Doherty called the city's request “dangerous and irresponsible” before being silenced by Governor Lincoln Chafee. Doherty handed in his resignation weeks later and is now running for Congress as a Republican in the 1st Congressional District.

Ruling May Allow Cities To Opt-Out

While Kilmartin has said cities and towns are expected to follow the program, city officials say their position on the issue has not changed.

With Boston leading the way, the city may get its chance. Menino's comments came after a federal ruling in New York where a judge determined that the Department of Homeland Security must provide information on how municipalities can opt-out.

Other cities, including San Francisco and Hartford, have expressed interest in avoiding Secure Communities as well.

More Effective Policing

But Kilmartin maintains that the initiative makes for more effective policing.

“Just as having access to the FBI database revolutionized information sharing among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, Secure Communities continues to improve communication and cooperation with all federal law enforcement partners,” Kempe said. “Secure Communities just adds another level of security screening when offenders are arrested for committing crimes.”

Kempe said the program makes communities safer.

“Secure Communities simply gives our law enforcement agencies another tool; in essence, an improved database,” she said. “Anytime law enforcement has greater access to information that will help identify individuals in custody, it helps them do their job of keeping our communities safe.

Community Activist: It Breeds Animosity And Division

But that doesn't mean community members haven't raised concerns. Bruce Reilly, a community activist based in Providence, said Secure Communities causes fear in the Latino community. He said families are less likely to go to the police for help.

“It creates greater fear of the police in communities of color, including those who have Latino families (like myself),” he wrote in an e-mail to GoLocalProv. “Basically we won't ever call or cooperate with police, and I would go nuts if I have to bring my child's birth certificate to the station to prove she is legal.”

Reilly said the program only encourages racism.

“Ultimately it breeds animosity and division, and encourages race-based politics. It may be "secure communities" for White suburban areas; if so, they should put all their police in those gated places where people are afraid,” he said.

Kilmartin: No Problems So Far

For now, Kilmartin's office says the program will continue.

“Since it was implemented in Rhode Island, the Office of Attorney General has not heard of any problems with the program or the communication between local, state and federal officials,” Kempe said.

http://www.golocalprov.com/news/secure-communities/

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