~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 24, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Norway, piecing together suspect's motives

Police describe Anders Behring Breivik as a 'right-wing Christian fundamentalist,' while friends reportedly say he had begun voicing increasingly extremist views.

In the photographs now circulating around the world, Anders Behring Breivik looks almost preppy.

Neatly parted blond hair frames a boyishly handsome face. The upturned collar of a peach-colored polo shirt pokes through a dark Izod sweater.

It's hard to reconcile the softly smiling young man in these professional studio shots with the monster who witnesses say donned a police uniform and ruthlessly hunted down scores of young Norwegians, firing at those who jumped into freezing water in a desperate bid to escape.

Photos: Norway attack

"I'll kill every one of you," he shouted at victims, witnesses recalled.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-norway-gunman-20110724,0,3142430,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In Norway gun ownership is common; violence and homicide are not

The nation of about 4.9 million residents reports one of the lowest per-capita homicide rates in Europe.

The shooting rampage that left at least 85 dead at a youth camp near Oslo stunned Norway, a nation of about 4.9 million residents who are far less accustomed to gun violence than the U.S.

Authorities have described the 32-year-old man arrested in connection with the shootings, as well as a bombing in downtown Oslo that left at least seven others dead, as a far-right Christian fundamentalist. A chilling manifesto attributed to the suspect, Anders Behring Breivik, that was discovered Saturday contains an image of him pointing a weapon toward the camera.

Homicide -- whether gun-related or otherwise -- is rare in Norway, which reports one of the lowest per-capita homicide rates in Europe.

A report released last year by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services examined the role of mental illness in the actions of known perpetrators there, and also noted that in more than 80% of the killings the victims were known to the assailant.

Gun ownership in Norway is common, although strict gun regulations and limitations are in place on ammunition for certain kinds of guns.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-naw-norway-gun-policy-20110724,0,3136648,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Unraveling Mexico's Sinaloa drug cartel

As drug smugglers from the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico sent a never-ending stream of cocaine across the border and into a vast U.S. distribution web in Los Angeles, DEA agents were watching and listening.

Never lose track of the load. It was drilled into everybody who worked for Carlos “Charlie” Cuevas. His drivers, lookouts, stash house operators, dispatchers -- they all knew. When a shipment was on the move, a pair of eyes had to move with it.

Cuevas had just sent a crew of seven men to the border crossing at Calexico, Calif. The load they were tracking was cocaine, concealed in a custom-made compartment inside a blue 2003 Honda Accord.

The car was still on the Mexican side in a 10-lane crush of vehicles inching toward the U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection station. Amputee beggars worked the queue, along with men in broad-brimmed hats peddling trinkets, tamales and churros.

A lookout watching from a car in a nearby lane reported on the load's progress. Cuevas, juggling cellphones, demanded constant updates. If something went wrong, his boss in Sinaloa, Mexico, would want answers.

The Accord reached the line of inspection booths, and a lookout on the U.S. side picked up the surveillance. He was Roberto Daniel Lopez, an Iraq War veteran, standing near the “Welcome to Calexico” sign.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/cartel/la-me-cartel-20110724,0,6282239.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

California

REDLANDS: Police collect used phones for seniors, victims

The RPD will collect donated cell phones and send them to the 911 Cell Phone Bank where they are processed and valued. In addition to receiving the cash value of the donated cell phones, emergency cell phones are made available to needy seniors and abuse victims on an as-needed basis.

More than 11 million cell phones are retired each month in the United States and many enter the local waste stream. As millions of people upgrade their old cell phones or receive new ones, donating them to the police department can help local residents and the local environment.

The National Association of Triads, a subsidiary of the National Sheriffs' Association, is a national partner of the 911 Cell Phone Bank. They encourage all law enforcement and victim services agencies to get involved with the 911 Cell Phone Bank.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_N_nphones24.3a07bbe.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 23, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Toll rises to 87 in Norway after twin attacks

Officials say a gunman killed as many as 80 people at a youth camp near Oslo. Earlier, a blast in the capital killed seven people and damaged the prime minister's office. Suspicion falls on Islamic extremists or possibly neo-Nazi groups.

A horrific shooting rampage at a summer youth camp and a massive bomb in downtown Oslo stunned Norway, leaving at least 87 people dead in apparently related terrorist attacks in a nation long known as the home of the Nobel Peace Prize.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attacks, but speculation swirled around both Islamic militant groups and domestic right-wing extremists.

Al Qaeda previously has singled out Norway as an intended target, and a shadowy group affiliated with the terrorist network reportedly claimed responsibility, a statement that could not be verified.

A suspect was arrested in the shooting, and reports described him as a tall, fair-haired man who spoke fluent Norwegian. The justice minister identified him as a Norwegian citizen.

Friday's double attacks, which police said were linked, recalled the 2008 siege on multiple sites in Mumbai, India, that raised international fear of coordinated, sophisticated attacks on "soft" targets unprepared for a large-scale assault.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-norway-bombing-20110723,0,5140691,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Norway survivors describe fleeing 'calm and controlled' gunman; death toll hits 91

Police begin searching two apartments owned by Anders Behring Breivik, 32, who is accused of setting off the Oslo bomb and shooting dozens at a youth camp. Survivors recall a gunman with both a handgun and machine gun who shot campers trying to flee.

Norwegian police said Saturday that the death toll from Friday's attacks has risen to 91 and confirmed that they have arrested a suspect whom they described as a right-wing Christian fundamentalist.

In a news conference Saturday morning in Oslo, police confirmed that they had arrested Anders Behring Breivik, 32, on suspicion of orchestrating both the Oslo bombing and the youth-camp shooting rampage and had begun searching two apartments that he owns.

Breivik reportedly owns four properties including a farm on the outskirts of Oslo, allegedly to enable him to store legally a large amount of fertilizer.

Police would not comment on whether he acted alone but said no other arrests have been made. They said Breivik had no criminal record.

They would not speculate on his motives, but said, based own his own Twitter and Facebook accounts, he appeared to be a right-wing Christian fundamentalist.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-norway-attacks-20110724,0,3095292,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Critics seek to stem deportations after U.S. boots thousands

WASHINGTON — Since the Bush administration rolled out a program in 2008 that shares fingerprints between local police and federal immigration agents, about 30,000 illegal immigrants convicted of serious crimes have been deported.

But even more immigrants — roughly 33,000 — have been thrown out of America without ever being convicted of non-immigration crimes.

Opponents of the program, Secure Communities, say it casts too wide a net and threatens community policing. The governors of Massachusetts, New York and Illinois have joined them in recent months.

While immigration officials defend Secure Communities and their plans to expand it to the entire country, they acknowledged the growing criticism again this week by giving a task force more time to look into the program.

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/22/3788136/critics-seek-to-stem-deportations.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 22, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ATF sought to downplay guns scandal, emails show

As Sen. Charles Grassley and congressional investigators looked into the Fast and Furious operation and the killing of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry, ATF officials took steps to throw them off the trail.

Two days after U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry was killed in December, the top ATF supervisors in Phoenix said in internal emails that weapons found at the scene in Arizona came from a failed agency sting operation.

But nearly two months later, when U.S. Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) inquired about the origin of the guns, senior officials in Washington with the Justice Department and its Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms were evasive.

Grassley asked whether the guns were "used" in the killing. According to agency emails obtained by the Tribune/Times Washington bureau, the Justice Department response to Grassley said that "these allegations are not true." The response made no acknowledgement that the guns were even there.

ATF officials, speaking not for attribution because the probe is ongoing, said they saw a distinction between the guns being found at the scene and "used" in the killing. They said the FBI had determined that neither of the two AK-47 semiautomatics was the one that killed the agent.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-0722-fast-furious-emails,0,7717517,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Massachusetts

City Council wants community policing examined

In the past, community police officers have offered a direct conduit between neighborhoods and the department.

Such officers were embedded in a particular neighborhood, patrolling on bicycles at times and familiarizing themselves with problem areas and issues specific to certain neighborhoods.

On March 1, 2009, a budget squeeze resulted in 13 community police officers, who were visible in their districts, attended community meetings and visited schools, among other duties, returning to normal patrols.

Now, the council wants the notion of bringing back community policing examined. On Thursday night, the council approved asking Police Chief David Provencher to attend a Committee on Public Safety and Neighborhoods meeting to discuss the feasibility of community policing. Members of the city's various neighborhood associations will also be invited.

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110722/NEWS/107220336/-1/NEWSMAP

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pennsylvania

Community policing to start today

LYNN - Beginning today, a community policing initiative is putting more officers on city streets, amidst a spike in violent crime this month.

Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy said residents and business owners alike should see an increase in police presence and interaction in and around downtown Lynn. The city received a federal grant for the second straight year to fund the additional patrols.

Kennedy said as of today there are new walking patrols in targeted city neighborhoods, parks and public spaces on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons and nights.

"We want our officers out of their patrol cars, walking the beat, interacting with the general public and businesses," Kennedy said. "The goal is to reduce crime by connecting with the community on a personal level, getting to know citizens."

Kennedy also said she wants people to feel safe in their community by knowing officers are patrolling their streets on a more regular basis.

http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2011/07/22/news/news01.txt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

North Carolina

Police thank community watch volunteers

Community watch volunteers were thanked for going above and beyond their civic duty at a banquet Thursday night hosted by the Lexington Police Department.

Keynote speaker Tolly Carr and officers with the Lexington Police Department offered tips on how to prevent crime at an event Thursday to about 100 participants of Lexington's community watch program at the Lexington Police Training Center. Thirteen watch groups make up the city's community policing program.

Chief John Lollis repeated the goal of Lexington's community watch program — to prevent crime through police interaction and education with citizens. He said reducing the city's crime rate takes hard work and dedication by police officers and residents.

"It takes the help of citizens like each of you by participating in your local community watch group and committing to help watch out for your neighbors," Lollis said. "You are making a difference in your community."

http://www.the-dispatch.com/article/20110721/NEWS/307219973/1005/sitemaps04?template=printart

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Secretary Napolitano Releases Report Highlighting DHS Progress Fulfilling 9/11 Commission Recommendations

WASHINGTON—Seven years after the release of the 9/11 Commission report, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today released a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report highlighting the significant progress that DHS, along with its many partners, have made in fulfilling specific recommendations by the 9/11 Commission to build a country that is stronger, safer and more resilient. Leading up to the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, the report details advancements in strengthening and evolving the homeland security enterprise to better defend against evolving terrorist threats.

"Ten years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America is stronger and more resilient than ever before, but threats from terrorism persist and challenges remain," said Secretary Napolitano. "Over the past decade, we have made great strides to secure our nation against a large attack or disaster, to protect critical infrastructure and cyber networks, and to engage a broader range of Americans in the shared responsibility for security. We recognize and thank the many men and women of DHS, all of our partners, and the law enforcement officers and emergency management professionals who work on the frontlines everyday protecting America, at home and abroad."

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/20110721-napolitano-releases-9-11-progress-report.shtm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FEMA Encourages Americans to Participate in September's National Preparedness Month

Eighth Annual National Preparedness Month in September: "A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare," Encourages Americans to Take Simple Steps to Prepare for Emergencies

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Ready Campaign, in partnership with Citizen Corps and the Ad Council, today announced the launch of new web tools that will make it easier for individuals and organizations throughout the nation to join the 2011 National Preparedness Month (NPM) coalition and pledge their support to help prepare their families, businesses and communities for emergencies of all kinds.

The eighth annual NPM will kickoff this September, using the slogan: "A Time to Remember. A Time to Prepare." The campaign seeks to transform awareness into action by encouraging all Americans to take the necessary steps to ensure that their homes, workplaces and communities are prepared for disasters and emergencies of all kinds.

http://www.fema.gov/news/newsrelease.fema?id=56745

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Attorney General Holder, Secretary Duncan Announce Effort to Respond to School-to-Prison Pipeline by Supporting Good Discipline Practices

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced the launch of the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, a collaborative project between the Departments of Justice and Education that will address the “school-to-prison pipeline” and the disciplinary policies and practices that can push students out of school and into the justice system. The initiative aims to support good discipline practices to foster safe and productive learning environments in every classroom.

“Ensuring that our educational system is a doorway to opportunity – and not a point of entry to our criminal justice system – is a critical, and achievable, goal,” said Attorney General Holder. “By bringing together government, law enforcement, academic, and community leaders, I'm confident that we can make certain that school discipline policies are enforced fairly and do not become obstacles to future growth, progress, and achievement.”

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-ag-951.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Department of Justice Proposes Legislation to Help Tribes Combat Violence Against Native Women in Indian Country

WASHINGTON – Today the Department of Justice proposed legislation that would significantly improve the safety of women in American Indian tribal communities and allow federal and tribal law-enforcement agencies to hold more perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes.

“The Obama Administration has placed a high priority on combating violence against women in tribal communities,” said Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli. “We believe that enacting these targeted reforms would significantly improve the safety of women in tribal communities and allow federal and tribal law-enforcement agencies to hold more perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes.”

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-asg-955.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Associate Attorney General Tom Perrelli Speaks on Proposed Legislation to Combat Violence Against Native Women in Indian Country

Thank you for joining the call today. I'm Tom Perrelli, the Associate Attorney General at the Justice Department. I'm joined by Kim Teehee, White House Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs and Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women.

In anticipation of this year's reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, the Justice Department—as well as the White House and our partner agencies—have been engaging in comprehensive discussions and formal consultations with Indian tribes, about how best to protect Native women from violent crime—crime and domestic violence which we know has reach epidemic rates. But, I will let Lynn go into further detail later.

What we've learned is that, for a host of reasons, the current legal structure for prosecuting domestic violence in Indian country is not well-suited to combating this pattern of escalating violence.

http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/asg/speeches/2011/asg-speech-110721.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Project Delirium” Results in Nearly 2,000 Arrests During 20-Month Operation, Seizures of More Than 12 Tons of Drugs and $62 Million in U.S. Currency

WASHINGTON – Approximately 1,985 individuals have been arrested on narcotics-related charges as part of a 20-month multi-agency law enforcement investigation known as “Project Delirium,” which targeted the La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, the Department of Justice announced today.

As part of an ongoing takedown that began June 1, 2011, 221 individuals have been arrested across the United States as part of Project Delirium, including more than 70 individuals apprehended yesterday and today. In addition, $770,499 in U.S. currency, 635 pounds of methamphetamine, 118 kilograms of cocaine and 24 pounds of heroin were seized by law enforcement agents since June 1, 2011.

“Through coordinated and strategic efforts like Project Delirium, we are disrupting the operations of Mexican drug cartels in the United States and Mexico,” said Deputy Attorney General James Cole. “Today, we see drug traffickers operating in urban and rural communities alike. The arrests and seizures we are announcing today have stripped La Familia of its manpower, its deadly product and its profit, and helped make communities large and small safer. The department is determined to continue our aggressive efforts, along with our Mexican law enforcement partners, to diminish and ultimately eliminate the threat posed by these dangerous groups.”

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/July/11-dag-954.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 21, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Convicted child molester arrested on suspicion of annoying youth

A convicted child molester was arrested Wednesday at a West Whittier library after a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy noticed him annoying a teenage boy, authorities said.

Michael Pappas, 48, of Whittier was taken into custody at Sorensen Library on Broadway. According to authorities, the deputy saw the man suspiciously standing over the boy outside the county branch library about 3 p.m. As the deputy approached, it appeared the boy was nervous and upset, according to investigators.

The boy told the deputy that the man offered to pay him $25 if he would go home with him and help him inject his diabetes medication. The boy refused, but the man continued to ask him to go home with him.

The deputy detained Pappas and discovered he had previous convictions for lewd acts on a child under 14 and annoying a person under 16. He arrested Pappas, who was later booked at the Pico Rivera sheriff's station on suspicion of annoying a child under 16 with a previous conviction.

Pappas is being held in lieu of $150,000 bail.

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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Californians would rather ease penalties than pay more for prisons

Poll shows a change in attitudes as California seeks ways to comply with court-ordered cuts to its prison population. Soured economy is a key factor.

Cash-strapped Californians would rather ease "third-strike" penalties for some criminals and accept felons as neighbors than dig deeper into their pockets to relieve prison overcrowding, a new poll shows.

In the wake of a court order that the state move more than 33,000 inmates out of its packed prisons, an overwhelming number of voters oppose higher taxes — as well as cuts in key state services — to pay for more lockup space.

The survey, by The Times and the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, shows a clear shift in attitude by residents forced to confront the cost of tough sentencing laws passed in recent decades.

The poll canvassed 1,507 registered California voters between July 6 and July 17, about six weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an earlier court order requiring the inmate numbers to be cut. It was conducted by two firms in the Washington, D.C., area: Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, a Democratic firm, and American Viewpoint, a Republican firm. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.52 percentage points.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-poll-prisons-20110721,0,4309478,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 20, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Alameda incident: 'First responders' who don't

Police and firefighters stood by and watched a suicidal man drown. We need to restore the principle that the real constituency for public safety is the public, not bureaucrats and government workers.

On Memorial Day, a suicidal man waded into San Francisco Bay outside the city of Alameda and stood there for about an hour, neck deep in chilly water, as about 75 bystanders watched. Local police and firefighters were dispatched to the scene after the man's desperate mother called 911, but they refused to help. After the man drowned, the assembled "first responders" also refused to wade into the water to retrieve his body; they left that job for a bystander.

The incident sparked widespread outrage in Northern California, and the response by the Fire Department and police only intensified the anger. The firefighters blamed local budget cuts for denying them the training and equipment necessary for cold-water rescues. The police said that they didn't know if the man was dangerous and therefore couldn't risk the safety of officers.

After a local TV news crew asked him whether he would save a drowning child in the bay, Alameda Fire Chief Ricci Zombeck gave an answer that made him the butt of local talk-show mockery: "Well, if I was off duty, I would know what I would do, but I think you're asking me my on-duty response, and I would have to stay within our policies and procedures, because that's what's required by our department to do."

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-greenhut-police-firefighters-un20110720,0,5560004,print.story

California's hidden hunger strike

It's hard to assess the claims of prisoners when reporters are being denied access to them.

Conditions in California prisons are so bad that a panel of federal judges ruled that they violate the U.S. Constitution's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, but until recently the ensuing protests came mainly from lawyers rather than the inmates themselves. That changed on July 1, when thousands of inmates at one-third of the state's prisons started a hunger strike.

A core group of at least 400 inmates in four prisons continues to refuse food, protesting the way the state treats prisoners deemed to be gang members. The strike began in the Special Housing Unit at Pelican Bay State Prison, where 1,100 inmates are isolated in soundproof cells for 22 1/2 hours a day. Their sole reprieve: one hour a day outside in a small area with high concrete walls.

Prison officials say this treatment is necessary to discourage membership in prison gangs, to obtain information on gang activity and to prevent "shot-calling" — the passing of orders from gang leaders to members in other prisons or out on the streets. Moreover, they say the hunger strike is being organized by gang leaders, and some strikers who would rather not participate are being coerced. Prisoner advocates, meanwhile, say such prolonged isolation leads to mental illness and is tantamount to torture.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-prisons-20110720,0,2519338,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 19, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Justice Department trying to shield officials in guns scandal, ATF chief says

Kenneth Melson, the ATF's acting director, claims Justice Department officials refuse to release a telling internal report on the Fast and Furious operation.

The Justice Department is trying to protect its political appointees from the Fast and Furious scandal by concealing an internal "smoking gun" report and other documents that acknowledge the role top officials played in the program that allowed firearms to flow illegally into Mexico, according to the head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Kenneth E. Melson, the ATF's acting director, also told congressional investigators this month that the affidavits prepared to obtain wiretaps used in the ill-fated operation were inconsistent with Justice Department officials' public statements about the program. Justice Department officials advised him not to raise his concerns with Congress about "institutional problems" with the Fast and Furious operation, Melson said.

"It was very frustrating to all of us," Melson told congressional investigators in a private meeting over the Fourth of July holiday, "and it appears thoroughly to us that the department is really trying to figure out a way to push the information away from their political appointees at the department."

Not only was the department slow to react, Melson said, but Justice Department officials indicated they did not want him to cooperate with Congress.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-guns-scandal-20110719,0,4186466,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Florida

Police Chief Talks up Community Policing

Chief Mikel Hollaway hopes the city's Independent Police Panel, “will become a lightening rod.”

The tenor of Sarasota's two civilian police panels is starting to emerge over these past few months. The “complaints board” is starting to review how the Sarasota Police Department evaluates citizen complaints. It meets monthly.

The other panel – the Independent Police Advisory Board – meets quarterly, and convened for the second time on Friday, July 15. Chairman Elmer Berkel reminded members, “Administrative-type issues are not under our purview. We are charged to look at major policy aspects of policing in this city.”

With that Berkel turned the microphone over to Police Chief Mikel Hollaway. He is a reluctant chief. He spent his entire 28-year career in the SPD, and rose through every rank. But he didn't submit his application for Police Chief until the final day. He was appointed on May 18, 2010, and reports to City Manager Bob Bartolotta.

“Everybody knows my philosophy is community policing,” Hollaway started out. “We are trying to be much more pro-active, hearing what citizens have to say. I have selected 10 new officers for Newtown, downtown and the Rosemary District. I want every businessman to know them by name.”

http://sarasota.patch.com/articles/police-chief-talks-up-community-policing

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Illinois

Baseball cards aim to connect kids and officers

Limited edition baseball cards have hit the streets of Park Ridge — but instead of featuring greats like Babe Ruth, local police officers like Sgt. Robert Kampwirth and Lt. Duane Mellema are the trading card heroes.

The new project is one part of a community policing strategy focus that aims to connect Park Ridge police officers with the community. The hope is that the baseball cards open up a communication pipeline with a younger demographic and let youth see officers in a different light, said Cmdr. Lou Jogmen.

Children can walk up to police and ask for the cards, which each have photos, sayings and background information like college degrees and time spent in the force. A ride to school in a squad car will be given to the first few children who collect the memorabilia from all 54 Park Ridge police officers.

“It shows that we're more human,” Jogmen said. “A lot of people view us as an arm of the government…we're not just a role in society.”

http://triblocal.com/park-ridge/2011/07/19/baseball-cards-aim-to-connect-kids-and-officers/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

California

Police officers who are also school resource officers make impact

Salvaged program shows kids that law enforcement officers want to help.

Merced Police Officer Jason Hart knew he wanted to work with kids and make a difference in their lives when he became a police officer.

Hart is a school resource officer at Golden Valley High School, where he mentors students and works with parents and teachers.

"We create positive relationships with the students and with the teachers and the parents," Hart said. "We do that basically with community policing, where not everything we do is related to crime. We try to mentor them, we try to make ourselves more approachable."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

July 18, 2011

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Four airports to test expedited screening for frequent fliers

The idea is to pre-screen travelers who pose little security risk, making the process faster for all passengers. Participating airports are in Atlanta, Miami, Detroit and Dallas.

A plan to let pre-screened frequent airline passengers — such as business travelers — bypass the regular airport security checkpoints and instead zip through an expedited screening process will be tested this fall in Atlanta, Miami, Detroit and Dallas.

Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole announced the details of the test program in a conference call with airline executives last week.

The idea behind the pilot program is to pre-screen travelers who pose little risk and remove them from the general screening lines, making the process for all passengers move faster.

The program initially will be open only to a small number of people, including some frequent fliers and U.S. citizens who have been pre-screened to travel abroad under existing U.S. Customs and Border Protection programs, Pistole said.

During the test phase, the expedited screening lines will include frequent fliers from Delta Air Lines flying from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County airports. American Airlines frequent fliers will be eligible for the program at Miami International and Dallas/Fort Worth International airports. The program will be free to participating passengers.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel-briefcase-20110718,0,894659,print.story

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Family of U.S. agent slain in Mexico demands to know gun source

The lawyer for Jaime Zapata's family says U.S. officials refuse to answer questions about whether the weapons used were linked to the Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation.

Five months after U.S. immigration agent Jaime Zapata was shot to death by a Mexican drug cartel, his family is demanding to know whether the weapons were purchased in the United States and smuggled into Mexico under the now-defunct Fast and Furious operation.

The family complains that U.S. authorities in Washington and Texas have refused to answer crucial questions about the Feb. 15 ambush on a four-lane highway in northern Mexico.

"What happened with Jaime needs to come out," the family's lawyer, Raymond L. Thomas of McAllen, Texas, said in a telephone interview Sunday. "And the likelihood that these were Fast and Furious guns is certainly plausible."

Mexican authorities have announced nine arrests in the high-profile case. Among them was Jesus Rejon Aguilar, a Zetas cartel leader who was captured near Mexico City this month.

In Washington, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Vista), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, is seeking information on the Zapata slaying.

Nelson Peacock, assistant secretary for legislative affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, which includes the immigration and customs agency, told Issa in a letter Friday that investigating Zapata's killing was a priority.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-guns-cartel-20110718,0,1794984,print.story

Public health: Not vaccinated? Not acceptable

What should we do about people who decline vaccination for themselves or their children and put the public at risk by fueling the resurgence of nearly eradicated diseases?

What does society do when one person's behavior puts the greater community at risk? We make them stop. We pass laws, or impose economic rules or find some other way to discourage individual behaviors that threaten the greater common good. You don't get to drive drunk. You don't get to smoke in public places. You don't even get to leave your house if you catch some particularly infectious disease.

Then what should we do about people who decline vaccination for themselves or their children and put the public at risk by fueling the resurgence of nearly eradicated diseases? Isn't this the same thing: one person's perception of risk producing behaviors that put others at risk? Of course it is. Isn't it time for society to say we need to regulate the risk created by the fear of vaccines? Yes, it is.

The evidence is overwhelming that declining vaccination rates are contributing to outbreaks of disease. Take just one example, measles. The World Health Organization reports outbreaks in countries where vaccination rates have gone down, including France (7,000 cases so far this year, more than in all of 2010), Belgium, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Macedonia and Turkey. There have already been 334 measles cases in England and Wales this year, compared with 33 all of last year. The U.S. has seen 118 cases as of mid-May, compared with 56 cases a year from 2001 to 2008.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ropeik-vaccines-20110718,0,669289,print.story

.