LE ROY, New York (Reuters) - State health officials have added three more names to a growing list of students in this working-class town who are experiencing mysterious tics and twitching, while authorities on Saturday sought to assure parents the community's high school is safe.

Although the symptoms are typically associated with Tourette Syndrome, that has been ruled out in all but one case, causing fear and confusion among many residents of Le Roy, N.Y., about 50 miles east of Buffalo.

"The building is safe for the community," District Superintendent Kim Cox told several hundred residents gathered in the auditorium of Le Roy Junior-Senior High School on Saturday.

The Le Roy Central School District scrambled to conduct environmental testing for air quality and mold when an initial 12 students developed tics and impulsive verbal outbursts last fall. But state health investigators ruled out environmental factors, latent side-effects from drugs or vaccines like Gardasil, trauma or genetic factors.

Instead, doctors say conversion disorder - once called mass hysteria - is to blame among an expanding list of patients. Three more unconfirmed cases have been added to the original list of students exhibiting the symptoms, and others are being examined.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-students-tics-newyorktre8130s0-20120204,0,6528300,print.story

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Feb 4, 2012

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NYPD investigation of Muslims: Civil rights groups ask for probe

In a letter to state Atty. Gen. Eric Schneiderman, about 32 civil rights groups called for an investigation of allegations that the department uses religion as the sole criteria in deciding surveillance of Shiite mosques. The attorney general's office did not immediately return repeated telephone calls for comment.

The Associated Press was the first to report on a May 2006 confidential intelligence document that recommended the department focus anti-terrorism intelligence operations on Shiite mosques. The news agency also reported on the city's surveillance operations, which monitored and built databases about usual activities in Muslim neighborhoods.

The agency's investigative report led to a call in October by several state senators for an investigation by the attorney general.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

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Super Bowl: Backed by tougher Indiana law, nuns target sex trade

Backed by a tougher Indiana law, a coalition of Roman Catholic nuns has stepped up efforts to curb the sex trade during this weekend's Super Bowl.

The group, which includes the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Cleveland, has contacted hotels in Indianapolis and its environs to be on the lookout for sex trafficking and to take steps to halt it. The effort was first reported by WKYC-TV.

"No one wants human trafficking in their town," Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister Ann Oestreich said in a prepared statement. "These activities happen in the dark. What we are attempting to do is to shine a light on sex trafficking and reduce opportunities for it to happen."

Oestreich is coordinating the Super Bowl 2012 Anti-Trafficking Initiative for the Coalition for Corporate Responsibility for Indiana and Michigan. The group says it has contacted the managers of 220 hotels within a 50-mile radius of Indianapolis to help spot trafficking.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

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Bloomberg reloads in push for gun control

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in New York and Boston will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.

The two mayors, whose local teams face off in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the organization they co-founded in 2006.

Murder has been on the decline in New York and other major American cities for years, but the mayors say they still see too many dead cops and teens. On Tuesday night, Bloomberg was at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan visiting a New York police officer who had just been shot in the face in Brooklyn.

"We have someone who's dedicated his life to protecting all of us, who has had a much too close brush with death tonight because of what appears to be an illegal gun," Bloomberg told a news conference. He added that more Americans have been killed by illegal guns since 1968 than were killed in World War II.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/04/us-usa-bloomberg-guns-idUSTRE8130BJ20120204

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Phoenix police stepping up community relations efforts

PHOENIX - Phoenix police officers are better trained to keep you safe.

The department is undergoing training to help heal its relationship with citizens after one of its officers was involved in an altercation with Phoenix City Councilman Michael Johnson .

"That's certainly not a position I want to be in again," smiled Phoenix's Vice Mayor Michael Johnson.

Johnson can finally laugh when talking about such a serious altercation. "It was an unfortunate situation that happened," he explained.

In March of 2010, Johnson accused Phoenix Police Officer Brian Authement of violating his civil rights after he was handcuffed and wrestled to the ground. The incident happened after Johnson awoke to find his neighbor's house engulfed in flames.

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/region_phoenix_metro/central_phoenix/phoenix-police-stepping-up-community-policing-efforts

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Court order for Seattle police reform being rushed, groups say

A dispute has also arisen over the makeup, or the need, for a citizens advisory panel to oversee implementation of the reforms, as suggested by Mayor Mike McGinn in December in the days after the Justice Department released its findings.

In crafting a court-enforceable consent decree, Justice Department civil-rights attorneys have met with McGinn, City Attorney Pete Holmes, members of the City Council and dozens of citizens groups and community members over the past three weeks with an eye toward completing interviews and most information-gathering by the middle of February.

"There is a sense of urgency to get things done," said Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Bates. "Having this lingering and looming isn't good for anyone."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017409170_doj03m.html

TSA thefts? Well, yes, but don't forget the good, TSA rep says

Alexandra Schmid is accused of taking $5,000 from the jacket as it passed by on its way to be X-rayed, the Associated Press reported.

The alleged theft is just one of several recent incidents that have cast the agency in a negative light -- and TSA officers, arguably, didn't have a stellar reputation with the public to begin with.

But Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman, is staunch in her defense of TSA officers' integrity. "The actions of a few individuals in no way reflect on the outstanding job our 50,000 security officers do every day," Farbstein said in a news release after Wednesday's arrest.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

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Florida

Working to Stop Alcohol Sales to Minors

he StandUP Polk Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk, located in Lakeland, and the Haines City Police Department, shared the results of a recent Compliance Check held to combat the illegal sale of alcohol to minors. Compliance checks are conducted periodically throughout our community to verify that retail establishments are following the law by not selling to minors, and checking proper identification to verify legal age.

Haines City Police Department Community Policing Officers and Agents within the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Bureau were assisted by high school Police Explorer volunteers in a compliance check of 30 establishments within the city limits of Haines City. Of the 30 retail establishments checked in this operation, 27 of the businesses were found to be in compliance with the Florida State Statutes.

Representatives of the StandUP Polk Coalition and the Haines City Police Department commend and appreciate the majority of local retail outlets that are doing their part to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.

Haines City Chief of Police Richard H. Sloan said, "This is an effective way to educate the local community and business owners that the Haines City Police Department will not tolerate the illegal sale of alcohol to minors." Bravo to the participants in this operation, and to the local establishments in compliance with Florida law.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20120202/COLUMNISTS0413/202025004?template=printart

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New Jersey

Community Partnership Program to start

Recognizing the necessity for communication between Parsippany's residents, businesses and the law enforcement community, Mayor James Barberio and Police Chief Anthony DeZenzo have formed the Parsippany Police Community Partnership Program.

The first in a series of meetings will be held on Thursday, Feb. 16, 7-10 p.m., at the Parsippany Sheraton Hotel, 199 Smith Rd.

Anyone who lives, works, worships or owns a business in Parsippany is encouraged to attend and meet with police representatives to hear about who they are, what they can do for, and how individuals can partner with them to continue to improve services.

The Parsippany Police Department offers a range of services and activities to help inform everyone about community policing, crime prevention, intervention, and outreach programs.

http://www.northjersey.com/community/announcements/138624794_Community_Partnership_Program_to_start_.html

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Super Bowl XLVI: "If You See Something, Say Something"

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Feb 2, 2012

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Philippines officials kill 3 most-wanted terrorists

Philippines military officials said the men -– from Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore –- belonged to the groups Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah, which for years have directed terror killings, bombings and kidnappings from their southern island jungle stronghold.

The dead include Abu Sayyaf leader Umbra Jumdail, a Filipino; Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan; and Singaporean Abdullah Ali, who uses the guerrilla name Muawiyah, according to military spokesman Col. Marcelo Burgos.

Marwan, a top leader of the Indonesian-based terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah, carried a $5 million bounty for his killing or arrest -– a reward offered by the U.S. government.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/02/terrorist-group-leaders-killed-south-philippines.html

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Police raid 5-story New York pot farm, an indoor marijuana jungle

Urban gardening has become a trend in New York City, but police sniffing around a five-story building in the Bronx found an urban garden of a different type: an indoor jungle of marijuana plants growing on every floor, some far taller than the cops who raided the unusual jungle.

On Tuesday evening, police carted 593 towering plants from the otherwise unremarkable brick building, as well as 75 pounds of marijuana cut, dried and packaged in plastic, ready for distribution. Authorities said that by a "conservative estimate," the operation did at least $3 million in business last year. Three men were arrested in connection with the case.

It certainly wasn't the biggest marijuana bust in New York City, not by a long shot. In 2009, 50,000 pounds of marijuana was found stuffed in a home in Queens, and there have been plenty of other bigger busts in the region.

What made Tuesday's discovery unusual was the location of the farm: a busy urban area on a block lined with similar five-story walk-up buildings occupying people, not leafy trees thriving under a sophisticated air filtration, irrigation and lighting system with fans and sprinklers to ensure healthy crops.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

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Feb 1, 2012

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OPINION

7 Best TSA 'Aha Moments': Strange Things at Airport Security

You really have to find something strange to beat the best airport security catch of 2011 and of course I mean the guy at Miami International who tried to go through security with seven snakes in his pants.

Had the reptiles not been discovered - as they were via a TSA body scan machine - imagine sitting on a plane only to notice slithering in a seatmate's trouser region. The guy had three turtles in there, too.

Maybe you don't travel with snakes-in-pants, but you don't want to be stuck in line behind someone like this either if only because of delays and help is on the way thanks to expedited security lines in more airport as such lanes would pretty much exclude reptile hoarders. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the seven best security 'gets' so far this year.

http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/best-tsa-aha-moments-strange-things-airport-security/story?id=15481094

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Ohio targets young adults on dangers of prescription drugs

COLUMBUS - A class of prescription painkillers has saddled many Ohio youths with addiction. The state hopes the stories of a veteran, a mother, an aunt and a friend - all whose lives have been changed irrevocably by opiate analgesics - will make youths think twice. This is the state's first awareness campaign specific to these painkillers, such as the brand names OxyContin or Opana.

Posters soon will begin appearing at 400 convenience stores and other locations in Ohio. Ads will be on Facebook, Pandora online radio and other sites that appeal to the 18- to 29-year-old demographic, said Orman Hall, director of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. Personal stories were brought to life at the campaign kickoff Tuesday at the Statehouse.

Jo Anna Krohn, a Portsmouth woman who lost her 18-year-old son to an overdose three years ago, said the emotional pain was too unbearable for her to stay quiet. She started a support group, SOLACE, that now has six more branches across the state.

http://www.marionstar.com/article/20120201/NEWS01/202010303/Ohio-targets-young-adults-dangers-prescription-drugs?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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Connecticut

Violent crime on decline

With January at a close, the Elm City posted its first month without a homicide since August 2009.

New Haven Police Department spokesman David Hartman said violent crime around New Haven was “way down” in January. Yet despite this success, some members of the Board of Alderman, including Board President and Ward 5 Alderman President Jorge Perez, questioned Mayor John DeStefano Jr.'s anticipated proposal to budget for 40 to 45 new NHPD officers as the department implements its new community policing strategy.

“I'm happy to see the [DeStefno] administration is paying attention to community policing after they almost single-handedly killed it,” Perez told the New Haven Independent. “[But] they raised taxes on the pretext we're going to hire more cops. Then DeStefano laid off cops. Then he hired more cops. Less than a year later he wants to hire more cops.”

DeStefano and newly appointed NHPD Chief Dean Esserman announced the new double class of officers at a press conference in Newhallville last Thursday, even as they announced that 21 officers will be moved from the investigative division to patrol. The move is one of several that Esserman has made since taking office on Nov. 18. He has implemented walking beats in each of the Elm City's 10 districts, and on Friday announced he would be replacing the NHPD's three assistant chiefs with his own leadership team.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2012/feb/01/violent-crime-on-decline/

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Connecticut

Compstat ramps up

The suspect's mug shot flashed on the screen. “Who is this guy?” the chief asked. Responded the neighborhood's top cop: “You know, he's a little bit of an enigma.”

The conversation didn't end there. It just began. It would draw in cops from other neighborhoods, other divisions. Not to mention people from state parole and the state's attorney's office. While dozens of others listened in.

The setting was a fourth-floor conference room at the police department. Some 70 people gathered there Tuesday morning for the department's weekly “CompStat” meeting, where top cops responsible for New Haven's 10 policing districts report on the latest crime trends in their neighborhoods and plans for tackling them.

Tuesday morning's gathering showed the ways that new Police Chief Dean Esserman changed the meeting, dramatically, as part of his larger plans for remaking the department and revive community policing.

The meetings used to take place every four weeks, then every six weeks, according to Lt. Luiz Casanova, who oversees patrol. Maybe 30 people would show up, pretty much just cops from the department.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/compstat_meeting/id_44052

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Jan 31, 2012

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Segregation of blacks at record low, think tank report says

The report, coming days before the nation prepares to observe Black History Month, tracks how housing has changed over time. It was written by two fellows of the conservative think tank: Harvard University economics professor Edward Glaeser and Duke University professor Jacob Vigdor.

The research looked at every census since 1890 and found a range of factors -- such as changes in law, better access to credit, blacks' movement into formerly white suburbs and even some gentrification of formerly all-black ghettos -- that have played a role in the decline of segregation.

But that decline hasn't brought the kind of opportunities and social healing that once seemed implicit, particularly in the 1960s civil rights movement. “The 1960s were the heyday of racial segregation,” the pair say in their report.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/

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Established nearly nine years ago, the Department of Homeland Security is still a relatively young agency.

Its creation represents one of the most sizable reorganizations within the Federal Government since the Department of War and the Department of the Navy were combined to create the Department of Defense.

Every day, our workforce protects our air, land and sea borders and, increasingly, our cyberspace.

They guard against terrorist attacks from groups like al Qaeda or homegrown extremists. They apprehend human traffickers and other criminals. They protect the President and Vice President; they help thousands of immigrants become new citizens of the United States.

http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/speeches/napolitano-state-of-america-homeland-security.shtm

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Jan 30, 2012

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Op-Ed

Newton: LAPD's impound dilemma

A proposal by Chief Charlie Beck to clarify the way police handle cars they impound from unlicensed drivers reopens a larger, historic question: Who's in charge of the city's police?

At first glance, a proposal by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck to clarify the way police handle cars they impound from unlicensed drivers doesn't sound controversial. But his proposal touches one of the city's hot-button issues — illegal immigration — and it reopens a larger, historical question: Who's in charge of the city's police?

Under Beck's plan, police officers would be given guidelines for when they should impound the cars of unlicensed drivers for 30 days — a penalty that can impede a driver's ability to work and cost him or her almost $1,400 — and when they should instead merely hold a car until a licensed driver can pick it up. Factors such as the driver's record and the seriousness of the violation would dictate which approach would be employed and presumably discourage arbitrary and unequal treatment. His approach would conform to state law and court decisions and, as he told me last week, ensure that LAPD practice reinforced its broader policies regarding the fair treatment of those it cites or arrests.

None of that has anything directly to do with illegal immigration; the rules would apply to anyone driving without a license for whatever reason. But because so many unlicensed drivers in Los Angeles are immigrants in the country illegally and therefore unable to secure a driver's license, this proposed change in policy would have special ramifications for the city's immigrant community. As a result, immigrant groups have cheered it, while law-and-order types have bitterly opposed it. At a recent San Fernando Valley meeting, hundreds of critics turned out to denounce the proposal.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-newton-column-beck-impound-lapd-20120130,0,2230113,print.column

Last week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to apply for a $100-million state grant to help build a new jail. That's great. The cash-strapped county certainly needs the money. And the overcrowded jails are surely in need of an overhaul.

Men's Central Jail, for example, is bursting with inmates. The aging facility has been described by the American Civil Liberties Union as a "modern-day medieval dungeon" and by a federal judge as "not consistent with basic human values." Twin Towers, a downtown Los Angeles facility built in 1996 to ease overcrowding, has, by contrast, nearly 1,000 empty bunks because of staffing shortages. And the north facility at Pitchess Detention Center that once housed 1,600 detainees now holds just two inmates — another casualty of budget cuts.

Whether the state will provide the funds is unclear. What is obvious, however, is that no one at the county level — not Sheriff Lee Baca, not Chief Executive William T Fujioka, not even the supervisors — has a sensible plan in hand for how to solve the system's broader problems.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-jails-20120130,0,7566703,print.story

Kingston, Ontario (CNN) -- Three members of an Afghan immigrant family, who were found guilty of murder in what the judge called "a completely twisted concept of honor," intend to appeal their convictions.

A Canadian jury on Sunday convicted Mohammed Shafia, 58; his wife, Tooba Mohammad Yahya, 42; and their son, Hamed, 21, of first-degree murder in the deaths of Shafia's three teenage daughters and his first wife in his polygamous marriage.

Sunday's verdicts followed a three-month trial, in which jurors heard wiretaps of Shafia referring to his daughters as "whores" and ranting about their behavior.

All three were sentenced to life in prison immediately after their convictions, with no chance of parole for 25 years.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/30/world/americas/canada-honor-murder/?hpt=hp_t3

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