Prosecutors: Trio planned to attack Obama's HQ

CHICAGO (AP) — Three men accused of making Molotov cocktails had been planning to attack President Barack Obama 's campaign headquarters, Mayor Rahm Emanuel 's home and other targets during this weekend's NATO summit, prosecutors said Saturday.

The three were arrested Wednesday in a nighttime raid of an apartment in the city's South Side Bridgeport neighborhood ahead of the two-day meeting.

Defense attorneys alleged that the arrests were an effort to scare the thousands of people expected to protest at the meeting of world leaders. They told a judge that undercover police were the ones who brought the Molotov cocktails. “This is just propaganda to create a climate of fear,” defense attorney Michael Duetsch said.

Later, outside the courtroom, Duetsch said two undercover police officers or informants who called themselves “Mo” and “Gloves” were also arrested during the Wednesday raid, and defense attorneys said they later lost track of the two. “We believe this is all a setup and entrapment to the highest degree,” Duetsch said.

The trio was charged with providing material support for terrorism, conspiracy to commit terrorism and possession of explosives.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/19/3-nato-protesters-face-terror-conspiracy-charges/?page=all#pagebreak

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Woman gets 20 years for firing warning shot

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Marissa Alexander had never been arrested before she fired a bullet at a wall one day in 2010 to scare off her husband when she felt he was threatening her. Nobody got hurt, but this month a northeast Florida judge was bound by state law to sentence her to 20 years in prison.

Alexander , a 31-year-old mother of a toddler and 11-year-old twins, knew it was coming. She had claimed self-defense, tried to invoke Florida's “stand your ground” law and rejected plea deals that could have gotten her a much shorter sentence. A jury found her guilty as charged: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Because she fired a gun while committing a felony, Florida's mandatory-minimum gun law dictated the 20-year sentence.

Her case in Jacksonville has drawn a fresh round of criticism aimed at mandatory-minimum sentencing laws. The local NAACP chapter and the district's African-American congresswoman say blacks more often are incarcerated for long periods because of overzealous prosecutors and judges bound by the wrong-headed statute. Alexander is black.

It also has added fuel to the controversy over Florida's “stand your ground” law, which the judge would not allow Alexander to invoke. State Attorney Angela Corey , who also is overseeing the prosecution of shooter George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin case, stands by the handling of Alexander 's case. Corey says she believes Alexander aimed the gun at the man and his two sons, and the bullet she fired could have ricocheted and hit any of them.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/19/woman-gets-20-years-firing-warning-shot/?page=all#pagebreak

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May 19, 2012

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From the L.A. Daily News

Suspected white supremacist reportedly planned attack on Mexican consulate

MINNEAPOLIS - A Minnesota man with suspected ties to white supremacist groups planned to attack the Mexican consulate in St. Paul, believing it would stir debate on immigration amnesty issues ahead of the 2012 presidential election, according to a federal affidavit obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.

Joseph Benjamin Thomas also told an undercover FBI agent he considered himself a "domestic terrorist" instead of an American and would risk his life for the white supremacist movement in the event of a "race war," the FBI affidavit said.

The document, recently unsealed in federal court, provides new details about the investigation into Thomas' alleged plan. He was indicted in April on drug charges, though authorities had been watching him and another man since 2010 as part of a domestic terrorism probe. The affidavit said he'd amassed weapons and wanted to attack minorities, people with left-leaning political beliefs and government officials.

Thomas, 42, is not facing any terrorism-related charges. His attorney did not return a phone message Thursday, and the U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment.

"We consider him a threat, and we believe he had the capacity to carry these threats out," FBI spokesman Kyle Loven said in an interview Thursday. "This was a lengthy investigation, and it was driven by our belief that the intentions of these persons were sincere."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20655545/suspected-white-supremacist-reportedly-planned-attack-mexican-consulate

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From the Washington Times

9/11 families upset over ground zero museum delays

NEW YORK — They were promised a place to mourn their loved ones, display their photographs and educate their children and the children of strangers about exactly what was lost on 9/11. But today, family members of those killed have no completion date for the museum that is to be built alongside the Sept. 11 memorial at ground zero — and many are upset.

“The memorial is open, but that's only half the tribute to those who were killed,” said Patricia Reilly, who lost her sister in the attacks. “The museum is the place where they're going to tell the story about the people — who they were, where they were, what they were doing and what happened to them that day.”

Construction of the museum — originally scheduled to open on the 11th anniversary of the attacks — has largely ground to a halt amid a financial dispute between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site, and the foundation that controls the memorial and museum. After months of little obvious progress, some family members are increasingly worried that the powers that share control of the area are backsliding into the kind of politically driven dysfunction that once paralyzed the site.

“They shouldn't allow disagreement to get in the way,” said Reilly, who especially wants the museum to be completed so she can go there to visit the thousands of fragments of human remains too damaged to identify with DNA testing. No trace of her sister, Lorraine Lee , who worked on the 101st floor of the World Trade Center 's south tower, has been identified.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/18/911-families-upset-over-ground-zero-museum-delays/?page=all#pagebreak

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From Google News

Massachusetts

Holyoke community bands together to end crime

On the outside it looked like any school basketball game, but Friday night it was kids versus police, and they wouldn't have it any other way. "It feels good, it's better for our neighborhood," said 15-year-old David Cruz. Right now Cruz's dream is to become a professional basketball player.

It's dreams like that that the South Holyoke Safe Neighborhood Initiative is trying to protect through holding monthly outreach programs, like Friday nights when organizations reach out to the youth.

"It's trying to get service providers, law enforcement faith agencies and the community all coming together to build community so we can come together as a team," said Eddie Caisse, director of the Neighborhood Watch Program.

http://www.cbs3springfield.com/story/18560671/holyoke-community-bands-together-to-end-crime

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May 18, 2012

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From the Washington Times

Customs not playing hide-and-seek with carry-on contraband

Agents on front line against disease, disaster

It's dinnertime at Washington Dulles International Airport, and Officer Steve Whittaker has found himself surrounded by a feast at the international-arrivals checkpoint — a pungent meal he has no plans to enjoy.

On a stainless-steel table, beef kabobs give off a spicy scent as they cool. A roasted chicken is wrapped in crinkled foil, one greasy drumstick visible. Halved apples and mangoes sit in a large bucket, browning in the air.

Peering into a dark carry-on suitcase, Officer Whittaker , an agricultural specialist, pulls a salted fish longer than his arm from a plastic bag, its shrunken eyes staring on either side of a gaping mouth.

“There's a little bit of a risk with this job,” he says, sticking his gloved hand around the fish's jagged teeth. “But it's interesting. I get to see the world without going anywhere.”

Officer Whittaker , 54, is one of 250 officers with the Dulles branch of Customs and Border Protection. Their job? Protect the country from foreign threats, be they animal, vegetable or narcotic.

American envoy to Israel: U.S. ready to strike Iran

JERUSALEM (AP) — The United States has plans in place to attack Iran if necessary to prevent it from developing nuclear weapons, Washington's envoy to Israel said, days ahead of a crucial round of nuclear talks with Tehran.

Ambassador Daniel B. Shapiro 's message resonated Thursday far beyond the closed forum in which it was made: Iran should not test Washington's resolve to act on its promise to strike if diplomacy and sanctions fail to pressure Tehran to abandon its disputed nuclear program.

Mr. Shapiro told the Israel Bar Association the U.S. hopes it will not have to resort to military force.

“But that doesn't mean that option is not fully available. Not just available, but it's ready,” he said. “The necessary planning has been done to ensure that it's ready.”

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, such as energy production. The U.S. and Israel suspect Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, but differences have emerged in how to persuade Tehran to curb its program.

Washington says diplomacy and economic sanctions must be given a chance to run its course, and the U.S. is taking the lead in the ongoing talks between six global powers and Iran .

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/17/envoy-israel-us-ready-strike-iran/

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Zimmerman's account of killing corroborated

Pot found in Trayvon's system

ORLANDO, Fla. — Medical and autopsy reports released Thursday corroborate George Zimmerman 's account that he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense after the teenager attacked him.

As part of a massive release of evidence by the prosecution, an autopsy report on Trayvon found evidence of marijuana in his system, as Mr. Zimmerman told police he suspected. At the time of the shooting, Trayvon , 17, had been suspended from Miami-Dade County schools because traces of marijuana were found in a plastic baggie in his book bag.

The autopsy says medical examiners found THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, when they tested Trayvon 's blood and urine.

The package of documents, photos and video was turned over by prosecutors to defense attorneys days before it was released to the media.

Also in the package is a photo of Mr. Zimmerman with a bloody nose taken the night of the shooting, while a paramedic report says Mr. Zimmerman had a 1-inch laceration on his head and forehead abrasion.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/17/photo-zimmerman-bloodied-after-martin-shooting/

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May 17, 2012

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From the Washington Times

Congo ex-general said to be recruiting child soldiers again

DAKAR, SENEGAL — A Congolese general already sought on an international arrest warrant for his reputed use of child soldiers during an earlier conflict has forcibly recruited an additional 149 boys and teenagers since April, according to a Human Rights Watch investigation published Wednesday.

The children and teens were abducted from their homes and schools, from fields and the sides of roads in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo . They were beaten if they resisted, complained or walked too slowly, according to the report.

Several of the boys said that once they joined the ranks, they were forced to walk in front so that they would be the first to be ambushed or shot at.

Once a feared warlord, Bosco Ntaganda joined the Congolese army in 2009 as a general following a peace deal that paved the way for him and his men to be integrated into the military.

He was allowed to live freely in the provincial capital of Goma, where he played tennis and dined at top restaurants despite an International Criminal Court ( ICC ) indictment for war crimes said to have been committed by troops under his command in 2003, including the forced recruitment of children.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/16/congo-ex-general-said-to-be-recruiting-child-soldi/

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U.S. lowers threshold for lead poisoning

New standard puts more kids at risk

ATLANTA — For the first time in 20 years, U.S. health officials have lowered the threshold for lead poisoning in young children.

The new standard announced Wednesday means that hundreds of thousands more youngsters could be diagnosed with high levels of lead. Too much lead is harmful to developing brains and can mean a lower IQ.

“Unfortunately, many, many more parents will be getting bad news,” said Rebecca Morley , executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing , a Maryland-based nonprofit focused on hazards to kids in homes.

The standard is for children younger than 6. Recent research persuaded experts and government officials that young children could be harmed from lead levels in their blood that are lower than the old standard.

Really, “there is no safe level of blood lead in children,” said Christopher Portier , who heads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 's environmental health programs.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/16/us-lowers-threshold-for-lead-poisoning/

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FBI probes bomb plot leaks

U.S.-bound airliner was terror target

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III told a Senate committee Wednesday the bureau is investigating the source of leaks about a plot by al Qaeda terrorists to place a sophisticated explosive device aboard a U.S.-bound airliner.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Mueller - in his first public confirmation of the investigation - said leaks threaten ongoing law enforcement operations, put the lives of sources at risk, make it harder to recruit sources, and damage relationships with foreign law-enforcement partners.

“We have initiated an investigation into this leak” and “will investigate thoroughly,” Mr. Mueller said.

Earlier this month, the Associated Press and other news organizations reported the CIA had thwarted a plot by al Qaeda operatives in Yemen to destroy a U.S.-bound airliner using a bomb with a sophisticated new design. The attack was planned to coincide with the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden .

The plot, according to federal officials, was an upgrade of the underwear bomb that failed to detonate aboard a jetliner over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009. The new bomb also was designed to be used in a passenger's underwear, but this time al Qaeda developed a more-refined detonation system, the officials said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/16/fbi-director-probe-under-way-leak-al-qaeda-plot/

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Inside the Ring: Terrorists' antics

The Washington-based legal group Judicial Watch earlier this month sent an investigator to Guantanamo Bay Naval Air Station , Cuba , to watch the May 5 arraignment of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad (aka KSM ) and four others accused of plotting and executing the Sept. 11, 2001, airline attacks.

Judicial Watch outlined the disruptive tactics of the five terrorism suspects, who stretched out the proceedings for 13 hours through a series of deliberate delaying actions.

The four others on trial in Cuba are Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin Attash , Ramzi Binalshibh , Ali Abdul Aziz Ali , and Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi . All are charged with terrorism, hijacking aircraft, conspiracy, murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, and destroying property in violation of the law of war.

Linguists complained during the hearing that touching the microphone caused static that impaired their ability to hear and interpret the proceedings. They also complained that side conversations further prevented them from hearing and interpreting the proceedings.

Lawyer Cheryl Bormann , who has said she is not Muslim and was a Chicago public defender before the Cuba proceedings, urged the court to order that the female members of the prosecution team, including a Navy lieutenant who wore a service dress-blue uniform, be ordered to wear similar Muslim garb out of respect for the religious duties of her client, Bin Attash.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/16/inside-the-ring-terrorists-antics/?page=all#pagebreak

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From the L.A. Times

7 deputies from L.A. County sheriff's gang unit placed on leave

All are suspected of belonging to the alleged Jump Out Boys secret clique that celebrates officer-involved shootings. Investigators are trying to determine if they committed serious misconduct.

Seven deputies from the Los Angeles County sheriff's gang unit have been placed on leave on suspicion that they belong to a secret clique that celebrates shootings and brands its members with matching tattoos, sources confirmed.

The move is a sign of the intensifying nature of the investigation of the "Jump Out Boys." Suspicion about the group's existence was sparked several weeks ago when a supervisor found a pamphlet describing the group's creed, which promoted aggressive policing and portrayed officer shootings in a positive light.

Days after The Times reported on the discovery of the pamphlet, the captain of the division gathered his deputies for a private briefing, during which he told them that they had shamed the department by forming the group and urged those responsible to identify themselves, a source with knowledge of the unit's inner workings said.

At some point, one deputy came forward, and named six others, said sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing.

All seven of those deputies were placed on leave with pay sometime this week. Internal affairs investigators are trying to determine whether the deputies violated Sheriff's Department rules or committed serious misconduct.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sheriff-clique-20120517,0,1187715.story

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Drug smuggling border tunnels targeted in new get-tough law

WASHINGTON — Responding to an increase in smuggling tunnels along the California and Arizona borders, the House on Wednesday passed legislation aimed at helping law enforcement combat underground drug trafficking.

In a rare bipartisan vote, the House overwhelmingly approved the Border Tunnel Prevention Act.

President George W. Bush in 2006 signed legislation making it a federal crime to build or finance a cross-border tunnel to smuggle drugs, illegal immigrants and weapons.

Sponsors of the new bill said the 2006 law needs to be strengthened because tunnels are still being discovered -- 40 in California and 74 in Arizona since 2006, according to federal officials.

The legislation would make it a crime to attempt or conspire to build, finance or use an illegal cross-border tunnel. It would allow law enforcement to seek judicial approval to use wiretapping in investigations of the tunnels and permit seizure of cash or other property brought into the U.S. in an illegal tunnel. It also would allow prosecutors to pursue money laundering charges in tunnel cases.

"This bill reaffirms our determination to bring an end to cross-border tunnels," said House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas).

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-border-tunnels-20120516,0,3836865.story

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From Google News

Ore. county cutting law enforcement to bare bones

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – A failed levy vote in an Oregon county is taking a toll: government workers facing dismissal, a pending prisoner release, and crimes such as misdemeanor domestic assault and shoplifting likely to go unprosecuted.

A day after Josephine County voters resoundingly turned thumbs down on a levy to plug a $12 million budget gap, the sheriff and district attorney began handing out pink slips Wednesday, cutting staff to levels probably not seen since the region was settled during the 1850s Gold Rush.

"We're going to wreck the train here and see how we can put it back in the future," Stephen Campbell, district attorney for the Southern Oregon county, told The Associated Press.

The sizeable budget gap was left by the expiration of a federal safety net for timber-reliant counties such as Josephine.

As a result of the cutbacks, the routine areas of law enforcement — drunken drivers, domestic abuse, shoplifting and car wrecks — will likely be where people see the loss of sheriff's patrols and prosecutors first.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/17/ore-county-cutting-law-enforcement-to-bare-bones/

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New Jersey

Neighbors improve Birches West community

Last October, Kathy Raroha worked with Washington Township's community policing officers to try to establish a town watch group in her 900-home development, Birches West.

A few residents came with Raroha to the meeting, including Michelle Jones.

The two began to talk about their community and how to make it better. And a few months later, they had formed a non-profit community group, the Birches West Neighborhood Alliance.

Members began to come together in January, and soon enough, the group was planning cleanup days and spring flings.

“We wanted to bring the neighborhood together to raise greater awareness and give people a place to go with concerns,” Jones, the group's vice-president, said.

Jones said neighbors on her street have a relationship, but she wanted to see it grow to the entire neighborhood.

http://sj.sunne.ws/2012/05/16/neighbors-improve-birches-west-community/

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May 16, 2012

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From the L.A. Daily News

Military families to get free national parks pass

NORFOLK, Va. - Active-duty military personnel and their dependents will soon be able to enter every national park for free as part of an effort to thank service members and their families for the sacrifices they make, the Interior Department announced Tuesday.

An annual pass will be made available to members of the military free of charge beginning Saturday, which is Armed Forces Day. The America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass ordinarily costs $80. It provides access to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.

The initiative is being marked with a Tuesday ceremony at Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Va., the site of the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. The park is nestled in a region of Virginia that plays host to all five branches of the military, including the world's largest naval base.

"I think when one goes into Virginia and you see all the sites, the Yorktown battlefield and the whole history of the country, it's important that those who have fought in the tradition of making sure the nation's democracy and freedom are protected also have access to these wonderful sites there," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a conference call with reporters in advance of the announcement.

The National Park Service estimates that giving away the passes to service members and their families will result in a revenue loss between $2 million and $6 million. The passes allow the owner and passengers in a single private vehicle access to sites that charge per vehicle. At sites where entrance fees are charged per-person, it covers the pass owner and three adults age 16 and older.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20627462/military-families-get-free-national-parks-pass

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From the Washington Times

Leahy wants investigation into Arizona sheriff's tactics

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee wants Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to investigate whether the office of Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio used federal grant money to illegally detain Hispanics, whom the government alleges were the victims of racial profiling.

If so, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, wants the Justice Department to consider ways of getting the money back - a total that could exceed $25 million. “I urge the department to take all appropriate steps to determine whether taxpayer dollars have been used in connection with the detention of individuals whose civil rights have been violated,” wrote Mr. Leahy in a letter Tuesday to Mr. Holder .

Mr. Leahy said the Justice Department has estimated that the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in Phoenix has received more than $25 million since 2000 under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) as reimbursement for the costs related to the detention of illegal immigrants. Last week the Justice Department filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and Sheriff Arpaio alleging, among other things, that the sheriff and his deputies abused Hispanic inmates and engaged in ethnic profiling.

The lawsuit charges discriminatory and unconstitutional law enforcement actions against Hispanics who are frequently detained and arrested on the basis of race, color or national origin; discriminatory jail practices against Hispanic inmates with limited English skills; and illegal retaliation against critics.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/15/leahy-wants-investigation-arizona-sheriffs-tactics/

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Evacuations and drills pared near nuke plants

Without fanfare, the nation's nuclear power regulators have overhauled community emergency planning for the first time in more than three decades, requiring fewer exercises for major accidents and recommending that fewer people be evacuated right away.

The revamp, the first since the program began after Three Mile Island in 1979, also eliminates a requirement that local responders always practice for a release of radiation.

At least four years in the works, the changes appear to clash with more recent lessons of last year's reactor crisis in Japan.

Under the new rules, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency , which run the program together, have added one new exercise: More than a decade after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, state and community police will now take part in exercises that prepare for a possible assault on their local plant.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/16/evacs-and-drills-pared-near-nuke-plants/

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From Google News

Boston boosting community policing efforts

More officers walking the streets

The shooting of five young men on Washington Street two years ago sent a wave of fear throughout Egleston Square, a largely Hispanic enclave with small family businesses, senior housing, and dense multifamily residences.

Days after the incident, Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis announced he would increase community policing efforts there by assigning a walking beat officer. Carlos Martinez, who grew up in the neighborhood, was put on the job.

“I think I'm made for it: I like to talk; I can talk about anything,'' Martinez said Tuesday. He appears to be a natural for the job, spending hours chatting in English and Spanish and sometimes walking as far as 15 miles.

“It's kind of ironic,'' he said. “When I became a police officer, I never wanted to come to Jamaica Plain, because I knew too many people here. . . . But for the most part, they have that respect for you, because they want you to succeed. Being from here helps out, because it's not like they're saying: ‘Who are you? You just come here when something bad happens.' ''

http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/05/15/community-policing-gets-foothold-jamaica-plain-business-district-with-walking-beat/y8PsKahw4YKMjwasXieqFK/story.html

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Vermont

Dorset Reports Spike In Burglaries, Turns To Community Policing

With the economy stagnant and drugs rampant, a number of Vermont communities are reporting an increase in burglaries.

In Dorset, residents are taking action by launching a community policing program to help track crime.

Like many rural towns that have small, seasonal populations, Dorset contracts its police work to the state.

Town Manager Rob Giotti says since the end of April, there's been a spike in break-ins in Dorset and surrounding towns. There have been more than a dozen incidents so far this year compared to just a handful in 2011.

"The information that we're getting from the State Police is that they've predominantly been second homes," Giotti said. " It's been jewelry and silver items that have been taken. The transfer station in East Dorset had a report of some scrap metal that was taken."

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/94507/dorset-reports-spike-in-burglaries-turns-to-commun/

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From the White House

President Obama Pays Tribute to Fallen Police Officers

President Obama was at the U.S Capitol today for a ceremony where he paid tribute to law enforcement officials who were killed in the line of duty in the previous year. The serive is part of the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week.

In his remarks, the President acknowledged and thanked the families of those who have fallen, and highlighted the courageous acts of those we lost. He also praised the bravery of all those who serve as law enforcement officers across our country: Every American who wears the badge knows the burdens that come with it -- the long hours and the stress; the knowledge that just about any moment could be a matter of life or death. You carry these burdens so the rest of us don't have to.

And this shared sense of purpose brings you together, and it brings you to our nation's capital today. You come from different states and different backgrounds and different walks of life, but I know that you come here as a community: one family, united by a quiet strength and a willingness to sacrifice on behalf of others.

The rest of us can never fully understand what you go through. But please know that we hold you in our hearts -- not just today, but always. We are forever in your debt. And it is on behalf of all of us, the entire American people, that I offer my thoughts, my prayers, and my thanks.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/05/15/president-obama-pays-tribute-fallen-police-officers

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From the FBI

Police Week -- FBI Honors Law Enforcement's Sacrifices

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which it falls as National Police Week. This year, as thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world gather in Washington, D.C. to honor colleagues who have made the ultimate sacrifice, the FBI joins with the rest of the country in paying tribute as well.

The week's events began Sunday evening with a candlelight vigil held at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The names of 362 fallen officers were read aloud, to be added to the nearly 20,000 other names permanently etched into the memorial's walls. The event was underscored by a preliminary report issued today that showed 72 law enforcement officers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2011 and 50 were killed accidentally. The FBI will release final statistics this fall in the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's publication, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2011 .

“These men and women place the safety and security of others above their own,” Attorney General Eric Holder said in remarks delivered at Sunday's ceremony. “When facing uncertain dangers and confronting unpredictable threats, they consistently respond with courage, selflessness, and strength. And every day—in communities nationwide—their contributions are felt and deeply appreciated.”

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/may/policeweek_051412/policeweek_051412

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May 15, 2012

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From the L.A. Daily News

Fourth annual gun buyback brings in 1,673 firearms

Calling it a small dent in the city's war on gun violence, Los Angeles officials announced Monday that they collected 1,673 firearms in the fourth annual gun buyback over the weekend.

The city had $200,000 in vouchers that Ralphs grocery stores donated for this year's program, in which 791 handguns - including a matching pair of pistols valued at $2,000 - 527 rifles, 302 shotguns and 53 assault weapons were turned in to the Los Angeles Police Department.

"What are assault weapons like these doing on the streets of Los Angeles? I think the answer will be, `nothing productive,"' Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said at a news conference where he displayed the weapons.

"You're not hunting ducks with this stuff. Too often, these weapons are used to hunt and shoot down people."

The gun buyback, criticized by some as bringing in only weapons of little value, is one tool the city uses to reduce crime, the mayor and police chief said.

"Every day, the chief, his command staff and I get the same message on our Blackberries," Villaraigosa said.

"It reads young male Hispanic or young male black, 22, 13, 26, or 27 is dead. Shot to death, often by another young male. We have to do something to stop this continuous cycle of violence."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20623753/fourth-annual-gun-buyback-brings-1-673-firearms

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Southern California Gas warns customers of social security number scam

LOS ANGELES - Southern California Gas Co. warned its customers today about a scam in which the culprits tell victims they can get credits on their utility bills if they provide information such as a Social Security number.

According to the gas company, scammers have visited customers in person, used social media sites and even sent text messages to victims claiming that President Barack Obama is offering a program of bill credits or direct payment of bills.

Gas Co. officials said workers for the utility always carry proper identification when visiting customers, and they do not randomly call or text customers asking for Social Security numbers or other personal information. Customers should verify a person's employment before allowing anyone into their home or providing any information, according to the company.

To verify the authenticity of anyone claiming to be a representative of SoCalGas, customers should ask for proper identification or call the utility at 1-800-427-2200, or 1-800-342-4545.

Mexico drug war's latest toll: 49 headless bodies

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Police found 49 mutilated bodies scattered in a pool of blood near the border with the United States, a region in which Mexico‘s two dominant drug cartels are trying to outdo each other in bloodshed while warring over smuggling routes.

The bodies of 43 men and six women with their heads, hands and feet chopped off were dumped at the entrance to the town of San Juan, on a highway that connects the industrial city of Monterrey with Reynosa, across from McAllen, Texas.

At the spot where authorities discovered the bodies before dawn Sunday, a white stone arch that normally welcomes visitors to the town was spray-painted with “100% Zeta” in black letters — an apparent reference to the fearsome Zetas drug cartel that was founded by deserters from the Mexican army's special forces.

The bodies, some of them in plastic garbage bags, were most likely brought to the spot and dropped from the back of a dump truck, Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene said.

Mr. Domene said the dead would be hard to identify because of the lack of heads, hands and feet. The remains were taken to a Monterrey auditorium for DNA tests.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/14/mexico-drug-wars-latest-toll-49-headless-bodies/

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‘No jail time' urged in webcam case

Former Rutgers student's backers nix hate-crime law

TRENTON, N.J. — Several hundred protesters gathered Monday at the New Jersey Statehouse to show support for a former Rutgers student convicted of bias intimidation and to call attention to what they see as injustices in New Jersey's hate-crime laws.

The rally was in support of Dharun Ravi, a 20-year-old former Rutgers student who was convicted in March of 15 criminal counts, including four charges of bias intimidation, for using his webcam to view a brief live clip of his roommate kissing another man. Most of Mr. Ravi's supporters were Indian-American, like he is.

The roommate, Tyler Clementi, committed suicide days after the online peeping in September 2010 and quickly became a national symbol of bullying victims.

Ravi's supporters see him as a symbol, too - of the justice system gone awry in search of someone to blame. Ravi could get 10 years in prison when he's sentenced May 21. He could also face deportation to India, where he was born and lived as a young child and remains a citizen.

“If this kid ends up in jail on Monday,” said Sandeep Sharma, one of the organizers of the rally, “my faith will be shaken in this country.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/14/no-jail-time-urged-in-webcam-case/

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From Google News

Illegal immigrant worked 20 years at airport security

(CBS/AP) NEWARK, N.J. - An illegal immigrant worked undetected at Newark Liberty International Airport for 20 years, and used a dead man's identity to acquire a top position in airport security, officials said.

The man was known to co-workers as Jerry Thomas, and for nearly 20 years he has guarded some of the most secure areas of one of the nation's busiest airports.

He was arrested Monday after authorities discovered he is really an illegal Nigerian immigrant by the name of Bimbo Olumuyiwa Oyewole (among other alilases) who entered the country in 1989, officials said.

CBS Station WCBS reports Oyewole, 54, allegedly assumed the identity of a dead man to get a top security job at the airport. He was arrested at his Elizabeth, N.J., home following an anonymous tip, officials said.

"In this case, the defendant utilized an elaborate and complex scheme of identity theft to defraud his employer, the State of New Jersey, the federal government and the Port Authority," Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Inspector General Robert Van Etten said.

The revelation came the same day that the Inspector General's Office of the Transportation Security Administration released a report saying that TSA officials at Newark Liberty took corrective actions in fewer than half (42 percent) of the security breaches shown in its records.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57434319/illegal-immigrant-worked-20-years-at-airport-security/

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Police: Phony officer could be killing Mississippi drivers

(CNN) -- Someone who may be posing as a police officer is pulling cars over on Mississippi highways and then shooting drivers dead, authorities said.

After two such shootings this month, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is asking for the public's help to find the person.

"There are some similarities between the two incidents, mainly the fact they happened alongside a Mississippi highway," said MBI Director Lt. Col. Larry Waggoner on Monday. "The concern is that someone is posing as a law enforcement officer and that is how these vehicles end up on the side of the road."

The first shooting occurred on May 8. Thomas Schlender, 74, was found dead in his car in the median of southbound Interstate 55 about 1:30 a.m.

On Friday, Lori Anne Carswell, 48, was found dead outside her car on the shoulder of Mississippi State Highway 713 about 2:15 a.m.

The shootings took place about 55 miles apart, and the victims did not know each other, authorities said.

Authorities are asking citizens to be careful if they are pulled over and feel uneasy. They advise drivers to call 911 and verify that a legitimate officer is pulling them over or drive to a well-lit, crowded place before stopping.

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May 14, 2012

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From the Washington Times

Official: Top Kony commander captured

by Associated Press

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Ugandan forces have captured a senior commander of Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army after a brief fight with rebels near the Congo - Central African Republic border, Ugandan army official said Sunday.

Kony lieutenant Caesar Acellam was captured Saturday with two other rebel fighters, Lt. Col. Abdul Rugumayo said.

Col. Rugumayo said they were in a group of about 30 LRA rebels. The others escaped.

Although Mr. Acellam is not one of the LRA commanders indicted along with Mr. Kony in 2005 by the International Criminal Court, Ugandan officials say he was Mr. Kony 's top military strategist.

Mr. Kony recently became the focus of international attention after the U.S. advocacy group Invisible Children made an online video seeking to make him famous.

U.S. forces are helping Ugandan troops find Mr. Kony and his top lieutenants.

Congressional lawmakers called Sunday for a criminal investigation over the leak revealing that the so-called “underwear bomber” who boarded a U.S.-bound jet last month was actually a Saudi Arabian intelligence agent who had volunteered for the mission, warning that the leak could seriously damage American credibility.

After the Associated Press reported the story last week, American and foreign officials admitted that the agent had infiltrated al Qaeda in Yemen and had posed as a suicide bomber before handing the bomb and other inside intelligence over to the Central Intelligence Agency and Saudi intelligence .

While applauding the mission's success, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, and Rep. Peter T. King, New York Republican, expressed outrage that details of the operation were made public even before top lawmakers knew, saying the leak could discourage foreign intelligence agencies from working with the U.S. on crucial anti-terrorism efforts.

“The leak really did endanger sources and methods, and the leak, I think, has to be prosecuted,” Mrs. Feinstein, chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said on “Fox News Sunday.”

And Mr. King, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, said he's troubled that the AP obtained the story even though fewer people knew about the mission than when Osama bin Laden was killed one year ago.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/13/lawmakers-probe-punish-bomb-leak/

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From Google News

New Jersey Fort Lee police crack down on jaywalking after 3 deaths

FORT LEE -- Police in this Bergen County community are ticketing pedestrians who don't stay in the crosswalks or cross an intersection against the light.

Fort Lee police hope the $85 jaywalking tickets will save lines.

Police Chief Thomas Ripoli tells The Record newspaper more than 20 pedestrians have been struck in the town this year. Three people have been killed.

Police have stopped 575 jaywalkers since the beginning of the year and issued 117 tickets since mid-March.

Capt. Keith Bendul tells the newspaper police are also targeting motorists who do not stop for pedestrians in crosswalks, as required by law.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/fort_lee_police_crack_down_on.html

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