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NEWS of the Day - May 25, 2012
on some LACP issues of interest

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NEWS of the Day - May 25, 2012
on some issues of interest to the community policing and neighborhood activist across the country

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following group of articles from local newspapers and other sources constitutes but a small percentage of the information available to the community policing and neighborhood activist public. It is by no means meant to cover every possible issue of interest, nor is it meant to convey any particular point of view ...

We present this simply as a convenience to our readership ...

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From the Washington Times

Ohio teenager to be tried as adult in school slayings

by Thomas J. Sheeran

CHARDON, Ohio — A 17-year-old will be tried as an adult in the school shooting deaths of three students, a juvenile court judge ruled Thursday after hearing a sheriff's deputy describe how the teen wore a T-shirt with the word “Killer” and admitted shooting people.

T.J. Lane admitted firing at students sitting at a cafeteria table at Chardon High School east of Cleveland on Feb. 27, killing three and seriously wounding two, authorities say.

Mr. Lane, with his grandparents and the relatives of victims sitting apart in court, swallowed hard and blinked as Geauga County Juvenile Court Judge Timothy Grendell announced that he should be tried as an adult.

Mr. Lane could face life in prison if he's convicted. Minors are not eligible for the death penalty in Ohio. Had his case been routed to juvenile court, the maximum possible penalty would have kept him imprisoned until he turned 21.

The judge said he found probable evidence in all six charges against Mr. Lane, including aggravated murder counts. Judge Grendell rejected a defense request to release Mr. Lane on a $500,000 bond, saying Mr. Lane would pose a risk to flee and a safety risk to the community.

The ruling capped a morning hearing that offered new details about the attack, but left unanswered the question of motive.

The judge, over the objections of the Associated Press and other media outlets, cleared the courtroom of everyone but Mr. Lane and attorneys while a surveillance video of the shooting scene was played. The tape could jeopardize Mr. Lane's chance to get a fair trial, the judge ruled.

Attorneys in the case are under a gag order, and the judge extended it to prohibit any discussion of the video.

Geauga County Sheriff's Deputy Jon Bilicic testified that he helped arrest Mr. Lane, who was wearing a T-shirt with the word “Killer,” about a mile from the school and questioned him closely.

Asked by defense lawyer Mark DeVan whether Mr. Lane had admitted, “I shot people,” the deputy answered yes.

The deputy said that Mr. Lane was asked about a motive and responded, “I don't know.”

Asked by the deputy how many people he had shot, Mr. Lane responded, “I have no idea,” Deputy Bilicic said.

The deputy also acknowledged that Mr. Lane indicated he hadn't been using drugs, wasn't suicidal or depressed and hadn't been bullied.

Asked if he had hit anyone in the head, Mr. Lane told the deputy, “I don't know.”

The defense line of questioning apparently was meant to underscore a psychiatrist's findings that Mr. Lane sometimes loses touch with reality and suffers from hallucinations, psychosis and fantasies.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/24/ohio-teenager-to-be-tried-as-adult-in-school-slayi/

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N.J. finds NYPD Muslim surveillance is legal

by Samantha Henry

TRENTON, N.J. — New York City police did not violate New Jersey laws when they conducted surveillance of Muslim businesses, mosques and student groups, Gov. Chris Christie's administration said Thursday following a three-month review, rejecting demands by Muslim leaders for a formal investigation and a clampdown on cross-border police operations.

The findings by Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa, a Christie appointee asked by the governor to look into the spying, mean New Jersey Muslims have no state recourse to stop the New York Police Department from infiltrating student groups, videotaping mosque-goers or collecting their license plate numbers as they pray.

Such operations were part of a widespread NYPD program to collect intelligence on Muslim communities both inside New York and beyond. Undercover officers and informants eavesdropped in Muslim cafes and monitored sermons, even when there was no evidence of a crime. The result was that many innocent business owners, students and others were cataloged in police files.

The interstate surveillance efforts, revealed by the Associated Press earlier this year, angered many Muslims and New Jersey officials. Some, like Newark Mayor Cory Booker and the state's top FBI official, criticized the tactics. Others, like Christie, focused more on the fact that the NYPD didn't tell New Jersey exactly what it was up to.

In response, Chiesa launched what he described as a fact-finding review. That review concluded that the NYPD's operations violated no state laws, either civil or criminal.

Further, authorities found that New Jersey has no laws barring outside law enforcement agencies from secretly conducting operations in the state, representatives of the attorney general's office told The Associated Press. However, New York police have agreed to meet with New Jersey law enforcement regularly to discuss counterterrorism intelligence and operations, the attorney general said.

The attorney general planned to explain those conclusions to Muslim leaders Thursday. Chiesa is the governor's former chief counsel, led Christie's transition team when he was elected governor and worked with him when he was U.S. attorney.

“We remain committed to striking the appropriate balance of ensuring the safety of our citizens through vigilance in fighting terrorism, while not undermining the public's confidence in how we approach that mission,” Chiesa said in a statement.

Christie was not at the meetings.

He was making a visit Thursday afternoon to Atlantic City. Asked about the findings, he said: “I have every confidence in Attorney General Chiesa. If that's what he determined, it's good enough for me.”

Many Muslim leaders have said they would accept nothing less than a formal investigation into the NYPD.

The NYPD has long maintained that its operations were lawful and necessary to keep the city safe. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the NYPD can gather intelligence anywhere in the country it wants and is not required to tell local authorities. NYPD lawyers say they are not bound by jurisdictional lines because they are just collecting intelligence, not making arrests or otherwise acting as police.

Though civil rights groups argue that the tactics violate federal law, the Justice Department has been reluctant to even discuss the issue. Attorney General Eric Holder has said he is “disturbed” by what he has read about the NYPD. But nearly a year after members of Congress called for an investigation, the Justice Department says it is still reviewing the letters and hasn't decided whether to look into the matter.

The Justice Department often investigates police departments suspected of racial profiling but typically focuses on arrests or traffic stops, never in relation to national security.

The Obama administration has called for greater community and police outreach to Muslim neighborhoods. But the administration's grants heavily finance the NYPD, the largest and most politically powerful police department in the country.

That has put the administration in an awkward political position. Just recently, for instance, John Brennan , President Barack Obama's counterterrorism adviser said he had “full confidence that the NYPD is doing things consistent with the law.” When questioned by Muslim leaders, however, the White House issued an anonymous statement saying Brennan was not talking about the NYPD's surveillance.

At the state level, the attorney general said a directive he issued requires all New Jersey law enforcement agencies to notify the New Jersey State Police Counter-Terrorism Bureau and the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness if they hear of outside departments working in New Jersey. The state agencies will then coordinate with the Joint Terrorism Task Force, of which the NYPD is a member.

Chiesa said he is also establishing a Muslim outreach committee.

Muslim leaders had warned that they would take other steps if the attorney general did not agree to undertake a full investigation of the conduct of the NYPD in New Jersey.

Aref Assaf of the Paterson-based American Arab Forum said prior to Thursday's meeting that the options would include boycotting any cooperation with law enforcement to filing a class-action lawsuit modeled on a current “stop-and-frisk” lawsuit against the NYPD in New York.

The attorney general's office said the review is ongoing, and involved gathering information from more than 50 individuals in law enforcement in New Jersey, New York and other states, as well as from civilians within the Muslim and other communities in New Jersey.

Christie, who was the U.S. attorney for the state at the time of the New Jersey surveillance, said when the surveillance became public that he didn't recall ever being briefed on NYPD operations. He was one of several state and federal officials who had earlier criticized the NYPD's conduct in New Jersey, accusing the agency of acting like “masters of the universe” by sending agents into his state.

New Jersey's FBI chief, Michael Ward, also has been critical of the NYPD for not conducting the operations within the umbrella off the Joint Terrorism Task Force, to which the NYPD belongs. He said the actions undermined the bureau's own efforts by sowing distrust of authorities among Muslims and weakened national security.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/24/nj-finds-nypd-muslim-surveillance-legal/

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Doctors report rise in kids eating detergent packs

by Nomaan Merchant

DALLAS — Miniature laundry detergent packets arrived on store shelves in recent months, touted as a solution to bulky bottles and messy spills. But doctors across the country say children are confusing the tiny, brightly colored packets with candy and swallowing them.

Nearly 250 cases have been reported this year to poison control centers. Though they remain a tiny fraction of the thousands of poisoning calls received every year, doctors are concerned. The symptoms they see in connection with ingesting the packets — such as nausea and breathing problems — are more severe than typical detergent poisoning.

“We're not quite sure why it's happening,” said Dr. Kurt Kleinschmidt, a Dallas toxicologist. “But we've clearly had some kids who have become much more ill. We look at these pods as being clearly more dangerous than the standard detergent.”

Both Tide and Purex introduced laundry detergent packets in March. The light plastic packets contain a single-use amount of detergent that dissolves in water. They're intended to be dropped into a laundry machine in place of liquid or powder detergent.

Poison control centers began fielding calls about the packets soon after they were introduced. Texas reported 71 instances of exposure this year, all but one in March or later. Missouri reported 25 cases related to the packets, and Illinois reported 26.

Doctors said the packets appeared to be more dangerous than just swallowing liquid or powder detergent. Dr. Michael Buehler of the Carolinas Poison Center said there were several possible reasons why, including that the packets carry a full cup's worth of detergent in bite-size form or the detergent in the packet might activate more quickly or differently.

“The children get sicker, more severe, and they do this quicker than what we've seen with standard liquid laundry exposure,” Buehler said.

In suburban Philadelphia, a 17-month-old boy was home with his mother when she “turned her back for the proverbial second,” said Dr. Fred Henretig of the Poison Control Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The boy climbed up on a dresser and popped a detergent package in his mouth, Henretig said.

The boy vomited, became drowsy and started coughing. He was eventually put on a ventilator for a day and hospitalized for a week, Henretig said.

“This brand is a bright blue, pretty colorful product; the little plastic balls are sort of squishy and like playing with a bubble,” he said. “It would obviously be intensively attractive to a young child to pick up and play.”

Paul Fox, a spokesman for Procter & Gamble, the parent company of Tide, says all cleaning products need to be handled carefully. He said Tide was working with poison control centers and advocacy groups to make sure parents know more about the risks.

“The packs themselves are safe, regardless of who manufactures them, provided that they are used for their intended purpose,” Fox said. “The risk becomes when they're left like any other household product within reach of small, inquisitive hands.”

A spokesman for Purex did not immediately respond to questions.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/24/doctors-report-rise-kids-eating-detergent-packs/

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Missouri opts for untested drug for executions

by Jim Salter

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The same anesthetic that caused the overdose death of pop star Michael Jackson is now the drug of choice for executions in Missouri , causing a stir among critics who question how the state can guarantee a drug untested for lethal injection won't cause pain and suffering for the condemned.

Last week, the Missouri Department of Corrections announced it was switching from its longstanding three-drug method to the use of a single drug, propofol. Missouri would be the first state ever to use propofol as an execution drug.

“This is very, very concerning with a drug that we don't know, and seeing the problems of the one-drug method,” said Kathleen Holmes of Missourians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

Until recently, the 33 states with the death penalty used a virtually identical three-drug process: Sodium thiopental was administered to put the inmate to sleep, then two other drugs stopped the heart and lungs. But makers of sodium thiopental have stopped selling it for use in executions . Supplies mostly ran out or expired, forcing states to consider alternatives.

Most states have retained the three-drug method but turned to pentobarbital as a replacement for sodium thiopental. Pentobarbital, a barbiturate used to treat anxiety and convulsive disorders such as epilepsy, has been used in roughly 50 executions in the past two years, said Richard Dieter , executive director of the Washington-based Death Penalty Information Center.

But its use may be short-lived as its maker also opposes selling it for use in executions .

The statement announcing the change in Missouri said the decision was “due to the unavailability of sodium thiopental” but did not elaborate on why propofol was chosen. The protocol change was administrative and did not require legislative approval.

The Corrections Department declined interview requests, but spokesman Chris Cline said Wednesday in a one-sentence statement, “Working with expert guidance, we are confident that this new one-drug protocol will be effective and appropriate.”

It wasn't clear when propofol would get its first use in an execution . None are scheduled in Missouri despite Attorney General Chris Koster's request last week that the Missouri Supreme Court set execution dates for up to 19 condemned men whose appeals have run out.

Litigation over Missouri's new protocol is possible. Attorneys for death row inmates told the Associated Press that they still are gathering information on the new process, and no decision has been made on whether to seek an injunction.

Between 1989, when executions resumed in Missouri , and 2005, the state put to death 66 convicted killers. But in the seven years since, only two men have been executed — Dennis Skillicorn in 2009 and Martin Link last year. Use of the death penalty has declined sharply in recent years nationwide. The U.S. had 98 executions in 1999 but just 43 last year. Nearly 3,200 people remain on death row.

Propofol, made by AstraZeneca and marketed as Diprivan, gained notoriety following Jackson's death in 2009. Spokespeople for AstraZeneca and its U.S. marketer, APP, declined comment on its use in executions .

Mr. Dieter questioned if enough research has been done.

“Any drug used for a new purpose on human subjects should certainly be tested very, very carefully,” Mr. Dieter said. “I can only imagine the things that might go wrong.”

Adding to the concern, some say, is Missouri's written protocol, which, like the one it replaced, does not require a physician to be part of the execution team. It states that a “physician, nurse, or pharmacist” prepares the chemicals, and a “physician, nurse or emergency medical technician … inserts intravenous lines, monitors the prisoner, and supervises the injection of lethal chemicals by nonmedical members of the execution team.”

Dr. Jonathan Groner, an Ohio State University surgeon who has studied lethal injection extensively, said propofol typically is administered by either an anesthesiologist, who is a physician, or a nurse anesthetist under the physician's direct supervision. Improper administration could cause a burning sensation or pain at the injection site, he said.

Dr. Groner said high doses of propofol will kill by causing respiratory arrest. But the dosage must be accurate and the process must move swiftly because propofol typically wears off in just a few minutes.

“If they start breathing before the heart stops, they might not die,” Mr. Groner said. That would force the process to be restarted.

Critics also question the safety of the single-drug method. Missouri becomes the third state with a single-drug protocol, along with Arizona and Ohio. Three others — South Dakota, Idaho and Washington — have options for single- or multiple-drug executions , according to the Death Penalty Information Center. California and Kentucky are exploring a switch to the one-drug method.

Concerns were raised after a one-drug execution last month in Arizona. Thomas Arnold Kemp, a 63-year-old convicted killer, shook for several seconds upon receiving a lethal dose of pentobarbital.

The debate over the administration of lethal drugs has angered some capital punishment advocates, who suggest that death row inmates — largely convicted killers — seem to get more compassion than their victims.

Carol Angelbeck has spent years urging Missouri officials to pick up the pace on executions . Ms. Angelbeck 's 24-year-old daughter, Mindy Griffin, was raped and strangled by Michael Worthington, who broke into her suburban St. Louis condo in 1995. Worthington is awaiting execution .

“If they can't find a drug they like, go to hanging,” Ms. Angelbeck said. “Maybe they should feel some pain and others would think twice about killing someone.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/may/24/missouri-opts-untested-drug-executions/

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From Google News

Inmates May Soon Work Inside Central Ohio School District

by Tom Brockman

They've been sentenced to years in prison, but inmates may soon be working in and around schools in a Central Ohio district.

Leaders with the Fairbanks Local Schools in Union County are currently working on a partnership with the Ohio Reformatory for Women.

The grass outside Fairbanks High School in Union County is freshly cut.

In just a couple weeks, the ones doing the cutting may be inmates.

Fairbanks Local Schools Superintendent Bob Humble said the district and the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville are working on a reintegration program over the summer for female inmates.

Inmates participating in the program would be first-time, non-violent and non-sexual offenders who are nearing release.

Whether it's mowing the grass or cleaning the halls, Humble said eight inmates will do it all.

Humble said it's a win-win.

The district wins because it will save about $10,000.

Inmates win because they can potentially earn their way out of prison earlier, and at the same time, gain experience that hopefully helps them to land a job after release.

"Statistics show that when they get out (of prison,) if they can get a job, then they don't come back," said Humble.

Parents like Bud Zuch agree with the idea.

"If it gives an opportunity to somebody to get a second chance and to make good of themselves, then sure, why not?" said Zuch.

However, the idea doesn't come without concerns.

"That would be my biggest concern. Are they going to be watched? Are they just going to be roaming the halls freely?" asked parent Phynesia Edwards.

Humble said three district employees who will act as supervisors will be specially trained at the reformatory.

He also said the inmates will remain in prison attire, so there's no mistaking them for someone else.

Humble said they plan on checking in on the inmates at least every 30 minutes, if not more frequently. However, he admits there will likely be times when the inmates are on their own.

"We will probably keep them in eye shot almost all the time," said Humble. "If we've got somebody on a mower or something like that, it would defeat the purpose if I have to have someone stand out there and watch them mow."

When asked if that was enough, Humble said, "I think so. There will be very few students even on the campus during this time and the students that are going to be there are all going to be supervised by coaches and or teachers anyway."

When asked if there is any risk to the students, Humble replied, "I don't believe so at all."

NBC4 spoke with the Ginine Trim, warden at the Ohio Reformatory for Women. She said that while the partnership is in the works, it is not a done deal just yet.

She said the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Director Gary Mohr has yet to sign off on it.

If finalized, Humble said he expects the program to begin about the middle of June and end when school starts back up.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/may/24/inmates-may-soon-work-inside-central-ohio-school-d-ar-1048720/

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Florida

Delray workshop planned to boost community policing

Residents invited to get tips on crime prevention, more

by Maria Herrera

They are not official members of the Delray Beach Police Department, yet officers rely on residents as if they were.

With minor crime on the rise, the Delray Beach Police Department is renewing ties with the community and returning to the kind of policing where residents and officers collaborate and are on a first-name basis.

"There's only so many [police officers] and 66,000 residents," said Isabel Make, a member of the city's Neighborhood Advisory Board.

The advisory board, the Police Department and the city's Community Improvement Department will host a Crime Prevention Workshop Thursday at the Delray Beach Public Library.

Participating residents will learn to spot suspicious activity in neighborhoods, look out for their neighbors and even learn crime prevention techniques that encompass landscaping and environmental design.

"Crime seems to be a hot topic right now and one of the priorities we hear from the community," said Jennifer Costello, the city's neighborhood planner.

Costello said more than 200 homeowners associations and civic groups were contacted about the workshops through fliers, the Police Department's Facebook page and Twitter.

Officer Chris Trapasso, who is part of the Problem Oriented Police Unit, said educating the community and establishing lasting relationships with residents is an invaluable tool in crime fighting.

"We get know the residents in a neighborhood," Trapasso said. "I meet with my residents monthly and go over crime stats with them and give them prevention tips."

Trapasso said the Problem Oriented Unit, established 3 years ago, puts emphasis on working with residents and engaging public and private organizations to reduce community problems. They especially target places were the community has historically distrusted police.

"There's more information coming into the Police Department since we built better ties with the community," Trapasso said. "Also, the more [residents] know the less chance they will be a victim of a crime."

The tactic has been helpful in fighting crimes in places such as Lake Ida and Osceola Park, and most recently the police have been working with the Sherwood Park and Lakeview residents to fight crime there.

"They have been very smart working with the little they are provided," City Commissioner Al Jacquet said of police efforts. "Also when all of the neighbors keep their eyes open, crime tends to go down."

Chief Anthony Strianese said the Department currently has four frozen positions because of budget cuts and nine vacancies.

"They're doing a lot more with a lot less," he said of his staff. "We think we'll be able to get the momentum going until we get out of this economic mess."

Meanwhile, Make hopes residents who attend the workshop realize the importance of working with police. But she said there are pros and cons of community policing.

"Neighbors can be a huge help in watching out for neighbors," she said.

But Make worries that overzealous residents could overstep their boundaries and act like police when they shouldn't.

"There's never a silver bullet when the word crime is involved," Make said. "But there's education and information about the inner workings of the Police Department and that means a world to me."

If You Go

What: Crime Prevention Workshop

When: 6 p.m. Thursday

Where: Delray Beach Public Library, 100 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/delray-beach/fl-delray-community-policing-20120524,0,6663776.story

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Rhode Island

Police: Pawtucket crime on the decline

PAWTUCKET – The Pawtucket Police Department is announcing an overall decline in crime of 8.6 percent from 2010 to 2011, including a sharp drop in juvenile incidents of almost 25 percent.

Police officials are attributing the lower crime numbers to a number of “homegrown factors,” according to a news release.

“We are very pleased to announce that our overall crime rate has gone down significantly,” said Police Chief Paul King. “That's also a positive sign that the many educational programs and partnerships we have developed with the community are having the desired effect.”

Although the effect is difficult to quantify directly, police say the ongoing presence of school resource officers in the high schools, the Gang Resistance Education And Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program in the middle schools and the Drug Awareness Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program in the elementary schools have significantly reduced juvenile crime, and also contributed to potential incidents not developing into criminal violations at all.

“I realize for a lot of people whose perceptions may be colored by the latest crime story, especially, if it's in their neighborhood, that crime must seem like it's going up in Pawtucket and elsewhere,” said Mayor Don Grebien. “It is true we have a long way to go to make Pawtucket as safe as it can be. But when you step back a bit to look at the big picture, the numbers show a very positive trend.

“These latest statistics show clearly that, given the right tools and the ongoing commitment of our Police Department, crime can be reduced in our city,” he added. “I am particularly encouraged that the programs which reach out to our young people are working well. And with the recent addition of our latest technology advances including online incident reporting and crime mapping, we have the tools to keep moving forward in the overall fight against crime.”

From 2010 to 2011, total incident-based crime reports declined 8.63 percent. Violent crime was down even more sharply at 15.37 percent. Property crime also fell, by 5.73 percent.

In individual major categories for activity, robbery was down by more than 18 percent, simple assaults fell by almost 17.5 percent, arson declined by 54 percent, theft from buildings by 19 percent, vandalism by more than 11 percent and drug/narcotics violations by 7.8 percent.

“Crime overall is down but the major highlight is the decline in juvenile crime,” noted Lt. Roberto DaSilva, who also credited the work of the department's Youth Bureau and the Pawtucket Juvenile Hearing Board.

In percentage terms, overall juvenile incidents last year were down 62 percent from the 2001 peak and 24.7 percent from 2010. Juvenile arrests last year were about 35 percent below the 2001 peak and 19.5 percent below the 2010 figures.

Maj. Arthur Martins said keeping juvenile crime down is also a key to keeping adult crime down as those youths mature.

“We can't predict the future but that's what we hope to see,” he said. “We also have to credit the School Department for their support with the school-based programs. We wouldn't be seeing this kind of success without their assistance and involvement.”

Pawtucket Police Department statistics show a general drop-off trend in reported juvenile-related incidents from a peak of 1,707 incidents, and 695 arrests, reported in 2001 to 832 incidents reported in 2009. After a slight rise in 2010, the trend continued down to 647 incidents, and 450 arrests, in 2011, which police officials believe reflects school-based programs taking greater hold and producing results.

Police pointed to 2009 as a watershed year because it was the first year police officers established a presence in all city schools simultaneously. A reversal trend in juvenile arrests and incidents can be seen beginning in 2009.

In 2007, the GREAT program, which also includes a teaching component, began in the city's junior high schools. The school resource officer program followed in 2008 and juvenile arrests have shown consistent progress, to the low of 450 in 2011. Police say the daily interactions with students, faculty and staff are paying off.

“The SROs and GREAT officers have been able to intervene before a problem becomes a crime,” said Martins. “This is the essence of community policing and crime prevention. Once a crime has been committed one of our community members has become a victim, therefore, we would rather prevent crimes than solve crimes.

“We started to see a dramatic decline in the amount of reported youth crime starting in 2009 to the present,” Martins said. “The officers assigned to the schools not only help reduce and prevent crime by their presence, but also act as mentors, provide advice and guidance and are good role models for students. Now they increasingly see the police department and its officers as an ally, not an adversary.”

Police have also taken a proactive approach to overall crime prevention, according to Martins, including speaking to community groups and distributing flyers to crime watch groups. Recently the department also introduced the RAIDS online crime mapping tool and the Coplogic system for reporting minor crimes and incidents, readily available to anyone with computer access.

The department has also conducted a successful Citizens Police Academy, for youth and adults, to allow residents to see first-hand how crime develops, how it can be prevented and how the public can assist the police with public safety.

In significant categories that showed an increase, theft of motor vehicle parts rose by almost 18 percent, motor vehicle theft rose by about 6 percent and weapons law violations were up more than 26 percent.

“We will be addressing the rise in theft of auto parts and stolen autos by concentrating our resources in those areas when these crimes are occurring,” said King. “We also urge members of the public to continue to report suspicious activity to the police department. Only with the public's assistance and cooperation can we, as a community, achieve success.”

http://www.valleybreeze.com/2012/05/24/pawtucket/police-pawtucket-crime-on-the-decline

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