Racial Profiling Rife at Airport, U.S. Officers Say

BOSTON — More than 30 federal officers in an airport program intended to spot telltale mannerisms of potential terrorists say the operation has become a magnet for racial profiling, targeting not only Middle Easterners but also blacks, Hispanics and other minorities.

In interviews and internal complaints, officers from the Transportation Security Administration's “behavior detection” program at Logan International Airport in Boston asserted that passengers who fit certain profiles — Hispanics traveling to Miami, for instance, or blacks wearing baseball caps backward — are much more likely to be stopped, searched and questioned for “suspicious” behavior.

“They just pull aside anyone who they don't like the way they look — if they are black and have expensive clothes or jewelry, or if they are Hispanic,” said one white officer, who along with four others spoke with The New York Times on the condition of anonymity.

The T.S.A. said on Friday that it had opened an investigation into the claims.

While the Obama administration has attacked the use of racial and ethnic profiling in Arizona and elsewhere, the claims by the Boston officers now put the agency and the administration in the awkward position of defending themselves against charges of profiling in a program billed as a model for airports nationwide.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/12/us/racial-profiling-at-boston-airport-officials-say.html?pagewanted=all

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Feds: Mississippi county runs 'school-to-prison pipeline'

Officials in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, have operated "a school-to-prison pipeline" that violates the constitutional rights of juveniles by incarcerating them for alleged school disciplinary infractions, some as minor as defiance, the U.S. Department of Justice said Friday.

"Students most affected by this system are African-American children and children with disabilities," the Justice Department said.

The federal agency's civil rights division seeks "meaningful negotiations" in 60 days to end the constitutional violations or else a federal lawsuit would be filed against state, county and local officials in Meridian, according to a Justice Department letter dated Friday to those officials.

The letter also names two Lauderdale County Youth Court judges, Frank Coleman and Veldore Young.

State and local officials couldn't be reached immediately for comment Friday.

"The systematic disregard for children's basic constitutional rights by agencies with a duty to protect and serve these children betrays the public trust," Thomas E. Perez, assistant U.S. attorney general, said in a statement. "We hope to resolve the concerns outlined in our findings in a collaborative fashion, but we will not hesitate to take appropriate legal action if necessary."

Progress Toward a World Without Violence Against Women and Girls

Stories like these are all too common. From beatings, to “honor” killings, to sexual violence as a tactic of war, from intimate partner violence to human trafficking-- the forms of gender-based violence are varied, but their scope, and their impact are devastating. Globally, an estimated one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime.

When women and girls are denied the chance to fully contribute to society because of the violence or fear they face, our entire world suffers. That's why President Obama has made the treatment of women an essential part of our global vision for democracy and human rights. A key part of that effort is stopping violence against women and girls.

Last December, President Obama released the first ever U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security and signed an Executive Order directing the Plan's implementation. This action signaled a key commitment of the Obama Administration: to put gender equality and the advancement of women and girls at the forefront of our foreign policy.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/08/10/progress-toward-world-without-violence-against-women-and-girls

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August 11, 2012

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From the L.A. Daily News

Police find 14 bodies stuffed into SUV in northern Mexico

MEXICO CITY - Police found the bodies of 14 men stuffed into a sport utility vehicle near a gas station in a northern Mexican city Thursday and hours later a shootout between soldiers and gunmen killed three people in the same city, authorities said.

The victims in the SUV apparently were shot to death and evidence suggested the killings were drug-related, said Gabriela Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the San Luis Potosi state prosecutor's office. The bodies were discovered after police received an anonymous tip, she said.

Hours after the discovery in San Luis Potosi city, a clash between soldiers and alleged gunmen left three assailants dead, the army said in a statement. Two more gunmen were detained, it said.

The gunfight forced a university to send an alert to students, close its buildings and cancel evening classes. Authorities didn't say whether the shootout was linked to the discovery of the 14 bodies. San Luis Potosi has been the scene of turf battles between the Zetas gang and allies of the Sinaloa drug cartel.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_21282346/police-find-14-bodies-stuffed-into-suv-northern

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From Google News

Mosque opens after long struggle

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The worshipers bowed low, their heads touching the freshly laid carpet, as the new mosque filled with echoes of exultation.

“God, thank you for the ability to worship here today," said Remziya Suleyman, 27. “Thank you, thank you."

After years of threats, attacks and court action, the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro's new mosque opened its doors Friday, allowing 300 people to mark the occasion on Islam's day of weekly public prayer. Following the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin on Sunday and an arson attack on a mosque in Missouri on Monday, the opening went off without the protests or violence that some had feared.

Muslims from across Tennessee gathered at the 12,000-square-foot center to begin the final week of Ramadan. The congregation's former building was so small that members often spilled into the parking lot and car-pooled to save parking spaces. Here, they fit comfortably.

“We're all humbly enjoying the right to worship, an American tradition that a small minority tried to eliminate out of ignorance and misunderstanding," said Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who flew here from Washington.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/article/20120811/NEWS0107/208110378/

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Aspiring terrorist gets life sentence

Former soldier remains defiant and promises to keep fighting holy war

WACO, Texas — Naser Jason Abdo sat alone in court with his hands shackled and a white cloth secured over his mouth and neck. The soldier who went AWOL and plotted to kill other troops outside a Texas Army post remained defiant Friday as he was sentenced to life in prison, not asking for mercy and vowing to never end what he considers his holy war. "I will continue until the day the dead are called to account for their deeds," Abdo said in a low, gravelly voice through the cloth mask.

A federal judge sentenced Abdo, 22, to two life terms plus additional time. The federal prison system offers no chance of parole. He was convicted of planning what he claimed would have been a massive attack on a Texas restaurant filled with troops from Fort Hood.

In court, Abdo referred to Maj. Nidal Hasan — the Army psychiatrist soon to be tried in a deadly shooting rampage at that Army post — as "my brother." He said he lived in Hasan's shadow despite "efforts to outdo him." Abdo became a Muslim at age 17.

Outside court, prosecutor Mark Frazier said Abdo had come close to carrying out the attack. U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman compared the plot to recent shootings at a movie theatre near Denver and a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee.

Arguing for a life sentence, Frazier had said Abdo still presented a threat. Abdo's mouth was covered in court, Frazier said, because he had earlier spat his own blood at agents believing he was infected with HIV. That belief turned out to be wrong. "He felt it was his duty to take lives, even after incarceration," Frazier told the court.

http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Aspiring-terrorist-gets-life-sentence-3780131.php

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Michigan

Police take proactive approach

Officers will be responding to specific issues

Port Huron police will target community concerns with a new program called Operation Safe Streets and Neighborhoods after it received $17,640 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Justice, Port Huron Police Chief Michael Reaves said.

The program will allow Port Huron police to direct officers specifically to residential or commercial areas that have problems such as a high volume of violent crime, severe quality-of-life issues or known offenders in the area. Reaves said the project is an extension of the community policing plan.

“I promised the citizens that we would make an attempt to go after — be proactive instead of reactive — in isolating issues in the neighborhoods and in the community that are of great concern that cause crime,” Reaves said.

Reaves said the program will last for a couple of months, and all bureaus in the department will be engaged. He said the department plans to continue the enforcement after that time.

http://www.thetimesherald.com/article/20120811/NEWS01/308110009?nclick_check=1

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August 10, 2012

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From Google News

California

COPPS and Quality of Life Teams Keep Beaumont Police Connected to Community

These officers work closely with patrol officers, many city departments and the community. Unique teams for the Beaumont Police Department are enhancing our lives and creating a better community.

The Community-Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) Team and the Quality of Life Team are keeping neighborhoods safe and livable, working with our youngsters and rounding up our pets. These dedicated officers work closely with patrol officers, many city departments and the community. They strive to live up to the Department's motto, “Exceeding Expectations.”

“We reach out to city departments and take a global look to increase our effectiveness,” said Sgt. Josh Ellsworth, who runs the COPPS program.

Teamwork

About two years ago, Beaumont created two units, COPPS and the Quality of Life team. (The Quality of Life team includes police, and code enforcement and animal care officers.) Because the police teams aren't on regular street patrols, they are able to devote extra time and attention to issues. They work hand-in-hand with their fellow police officers and city employees, who often refer community issues to them.

The issues could involve anything from a dispute between neighbors or a business looking for security and crime prevention tips to cars speeding through a neighborhood. Other duties for Beaumont's police teams include planning for law enforcement at special events, reading to youngsters during Story Time Café at Starbucks, being role models for youngsters as part of the Adopt-a-Cop program, supervising the Police Explorers program, and meeting with homeowners at Neighborhood Watch-style meetings under the Beaumont Cares program.

New Internet Scam

‘Ransomware' Locks Computers, Demands Payment

There is a new “drive-by” virus on the Internet, and it often carries a fake message—and fine—purportedly from the FBI.

“We're getting inundated with complaints,” said Donna Gregory of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), referring to the virus known as Reveton ransomware, which is designed to extort money from its victims.

Reveton is described as drive-by malware because unlike many viruses—which activate when users open a file or attachment—this one can install itself when users simply click on a compromised website. Once infected, the victim's computer immediately locks, and the monitor displays a screen stating there has been a violation of federal law.

The bogus message goes on to say that the user's Internet address was identified by the FBI or the Department of Justice's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section as having been associated with child pornography sites or other illegal online activity. To unlock their machines, users are required to pay a fine using a prepaid money card service.

“Some people have actually paid the so-called fine,” said the IC3's Gregory, who oversees a team of cyber crime subject matter experts. (The IC3 was established in 2000 as a partnership between the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. It gives victims an easy way to report cyber crimes and provides law enforcement and regulatory agencies with a central referral system for complaints.)

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/august/new-internet-scam/new-internet-scam

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From the Department of Homeland Security

Prevent Terrorism and Enhance Security

Protecting the American people from terrorist threats is our founding principle and our highest priority. The Department of Homeland Security's counterterrorism responsibilities focus on three goals:

1. Prevent terrorist attacks;
   
2. Prevent the unauthorized acquisition, importation, movement, or use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials and capabilities within the United States; and
   
3. Reduce the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and key resources, essential leadership, and major events to terrorist attacks and other hazards.

LEARN MORE

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August 9, 2012

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From the L.A. Times

UCI professor searched for explosives, weapons online, D.A. says

Rainer Reinscheid also had access to a gun his wife owned and had hunted on the Internet for other weaponry, prosecutors said.

Upset over his son's suicide, Reinscheid, 48, had already conducted dozens of searches on his home computer for the elements of home explosives after sending a series of threatening emails and setting several fires, prosecutors allege.

"He searched for ammonia fertilizer," said Deputy Dist. Atty. Andrew Katz, referring to ammonium nitrate, a key element of the bomb that Timothy McVeigh used to blow up the Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995, killing 168 people.

Katz said the fires along with the search showed "he moved beyond ideas to action." Katz said the professor also searched for weapons and investigators are still examining whether he made any purchases. But Katz added, "His wife had a gun and he had access to it."

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

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From the L.A. Daily News

Push on again for illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses

PANORAMA CITY - Natividad Carrera recalled an event in 2004 when a group of undocumented immigrants celebrated at a local Department of Motor Vehicles after they heard they would soon be able to apply for a driver's license.

"When do you ever see a group of people celebrating in front of a DMV?" said Carrera, spokesman for the Southern California Immigration Coalition.

But that celebration turned out to be premature. Then-Sen. Gil Cedillo's bill to provide licenses for the undocumented was signed into law, but then repealed before it ever took effect.

Now an assemblyman who is termed out this year, Cedillo, D-L.A., is pressing his eighth and presumably final attempt at turning the bill into law.

Carrera, along with members of SCIC and Hermandad Mexicana, an organization that helps immigrants integrate in the U.S., are looking to help Cedillo by holding community forums in the Southland, as well as Northern California.

"We feel this is an issue of safety and dignity for the community," Carrera said during a news conference Wednesday morning.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_21268767/push-again-illegal-immigrants-get-drivers-licenses

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From Google News

Report faults handling of bomb at federal building

DETROIT – A new report criticizes the handling of an explosive device found outside a Detroit federal building and kept inside for three weeks before authorities were alerted.

The Detroit News (http://bit.ly/OMataW) said Wednesday that the report by the U.S. Homeland Security Department also faults the training, hiring practices and oversight of security guards at the McNamara Federal Building. That's where a tool bag with explosive components was left on Feb. 26, 2011, and not identified until March 18.

The report says the device didn't explode but represented a serious safety risk. It says three guards were fired, a fourth resigned and five others were suspended for their involvement.

Homeland Security Undersecretary Rand Beers writes that the department has since issued standardized national guidance on how to deal with unattended suspicious packages.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/09/report-faults-handling-bomb-at-federal-building/

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New York, Microsoft Unveil Joint Crime-Tracking System

New York police will be able to search for criminal suspects with cameras and license-plate readers through a new system developed in partnership with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), the city said.

The New York Police Department worked with Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, to develop the Domain Awareness System, which aggregates and analyzes information from cameras, license-plate readers, sensors and law enforcement databases, according to a statement today from Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office.

“The system is a transformative tool because it was created by police officers for police officers,” NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in the statement.

The system was unveiled by Bloomberg and Kelly at the headquarters of the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative a few blocks south of Wall Street, where personnel from the NYPD and its partners examine feeds from surveillance cameras, alerts from license-plate readers and reports from 911 calls.

There are about 3,000 closed-circuit television cameras connected to the Domain Awareness System, most of which are located in lower and midtown Manhattan, along with 2,600 radiation detectors carried by officers on patrol and several hundred license-plate readers mounted on police cars and deployed at bridges, tunnels and streets, Bloomberg said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-08/new-york-microsoft-unveil-joint-crime-tracking-system.html

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Texas

Citizens Police Academy bridges gap between police, community

Community members will have an opportunity to see what it takes to be a police officer during the Tomball Police Department's Tenth Annual Citizens Police Academy beginning Sept. 4.

“The academy is an avenue for citizens to be exposed to local law enforcement and be shown that our doors are always open to the community,” Sergeant Rebecca Carlisle said. “They are being taught by officers. It is a more personal experience. They see that we are not just a uniform.”

Carlisle, and 18-year veteran of the Tomball Police Department, has been involved since the beginning of the program and has ran it since 2008.

Community members 18 years of age or older who live, work, shop or attend school in the City of Tomball are invited to attend. The only thing required is an interest in law enforcement and willingness to support them.

“Once they complete the academy they are considered alumni and part of the TCPAAA,” she said. “They are then eligible to become a Volunteer In Policing (VIP). We have approximately 50 volunteers right now.”

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/tomball/news/citizens-police-academy-bridges-gap-between-police-community/

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August 8, 2012

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From Google News

Judge sees 'different person' in Arizona gunman

TUCSON, Ariz. — Jared Loughner sat looking relaxed and attentive in a packed courtroom as he pleaded guilty to a deadly shooting rampage in an agreement with prosecutors that will send him to prison for life. He even cracked a smile when a court-appointed psychologist talked about the special bond that he formed with a prison guard.

His hair closely cropped, Loughner was not the smiling, bald-headed suspect captured in a mug shot soon after the January 2011 shooting. Six people had died and 13 others were wounded, including his intended target, then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

He was not the man who rocked back and forth in court in May 2011 before blurting out, "Thank you for the free kill. She died in front of me. Your cheesiness."

The changes in Loughner's behavior while being treated and medicated at a federal prison in Springfield, Mo., led a judge to declare the 23-year-old competent Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Larry Burns gave his blessings to a plea agreement that spares prosecutors and victims a potentially lengthy trial and appeal and allows Loughner to escape the death penalty.

The judge called Loughner "a different person in his appearance and his affect than the first time I laid eyes on him."

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501363_162-57488845/judge-sees-different-person-in-arizona-gunman/

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Anti-crime effort faces skepticism in some areas of Detroit

Detroit — In some city neighborhoods like the Grandmont Rosedale community, residents planned to turn on porch lights Tuesday as volunteers flooded the area for citizen patrols marking National Night Out, an event in which police and residents try to present a united front to thwart criminals.

In other areas, however, such community policing events are largely mocked.

"You can't even get the city to turn the streetlights on; nobody does that kind of stuff around here," said Artero Barcenas, a resident of Cobalt Street in Delray. "People watch each other, but they ain't watching out for each other. It's more like 'you looking at me?' — getting all bad."

The apathy and distrust of police in some Detroit neighborhoods contributes to the high crime rate, experts say. It's a mindset that Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee hopes to change as the city struggles with the prospect of fewer police officers due to severe budget cutbacks.

"It's a fact: The police need the community to be involved in order for us to do our jobs," Godbee said. "Too often, there's a rift between police and residents."

Muhsin Muhammad, president of the Grandmont Patrol, said some residents take an active role in trying to prevent crime, while others just complain.

"Like any other affair, you have the jawbones and the backbones," Muhammad said. "The jawbones will tell you how to do it, where to do it — but they don't do any work. The backbones do all the work. But someone has to take it."

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120808/METRO01/208080344/1409/metro/Anti-crime-effort-faces-skepticism-some-areas-Detroit

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San Francisco mayor announces antiviolence strategy

On a night designed to draw together communities to curb crime, Mayor Ed Lee visited one of the most violence-prone areas of San Francisco on Tuesday and talked about kids and jobs.

He made no mention to the crowd at a National Night Out event in the city's Bayview neighborhood of his public announcement earlier in the day that he was dropping his consideration of a stop-and-frisk program. The controversial law enforcement technique is likened to racial profiling and is blamed for undercutting community policing, the approach the city has been trying to advance for years.

On the sidelines of the neighborhood gathering at Mendell Plaza next to the Bayview Opera House , Lee said he decided against trying stop and frisk - an idea he got from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg - after local clergy, civil rights leaders and city supervisors opposed it as divisive.

They "all felt that that would be a distraction because of the constant worry about racial profiling," Lee said. "I said, 'Well, I still have to get to the guns. I still have to have something that would really interrupt the way things are going.' "

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-mayor-announces-antiviolence-strategy-3770653.php

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From the Department of Justice

Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West Speaks at the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention 2012 Summit

Thank you, Mel, for your kind introduction and for reminding us of the vital work being done every day by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Let me also thank our partners at the Department of Education, and to Secretary Duncan, for hosting this summit and inviting me to participate.

It's a real privilege to be with you this morning. I know that many of you have been instrumental in efforts to raise awareness about bullying, as well as how to prevent it, how to intervene to stop it, and how deal with it once it's occurred. You remind us that bullying is not simply a part of growing up; that it's not just a matter of “kids being kids.” You remind us that it's unacceptable and it's wrong and that we all share in the responsibility to prevent it. And many of you are helping to give us the tools we'll need, the data we'll reference and the strategies we'll use as we seek to change policy and improve young lives.

I join you today not only as a representative of the Department of Justice but, like many of you, as one who is now or has been a parent, an uncle, or a godparent to children in elementary, middle or high school. And those experiences, coupled with the cases involving young victims of exploitation I prosecuted years ago as a federal prosecutor, have solidified for me a very straightforward idea – and it's one that I know you share: that in order for our young people to thrive, to blossom, to grow and fulfill their potential, they must be and feel safe – not just at home, but in school, on the playground, and online.

http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/asg/speeches/2012/asg-speech-120807.html

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August 7, 2012

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From the L.A. Times

Sikh temple shooting: Gunman had been on investigators' radar

WASHINGTON -- Federal investigators had “looked at” Sikh temple gunman Wade Michael Page more than once because of his associations with right-wing extremists and the possibility that he was providing funding to a domestic terrorist group, but law enforcement officials at the time determined there was not enough evidence of a crime to open an investigation, a senior U.S. law enforcement official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, would not say Monday which law enforcement agency had considered investigating Page, or when.

Before his rampage Sunday at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., that left him and six others dead and three critically wounded, Page was known to civil rights groups as a member of two racist skinhead bands – End Apathy and Definite Hate. He was also believed to have been a low-level member of a national white supremacist group called the Hammerskins.

Racist skinhead bands and record labels have been known by law enforcement to raise money for extremist groups in the U.S.

Both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center had tracked Page for several years. The nonprofit organizations collect publicly available information on hate groups from Web forums, pamphlets and other sources.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-investigators-kept-tabs-alleged-sikh-temple-shooter-20120806,0,2390104.story

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From Google News

Gunman exhorted other white supremacists to act

OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) — Wade Michael Page played in white supremacist heavy metal bands and posted frequent comments on Internet forums for skinheads, repeatedly exhorting members to act more decisively to support their cause. "If you are wanting to meet people, get involved and become active," he wrote last year. "Stop hiding behind the computer or making excuses."

A day after Page strode into a Sikh temple with a 9mm handgun and multiple magazines of ammunition, authorities were trying to determine if the 40-year-old Army veteran was taking his own advice when he opened fire on total strangers in a house of worship.

Detectives cautioned they might never know for sure. But the picture of Page that began to develop Monday — found in dark corners of the Internet, in records from a dodgy Army career and throughout a life lived on the margins — suggested he was a white supremacist who wanted to see his beliefs advanced with action.

Page, who was shot to death by police, described himself as a member of the "Hammerskins Nation," a skinhead group rooted in Texas that has branches in Australia and Canada, according to the SITE Monitoring Service, a Maryland-based private intelligence firm that searches the Internet for extremist activity.

Between March 2010 and the middle of this year, Page posted 250 messages on one skinhead site and appeared eager to recruit others. In March 2011, he advertised for a "family friendly" barbecue in North Carolina, imploring others to attend.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iKWpJe_vhFBTgTwFfkVOJgdwFbFA?docId=4acf5fd321e943d4beac6a19fca08861

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New Jersey

Police to Hold First-Ever National Night Out Event

The event, celebrated across the country, is aimed at community policing and crime prevention in neighborhoods.

In an effort to boost residents' involvement in community policing, the Cinnaminson Police Department is holding its first National Night Out today. Held on this date across the country, National Night Out is a crime and drug prevention event that promotes neighborhood spirit.

Public Safety Director Michael P. King brought up the idea to the department whose officers are helping plan the event. “We want to make sure everybody is aware of what's going on in their neighborhood,” said Officer Michael Czarzasty.

Czarzasty has been at the forefront of Cinnaminson's community policing efforts the past few years, serving as head of the DARE program and the junior police academy.

This year's theme for National Night Out in Cinnaminson is safety. Township police officers and local businesses will be on hand to give out safety advice. “We want to talk to [the residents],” Czarzasty said. “It's to make people more away of what's going on in their community. And hopefully get to know people in the area.”

http://cinnaminson.patch.com/articles/today-police-to-hold-first-ever-national-night-out-event

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Illinois

Niles police academy takes citizens behind the badge

NILES — The 14th annual Niles Citizens Police Academy, a program giving residents an opportunity to get an inside peek at Niles Police Department and what its officers experience, kicks off another 11-week program on Sept. 6. “It's a way for the community to learn about how the police department operates,” said Sgt. Robert Tornabene of the program.

Participants have an opportunity to go on ride-alongs with police officers, visit the firing range, see how evidence in collected and learn about community policing, procedures used in traffic stops, DUI and traffic enforcement, gang awareness and more.

Tornabene said participants usually state that the class exceeded their expectations. “I love to see the moment in the class when the participants have the light bulb go off in their head and their opinion of the police changes,” shared Sgt. Ronald Brandt in an e-mail to the Niles Herald-Spectator.

Brandt said often the only view of police that people have is based on the portrayal of officers on television, in movies and in other media forms.

“Unless they personally know a police officer there is a large misunderstanding of why we do what we do and how we do it,” said Brandt, who has been involved with the Citizens Police Academy for 10 years. “I always feel it is a great learning experience of where your tax dollars are going.”

http://niles.suntimes.com/news/14285878-418/niles-police-academy-takes-citizens-behind-the-badge.html

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August 6, 2012

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From Google News

Sikh temple shooting suspect identified as Wade Michael Page; Motivation unclear

(CBS/AP) OAK CREEK, Wis. - The suspect in a shooting that left six people dead at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee on Sunday has been identified as Wade Michael Page, who served in the U.S. Army for about six years.

According to sources in the U.S. Army, Page enlisted in April 1992 and given a less-than-honorable discharge in October 1998. He served at Fort Bliss, Texas, in the psychological operations unit in 1994, and was last stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, attached to the psychological operations unit. The details of his discharge were not immediately clear.

Wade was killed outside the temple in a shootout with police officers after the rampage that left terrified congregants hiding in closets and others texting friends outside for help.

Officials had previously described the suspect as a heavy-set, 40-year-old Caucasian with numerous tattoos.

Sources tell CBS News some unspecified evidence suggests race or ethnicity may have played a role in the violence, but no links to extremist groups have been confirmed.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57487094/sikh-temple-shooting-suspect-identified-as-wade-michael-page-motivation-unclear/

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Shooting survivors call for gun control plan from Obama, Romney

(CBS News) Coincidentally, on the same day that seven people were killed at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, a coalition of mayors released a new ad - before the shooting - calling for the presidential candidates to present a plan addressing gun violence.

The TV ad from Mayors Against Illegal Guns aired during the Sunday political shows and the Olympics and is part of the group's Demand a Plan campaign , which was launched in the wake of last month's mass shooting in Aurora, Colo.

The ad features three survivors from the 2011 Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six and injured 13, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

"Our leaders gave us a moment of silence then, but they haven't given us a plan," the survivors say in the ad. "President Obama, Governor Romney: We demand a plan because 48,000 Americans will be murdered with guns during the next President's term."

"The Tucson survivors have waited nearly 600 days for Washington to take action to end gun violence - they are still waiting, and we are all waiting," said New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, an outspoken advocate of gun control. "Every day that goes by without action, 34 more people will be murdered with guns. The people who want to run this country need to tell us their plans to stop the bloodshed."

Newport News police use community building approach to fight neighborhood crime

NEWPORT NEWS — Seven Oaks Apartments resident L.A. Marshall said drug dealers, prostitutes and gang members were once plentiful in his Southeast Newport News neighborhood.

Even though a lot of the nuisance and violent behavior still exists in the complex, he said the criminal activity is becoming harder to find.

"This place was known for getting anything you wanted," said Marshall, a retiree who has lived in the privately owned apartment complex for seven years. "This place still has that reputation, but it's getting a little better out here."

Marshall credits the progress to police taking more interest in his community.

"The police department is out here more now," he said. "It was a time when you use to call and you wouldn't see police for an hour or 30 minutes. When I see the police, I see happiness, because people aren't going to do what they would do when the police aren't here."

Newport News police say they are keeping a more watchful eye on Seven Oaks and the neighboring Marshall Courts public housing complex in an effort to curb the crime that has plagued the community for years.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/crime/dp-nws-newport-news-community-policing-0804-20120806,0,5340444.story

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