Donations can be sent via "Caroline's Gift," a fund set up in the 1990s by a local family in memory of their daughter. The Caroline's Gift fund offers financial support to families who are dealing with a child's terminal or catastrophic illness.

"Any donations made to Newtown Youth & Family Services will be donated directly to those affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting," a message on the organizations website says.

Newtown Youth and Family Services is located at 15 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482. For more details on how to donate, call (203) 426-8103.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22199597/connecticut-school-shooting-how-help-victims-families

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

Could shooting be a gun-control tipping point?

WASHINGTON—The question surfaces each time a mass murder unfolds: Will this one change the political calculus in Washington against tougher gun control?

The answer, after the Virginia Tech killings, the attempted assassination of Gabby Giffords, the Colorado movie-theater attack, the Wisconsin Sikh temple shootings, and more: No.

But now?

The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the bloodiest attack against youngsters in the nation's history, stands as a possible tipping point after Washington's decade-long aversion even to talking about stricter gun laws.

So it seems in the stunned aftermath, judging from President Barack Obama's body language as much as his statement. "We have been through this too many times," said the famously composed president, this time moved to tears. "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22199267/could-shooting-be-gun-control-tipping-point

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

After Conn. school massacre, Brooklyn churches host gun buybacks

A day after 26 people were shot to death in a Connecticut school, two New York churches have invited gun owners to hand in their weapons — no questions asked.

Two Brooklyn pastors opened their churches Saturday to the city's Gun Buyback program. Anyone can trade in their weapon for a $200 bank card. The transactions are anonymous.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is at the forefront of a national gun-control effort. He's backed by Democratic Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who lost her husband when a gunman opened fire on the Long Island Rail Road in 1993.

The two Brooklyn churches open for the gun transactions till 4 p.m. are Mt. Ollie Baptist Church in the Brownsville neighborhood and St. Peters Lutheran Church in the Cypress Hills section.

BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (AP) - Police in Oklahoma say a student arrested yesterday was plotting an attack on his high school. An arrest affidavit says the 18-year-old tried to enlist fellow students in a plot to lure students into the auditorium at Bartlesville High School, chain the doors shut and start shooting.

A newspaper report says he also allegedly planned to detonate bombs at the doors as police arrived.

To his sons and others in their rural North Carolina community, Daniel Patrick Boyd was a charismatic figure. But the U.S. citizen used his persuasive powers to no good end—he promoted violent jihad against Americans at home and abroad.

After a four-year investigation by the Raleigh-Durham Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), Boyd and two of his sons, along with five other conspirators—known as the Triangle Terror Group—were arrested and charged with providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to murder persons overseas, including U.S. military personnel. Boyd pled guilty and was sentenced in August 2012 to 18 years in prison.

Chris Briese, then-special agent in charge of our Charlotte office, noted at the time, “People who are plotting to harm Americans are no longer a world away from us.” The men and women of the JTTF who investigated the Boyd case learned that fact firsthand as they worked to unravel the network of homegrown violent extremists.

The case began in 2005 with a tip from someone in the Muslim community that one of its members was becoming radicalized. Boyd was a hero to young Muslim-Americans because at the age of 19 he had traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan to receive military training and to fight with the mujahedeen.

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/december/dismantling-the-triangle-terror-group/dismantling-the-triangle-terror-group

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

Dec 15, 2012

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

Obama statement after Connecticut school shooting

Text of President Barack Obama's address to the nation after Friday's mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, as provided by CQ Transcriptions:

"This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Gov. Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families."

"We've endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a president, but as anybody else would as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there's not a parent in America who doesn't feel the same overwhelming grief that I do."

"The majority of those who died today were children — beautiful, little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams."

"So our hearts are broken today for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost."

http://www.kxan.com/dpps/news/national/obama-statement-after-connecticut-school-shooting-nd12-jgr_5089689

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

Police, world wonder about Conn. shooting motive

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) — The massacre of 26 children and adults at a Connecticut elementary school elicited horror and soul-searching around the world even as it raised more basic questions about why the gunman, a 20-year-old described as brilliant but remote, would have been driven to such a crime and how he chose his victims.

Investigators were trying to learn more about the gunman, Adam Lanza, and questioned his older brother, who is not believed to have been involved in the rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary. Police shed no light on the motive for the nation's second-deadliest school shooting.

In tight-knit Newtown on Friday night, hundreds of people packed St. Rose of Lima church and stood outside in a vigil for the 28 dead — 20 children and six adults at the school, the gunman's mother at home, and the gunman himself, who committed suicide. People held hands, lit candles and sang "Silent Night."

"These 20 children were just beautiful, beautiful children," Monsignor Robert Weiss said. "These 20 children lit up this community better than all these Christmas lights we have. ... There are a lot brighter stars up there tonight because of these kids."

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Police-world-wonder-about-Conn-shooting-motive-4120488.php

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

Advice for parents on Sandy Hook tragedy: Let children express their emotions

Children should also be encouraged to express their emotions, Emanuel Maidenberg, an associate clinical psychiatry professor at the UCLA Semel Institute told City News Service. He said they should be taught that any emotional reaction is acceptable, and should be helped to define what those emotions are.

"When emotions are put into words, they're less likely to percolate," he said.

Dr. Moe Gelbart, executive director of the Thelma McMillen Center at Torrance Memorial Medical Center, added that parents should be "truthful, but age-appropriate truthful."

He recommended "reflective listening," especially when dealing with very young children. Instead of asking the child what he or she is feeling, Gelbart recommended anticipating the child's emotions and verbalizing those feelings. He said parents of young children shouldn't address the subject unless the child mentions it.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22193150/advice-parents-sandy-hook-tragedy-let-children-express

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

Some of the deadliest school shootings in the United States

A gunman at a Connecticut elementary school killed more than two dozen people, including children, on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. Here is a look at some other school shootings:

• April 2, 2012: A gunman killed seven people in a rampage at a California Christian university. Jongjin Kim, the Oikos University, said the suspect, One Goh, was angry because administrators refused to grant him a full tuition refund after he dropped out of the nursing program.

• Feb. 27, 2012: Three students were killed and two wounded in a shooting spree that started in a school cafeteria in Chardon, Ohio, as students waited for buses to other schools. Police have charged T.J. Lane, who was 17 at the time, as an adult.

• Feb. 14, 2008: Former student Steven Kazmierczak, 27, opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill., fatally shooting five students and wounding 18 others before committing suicide.

• << many more listed >>

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22197196/some-deadliest-school-shootings-united-states

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

Doctors: Insufficient research to understand rampage violence

America's law enforcement and research communities have failed to develop the kind of research strategy to understand and prevent rampages like today's mass murders at Connecticut a Connecticut elementary school, a University of Arizona doctor said.

Dr. John Harris said mass killings often prompt arguments over such issues as mental health care, gun control or whether violence in television provokes real-life killings. Those frequently one-issue arguments, however, often accomplish little in the way of learning how to improve public safety.

"Let's get off of this as a gun control issue, because that gets everybody riled up and we're all yelling at each other," Harris said.

Harris is a University of Arizona faculty affiliate. He said he was a friend of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and the 2011 shooting that wounded her and killed several others prompted him to study the issue of rampage violence. His wife, Robin Harris, is an epidemiologist and in June of this year the couple published a four-page article on the subject in the American Journal of Public Health.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22193880/doctors-insufficient-research-understand-rampage-violence

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

Dec 14, 2012

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

California

Petaluma Police launch community-oriented policing program

Reinstating a full-time police officer at Petaluma High School and getting officers back to having a closer, more personal relationship with the community are just some of the changes taking place under a new community policing plan initiated by new Police Chief, Patrick Williams.

On Tuesday, Petaluma Police Officer Dan Miller talked with a resident about a homeless encampment near her residence.

Williams, who started in August, has been a long believer in the method of community-based policing, which he put into practice at his former Desert Hot Springs department.

Lt. Mike Cook, formerly a patrol lieutenant who was recently assigned to oversee the new initiative, said that the department is restructuring itself to expand services and better reach the community, despite no increase in budget or staffing.

“We're trying to get back to officers knowing the names of the community members they serve,” said Cook, who grew up in Petaluma and can still remember when he was a child and knew all the officers in town by name.

http://www.petaluma360.com/article/20121213/COMMUNITY/121219788/1428/community?Title=Petaluma-Police-launch-community-oriented-policing-program

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

Spokane cops take lesson from New Haven model

NEW HAVEN — From Spokane to Tajikistan, police departments are taking a look at the city's model for community policing.

A delegation from the Spokane Police Department in Washington state visited the city this week to learn more about the intimate connection between police and the community.

“Our department has been looking for a better way to drive the crime rate down,” said Capt. Brad Arleth of the Spokane police.

“Clearly, the New Haven Police Department is doing that effectively.”

As of Dec. 1, the city's murder rate for the year was down about 47 percent from last year, according to police incident reports.

http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/12/13/news/new_haven/doc50ca9fa2b2a51495904958.txt

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

Massachusetts

Making the city safer

Mayor, police chief credit 'proactive' approach to law enforcement

LAWRENCE — With the end of 2012 coming to a close, Mayor William Lantigua and Police Chief John Romero are declaring the city appears to be winning the battle against crime.

“We're seeing a safer city. We've turned the corner,” Romero said as he joined the mayor in his third-floor office at City Hall to announce a 19 percent reduction in crime overall during the first nine months of the year.

This included what the mayor called “a momentous” 83 percent drop in homicides, with one murder in the city through the end of September compared to six murders a year ago. There was a second murder Nov. 4 when a Lowell teenager was gunned down outside a house party.

The city also experienced a major drop in auto theft (40 percent), robbery (26 percent) and burglary (14 percent), according to statistics compiled by John Reynolds, director of the Police Department's crime data analysis unit.

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x1839366964/Making-the-city-safer

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

“Fight Crime; Invest In Kids”

Fight Crime: Invest in Kids is an anti-crime organization of over 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors, and violence survivors. We take a hard look at the research about what prevents kids from becoming criminals and put that information in the hands of policymakers and the general public.

http://www.fightcrime.org/

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

Dec 13, 2012

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

Los Angeles

Everyday Heroes: Ex-gang member says he survived shooting to make a difference in kids' lives

Shot in the chest and arm by a gang member wielding a .45, Steve Martinez figures he should have died on the street near San Fernando High School.

Two days later, however, bandaged and sore, he sat down with leaders of local street gangs and helped negotiate a deal to end the wave of violence then sweeping the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Now, nearly 20 years later, Martinez figures there's a reason he survived that point-blank attack.

"The more involved you are in the community, the more hope there is," said Martinez, 46. "Very few people are picked to do this. This is why I survived - to help people cherish life."

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22180912

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

Senate legislation aims to crack down on cyberstalking software

For around $50, a jealous wife or husband can download software that can continuously track the whereabouts of a spouse better than any private detective. It's frighteningly easy and effective in an age when nearly everyone carries a cellphone that can record every moment of a person's physical movements. But it soon might be illegal.

The Senate Judiciary Committee was expected Thursday to approve legislation that would close a legal loophole that allows so-called cyberstalking apps to operate secretly on a cellphone and transmit the user's location information without a person's knowledge.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., would update laws passed years before wireless technology revolutionized communications. Telephone companies currently are barred from disclosing to businesses the locations of people when they make a traditional phone call. But there's no such prohibition when communicating over the Internet. If a mobile device sends an email, links to a website or launches an app, the precise location of the phone can be passed to advertisers, marketers and others without the user's permission.

The ambiguity has created a niche for companies like Retina Software, which makes ePhoneTracker and describes it as "stealth phone spy software."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/12/13/senate-legislation-aims-to-crack-down-on-cyberstalking-software/

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

Feds to assess Columbus police on community policing

The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen the Columbus Police Department for a program that assesses "community policing" policies and suggests ways to improve, city officials announced Wednesday.

The Justice Department's Community Oriented Policing Service will begin sending representatives to Columbus in January to look over three aspects of how the department operates: community partnerships, organizational change and problem solving.

Police Chief Ricky Boren said he looks forward to working with the program, showing the visitors what his department does and learning what others do.

"We have always enjoyed a good relationship with the community here in Columbus, and our community policing takes top priority with that relationship," Boren said. "When this department comes in, we'll talk to them about best practices, not only in Columbus, but things that they know that work in other cities."

Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, who sought the assessment, said it will help fulfill a commitment made to the citizens when the 2008 Other Local Option Sales Tax was promoted.

http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2012/12/12/2310589/feds-to-assess-columbus-police.html

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

New Jersey

Shuttered Trenton police substations to reopen

TRENTON — Two police precincts shuttered in 2010 in a cost-cutting move will re-open Friday, when city officials are expected to announce new strategies to combat escalating violence in the city.

Starting Friday, the East and West police substations will be manned and open 24 hours a day, beefing up the police department's presence in the two wards and allowing patrol units to report directly from the precincts, Police Director Ralph Rivera Jr. said yesterday.

“It doesn't make sense to pay a mortgage on those buildings and not utilize them,” he said. “It will add a visible presence, reduce response time and make the community feel safer.”

The announcement comes as the city continues to deal with a surge in violent crime that has led both Rivera and Mayor Tony Mack to reach out to state officials to request more State Police manpower or funding to hire more city officers. Trenton has seen 24 homicides so far this year, with 12 since September.

http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2012/12/shuttered_trenton_police_stati.html

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

From the FBI

Hate Crimes Accounting -- Annual Report Released

In 2011, U.S. law enforcement agencies reported 6,222 hate crime incidents involving 7,254 offenses, according to our just-released Hate Crime Statistics, 2011 report. These incidents included offenses like vandalism, intimidation, assault, rape, murder, etc.

The data contained in this report, which is a subset of the information that law enforcement submits to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program, includes the following categories: offense type, location, bias motivation, victim type, number of individual victims, number of offenders, and race of offenders.

Highlights from the 2011 Report:

Must some stores buy lifesaving defibrillators? Court will decide

How far does the duty to try to save a life go?

That philosophical question became a legal one Tuesday as the California Supreme Court was asked to weigh in.

In recent years, many stores and government buildings have installed automated external defibrillators, which can save the lives of people whose hearts stop.

But now the court must decide whether a store can be required to have a defibrillator - and held liable if it doesn't.

The question in the underlying case is whether Target Corp. is responsible for the death of a woman who went into cardiac arrest and died in a Los Angeles County store.

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22171955/must-some-stores-buy-lifesaving-defibrillators-court-will

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

New Jersey

Salvation Army still in need of donors

NEWARK — With Christmas about two weeks away, the staff and volunteers of the Salvation Army are working to make sure Licking County families have the food, clothing and gifts they need.

Requests for Christmas assistance are up this year, so even more donations are needed, said Kaye Hartman, volunteer coordinator at the Salvation Army.

This year, the agency is helping 1,300 families through their Christmas Cheer program, including about 2,666 children. That's about 600 more children than in 2011, she said.

Many families have told Hartman they have enough food and clothing to get by, but they can't afford to buy any extras, she said.

“We had a lot of folks tell us even though they are working, they are barely making ends meet,” she said. “There's not a lot of extra money.”

http://www.newarkadvocate.com/article/20121212/NEWS01/312120012/Salvation-Army-still-need-donors?odyssey=nav%7Chead

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

Nevada

Brazilians visit to learn about community policing

Ten experts from Brazil who specialize in human rights, law enforcement and public safety recently met with Chief Mike Mieras and Deputy Chief Jason Trevino of the Washoe County School District Police Department to learn more about the concept of community policing.

The officers come from the city of Recife in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. Recife is one of the most violent cities in the country, and authorities there say they are battling the highest homicide rate per capita in Brazil.

“We hope the community policing concept will catch on there, bring down their homicide rate and increase their quality of life,” said Jack Thompson, a representative of the U.S. Mission in Brazil who accompanied the group. “We assembled this group to work together as a team because community policing does not involve just the police; it takes a village.”

“We are so proud and honored to meet this group, and we're anxious to tell them how we protect our students, our schools and our community,” said Mieras. “We call our program ‘Positive, Proactive, Professional Policing,' and we're happy to share information about our community policing system with them.”

http://www.rgj.com/article/20121212/LIV/312120052/Brazilians-visit-learn-about-community-policing?nclick_check=1

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

Dec 11, 2012

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

Partial list of taxes and fees in health overhaul

Starting in 2014, President Barack Obama's health care law will expand coverage to some 30 million uninsured people. At the same time, insurers will no longer be allowed to turn away those in poor health and virtually every American will be required to have health insurance, through an employer, a government program, or by buying their own.

For the vast majority of people, the health care law won't mean sending more money to the IRS. But the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans will take the biggest hit, starting next year.

And roughly 20 million people eventually will benefit from tax credits that start in 2014 to help them pay insurance premiums.

A look at some of the major taxes and fees, estimated to total nearly $700 billion over 10 years.

- Upper-income households - Employer penalties - Health care industries - People who don't get health insurance - Indoor tanning devotees

http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_22163539

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

Florida

Fla. Ex-Cop Set for Execution in 1986 Killing of 9

A former Florida police officer was scheduled to be executed Tuesday for the murder of nine people in a 1986 rampage over three months.

The execution by lethal injection of 56-year-old Manuel Pardo was set for 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison in Starke. A federal judge denied Pardo's request for a stay Monday. Officials said most of Pardo's victims were involved with drugs. Pardo contended that he was doing the world a favor by killing them in 1986.

"I am a soldier, I accomplished my mission and I humbly ask you to give me the glory of ending my life and not send me to spend the rest of my days in state prison," Pardo told jurors at his 1988 trial.

Pardo's attorneys are trying to block his execution, arguing in federal appeals that he is mentally ill, something his trial attorney believed more than two decades ago.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fla-cop-set-execution-1986-killing-17931198

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

Indiana

Gary, IUN to offer community police classes

GARY--If you're a fan of police shows that reveal the inner workings of law enforcement, then the Gary and Indiana University Northwest police have just the thing for you.

Beginning next month, both departments will offer 10-week classes in all aspects of police work.

Topics include crime scene processing, K-9 units, criminal investigations and how various divisions within the departments operate.

While those who attend get a close look at behind-the-scenes police work, police benefit as well.

“Citizen participation is the key to crime reduction,” Gary Chief Wade Ingram said at a news conference Monday morning.

http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/lake/16932664-418/gary-iun-to-offer-community-police-classes.html

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

Michigan

Kalamazoo Public Safety faces 'learning curve internally' as it tries to meet neighborhood expectations

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2012/12/neighborhoods_and_public_safet.html

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

Dec 10, 2012

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

'Alarming' rise expected in number of younger homeless veterans, advocates say

As the latest report card arrives Monday on the Obama Administration's push to end veteran homelessness by 2015, some experts predict a further decline in the number of ex-service members sleeping in parks, under bridges or in public spaces.

But other advocates – including a small cadre of soldiers who use their spare time and combat skills to track, clothe and house veterans forced to live outside on home soil – say they're seeing an “alarming” rise in younger homeless veterans, many of whom fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will release Monday afternoon its 2012 count of homeless Americans – including a fresh tally of homeless veterans, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). And the head of that nonprofit group expects HUD's status report will show that a fortified federal effort to house more disabled and low-income veterans is working.

“I expect the number to go down because there's been a big increase in resources to make sure it does decrease,” said Nan Roman, NAEH president. “There's been a lot of investment in newer strategies around housing – programs that are really solution-oriented.”

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/10/15761391-alarming-rise-expected-in-number-of-younger-homeless-veterans-advocates-say?lite

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

Oregon

Oregon boys ages 7, 11 accused in attempted carjacking of 22-year-old woman

DETROIT (AP Modified) - Two boys, ages 7 and 11 are accused of attempting to rob a woman with a loaded gun outside a church parking lot in Oregon. Portland police say the boys tried to carjack the woman, who was waiting for her parents in the family's truck.

The woman, Ami Garrett says when the boys came to the car, the 7-year-old suggested that the 11-year-old show his gun. When Garrett refused to give up the vehicle, the boys demanded her money and cell phone. As she drove away, Garrett says she saw the 11-year-old pull the gun from his pocket.

Police responded to reports of the boys with guns and they found the .22 caliber handgun in the older boy's pocket. The boys could not be taken into juvenile custody because of their age but they were returned to their families.

Police are investigating how they got the gun and plan to turn the case over to the juvenile court system. You can read more on this story and see photos here.

To new Bluffton chief, community policing is key

"There are some police officers who don't know what it means," said Sgt. Tony Charron of the Bluffton Police Department.

The department's new chief wants to change that. Hired in September, Chief Joey Reynolds aims to have all of his officers trained in his community-policing philosophy.

"Each police chief has their own vision of what they think it is, but it's really a very simple model," Reynolds said. "It's the idea that police are part of the public, and the community has to be part of the police so we can be successful in what we do."

"We can't arrest ourselves out of social problems," he added.

http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/12/10/2306456/to-new-bluffton-chief-community.html

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

Texas

Police look to spur interest in neighborhood watch groups

In conjunction with his advocacy of community policing, Mineral Wells Police Chief Dean Sullivan has recently released information to assist in the formation of local Neighborhood Watches.

Sullivan addressed city council members last week, explaining the program will likely begin in earnest next spring, though he said he hopes to spark interest among locals in forming groups.

Describing a neighborhood watch program in Mineral Wells as the combined effort of residents, the MWPD and the city's community resource officer, Cpl. Penny Judd to protect property and promote neighborhood safety.

Sullivan explained anyone interested in becoming involved should first contact Judd at (940) 328-7884 to determine if a group has already been formed in the neighborhood.

If a Neighborhood Watch already exists, authorities will provide the name and contact information of the watch captain; if not, the department will assist in its formation.

http://mineralwellsindex.com/topstory/x1752047916/Police-look-to-spur-interest-in-neighborhood-watch-groups

.