Mississippi

Department of Justice offers community policing guidance

by Caleb Bedillion

TUPELO – As city leaders examine ways to enhance community policing efforts, a U.S. Justice Department representative has urged them to think more proactively about the internal culture of the police department.

By invitation of Mayor Jason Shelton's administration, Walter Atkinson with the Justice Department's Community Relations Service was in Tupelo last week.

Atkinson reviewed some recent strategies undertaken to improve trust and engagement between local citizens and city leadership. Those strategies were unveiled in the wake of unrest following the June 18 shooting death of a black man by a white Tupelo police officer.

The Justice Department's Community Relations Service offers mediation, education and training to communities in conflict or potential conflict over purported discrimination.

The Community Relations Service has no law enforcement authority.

On Thursday, Atkinson met with a committee recently formed to study the Tupelo Police Department's community policing services. The committee will make recommendations for changes or improvements.

Shelton and the Tupelo Police Department leadership have maintained that the city has long had a strong commitment to community-oriented policing.

City leaders have touted such programs at the Police Athletic League for youth, partnerships with local neighborhood associations, the Community Forward Festival and other programs and events.

However, Atkinson said community policing goes beyond special events and programs.

“Community policing is a philosophy, a cultural philosophy,” Atkinson said. “The activities are part of community policing but community-oriented policing is a philosophy that you want to have embedded as part of the culture of the police department.”

The manner in which an officer conducts a traffic stop is as much a part of community policing as any event or program, Atkinson said.

To this point, the Department of Justice representative referenced an incident earlier this month in which a Tupelo police officer was fired over a social media post.

In that post, ex-officer John Bingham heavily criticized efforts to increase oversight of the police department.

He also wrote, “Sometimes you have to use profanity and threaten a persons (sic)well being to get their attention; sometimes you have to kill them.”

Comments like this cause community concern, Atkinson said.

“The perception may be that if that officer thinks that way, then is there a culture in the department that allows that to exist? Are there others?” said the Justice Department representative.

Police Chief Bart Aguirre was at Thursday's meeting. Aguirre said he does seek to instill a community-oriented culture in the department.

“My command staff and myself, our antennas go up and we are constantly looking at our people who are working under us and we are very cautious about what kind of culture and what kind of thought process goes into our daily activity and we scrutinize these officers very closely,” said Aguirre.

However, the chief said cultural change must be a two-way street.

“There is also a culture on the other side, those people that aren't police officers,” Aguirre said. “These are the people that are running from the police. They have a culture that they have to overcome as well.”

The community policing committee, as discussed during Thursday's meeting, will make several recommendations. Some of these recommendations will include a public forum at which the chief will answer pre-selected questions, a survey of local residents and increased bike patrols.

Committee members also stressed the need to publicize positive efforts of the police department.

https://djournal.com/news/department-justice-offers-community-policing-guidance/

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Missouri

Columbia Police Department Focuses on Community Policing

by Michael Carlson

This week Columbia Police Department launched a series of town hall meetings to improve police-community relations across Columbia.

Each meeting centered on policing in a specific department beat of Columbia. Most recently, Shepard Boulevard High School played host to one of those town hall meetings. The meeting centered around issues facing Southeast Columbia.

“With law enforcement even nationwide seeing the change that's going on, we felt it's important to keep our community informed of what our viewpoint is and what we need to do in this community to keep this community safe,” said Lieutenant Eric Hughes.

At the meeting, officers educated attendees on the system of beats in Columbia and the methodology behind how they prioritize calls for service. They also presented figures on crime in the region, pointing out that southeast Columbia has seen a larger decrease in call for service than the city of Columbia as a whole.

After the brief presentation, attendees voiced their concerns on a variety of topics plaguing the community.

The number of homeless people at different parks around Columbia and long response times on the part of officers were two major parts of the conversation. One woman told officers how she had to wait 45 minutes for a police response to a burglary in progress at her storage unit.

Attendees also brought up understaffing facing the department. Hughes acknowledged the issue and said CPD is looking for way to bring more officers in. He added that the department is in need of about 50 more officers to meet the Department of Justice recommended officer-citizen ratio.

Despite the problems, many attendees thanked the officers for their time at the end of the meeting and the platform to build community-police relations.

“I think improving relationships between police and the community is actually very urgent and critical for us,” said attendee Rachel Taylor.

There will be a final town hall meeting in this series at Gentry Middle School on October 25. The meeting is open to the public and will primarily concern community policing in southwest Columbia.

http://kbia.org/post/columbia-police-department-focuses-community-policing#stream/0

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California

San Bernardino officer puts the community into policing

A former SWAT officer models ways to build trust, relationships

by Beatriz Valenzuela

On a recent Sunday evening, Jerry Segura heard a commotion outside his San Bernardino home. He saw a San Bernardino police vehicle and heard raised voices. Curious, he went outside.

San Bernardino police Sgt. Christopher Gray, in full uniform, was tossing a football with three young men, who moments earlier accidentally had struck the windshield of Gray's police SUV.

“He's got a great arm,” Gray said, when one of the young men threw a long pass that sent the officer sprinting backward to 16th and Genevieve streets.

After a few tosses, young children and curious adults came to watch.

“You never see stuff like this,” Segura said as he stood on his front lawn watching Gray lead a group of neighborhood children in a set of pushups before he handed out badge stickers. “I think we need to see more of it. I mean, look at these kids. They're all excited. It's a very good thing for the cops and for the people. It builds trust.”

Segura's stepson, Paul Malacara, 12, came outside in his ROTC uniform shirt and sheepishly asked Gray for a picture.

Taking the time to make positive contacts with the community, especially children, is an integral part of policing and builds trust, said Gray, 38, a 14-year veteran of the Police Department.

“Especially with everything that's happening in the nation right now, it's really important to build those relationships,” he said.

In recent weeks, police across the country shot and killed black men and a 13-year-old boy: Tyre King, 13, in Columbus, Ohio; Terence Crutcher, 40, in Tulsa, Okla.; Keith Scott, 43, in Charlotte, N.C.; and Alfred Olango, 38, in El Cajon.

And then on Oct. 1 in Los Angeles, the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Carnell Snell Jr. sparked outrage even after surveillance video appeared to show Snell with a handgun moments before his death.

“I truly believe that if you treat people with respect, you will get respect back,” Gray said.

COMMUNITY POLICING

Gray's commitment to community policing was reinforced when he spent two years in the department's Crimes Against Children Detail, where he interviewed neglected and abused children.

“That's when it sparked in me to try to be positive toward people and especially these children, because maybe they hadn't had that before and maybe that one positive word could make a difference,” Gray said.

He carries a dog-eared and highlighted copy of Simon Sinek's book “Start With Why” in his patrol vehicle. The book highlights practices that build positive leaders who inspire others.

“You have to ask why,” he said. “Why are things the way they are, and how can that be changed?”

That questioning and looking inward are a part of community policing, said Larry Gaines, chairman of Cal State San Bernardino's Criminal Justice Department.

After identifying the problems plaguing a community or neighborhood, law enforcement and the public must start working together to get those problems fixed, Gaines said, but it can be a difficult proposition.

“In some neighborhoods, there are long-standing issues with the police,” Gaines said. “What happens is the police need to work with the community to develop some level of trust. It's more difficult in some neighborhoods than in others.”

Even the way police engage with residents can have different connotations – positive or negative, Gaines said.

“The overwhelming contacts they have with people is negative,” Gaines said, adding: “It really gets down to the most basic level where police officers try to have more positive interactions with their citizens and hopefully it will overcome some of the negatives.”

http://www.pe.com/articles/gray-815919-community-police.html

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New York

Rochester police relations: Progress but still strained

by Gary Craig

Michael Soto has owned Supreme Clientele Barbershop on River Street in Charlotte for a decade.

He hasn't seen the cops too often, except on a few occasions when he called in a theft or attempted burglary.

“When I was a kid it seemed like the cops would know the area personally,” he said.

Sundowner's Inn is only a tenth of a mile from Soto's barbershop. Just last fall, two city police officers dropped by and introduced themselves to the restaurant-bar owner, Sue Kimble.

“I feel that in the last year I have had a better (police) presence,” she said. “They drive by and wave, and make their presence known so if there is a problem I know they're around.”

Across Rochester, similar conflicting refrains can be heard: The police are apathetic. The police are there when we need them. The police aren't in my neighborhood. The police are a constant and reassuring presence.

Eighteen months have passed since a significant reorganization of the Rochester police model, changing from two sections to five in a reversal of a model that had been in place since 2004.

The restructuring seems to have paid dividends in some neighborhoods, but the relations between the community and the cops — especially in lower-income and largely minority neighborhoods — are still often strained.

There are efforts to change this.

In an attempt at more transparency, some city police are now equipped with body cameras, and the department plans to have 500 cameras on the streets over the next six months. This follows a trend across the nation, with many cities using similar technology — though policies vary greatly on the public availability of the videos.

After a recent citizen-recorded video of the arrest of a city woman went viral locally — activists claimed police used excessive force in the arrest, while police said it was by the book — Mayor Lovely Warren ordered the Police Department to craft an "action plan" designed to foster better relations with residents.

Wayne Harris, who has been appointed to a newly created position, deputy chief of community relations, will be the city's liaison with the community. He plans a series of meetings across the city, and will also seek input through other avenues.

At those hearings, Harris and police may get an earful. And there may also be a message undergirding the talks: Both residents and the police have a stake in improved relations, and both can do their part.

"We are not our skin, and officers are not their uniform," said Freemonta Strong, an 18-year-old high school senior who works at Teen Empowerment, which offers programs to engage with troubled youths.

" ... We can't be broken down and put into little boxes or categorized by our skin or our uniforms."

'There's really no trust'

Over two weeks in September, Democrat and Chronicle reporters spoke to residents in all five of the city's police sections, and businesspeople in most of the areas. The reporting, intended to sample whether the five-section model has brought police closer to the people, started before Warren's new initiative for improved police-community relations.

But what the Democrat and Chronicle heard from some residents echoed what Warren said when announcing her so-called "action plan." At a news conference in September, she said of law enforcement and the community it polices: "Has trust been broken? Absolutely. None of us would deny that."

Ayonna Titus, a Brighton resident who works at Hettie's Delites Cafe near the Public Market, agrees.

“There's a huge disconnect between citizens and police, and it's going to take a lot more than patrolling the streets to deal with it,” said Titus, who grew up in the 19th Ward. “There's really no trust. The relationship is abusive.”

The Rochester Police Department was one of the first nationally to adopt what is often called a "community policing" approach. Those efforts began in the late 1980s, and, on different occasions since then, the department has tried to return to the model.

Community policing is, broadly, designed to build connections between cops and residents, much like the old "cop on the beat" approach. But such an approach can be difficult to maintain when officers are besieged by calls for service.

Simply tossing police into neighborhoods and hoping for improved relations is not a strategy, policing experts say.

A community policing model is best tailored to the needs of a community, said Jerry Radcliffe, who chairs the criminal justice department at Temple University and is a member of the National Academies of Sciences panel on proactive policing.

"If you ask 10 police chiefs what community policing is, you'll get 11 different answers because the first chief will have changed his mind by the time the last one answers," Radcliffe said.

Police departments need to know the specific issues residents have with police, Radcliffe said. While many communities have local activists challenging police practices, those complaints may not address the broader concerns, he said.

"It's hard to argue that the activist represents an entire community," Radcliffe said.

Similarly, he said, occasional neighborhood meetings with police may elicit anecdotal responses, while failing to unearth more entrenched problems.

The Center for Public Safety Initiatives, a program of the Rochester Institute of Technology's criminal justice department, this year embarked on a grant-funded program to regularly meet with city focus groups and discuss perceptions of policing and criminal justice. The center's director, RIT criminal justice professor John Klofas, said there are extreme views — those who will always support the police and those who will always see the police in an adversarial way — but "there's a whole broad set between those ... whose perspectives are subject to change."

The pressing question becomes: How do you make those changes in a way beneficial to all?

Young black men stopped often

Niquan Killings lives in northeast Rochester in a neighborhood around Clifford Avenue and Thomas Street.

An employee of nearby Empire Fence, Killings said he has been stopped by police when walking home after working late.

He said he'd have "gloves on or gloves in my back pocket (and) now I have to get up against the wall."

"I feel the minority is definitely targeted for nothing, really," he said.

Mary Beth Spinelli, who is leading the RIT research, said the research team has heard from numerous young African-American males who are stopped by police looking for a criminal suspect and given little information why.

"They're told that they meet the profile and then won't be told what that profile is other than black male," she said.

Deputy Chief Harris said the five-district model is designed to give police smaller patrol areas, and to encourage them to meet the residents and business owners in the neighborhoods they serve.

"There's an argument that the law enforcement community and the citizens we serve don't know each other very well," Harris said.

Presently, the police themselves are also crunching data to measure the success of the 2015 reorganization,

"It's being evaluated right now," Harris said. "The evaluation should be done very soon."

Among the benchmarks being scrutinized are response times, residents' satisfaction with their neighborhood police, and whether residents see the police more often.

While crime rates will be considered, Harris said he would not expect the reorganization to make a significant difference in a short time. Later, he said, if the reorganization works, crime rates may be affected, with residents more willing to communicate with law enforcement about neighborhood problems or possible criminal suspects.

"I would be reluctant to use crime rate as the sole deciding factor as to whether a reorganization has been successful,or not successful," he said.

Michael Mazzeo, the president of the Rochester Police Locust Club union, challenged whether the reorganization has been successful. He said the staffing levels don't meet the need, and a community policing model is hampered without station hubs in each section.

Niquan Killings lives in northeast Rochester in a neighborhood around Clifford Avenue and Thomas Street.

An employee of nearby Empire Fence, Killings said he has been stopped by police when walking home after working late.

He said he'd have "gloves on or gloves in my back pocket (and) now I have to get up against the wall."

"I feel the minority is definitely targeted for nothing, really," he said.

Mary Beth Spinelli, who is leading the RIT research, said the research team has heard from numerous young African-American males who are stopped by police looking for a criminal suspect and given little information why.

"They're told that they meet the profile and then won't be told what that profile is other than black male," she said.

Deputy Chief Harris said the five-district model is designed to give police smaller patrol areas, and to encourage them to meet the residents and business owners in the neighborhoods they serve.

"There's an argument that the law enforcement community and the citizens we serve don't know each other very well," Harris said.

Presently, the police themselves are also crunching data to measure the success of the 2015 reorganization,

"It's being evaluated right now," Harris said. "The evaluation should be done very soon."

Among the benchmarks being scrutinized are response times, residents' satisfaction with their neighborhood police, and whether residents see the police more often.

While crime rates will be considered, Harris said he would not expect the reorganization to make a significant difference in a short time. Later, he said, if the reorganization works, crime rates may be affected, with residents more willing to communicate with law enforcement about neighborhood problems or possible criminal suspects.

"I would be reluctant to use crime rate as the sole deciding factor as to whether a reorganization has been successful,or not successful," he said.

Michael Mazzeo, the president of the Rochester Police Locust Club union, challenged whether the reorganization has been successful. He said the staffing levels don't meet the need, and a community policing model is hampered without station hubs in each section.

Niquan Killings lives in northeast Rochester in a neighborhood around Clifford Avenue and Thomas Street.

An employee of nearby Empire Fence, Killings said he has been stopped by police when walking home after working late.

He said he'd have "gloves on or gloves in my back pocket (and) now I have to get up against the wall."

"I feel the minority is definitely targeted for nothing, really," he said.

Mary Beth Spinelli, who is leading the RIT research, said the research team has heard from numerous young African-American males who are stopped by police looking for a criminal suspect and given little information why.

"They're told that they meet the profile and then won't be told what that profile is other than black male," she said.

Deputy Chief Harris said the five-district model is designed to give police smaller patrol areas, and to encourage them to meet the residents and business owners in the neighborhoods they serve.

"There's an argument that the law enforcement community and the citizens we serve don't know each other very well," Harris said.

Presently, the police themselves are also crunching data to measure the success of the 2015 reorganization,

"It's being evaluated right now," Harris said. "The evaluation should be done very soon."

Among the benchmarks being scrutinized are response times, residents' satisfaction with their neighborhood police, and whether residents see the police more often.

While crime rates will be considered, Harris said he would not expect the reorganization to make a significant difference in a short time. Later, he said, if the reorganization works, crime rates may be affected, with residents more willing to communicate with law enforcement about neighborhood problems or possible criminal suspects.

"I would be reluctant to use crime rate as the sole deciding factor as to whether a reorganization has been successful,or not successful," he said.

Michael Mazzeo, the president of the Rochester Police Locust Club union, challenged whether the reorganization has been successful. He said the staffing levels don't meet the need, and a community policing model is hampered without station hubs in each section.

"The reorganization has occurred merely on paper," he said. "Until there are independent police sections placed with the neighborhoods, the city has failed to show how they have actually reorganized the police department. Community members feel shortchanged as they have yet to see the section offices where they can personally interact with their officers in a positive way."

The police force has around 725 sworn officers, but union officials say the number falls short of the demand for response.

"We have been calling for an increase in staffing levels (and) the lack of officers has only exacerbated the problem with the increase in violence that we have seen – 38 homicides this year," Mazzeo said. "While we support a true return to a section-model, we can't evaluate it because it has yet to occur."

Day-to-day experiences

While the national furor is over police shootings, the more common day-to-day interactions between police and residents appear to be the contentious issue in Rochester.

There are studies indicating that one bad experience with a police officer can lead to a largely intractable perception of police — a perception that might not change until there are at least four positive interactions.

Even a negative experience involving a friend or relative can color one's perception of police, RIT's Spinelli said.

"If they have a couple of positive experiences, they would be swayed" to a more supportive stance for police, she said.

Maria Fitchett lives on Arnett Boulevard. On a recent 80-degree day, she and her dog were in a park at the corner of Arnett and Wellington Avenue.

Three years ago, she said, the corner was a problem area with violence. The problems in the area stopped when police got involved with the area around the schools, she said; monitoring the kids going back and forth to school and checking to see if they were going home or hanging around the neighborhood.

“When they got that under control two years ago and now that they have it under control, you don't see too many kids hanging out. They are going to school,” she said.

Fitchett said she has noticed a difference in police officers and their presence in the area since the reorganization.

They are “parked or just patrolling the neighborhood, driving back and forth up and down the little side streets," she said. “The cops are much more friendlier, just the look on their faces when you look at them. They like their job or something, I don't know."

Earlier, she said, she would often get little more than a stare from a police officer.

Now, she said, she often gets a friendly expression.

"It makes you want to have that eye contact. I know that face and he knows my face. You see you have a sense of calmness now; you know you don't feel uncomfortable speaking.”

It is a small interaction — the difference between a passing stare and a passing moment of friendly recognition. But it is a meaningful interaction, and one that Rochester police and surely the residents they patrol want to see more of.

“When your kids see their parents are comfortable ... with police officers, it's going to trickle down to the children as well and it makes a big difference,” Fitchett said.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/10/16/community-policing/91611672/

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New Jersey

Editorial

Don't let a divide grow between police and community

It is good to see that New Jersey in general - and Trenton in particular - are taking proactive steps to make policing more community-minded.

In an effort to avoid police shootings that have sparked violent protests in cities across the United States, New Jersey's attorney general has directed officers from the more than 500 agencies in the state to undergo training in racial bias and de-escalating violent encounters.

Here in Trenton, the police department is urging the community to "be part of the solution," as it seeks recruits for the force.

We have all seen what happens when there is a divide between those who enforce the law and those who are supposed to be protected by the law.

Protests have erupted following police shootings in Charlotte, N.C., Tulsa, Okla., Falcon Heights, Minn., Baton Rouge, La., Chicago and Cleveland.

But the distrust of police has also taken a toll on officers who put their lives on the line every day they go out into the community.

The families of five police officers who were gunned down by a sniper in Dallas in July during a protest over a police shooting can attest to that.

The FBI reports that 48,315 officers were assaulted while on duty in 2014.

Community policing has been touted as one of the best ways to foster trust between police and those they are sworn to serve.

The training program New Jersey is requiring local police departments to take is aimed at creating a uniform system that would ensure every officer in the state gets the same cultural diversity training.

One way to foster better community policing is to have officers who come from the same background as the people in the community.

Trenton is trying to accomplish that by recruiting officers who will work in the neighborhoods they live in. The city is urging residents to "be part of the solution" by joining the force.

Being a police officer is a tough and dangerous job. But a spirit of cooperation between police and the community can only help create an atmosphere of respect and security. Hopefully these state and local initiatives will do just that.

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/10/dont_let_a_divide_grow_between_police_and_communit.html

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Maryland

City brings together community, police to discuss civilian oversight

by Barry Simms

BALTIMORE —Another effort to build more trust between Baltimore residents and police is focusing on accountability and stronger civilian oversight. The city brought together community leaders and law enforcement on Friday to address how to strengthen civilian oversight of the Police Department.

"It's when people from the community, who care about community and about making sure we're safer and a stronger community, come together and do this meaningful work," Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said.

"I'm interested to hear what's going on in the country. What other states are doing to ensure citizens have a role in how police departments are interacting with community," said Caryn York, with Job Opportunities Task Force.

The back drop is the Department of Justice report on policing in the city, which calls for giving more authority and resources to the civilian review board.

"I think we have a lot of work to do as it relates to police accountability. I think civilian oversight is an important part of that process," said Kisha Brown, with the Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement. "We want to make sure there are no barriers to a person exercising their civic duty or their rights."

City and state lawmakers and members of community groups and law enforcement met Friday at the War Memorial Building downtown to discuss the work of the civilian review board as it handles excessive force, abusive language, harassment, false arrest and false imprisonment complaints against officers. Also changes could ensure there are no barriers to people filing complaints and removing confidentiality concerns, along with fear of retaliation or harassment.

"There are concerns by a number of people in the city both black and white, rich and not so rich that if you file a complaint with police, there is some uncertainty," Brown said.

"The most important element of police reform is civilian oversight at all levels because I think you can talk about training, new technology, but if you don't have civilian oversight, you are not changing the institution in the way citizens hold it accountable," said Dayvon Love with Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.

The president of the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement called it a key moment in working together to make improvements.

"We can't go off in our own silos to create positive change. As a community there has to be a unified effort and it's not always easy. There are bumps along the road as people build relationships and work together. Positive change can occur," said Brian Corr, with NACOLE. "You literally have to bring people together in a room and start to build relationships, build trust and allow people to see ultimately they all have the same goal."

Corr said it is a complicated and difficult process, but it will lead to a peaceful and just Baltimore.

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/city-brings-together-community-police-to-discuss-civilian-oversight/42111238

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California

San Francisco officer shot in head, suspect detained

The officer is expected to survive

by Hamed Aleaziz

SAN FRANCISCO — A San Francisco police officer shot by a quiet neighborhood shopping center near the zoo was in critical condition Saturday but conscious and speaking with his family, authorities said.

The officer, who was not identified, is expected to survive Friday night's shooting.

The incident began at 8:15 p.m. Friday when San Francisco police arrived at Lakeshore Shopping Center after receiving a call of a man threatening people. After making contact with him on Everglade Drive, the man turned and fired multiple shots, hitting one officer in the head, police said. He then fled toward Stern Grove, according to a San Francisco Police Department statement.

Authorities immediately told residents in the neighborhood to stay in their homes, and they blocked streets near the scene of the shooting.

Officers had surrounded Stern Grove when the man came out of bushes at 28th Avenue and Vicente Street and tried to run. According to a police statement of events, “several officers chased the suspect and became involved in an officer involved shooting. The suspect fell to the ground.” The statement adds that the man kept a gun near his chest and refused to surrender.

At that point, officers deployed flash bangs and were able to distract the suspect, who was not identified, and take him into custody. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital for treatment of his injuries, police said.

“Our thoughts are with our injured officer and his family,” said Toney Chaplin, interim chief of the San Francisco Police Department. “Our officers each day put their lives at risk to protect and serve San Francisco and we are grateful for the outpouring of support we saw Friday evening from San Franciscans who were concerned for the officer's well-being.”

Mayor Ed Lee visited the injured officer at the hospital late Friday.

“I had a chance to thank him and meet his family. I'm very grateful,” Lee said.

http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/231875006-San-Francisco-officer-shot-in-head-suspect-detained/

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Illinois

Chicago cop who feared using gun brutally beaten by suspect

The brutal October 5 beating left the officer with a concussion, bone chips to the shoulder and wrist and a neck injury

(Video on site)

by PoliceOne Staff

CHICAGO – Chicago police released video Friday of an attack on an officer who Superintendent Eddie Johnson said didn't draw her firearm for fear of public backlash.

The brutal October 5 beating left the officer with a concussion, bone chips to the shoulder and wrist and a neck injury, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The suspect, 28-year-old Parta Huff, slammed the 17-year veteran officer's head into the concrete multiple times and ripped out chunks of her hair.

The officers originally responded to the scene after a call about a vehicle that crashed into the front of a liquor store. Huff was the vehicle's only occupant.

Huff, then on foot, ignored repeated commands to stop after officers arrived. Huff was struck by a TASER twice during the ensuing scuffle.

The suspect, who tested positive for PCP, was charged with attempted murder of a police officer and aggravated battery to a police officer, according to the report.

http://www.policeone.com/use-of-force/articles/231889006-Video-Chicago-cop-who-feared-using-gun-brutally-beaten-by-suspect/

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Massachusetts

Tactical unit a big factor in Boston shootout

A tactical police truck was nearby and became a critical factor in Wednesday night's shootout that left two officers critically injured

by Antonio Planas and Jack Encarnacao

BOSTON — A tactical police truck — with high-powered military-style rifles, other specialized weapons and equipment and a trained crew — was nearby and became a critical factor in Wednesday night's gunfight against a shotgun-wielding, U.S. Army-trained suspect wearing body armor, police say.

And more specialized weapons are on the way, to be distributed among supervisors to ensure they are available when they are needed, police say.

Police Commissioner William B. Evans has said the tactical unit was instrumental in preventing more casualties and ending the gunfight with suspect Kirk Figueroa, who was killed. Two East Boston patrol cops were critically injured.

“I heard it made a huge difference because if they weren't there, it could have been a worse situation,” East Boston City Councilor Sal LaMattina said.

Evans confirmed a tactical vehicle — commonly known as a gun truck or gun car — was near the scene in Orient Heights and “helped out in neutralizing the threat that was going on.” In addition to heavier weaponry, the truck carries equipment such as battering rams, and is manned by officers trained in special tactics.

While some advocacy groups have criticized the militarization of police, others say rifles should be more widely available, so officers in trouble, facing heavily armed suspects, don't have to wait if the gun truck is deployed elsewhere. BPD spokesman James Kenneally said in an email yesterday, “Supervisors will be getting long guns. Long gun discussion is moot. That issue has already been decided. Supervisors will be getting long guns. Whether they would have made a difference last night, they did. Officers equipped with long guns responded to the scene.”

‘Limited self-defense strikes': US military destroys 3 ‘radar sites' in Yemen

by RT America

The US military has carried out a series of “limited self-defence strikes” in Yemen, the Pentagon has announced. The attack, authorized by President Obama, was carried out in retaliation to recent attacks on the US naval destroyer, USS Mason.

According to the Pentagon's initial assessments, three “radar sites” in the Houthi rebel-controlled area of Yemen were destroyed in the attack.

The attack on coastal targets was carried out by Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from the destroyer USS Nitze, NPR reported. According to US officials all targets were “in remote areas, where there was little risk of civilian casualties or collateral damage.”

“These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation in this important maritime passageway,” the statement reads.

President Barack Obama authorized the strikes on the recommendation of Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Joseph Dunford, Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.

The US military vowed to respond to “any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic.”

Earlier on Wednesday, USS Mason fell under fire for the second time in four days. At least one rocket was fired at the destroyer, causing “no damage to the ship or its crew,” Cook said.

However, the Houthi movement has denied that it carried out the attack. A military source reportedly told Saba news agency - a media outlet run by the group - that the assault did not come from areas under its control.

"These allegations are unfounded and the people's committees have nothing to do with this action," the source said.

Until now, Washington - a major ally of Saudi Arabia - has limited its engagement in Yemen to intelligence sharing, reconnaissance and aerial refueling of Saudi-led coalition jets. The US has also supplied weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Fragments of US-supplied munitions were recently found at the scene of a Saudi strike on a mourning hall in the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

Human Rights groups have repeatedly criticized the US and the UK for supplying arms to Saudi Arabia which continues to bomb civilian targets in Yemen. Critics continue to accuse the Saudi-led coalition of using cluster munitions, which are banned in most countries.

Last year Noble Peace Prize winner President Barack Obama authorized US forces to provide support to the Saudi-led coalition by creating a “Joint Planning Cell.” The State Department admitted to providing the Saudis with “intelligence sharing, targeting assistance, advisory and logistical support”.

“As part of that effort, we have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing, and we have established a joint coordination planning cell in the Saudi operation centre,” Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken said in April 2015.

However, in light of heavy civilian casualties and international pressure, Washington has promised to “reconsider” its assistance to Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, along with eight Arab state allies, began a military operation in Yemen in March of 2015 at the request of Yemeni President Hadi, a Sunni, who fled the country after Shiite Houthi rebels seized the capital of Sana'a. The rebels recognize Abdullah Saleh, the country's previous president who was forced to step down back in 2012.

A UN-backed peace process to end the civil war has so far yielded few results. The war has so far killed an estimated 10,000 people, nearly half of them civilians, according to the United Nations.

https://www.rt.com/usa/362582-yemen-radar-sites-airstrikes/

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Massachusetts

Two Boston police officers in ‘extremely critical' condition after shooting; suspect killed

by Mark Berman

Two police officers in Boston were seriously injured and a suspected gunman armed with an assault rifle was killed during a shootout late Wednesday night, authorities said.

The officers were both in “extremely critical” condition following the shooting, William B. Evans, the Boston police commissioner, said during a news conference early Thursday morning.

Evans said that several officers were responding to a report of a “domestic incident” involving two men who were roommates and knew that one of those men was believed to have a gun. After police went inside the home, “officers were screaming ‘officer down'” on the radio, Evans said.

“Domestic calls…are probably the most volatile,” Evans said during the briefing outside Massachusetts General Hospital, where the officers were both being treated. “You never really know what you're walking into.”

More officers went inside and some exchanged gunfire with the attacker, Evans said, while others dragged the two injured officers out of the line of fire. During the shootout, police officers shot and killed the man, later identified as Kirk Figueroa, 33, of East Boston. (The police initially gave his name as Kurt, not Kirk, but soon corrected that.)

Evans said that Figueroa was wielding an assault rifle and wearing a ballistic vest during the shootout. For a brief period after the shooting, authorities asked people in the area to shelter in place until they determined the area had been secured.

Both officers who were wounded underwent surgery overnight and were in critical condition Thursday morning, police officials said. They also received several blood transfusions, Evans said.

Police have not named the injured officers, but officials say they are both veterans, one with about 12 years of experience and the other with about 28 years of experience.

The shooting came just days after two police officers in Palm Springs, Calif., were shot and killed responding to a reported domestic disturbance there. While fewer officers are killed each year than have been in prior decades, police have said they feel increasingly anxious amid nationwide protests that focus on how they use force.

The number of officers fatally shot this year has spiked after ambush attacks in Dallas and Baton Rouge, contributing to a weary fear among law enforcement. So far this year, 45 officers have been shot and killed, up from 30 such deaths at the same point last year, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. There have also been officers who have been shot but survived, such as the Philadelphia officer wounded by an attacker who authorities said later pledged loyalty to the Islamic State, or the Florida police officer shot while in his car weeks later.

“This job's a tough job,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said during the briefing. “And oftentimes, people don't look at the other side of what happens with police officers. We're hoping they make a full recovery.”

Evans praised the actions of the officers who provided first aid to the two who were injured, saying that one police officer “had his hand in one of the wounds” while trying to stop the bleeding. The quick thinking was “instrumental” in helping the officers, he said.

Nine other officers were taken to Tufts Medical Center, some with minor injuries and others with stress from the shootout, Evans said.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said his office will lead an independent investigation into Figueroa's death, as it does whenever a police officer uses deadly force.

Conley promised “a very thorough and transparent investigation,” but said it will take time to figure out what happened because the two officers involved were “fighting for their lives.”

Figueroa was the fourth person shot and killed by the Boston police since the beginning of last year, according to a Washington Post database tracking such shootings nationwide.

Police could be seen around the home in East Boston on Thursday morning as the investigation into the shootout continued.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/10/13/two-boston-police-officers-in-extremely-critical-condition-after-shooting-suspect-killed/?utm_term=.8354630a271a

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Connecticut

Fatal plane crash in Connecticut was intentional, authorities suspect

by Rene Marsh, Chris Boyette and Shachar Peled

Investigators believe a twin-engine airplane was intentionally crashed onto a busy street in Connecticut, killing a student pilot, local police and a federal official said Wednesday.

The Piper PA 34 light aircraft went down Tuesday afternoon on Main Street in East Hartford near the front gate of Pratt & Whitney, a manufacturer of aircraft engines for both civil and military aviation, raising fears the crash was an act of terrorism.

The flight instructor, who survived the crash, told first responders and investigators he got into an altercation with the student pilot, which resulted in a struggle in the cockpit, a US official with direct knowledge of the investigation said.

The official said it appeared the student pilot was frustrated with his family and said he was being forced to become a pilot.

Illinois officials ID pilot

East Hartford police and federal authorities did not give the student pilot's name, but on Wednesday night the mayor and police chief in Orland Hills, Illinois, called a news conference and identified him as Feras M. Freitekh, a Jordanian national with a student visa.

Orland Hills Mayor Kyle R. Hastings said identification papers on the student pilot listed his address as Orland Hills.

But police discovered Freitekh had never lived in Orland Hills and only used the address to receive mail, Orland Hills Police Chief Thomas Scully said.

The owner of the residence at the address knew Freitekh's father and allowed the son to use the address to receive official mail, Scully said.

FBI investigating

No recorders or video were on board the small plane, meaning there is no direct evidence to corroborate what the flight instructor said.

But based on initial interviews, authorities believe the instructor's account is truthful and that the student pilot intentionally crashed the plane.

East Hartford police released few details at a Wednesday afternoon news conference, except to say the crash appeared to be intentional. They didn't provide a motive.

"Information is indicating it was an intentional crash," police Lt. Josh Litwin said at a news conference. "But the circumstances beyond it being intentional, or why it was intentional, or how it was intentional, are all being investigated at this time."

The FBI, National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration and Connecticut State Police are all investigating.

Local law enforcement called in the FBI, citing infrastructure concerns due to the crash's proximity to Pratt & Whitney.

The NTSB tweeted that the FBI is now the lead investigator.

Although Orland Hills police are not investigating the crash, Scully said the case is now being investigated as a suicide.

Instructor in critical condition

The instructor, identified as Arian Prevalla, is in critical condition, Bridgeport Hospital spokesman John Cappiello said Wednesday.

Mark Poole, owner of Meriden Aviation Center and a former student of Prevalla's, said Prevalla handles most of the area's training of twin-engine aircraft.

Poole said Prevalla's business model focused on international students obtaining visas and providing training for commercial airline pilots.

Law enforcement officials are trying to get a search warrant to investigate the student pilot's computer. They also plan to interview his family.

The wreckage of the plane remained on Main Street in East Hartford on Wednesday. Litwin said the street might be cleared as early as late Wednesday.

A woman and her three daughters who were in a vehicle almost struck by the plane have been released from a local hospital, Litwin said.

Dual controls in the plane

Peter Goelz, former NTSB managing director, said the flight instructor could not have disabled the student pilot's controls.

"In that kind of aircraft, the Piper 34, the Seneca, it's simply a dual control aircraft, as most private planes are, and there's no way to shut down ... one side of the controls or the other," Goelz said. "It's simply in normal circumstances, one person is flying the plane and that's it."

If there were a struggle over the controls, it would have been "an impossible situation," he said.

Goelz said he'd like to know if the decision to crash the plane was a spur-of-the-moment or a long-term decision, and whether somebody encouraged the student pilot to do it. Goelz also wondered if there were clues about the pilot's psychological makeup.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/12/us/connecticut-plane-crash-possibly-intentional/

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Texas

‘Ain't nobody got time for this': 911 operator hung up on thousands of calls, police say

by Travis M. Andrews

Hua Li was purchasing a lottery ticket at a RaceWay convenience store in Houston on March 12 when a man holding a gun burst through the front door and attempted to force his way behind the bulletproof security panel in front of the counter.

Li fled the store, hearing gunshots behind him as he ran. Then he did what anyone would in that situation, what you're supposed to do: He dialed 911.

“They just said, ‘This is 911. How can I help you?' ” Li told KPRC. “I was trying to finish my sentence, and we got disconnected.”

He called again, and the police finally arrived on the scene.

But by then, the store's manager was dead.

This story might sound familiar to Buster Pendley and Sharon Stephens, a married couple also living in Houston.

Earlier in March, a blood clot moved to Stephens's lungs, causing her to lose consciousness. Her panicked husband attempted to perform CPR while calling 911.

“She was gasping, and I could feel her heart beating out of her chest, but I couldn't get a pulse,” Pendley told KPRC.

“The 911 operator answered the phone, and she said, ‘This is Crenshanda, may I help you?'

“[I said,] ‘Wife's passed out I need an ambulance,' ” Pendley told the station. “She said, ‘Okay,' and she hangs up on me.”

At the time, he didn't tell his wife. Instead, he called 911 again, was put through and managed to get an ambulance in time.

Stephens may have escaped unscathed, but when she learned what happened, she was livid.

“I was furious he didn't tell me what happened, because I would have, I mean, I would have gotten [up] from my hospital bed and gone to 911 and find out who did that to me,” she said.

That person, was Crenshanda Williams, 43, who was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanor counts of interfering with an emergency telephone call.

According to police, Williams did a whole lot more than hang up in these two instances, though. They claim that between October 2015 and March 2016, she had thousands of “short calls,” which lasted 20 seconds or less, much like the two above.

In one, a security guard called to report a pair of drivers drag racing on the highway.

“This is Officer Molten. I'm driving on 45 South right now and I am at ..” the call began, but she immediately hung up, KIAH reported. Before she did, though, the recording included Williams responding, “Ain't nobody got time for this. For real.”

Williams, who no longer works with the Houston Emergency Center where she was employed since 2014, allegedly told police that she would hang up on calls because she “did not want to talk to anyone at that time.”

She is due in court next week, NBC reported. It's unclear whether she has entered a plea or retained a lawyer. The charges carry a potential sentence of one year in jail.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/10/13/aint-nobody-got-time-for-this-911-operator-hung-up-on-thousands-of-emergency-calls-police-say/

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New York

Jamaica Sees Significant Drop in Crime With Community Policing: Officials

by Ewa Kern-Jedrychowska

QUEENS — The 103rd Precinct in Jamaica and Hollis saw a significant drop in overall crime numbers in the first week of its community policing program, NYPD officials said.

“It's very encouraging,” said Capt. John Ganley, executive officer for the 103rd Precinct, who told residents at a community council meeting Tuesday night that the area had seen a nearly 38 percent decrease in overall crime last week.

“I'm not thinking that's a coincidence,” he said. “I'm thinking the bad guys are seeing a lot more officers out there on patrol and they are thinking to themselves, ‘We've got a little army out there to deal with.'”

Under the program, 14 Neighborhood Coordination Officers are assigned to patrol specific areas in the precinct. These NCOs do not respond to 911 calls during a third of their shifts, using that time instead to attend community meetings and talk with residents and business owners in the precinct to address their concerns.

In addition to the new NCOs, the precinct also assigned more than three dozen officers to patrol cars that also monitor the same areas each shift.

According to statistics provided by Ganley, beginning Oct. 3 and Oct. 9 robberies fell nearly 29 percent from seven to five when comparing the same period of time last year and this year. Grand larcenies also dropped nearly 54 percent from 13 last year to six when compared to last year.

The 103rd Precinct reported no burglaries during the first week of to community policing program, compared to four during the same period last year. However there was one rape last week and none in 2015.

In total, there were 20 crimes were reported from Oct. 3 to Oct. 9 this year, compared to 32 last year.

“We are down 12 crimes, so that's 12 people who weren't victimized by crime that were victimized last year at this time,” Ganley said.

The nearby 113th Precinct, which introduced the community policing program last year, also attributed its recent drop in overall crime in part to the new policing initiative.

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161012/jamaica/community-policing-program-drop-in-crime-jamaica

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Pennsylvania

Talking about race relations and community policing

by Michael Yoder

Reading, PA -- When it comes to race relations and community policing, an honest and open discussion is an important first step to hashing out deep problems among diverse people and law enforcement.

More than two dozen people turned out Wednesday night at Reading Area Community College for the first installment of a round-table dialogue between police and community members. Representatives from several organizations, including the Berks Chapter NAACP and the Reading Berks Conference of Churches, met for nearly two hours with officers that included Reading Police Chief Andres Dominguez Jr.

John Morgan of the Berks Inter-Cultural Alliance, the sponsor of the event, led the discussion of one of the four tables set up at the event, bringing up difficult questions about racism and how race relates to policing. Morgan pointed to racism in his home that influenced his childhood and how his views totally changed by the time he turned 18 and headed to Penn State, interacting with people of different cultures at college.

"I think a lot of our stereotypes we learn as children - from parents and family and neighbors - but we can outgrow them," Morgan said. "We can evolve into better people. It is possible, but you have to want to do that."

Detective Ramon Caraballo of Muhlenberg Township Police and the president of the Pennsylvania Latino Officers Association gave his own thoughts on where racial stereotypes come from, saying he sees them as "generalized misinformation."

Hailing from the Dominican Republic before moving as a child to Brooklyn, Caraballo said he's experienced racism at different points in his life, even into his days of serving as a police detective for 13 years.

Caraballo said he was once assigned to a state police task force, traveling all over the state with his partner, who was white. He said from a distance it's hard to tell that he's Hispanic, but when he would get closer, people could see his features and hear his accent.

"After a while (my partner) told me, 'I never would have seen this unless I worked with you, but people treat you differently as soon as you speak,'" Caraballo said.

One of the first questions discussed was what people believe separates races from each other. Participants cited everything from neighborhoods to class structures and economics.

Caraballo said he's experienced a lack of communication and fear that drives wedges between races.

"People don't get to know each other, and they always have these stereotypes in their minds," Caraballo said. "But it's hard to hate up close."

Claude Horn, a Reading resident and a member of the NAACP, said racism played a significant role in his early life, growing up in segregated Mississippi in the 1940s. When he joined the military and fought in the Korean War, Horn said it was the first time in his life he was able to interact with different people and cultures. He said it was a complicated dichotomy being in the military, though, as he was trained to kill people who were different and he started to wonder how he got to a place of fighting someone he never met before.

Horn went to college after the war, being exposed to even more cultures and thinking about people in different ways.

"A lot of people never get the opportunity to get out of the neighborhood they live in," Horn said. "They never get away from the hate they live in."

Many of the questions were directed towards Caraballo, with the attendees looking for his perspective as a police officer and a member of a minority group. He said his organization makes time to work and talk with at-risk youth, coaching young people about their lives and their interactions with law enforcement, even down to the way they dress.

Caraballo said growing up in a rough neighborhood in Brooklyn taught him the "survival tactics" that kids use, putting forth a sense of toughness to their peers. He said he tells those same kids that he recognizes why they behave the way they do but that it doesn't translate well when interacting with a police officer.

"I don't think people just have a fear of the police," Caraballo said. "I think it comes from the way they were treated at a traffic stop. They way they were treated when they walked into a store. When they waved to a cop and the cop doesn't wave back to them."

http://www.readingeagle.com/news/article/talking-about-race-relations-and-community-policing

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Illinois

Alton participating in ground-breaking community police study, requires public to help

by Cory Davenport

ALTON - Alton is in the first stages of what could be a ground-breaking community police study - assuming the community participates.

Former St. Louis Police Chief Daniel Isom currently holds a professorship of police and community relations at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL). He is embarking on an extensive study of the Alton Police Department and its relationship with the community with the assistance of Steve Finkelstein of the consulting firm Experience on Demand. The study will consist of three phases and will include an unprecedented examination of the Alton Police Department as well as a thorough public survey and community examination. The goal of this study is to hold the police department and community accountable for their relationship.

This study is coming to Alton thanks in part to the efforts of Alton Ministerial Alliance Director and Alton Human Rights Commission President Peter Hough. Hough met Isom at a diversity conference called Listen, Talk, Learn. Hough and Isom discussed such a study in Alton, but it would not work without the cooperation of the city, the police department and the community.

Alton Police Chief Jake Simmons has since given Isom and Finkelstein complete access to the Alton Police Department. Crime data and statistics dating to 2006 have been released to the team and the entire staff of the police department - including officers, jailers, custodians and desk workers - have also been given surveys to complete regarding their thoughts on the current state of community policing. Simmons said 56 of 86 employees of the Alton Police Department have completed this survey, which is the goal of phase one of the study.

"Officers are open to the program and are responding," Simmons said. "We solve more crime if the community is helping us. Some are reluctant due to the current climate of perceived distrust. We want to improve that. The majority of our people are open to this."

Trust was an issue raised by members of the community at a forum discussion earlier this month. Simmons was not in attendance at the forum, nor were any other city officials. Hough and Isom were both at the forum, with Hough acting as its facilitator. He said city officials were asked not to come, so people could feel open to discuss things candidly. Some took this gesture as the city not being active in the study, however, Hough said. Alton City Attorney Megan Williams said the City of Alton was extremely committed to the study, and city officials did not attend so a safe space could be provided to the citizens who had concerns.

"One thing that came up was from [Alton Boys and Girls Club Executive Director] Al Womack," Hough said. "He felt we needed to get the message right and get our purpose and objective. Our purpose and objective is to have a safer and more peaceful city for both the police department and the community. That really is the whole point."

Finkelstein expounded Hough's message and said the purpose was also to "support strong community values, and continuous improvement with the support of building on success."

"This department is not in major trouble, so we're building on continuous success," he said.

Simmons agreed the department is not in major trouble, but added there are always issues and always way to improve upon a situation, even if it is not in a glaringly terrible position.

"My officers feel very safe in Alton," Simmons said. "It's unique in the fact police officers have given back."

Initiatives such as "Shop with a Cop," "Coffee with a Cop" and the Christmas season "Summons of Joy" program, which has officers giving citizens gift cards instead of tickets when pulled over, were named by Simmons as ways his department has already attempted to build relationships with the community.

Hough said the responsibility of trust and building relationships is not the sole burden of the police department. He said the community has a stake in the situation as well.

"Trust needs to be rebuilt in both directions," he said. "The burden is not just on the police. We need community leaders to listen and approve to put together a plan to take responsibility together. We will make it safer together as well."

Another issue raised by members of the community regarding the study is the cost. Each phase of the study will take $2,200 for Finkelstein's consulting. Finkelstein said the rate is as much as seven times lower than his usual consulting costs. He has consulted for several non-profits such as the Ferguson and Florrisant School Districts as well as for-profit companies such as the St. Louis Federal Reserve and Monsanto.

"I really appreciate my relationship with UMSL," Finkelstein said. "We give a lot back, and do a lot with vets and first responders. We have a big heart for what's going one here, and would do it totally free, but just a little bit of something shows commitment to the organization."

That price will not be covered by the City of Alton. Isom said he requested the city not pay for it. The city not funding the study will ensure no bias is perceived due to who is footing the bill. Phase one will be paid by the professorship of Isom. An additional $2,400 has been pledged to the Alton Ministerial Alliance to cover phase two of the project. Hough is asking for stakeholders in the community to cover the cost of the third phase.

"The city was asked not to pay for it," Williams said. "They thought it was important for the city not to pay for it, so the community owns it, and it's not paid for by the city. It doesn't mean the city is not committed, but it's a community plan."

Phase two of the study will test the community's ownership of it. During phase two, stakeholders in the study are asked to fill out surveys of their own about the police department. Those surveys will be hosted online on the city's website, with links to it from other sites, including Riverbender.com. Paper surveys will be available at the Alton City Hall as well, Williams said.

"The second phase will be about exploring and meeting the community," Isom said. "We will be developing a survey about police and community relations."

Following the survey collection and analysis by Isom and Finkelstein, a community focus group will be selected by the study's stakeholders. Hough and Isom agreed the focus group would be very diverse and Williams said it will include community leaders who represent large groups of Alton's diverse population.

"We will build a smaller focus group of Alton constituents, a very diverse group," Isom said. "We will get more dedicated about community expectations and desires to make it stronger and safer. We will do the same with the Alton Police Department and [in phase three] we will bring police and the community together to really think about what this vision may look like."

Hough said ensuring the community receives these surveys and the knowledge of the study is essential to making Alton a better and safer place.

"We're going to do our best to get community leaders and stakeholders to get word out to the community," he said.

After a focus group sourced from the community is able to meet and discuss their concerns with the state of community policing in Alton, Isom and Finkelstein will create a list of priorities and concerns. Another such list will be made from officers of the Alton Police Department. In the final phase of the study, each group will meet, discuss the lists and propose solutions. Finkelstein said those solutions will also feature people from the community and police department who are going to take accountability for the issues raised.

"Instead of starting the session with charts, we'll start by saying what the survey says," Finkelstein said. "We will talk about top issues and get directions and items for focus, as well as things to change. It's going to be a pretty long list of things."

The dynamic of the two groups will not be adversarial. Each stakeholder currently invested in the study assured the dynamic will be one of partnership and cooperation. The end goal of phase three, Isom said, is creating accountability.

"Another issue was accountability," Isom said. "How do we evaluate what proposals will be done? We alked about the fact it's a community and Alton Police Department plan, and within the plan, there should be discourse about accountability and availability. We will make people accountable in the plan, everyone will have a role in that accountability. It will not being a plan demanding the Alton Police Department should do this or that. The community of Alton will have a shared responsibility to keep it safe."

Finkelstein said the plan will give the community and police department a "road map," and not just a list. He said after the study and plan are finished, he and Isom would check on the progress of the end decisions and see how they are being utilized in the community and police department.

Until the end of phase one, the study only requires the community to contribute to its cost. Hough and the Alton Ministerial Alliance are going to collect the remaining money required to fund the study ($2,000, if all $2,400 in current pledges are collected). He encourages people to donate to the study so they feel as if they are investing into the future of their community.

"We're asking for people to make an investment in that process to give us that road map," Hough said. "We have experienced and disinterested parties to help devise that road map, and we're asking the community for their investments of presence, interest and money to complete it."

Checks for the study can be sent to the Alton Ministerial Alliance, located at 504 E. 12th St. in Alton. Donors are asked to write "police study" in the memo line of the checks.

Isom said this study is the first of its kind in the region. He said other communities offered partial access to their community and police departments, but Alton is the first to give unlimited access to the entire police department and community, in order to better community policing, safety and relations.

"A part of my role at UMSL is teaching and giving back to the community," he said. "In Alton, it's all about relationships. Out of the meetings I had with Megan [Williams], Chief Simmons and Peter [Hough], we decided to collaboratively take on this project. My role at UMSL is teaching police and community relations. This is exactly what UMSL hired me to do. I am excited to see see such forward-thinking and progressive aspects in other plans."

Anyone who would like to contribute to the study, ask questions or voice concerns is ask to contact Hough via email at Peter.Andrew.Hough@gmail.com.

https://www.riverbender.com/articles/details/alton-participating-in-groundbreaking-community-police-study-requires-public-to-help-15803.cfm

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Maryland

MSU to Try to Heal the Divide Between Police and the Community

by Megan McCorkell

BALTIMORE (WJZ) –Baltimore City police have partnered with Morgan State University to try and heal the divide between police and the community.

A damning DOJ report released two months ago revealed systemic discrimination within the Baltimore City Police Department.

Now, the department is trying to make a change.

On Wednesday, dozens of veteran officers went back to class at Morgan State University.

The subject: Cultural competency.

“We're trying to do something to improve those communication lines between our youth and our elderly and our police and our community,” said Dr. Anna McPhatter, dean of social work at MSU.

The university has teamed up with police to try and heal the divide.

“I think Baltimore is a model city to build a bridge between police and community,” said Dr. Kevin Daniels at Morgan State University.

Daniels met with Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis to form the program to bring community policing to a younger generation.

“It was done before and it can be done again. With the current generation I believe we can have something real strong and positive,” Daniels said.

The commissioner has committed to adopting a legally binding consent decree of reforms.

“It will last beyond the mayor beyond me. It will be a lasting legacy for policing in the city of Baltimore,” said Davis back in August.

City police are now working with the Department of Justice to figure out just what will be in the consent decree.

These classes are a first step in that process.

“I think that it's very good to learn how to communicate with other people of different generations, that way we can create that space, we can create that relationship,” said Baltimore Police Officer Chantell English.

And create a new chapter for policing in Baltimore.

Police hope to finalize the consent decree by November.

Next month, Morgan State will hold another session with the newly graduated cadets of the police training academy.

http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/12/msu-to-try-to-heal-the-divide-between-police-and-the-community/

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California

Killings of officers increases stress for SoCal law enforcement

The series of slayings have forced many LEOs to become hyperaware of their surroundings, especially as more cops are being scrutinized for their actions

by Beatriz Valenzuela

LONG BEACH, Calif. — When Long Beach police Lt. Steve James first heard that three Palm Springs police officers had been gunned down Saturday afternoon, he immediately texted a friend at the desert town department.

James, the president of the Long Beach Police Officers Association, endured some tense moments when he believed his friend could have been one of the officers shot. He eventually learned his friend was safe, but two officers — each at opposite ends of their careers — had been killed and a third wounded.

“I'm devastated no matter who it is, but I didn't happen to know those two,” he said.

The deaths of officers Jose “Gil” Vega and Lesley Zerebny, came only three days after Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Owen was fatally shot during a burglary call in Lancaster.

“It was terrible,” San Bernardino police Lt. Mike Madden said Monday morning of the two separate incidents that took the lives of three law enforcement members.

So far this year, 102 law enforcement officers have lost their lives nationally, according to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund. Last year, 123 were killed.

“Every time it happens, we feel their grief and their sorrow because it happened to us, and so we grieve,” said Cindy Bachman spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Bachman was referring to the death of Deputy Jeremiah MacKay, killed Feb. 12, 2013, during a standoff with disgraced ex-Los Angeles police officer Christopher Dorner.

The series of officer deaths have forced many in law enforcement to become hyperaware of their surroundings, especially as more officers are being scrutinized for their actions, especially when it comes to officer-involved shootings, according to police officials.

“The stress level is obviously a lot higher, but it's important for patrol supervisors to know the makeup of their teams and be able to identify if the stress becomes too high for any involved officer,” said Torrance police Lt. Robert Watt. “Proactive and overall good police work continues among the men and women of the Torrance Police Department and that is definitely a tribute to them.”

Riverside police patrol Sgt. Debbie Foy, who's been in law enforcement for 32 years, said she tries to put the recent incidents in perspective and feels only 1?percent of people have serious problems with law enforcement.

“The other 99 percent of people who support us are the people I'm out there for,” said Foy. “And I'm proud to be part of that community. I'm proud of my job, and I still honor my job.”

While she says she isn't fearful when doing her job of choice, she says she is more cautious.

“I make sure I have the appropriate resources to back me up,” she says. “I don't go into something blindly when I can wait for backup officers.”

According to National Institute of Justice research, minorities are less trusting of law enforcement than whites. The research agency of the U.S. Department of Justice notes the suspicion may stem from their own personal interactions with police and exposure to media accounts of police misconduct.

“It creates a situation where your senses are working overdrive,” James said of the recent attacks on officers. “You're concerned about everything: the person walking up behind your police car, anything that doesn't feel right on a call.”

Many within law enforcement say attacks on the police came to a head July 8 when 25-year-old military veteran Micah Johnson ambushed and killed five Dallas police officers during what had been a peaceful protest against the fatal police shootings of black men, specifically in Louisiana and Minnesota, shootings many demonstrators say were unjustified and point to a systematic problem between law enforcement and the black community.

“I think the mind-set that the police are biased and the police are racist, I just don't believe that,” said Madden, a 25-year law enforcement veteran. “When we do wrong, we have to acknowledge it, but there seems to be a segment of the community that I think believes we brought this on ourselves and nothing could be further from the truth. We have officers who go out there and do their jobs and do it honorably and professionally. That's how we combat that mind-set.”

Los Angeles County Professional Peace Officers Association President Brian Moriguchi agreed, adding the majority of officers are “good, honest people trying to make the streets safe.”

“When you hear the stories about Sgt. Steve Owen and two Palm Springs officers,” said Moriguchi, “these people are outstanding individuals which the media digs into when they die. But that is the vast majority of police officers out there.”

For Madden and others, this is exactly why good community relationships are essential for change.

“It's important to have that connection there but much earlier than when things like this happen,” Madden said. “Trust isn't just granted, it's earned and we have to do what we can to have those positive contacts and build the trust with a community. It has to be a two-way dialogue.”

In Los Angeles, LAPD Deputy Chief Bob Green, commanding officer of Operations-Valley Bureau, says he's seen a deliberate effort by Chief Charlie Beck to reduce the number of officer-involved shootings in the city by using less-lethal force, including stun guns, and the use of body cameras. However, even the use of alternatives means may still garner ire from the community, Green said.

“We saw in Burbank where they Tased the individual instead of using deadly force and he died,” he said. “There was still an outcry over that. At what point do officers get to protect themselves? It's a good discussion, but there's got to be an honest discussion. I think all of our discussions have got to be balanced.”

http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/230294006-Killings-of-officers-increases-stress-for-SoCal-law-enforcement/

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California

Police commission approves training for how LAPD officers use force

The commission approved changes in the way the LAPD handles OIS, directing the department to release information to the public more quickly and expand training

by Kate Mather

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved significant changes in the way the LAPD handles shootings by officers, directing the department to release information to the public more quickly and expand training designed to reduce the number of shootings.

The proposals came from two commissioners — Matt Johnson, the board's president, and Sandra Figueroa-Villa — and stemmed from an extensive study of how other major departments deal with police shootings. The report, made public last week, found that some provide the public with more details faster and used more training based on real-world scenarios.

“The commission and the department are ultimately accountable to the public, and therefore, it is important that we are constantly self-critical so that we are always improving,” Figueroa-Villa said.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck signaled his support for the recommendations, but noted that the other agencies cited in the inspector general's report operate under different state laws and union agreements — “not one size fits all,” he told reporters Tuesday.

The chief, however, said he liked some of the approaches adopted by police in Las Vegas and San Diego on releasing information about police shootings, which he said the department has been examining.

“It's important to reach out, it's important to realize that not everything is invented here and it's important to look into other agencies' experiences so that we can make this the best police department it can possibly be,” he said. “All of these things are worth considering.”

But the union representing rank-and-file officers blasted the recommendations, accusing the Police Commission of avoiding more pressing issues facing the LAPD — such as keeping an adequate number of officers working in the field or reducing the uptick in violent crime — and instead folding to pressure from police critics.

“The commission has become nothing more than a group of pandering apologists in support of misinformed professional protesters,” the union's board of directors said in a statement. “These latest batch of proposals are more of the same, solutions in search of a problem.”

The commission's weekly meetings have been the focus of regular protests and criticism over shootings by police and other force used by officers, particularly against African-Americans.

The size of protests has swelled at times, including in July, when hundreds demonstrated as the commission cleared an officer who fatally shot a black woman armed with a knife in South L.A. After the meeting, a group of activists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement spent weeks camped outside City Hall demanding that Beck be fired.

This month, demonstrators took to the streets of South L.A. to protest the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Carnell Snell Jr.

How officers use force and how departments share information about deadly encounters are two of the most scrutinized issues in modern-day policing, drawing fresh attention this summer after a series of deadly police shootings across the country.

The inspector general's report and the commissioners' proposals have long been in the works. Last fall, the Police Commission directed its inspector general, Alex Bustamante, to compare the LAPD's policies, training and investigations regarding use of force with four other major agencies that recently made changes to try to reduce force incidents.

Eleven months later, the result was a 33-page analysis looking at how police in L.A., Dallas, Las Vegas, Washington, D.C., and San Diego address officers who fire their weapons, emphasize ways officers can try to avoid using force, and share information — including video of deadly encounters — with the public.

Beck generally has resisted releasing those videos outside of court, citing concerns over victim privacy and the need to protect investigations. He recently made a rare exception in the shooting of Snell, releasing a security video showing the man holding a gun moments before he was fatally shot by police. Beck said he released the footage out of concern over public safety and a desire to clear up what he called “significant misinformation” in the case.

The commission proposals would direct the LAPD to start a “comprehensive process” for gathering public feedback on the video-release policy that would include community forums, online questionnaires and focus groups. The two commissioners called on the department to determine what other information about police shootings could be released quickly and develop rules to ensure that information is accurate.

The inspector general's report also looked at how LAPD officers are trained to avoid using deadly force and the amount of so-called reality-based training they are given.

Law enforcement agencies are increasingly turning to role-playing training to provide officers with a realistic simulation of stressful encounters — often involving people who appear to be mentally ill or suicidal — that can result in shootings or other serious force. The goal is for officers to practice de-escalating those moments so that it comes more naturally in the field.

The LAPD offers some reality-based training, according to the inspector general's report, but other agencies use it more frequently. The commissioners' proposals call on the department to look for ways to regularly provide that training.

http://www.policeone.com/use-of-force/articles/230307006-Police-commission-approves-training-for-how-LAPD-officers-use-force/

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Ga. sheriff sentenced for excessive force against arrestees

Former Berrien County Sheriff Anthony Heath was sentenced to 30 months in prison for excessive force against two handcuffed suspects

by The Department of Justice

BERRIEN COUNTY, Ga. — Former Berrien County, Georgia Sheriff Anthony Heath, 45, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised relief for using excessive force against two non-resistant arrestees. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and Acting U.S. Attorney G.F. Peterman III of the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.

On June 29, 2016, Heath pleaded guilty to two counts of violating an individual's civil rights. He was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Hugh Lawson of the Middle District of Georgia.

According to Heath's guilty plea, on Jan. 12, 2012, Sheriff Heath and several deputies from the Berrien County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) engaged in an extended foot chase of an individual identified only as M.V., who they were attempting to arrest. A BCSO deputy eventually saw M.V. in the woods and arrested him without incident. When a deputy reported to Heath that M.V. was in custody, the sheriff ordered deputies to hold M.V. in the woods until he could get there. When Heath arrived, M.V. was lying face-down on the ground, with his hands cuffed behind his back, and was not resisting arrest. Nevertheless, Heath kicked M.V. in the ribs, punched him in the head with a closed fist multiple times and forcefully kneed him in the ribs multiple times, causing M.V. to suffer pain and have difficulty breathing. Heath bruised his hand punching M.V. in the head.

During a separate incident, on Oct. 14, 2014, Heath repeatedly punched and kicked another arrestee identified only as J.H., even though J.H. surrendered, lay down on the ground and did not attempt to flee or threaten anyone at any point after his arrest. Heath punched J.H. with sufficient force to cause his own hand to become swollen and bruised. Heath's punches caused J.H. to bleed from his mouth and to feel pain. As a result of his conviction, Heath was removed from his position as sheriff.

“When Heath beat compliant, handcuffed arrestees, he abused the public's trust and did a disservice to his fellow colleagues in law enforcement, the vast majority of whom do their jobs with honor and integrity,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. “The Justice Department will continue to ensure that law enforcement officers protect the rights of all individuals in their custody.”

“The Sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in his county,” said U.S. Attorney Peterman. “His duty to ‘serve and protect' extends to the arrestees just as much as it does to the rest of the community. His victims are not just those he assaulted in this case, but include the legions of good, decent law enforcement officers who will have to live under the shadow of mistrust his actions have created, as well as the good citizens who have had their faith in law enforcement challenged by those actions.”

The FBI conducted the investigation. Trial Attorneys Stephen Curran and Mary J. Hahn of the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section prosecuted the case.

from Dept of Justice

PRESS RELEASE

Former Chief of Los Angeles Port Police Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for False Statement and Tax Evasion Charges Related to Corruption Case

LOS ANGELES - Former Port of Los Angeles Chief of Police Ronald Boyd has been sentenced to 24 months in federal prison. Boyd pled guilty on February 3, 2016, to federal charges of tax evasion and making a false statement to FBI Agents who were investigating his acceptance of a bribe in connection with the development of an official smart phone app to be marketed to other law enforcement agencies.

Ronald Jerome Boyd, 58, of Torrance, was sentenced today by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner who also ordered the defendant to pay $305,054 in restitution.

Boyd pleaded guilty to three offenses on the day he was scheduled to go to trial on a 16-count indictment that was returned by a grand jury last year. Boyd admitted to lying to federal investigators about a scheme related to a smart phone app called Portwatch, which was developed to provide information to the public and to allow citizens to report criminal activity at the port.

In 2011, Boyd and two business partners formed BDB Digital Communications, a company that entered into a revenue-sharing agreement with the company developing Portwatch. The parties involved with BDB intended to generate revenues by marketing and selling a similar app – called Metrowatch – to other government agencies. Boyd was set to receive approximately 13.33 percent of all gross revenues generated by the sale of the Metrowatch application.

"It's of paramount importance that public officials, particularly those in law enforcement, maintain the standards of honesty and trust they owe to the public," said Lawrence Middleton, the Chief of the Criminal Division at the United States Attorney's Office, "The sentence imposed by the court in this case demonstrates that those who betray such trust shall be met with serious consequences."

According to the indictment in this case, Boyd received his financial interest in return for guaranteeing that the Portwatch contract would be awarded to the company.

Boyd admitted that he lied to FBI Agents in October 2014 when he denied having any financial interest in Metrowatch or having engaged in a conflict of interest.

“The citizens of Los Angeles must be able to trust that government officials will make decisions based on the needs of the community, rather than using their position of authority to serve their own best interest,” said Deirdre Fike, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to work on restoring that trust by addressing corruption by public officials.”

Boyd also pleaded guilty to tax evasion in relation to his personal income tax return for 2011. In his plea agreement, Boyd admitted receiving income from a security business he operated, At Close Range. The income came from the owner of a company doing business with the Port, American Guard Services, and Boyd admitted that he failed to report that income on his personal income tax returns for years 2007 through 2011.

Additionally, Boyd pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of failing to file a 2011 tax return for At Close Range. While he pleaded guilty to one only count of failing to file a tax return for At Close Range, Boyd admitted in his plea agreement that he failed to file tax returns for the business for years 2007 through 2011.

The estimated loss of tax revenue to the Internal Revenue Service for Boyd’s conduct was more than $300,000.

“While occupying a position of trust in the community, Mr. Boyd actively concealed his outside business interests by not disclosing certain income he received on his federal income tax returns," stated Anthony J. Orlando, Acting Special Agent in Charge for IRS Criminal Investigation. "IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously pursue those who unjustly enrich themselves in violation of their fiduciary duties."

The case against Boyd is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS – Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel J. O’Brien. Criminal Division Chief Lawrence Middleton is speaking on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office due to Ms. Decker’s recusal in this matter.

Tracy Webb, Director of External Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office – Central District of California

www.justice.gov/usao-cdca

from ICE

ICE deports Mexican fugitive suspected of ambushing humanitarian convoy, killing 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. - A Mexican national, who is wanted in his native country for murder, was handed over to Mexican law enforcement officials Oct. 5, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Juan Macario Bautista-Martinez, 23, was transferred by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers to the custody of representatives from the Mexican Attorney General's Office at the Brownsville, Texas, port of entry. Bautista-Martinez is charged in an arrest warrant issued in 2012 with a double homicide committed in Oaxaca, Mexico, in April 2010. According to the Mexican arrest warrant, Bautista-Martinez and others, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, allegedly ambushed a humanitarian convoy of 27 people, killing two and injuring 10 others.

ERO officers, aided by special agents from the FBI and officers from the Rhinebeck Police Department and New York State Police, arrested Bautista-Martinez June 16, at an area business. Department of Homeland Security databases indicate Bautista-Martinez was repatriated to Mexico on two prior occasions in 2014. ICE reinstated Bautista-Martinez's removal order, paving the way for his most recent repatriation.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 1,150 foreign fugitives from the United States who were sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with the ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Operations, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the United States. Members of the public who have information about foreign fugitives are urged to contact ICE by calling the ICE tip line at 1 (866) 347-2423 or internationally at 001-1802-872-6199. They can also file a tip online by completing ICE's online tip form.

In fiscal year 2015, ICE conducted 235,413 removals nationwide. Ninety-one percent of individuals removed from the interior of the United States had previously been convicted of a criminal offense.

ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that targets serious criminal aliens who present the greatest risk to the security of our communities, such as those charged with or convicted of homicide, rape, robbery, kidnapping, major drug offenses and threats to national security.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-deports-mexican-fugitive-suspected-ambushing-humanitarian-convoy-killing-2

Police arrest more people for marijuana use than for all violent crimes — combined

by Christopher Ingraham

On any given day in the United States, at least 137,000 men and women sit behind bars on simple drug possession charges, according to a report released Wednesday by the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch.

Nearly two-thirds of them are in local jails. According to the report, most of these jailed inmates have not been convicted of any crime: They're sitting in a cell, awaiting a day in court which may be months or even years off, because they can't afford to post bail.

"It's been 45 years since the war on drugs was declared and it hasn't been a success," lead author Tess Borden of the Human Rights Watch said in an interview. "Rates of drug use are not down. Drug dependency has not stopped. Every 25 seconds we're arresting someone for drug use."

Federal figures on drug arrests and drug use over the past three decades tell the story. Drug possession arrests skyrocketed, from fewer than 200 arrests for every 100,000 people in 1979 to more than 500 in the mid-2000s. The drug possession rate has since fallen slightly, according to the FBI, hovering now around 400 arrests per 100,000 people.

Defenders of harsh penalties for drug possession say they're necessary to deter people from using drugs and protect the public health. But despite the tough-on-crime push that led to the surge in arrests in recent decades, illicit drug use today is more common among Americans age 12 and older than it was in the early 1980s. Federal figures show no correlation between drug possession arrests and rates of drug use during that time.

But the ACLU/Human Rights Watch report shows that arrests for drug possession continue to make up a significant chunk of modern-day police work.

"Around the country, police make more arrests for drug possession than for any other crime," the report finds, citing FBI data. "More than one of every nine arrests by state law enforcement is for drug possession, amounting to more than 1.25 million arrests each year."

In fact, police make more arrests for marijuana possession alone than for all violent crimes combined.

The report finds that the laws are enforced unequally, too. Over their lifetimes, black and white Americans use illicit drugs at similar rates, according to federal data. But black adults were more than two-and-a-half times as likely to be arrested for drug possession.

"We can't talk about race and policing in this country without talking about the No. 1 arrest offense," lead author Tess Borden said.

The report calls for decriminializing the personal use and possession of drugs, treating it as a public health matter instead of a criminal one.

"Rather than promoting health, criminalization can create new barriers to health for those who use drugs," the report says. "Criminalization drives drug use underground; it discourages access to emergency medicine, overdose prevention services, and risk-reducing practices such as syringe exchanges."

The report reinforces its point by noting the lengthy sentences handed down in some states for possession of small amounts of drugs.

For example, it sketches the history of Corey J. Ladd, who was arrested for possessing half an ounce of marijuana during a 2011 traffic stop in New Orleans. Because he had convictions for two prior offenses involving the possession of small amounts of hydrocodone and LSD, he was sentenced in 2013 to 17 years in prison as a "habitual offender." He's currently appealing the sentence to Louisiana's Supreme Court.

"Corey's story is about the real waste of human lives, let alone taxpayer money, of arrest and incarceration for personal drug use," lead author Tess Borden said. "He could be making money and providing for his family."

But Ladd's treatment is far from the harshest drug possession sentence uncovered by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch researchers, who conducted analyses of arrest and incarceration data from Florida, New York and Texas.

In Texas, for instance, 116 people are currently serving life sentences on charges of simple drug possession. Seven of those people earned their sentences for possessing quantities of drugs weighing between 1 gram and 4 grams, or less than a typical sugar packet. That's because Texas also has a habitual offender law, allowing prosecutors to seek longer-than-normal sentences for people who have two prior felonies.

"In 2015, more than 78 percent of people sentenced to incarceration for felony drug possession in Texas possessed under a gram," the report found.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/12/police-arrest-more-people-for-marijuana-use-than-for-all-violent-crimes-combined/

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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram sent feeds that helped police track minorities, ACLU says

by The Washington Post

A powerful surveillance program that police used for tracking racially charged protests in Baltimore and Ferguson, Missouri, relied on special feeds of user data provided by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, according to an ACLU blog post published Tuesday.

The companies reportedly provided the data - often including the locations of users - to Geofeedia, a Chicago-based company that says it analyzes social media posts to deliver surveillance information to 500 law enforcement agencies. The social media companies sought to restrict Geofeedia's access to the streams of user data in recent weeks after the ACLU discovered them and alerted the companies about looming public exposure.

The popularity of Geofeedia and similar programs highlights how the rise of social media has given governments worldwide powerful new ways to monitor crime and civil unrest. Authorities often target such surveillance at minority groups or others seeking to publicly air political grievances, potentially chilling free speech, said the ACLU's California affiliate, which unearthed Geofeedia's relationship with social media companies through a public records request of dozens of law enforcement agencies.

"These platforms need to be doing more to protect the free speech rights of activists of color and stop facilitating their surveillance by police," said Nicole Ozer, technology and civil liberties policy director for the ACLU of California. "The ACLU shouldn't have to tell Facebook or Twitter what their own developers are doing. The companies need to enact strong public policies and robust auditing procedures to ensure their platforms aren't being used for discriminatory surveillance."

Geofeedia did not have immediate comment when contacted Tuesday. Twitter tweeted in a statement, "Based on information in the @ACLU's report, we are immediately suspending @Geofeedia's commercial access to Twitter data."

Facebook, which owns Instagram, said in a statement: "This developer only had access to data that people chose to make public. Its access was subject to the limitations in our Platform Policy, which outlines what we expect from developers that receive data using the Facebook Platform. If a developer uses our [user data] in a way that has not been authorized, we will take swift action to stop them and we will end our relationship altogether if necessary."

Most users of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram know the social media services as platforms for sharing thoughts or images with friends. But companies such as Geofeedia and others collect and analyze social media data to help their own customers track emerging online trends. Specialized data streams from social media companies can provide access to faster, more exhaustive collections of posts than otherwise are publicly available.

Civil libertarians have grown increasingly concerned that the rising power of government surveillance technology is prompting a spike in the monitoring of African Americans and other minority groups through video surveillance, social media and the tracking of cellphone calls.

"Police spying on social media has a disproportionate impact on black people," said Malkia Cyril, the executive director of the Center for Media Justice, an Oakland-based activist group. "There's a movement afoot to ensure that black lives matter. That is being spied upon. That is being surveilled."

Before the social media companies limited access, Geofeedia was using specialized data streams for police surveillance. In one email discovered by the ACLU, a company employee boasted that it had a "confidential legally binding agreement with Facebook" for data. Another email said users of Geofeedia could "pull private information for Instagram and Twitters."

Neither claim could be independently verified.

Because social media posts increasingly provide location information from users' smartphones, surveillance systems can map out areas of looming unrest or political activism. Geofeedia documents made public by the ACLU made references to tracking protests in Baltimore in 2015 after the death of a black man, Freddie Gray, while in police custody and also to protests in Ferguson in 2014 after the police shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black man.

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram make most of their money selling advertising, but all have side businesses selling outsiders access to their rich data streams about users. For example, through software known as an API, developers have been able to use Facebook to get access to a person's friend list, birthday, profile picture, education history, relationship status, and political affiliation - if a person's Facebook profile and location are public.

Twitter also sells its own so-called data firehose, which includes the contents of tweets, and demographic information like gender and interests, the cellular network users and geolocation, by latitude and longitude coordinates, if the user tags it. Customers include financial firms that monitor business trends, retailers looking for product mentions, organizations like the Red Cross, which use the data to monitor crises, and law enforcement.

According to the documents obtained by the ACLU, Facebook provided Geofeedia with access to a data feed that enabled the surveillance startup to monitor topics trending from public posts about events, such as riots or protests. Twitter did not provide access to the full firehose, but offered Geofeedia a database to search public tweets. Instagram provided access to the Instagram API, which included photos posted publicly as well as location information if the users tagged their pictures.

News stories about Geofeedia, which was founded in 2011, first emerged last month, when the Daily Dot website reported that local police in Denver had spent $30,000 on online surveillance tools. Shortly after, the ACLU of California published public records showing that police departments across the state were rapidly acquiring social media monitoring software to monitor activists.

The ACLU said the social media companies had sought to close Geofeedia's access to the special data feeds. Facebook and Instagram closed off Geofeedia's access on Sept. 19. Twitter imposed contractual limits in an attempt to block Geofeedia from using posts for surveillance. Twitter also sent a cease and desist letter on Monday to Geofeedia, the ACLU said. On Tuesday, Twitter announced it would block the feed to Geofeedia altogether.

The civil liberties group said that social media companies should go farther in implementing public policies and other restrictions to keep their posts from being used for government surveillance. Without specialized data feeds, outside companies could still implement programs to "scrape" social media data as it becomes publicly available, but that approach would be less effective and also would violate the terms of service for some companies.

In addition to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, the Geofeedia documents found by the ACLU show that the company also analyzes data from Vine and Periscope, as well as VK and Weibo, popular social media services in Russia and China, respectively. It is not clear whether any of those companies provide special data feeds to Geofeedia.

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/10/facebook_twitter_instagram_sen.html

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Arizona

South Side officers use community policing tactics to connect with residents

by KVOA

A South Side neighborhood center designed to help people needed some help themselves.

Residents said homeless people and criminal activity was taking over El Pueblo Neighborhood Center until Tucson Police stepped in and cleaned it up.

Anna Sanchez is the librarian at El Pueblo. She said every morning when she walked into the building she saw homeless people lining the sidewalks.

“They had their bed rolls, their blankets, they would be just waking up.”

They would also find evidence of people urinating and defecating because the rest rooms were locked.

“So, they were using just the outdoors for their facilities.”

During the center's working hours she added, they witnessed a lot of drug activity, and young people overdosing.

El Pueblo Neighborhood center is the lifeline for residents on the South Side. People come to the center for senior activities, health care and after-school activities, including help with homework.

“It's a quality-of-life issue. If you want to go to a place and seek services, you don't want to be walking past people laying on the sidewalk or defecation on the walls,” said Captain Bob Wilson.

He heads Operation Division South. News 4 Tucson obtained stats that show from April 1, to Sept. 30, they had nearly 300 calls for service.

Tucson police also arrested 55 people during that time.

Wilson said the area is a hot spot because of the Laos Transit Center next door, and the clientele of some of the nearby agencies.

Now, officers are getting out of their patrol cars, walking the beat and getting to know folks. He said they are really focusing on community policing.

After speaking with some neighborhood residents, Sgt. William Corrales and Officer J.J. Flores discovered homeless people were living on the roof of a nearby building.

“It was great information, great tool box of goodies that were in there that we used to combat the criminal activity that was occurring here,” Corrales said.

Anna Sanchez said she's seen a big difference.

“I just appreciate everything that's been done. And it's really helped to make this center vibrant and to make it available for those in the community who really need it.”

http://www.kvoa.com/story/33358962/crime-trackers-south-side-officers-use-community-policing-tactics-to-connect-with-residents

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New York

Oddo says community policing initiative would solve drug activity on SIR

by Mira Wassef

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In light of the drug-related activity plaguing the Staten Island Railway, Borough President James Oddo believes the South Shore needs to be part of the NYPD's community policing initiative to combat the problem.

"The fact is that we need a constant police (presence) in and around many of our commercial districts, particularly those with Staten Island Railway stations," Oddo said in a Facebook post.

The initiative, which involves beat cops patrolling the same neighborhoods regularly, has been implemented at various precincts around the city, including the 120th Precinct in St. George.

"It is clear we need this approach and a greater police presence near the Great Kills station and in other areas," Oddo said in the post.

However, Oddo said they can't wait for the community policing program to come to the South Shore, and will ask the MTA and NYPD for immediate help.

Several commuters have complained about seeing the drug-related activity on the train, particularly the Great Kills stop. There, commuters have seen people shooting up heroin on the overpass, selling pills and smoking marijuana.

"This is completely unacceptable," Oddo said of the situation on the train.

On Tuesday, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C,I-East Shore) sent a letter to the MTA's director of security requesting increased MTA police personnel on the rail.

"Drug use and addiction is an issue that has plagued our community and has grown to the point where open drug use is becoming more pervasive," Malliotakis wrote in the letter. "This is unacceptable and must be addressed through partnerships between government, the public and law enforcement."

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/10/bp_oddo_suggests_south_shore_b.html

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New York

Through community policing, NYPD aims to improve relationships with city

by Nicole Brown

The NYPD announced a new campaign to further shift its focus from numbers of arrests and summonses to building relationships between the department and the communities it serves, Commissioner James O'Neill said Tuesday.

“This is the next phase of the NYPD,” O'Neill said. “I'm asking all New Yorkers to engage with their police. Together is the only way we can complete our mission.”

O'Neill said the department has to change its approach to preventing crime in order to address the gaps in trust and approval of police.

"We have to do more than eliminate unnecessary enforcement activity," he said. "We have to fundamentally change the way we do our business."

The commissioner cited the unsolved murder case of Jessica White, a victim of a stray bullet in the Bronx in June. The detectives on the case were met with obstacles when posters advertising a reward for information and an image of the suspect's car were taken down by residents.

"Has the NYPD failed Jessica? Or has the entire city failed Jessica?" O'Neill asked. "That's a very tough question for anyone to answer."

O'Neill said community, or neighborhood, policing is a primary part of the campaign. This means the same cops will be in the same neighborhoods every day, working with residents to solve problems.

"The public will soon have the names, email addresses and – increasingly – the cellphone numbers of the individual police officers who patrol their streets every single day," he said.

But the police department will also need help from the community, O'Neill said.

“This campaign will enlist the business community, grass-roots community groups, the clergy, academia, the entire criminal-justice system and all relevant public and private agencies to work together with us,” he said.

The campaign, which wasn't given a specific name, will be led by Charles Phillips, CEO of Infor, a software company. O'Neill said the department will utilize film and social media to inform the public of the campaign's goals.

The commissioner called on residents to report crimes, speak with district attorneys and testify as witnesses, but added that the process of participating in the criminal justice system as a victim or a witness needs to be safer and less burdensome.

Technology will also play a role in achieving the goal O'Neill said, explaining that the department hopes to allow the public to text 9-1-1 and send information confidentially. It will also ask commercial buildings to install surveillance cameras that the NYPD can access.

http://www.amny.com/news/through-community-policing-nypd-aims-to-improve-relationships-with-city-1.12440200

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Florida

Fla. officer stops potential mass school shooting

A school resource officer at Coral Springs High School tracked down a former student who entered the building armed and handcuffed him

by Carli Teproff

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — A former Coral Springs High School student was arrested and charged with felony possession of a firearm on school property, possession of a firearm by a minor, trespassing and disrupting a school function after police say he showed up at the school Monday with a loaded gun.

Ryan Trollinger, 17, was being held Monday night in a Broward Sheriff's Office juvenile facility, according to Sgt. Carla Kmiotek, a spokeswoman for Coral Springs police.

Another student, who was not named, was involuntarily taken to a treatment facility under the state's Baker Act after officers found a seven-page handwritten journal in his pocket depicting violence and alluding to a school shooting in January 2017. Police called the student Trollinger's "associate."

"If you don't know what terror day is it is a mass school shooting that will take place on Jan. 13, 2017," the student wrote in what police are calling a "manifesto."

According to police, the incident started Monday morning when two girls told the school's resource officer that another student had seen a gun. The girls initially described the student with the journal as the one with the gun. But the school resource officer had heard that Trollinger was on campus and he knew the former student should not have been at the school.

The officer found Trollinger in the cafeteria, Kmiotek said. Trollinger tried to get away, but the officer cuffed him and searched him and found a loaded 9mm in his front waistband, police said.

Meanwhile, officials placed the school on lockdown as officers looked for the "associate" that the girls had described. Once officers located that student, they found the journal. The associate told officers that Trollinger had said: "Today is the day, it's going down."

An investigation revealed that the two knew each other and had discussed shootings in the past, but the associate had nothing to do with Trollinger showing up at his former school Monday, Kmiotek said.

Kmiotek credited the girls for "doing the right thing" and telling an officer right away.

"That was the key to us getting the school on lockdown and possibly averting a tragedy," she said.

http://www.policeone.com/juvenile-crime/articles/230160006-Fla-officer-stops-potential-mass-school-shooting/

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Arizona

Feds to bring criminal contempt charges against Sheriff Joe Arpaio

Prosecutors said they will charge Sheriff Joe Arpaio with criminal contempt-of-court for defying a judge's orders to end his signature immigration patrols in Ariz.

by Jacques Billeaud

PHOENIX — Prosecutors said Tuesday they will charge Sheriff Joe Arpaio with criminal contempt-of-court for defying a judge's orders to end his signature immigration patrols in Arizona, exposing the 84-year-old lawman to the possibility of jail time.

The announcement in federal court sets in motion criminal proceedings against the sheriff less than a month before Election Day as he seeks a seventh term as Maricopa County sheriff. The 2016 election cycle has also seen Arpaio take a prominent role on the national stage, appearing alongside Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on several occasions.

A judge previously recommended criminal contempt charges against Arpaio but left it up to federal prosecutors to actually bring the case. Prosecutor John Keller said in court that the government will bring charges, with the next step being a court filing possibly in the next day that's akin to a criminal complaint.

Arpaio could face up to six months in jail if convicted of misdemeanor contempt.

Arpaio lawyer Mel McDonald said the sheriff will not be arrested and no mugshot will be taken. He will plead not guilty by court filing and hopes to prevail before a jury.

"We believe the sheriff, being an elected official, should be judged by his peers," McDonald said.

The move is yet another key defeat for the sheriff who became a national political figure over the past decade by aggressively carrying out immigration patrols and attention-getting endeavors such as making prisoners wear pink underwear.

Following complaints by Latino drivers about racial profiling, a judge demanded that Arpaio stop the enforcement efforts. He was later found to have violated the order, causing it to morph into a contempt of court case.

Arpaio has acknowledged violating the order to stop the immigration patrols but insists his disobedience wasn't intentional.

County taxpayers have shelled out $48 million so far in the profiling case, and the costs are expected to reach $72 million by next summer.

http://www.policeone.com/officer-misconduct-internal-affairs/articles/230035006-Feds-to-bring-criminal-contempt-charges-against-Sheriff-Joe-Arpaio/

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Why one cop says there is no war on cops

Louis Hayes believes that much of the mindset that there is a war on cops is rooted in police training that focuses heavily on worst-case scenarios

by Doug Wyllie

If one were to survey American police officers with the question, “Is there a war on cops?” the overwhelming majority would probably answer in the affirmative. In fact, at the time of this writing, in the current PoliceOne Homepage poll, a full 93 percent believe this to be the case (as do I with that opinion). Indeed, the war on cops is the subject of many articles on PoliceOne and is even the title of an excellent book by Heather Mac Donald.

One notable dissenter to this prevailing opinion is Louis Hayes, a 19-year police officer in the Chicago area who authored a compelling article contradicting the thesis that officers are under attack more today than in years past. Hayes wrote, “There are valid concerns about police safety. But the facts show that there is no national war on cops.” He added that “In fact, police officers are safer today than they have ever been... Police officer deaths overall have been declining since the mid-1970s.”

After reading his piece, I found myself scratching my head, wondering, “How on Earth can a cop in this day and age come to this conclusion?” After all, just this week there was a report that attacks on police officers in New York City are up 23 percent over last year. Through a mutual friend I was able to connect with Hayes and find out. The following is a precis of that conversation.

The nature of war

“The war is really an emotional thing. It's about the perception as to whether or not there's a battle and to say that there's a heightened war on cops is to say that there are more attacks, it's more violent, it's more deadly, and the statistics that I'm looking at show the opposite — that attacks are down,” said Hayes.

I contend that in order to understand the fight officers now face on the street, one must first understand the nature of war. War certainly has its physical elements, but a couple of other important tactics to consider are psychological operations (PSYOPS) and propaganda. And there is widespread belief that police are under attack by both tactics.

And Hayes does believe that the noise level about attacks on officers is up. “There's definitely more attention given to the divisiveness between citizens and police — more specifically, protesters and police — but the statistics of those attacks are relatively isolated.”

Hayes also concedes that there is a political war against policing. “There's definitely a lot more platforms that have been opened up to those that are politically against the enforcement of laws and aggressive or proactive policing,” Hayes said. “But I don't believe it to be correlated with physical attacks on police.”

However, it's undeniable that the perceived physical war and the obvious ongoing political war are at least simultaneous, if not directly coordinated. The level of anti-police rhetoric in the mainstream national media and on social media clearly was ratcheted up following Ferguson and has not abated since. The political landscape is just different today than it was in years past.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, law enforcement was largely lauded by the public, following nearly two decades of violence against cops from groups like the Weather Underground, the Black Panther Party, and others. Even into the first decade of the 21st Century, the criticism of law enforcement seemed to be more civil, more measured. Measured, well-reasoned discourse seems to have all but vanished.

This appears to be why Hayes wrote his piece: to kick-start a rational dialog about policing in America today, with an eye turned inward at the profession itself.

Looking in the proverbial mirror

“Being a police officer, I am pro-police and an advocate for police officer safety, but I feel that the message is inappropriate right now inside of law enforcement. We're telling ourselves a message that's popular, instead of one that's more rooted in the facts and data.”

Hayes compares this to when a friend comes to you and tells you he's getting a divorce. The easy thing to say is, “I can't believe she did that to you.” The harder but more productive thing might be to say, “You were a jerk in your marriage. Maybe you have some responsibility in this.”

“We tell this really comforting tale that we're the victims. We're the cops and we're becoming victimized in this. It's a really popular tale, and it's easy to tell that. But anytime someone stands up and says, ‘Wait a second. There's a little bit of responsibility to take in this. We can grow from this.' That's not welcomed very well. It's just easier to tell that friend what he wants to hear.”

Hayes believes that much of the mindset that there is a war on cops is rooted in police training that focuses heavily on worst-case scenarios. He feels that greater focus should be placed on decision making and de-escalation techniques.

“We're almost ignoring the data, the statistics and the probabilities. We're just inundating out young people in police academies, who are very impressionable, with this worst-case mentality in a way that's unhealthy. Obviously you have to have some element of that, but it's got to be balanced in a way that says it's okay to let old ladies keep their hands in their pockets when it's cold outside.”

Hayes contends that the way in which academy training is now being conducted has created a culture of absolutes filled with ‘nevers' and ‘shalls.'

“We're basically keeping our cops from being able to think through these problems and understand the context. In doing so, we're creating scared cops that think every old lady is going to attack them, and every young kid is going to have a gun in his pants and the ninjas are going to pop out of the ceiling on building searches and there's a suspect in the trunk of every car that you stop. It's almost become to the point where it never stops — to the point where it's paralyzing our people from making good decisions.”

What do you think?

I have always said, “While I have a mind I reserve my right to change it.” Hayes certainly has an interesting perspective on the subject, and I personally disagree with a considerable portion of it. I have not changed my thinking that there is an undeclared war on American law enforcement. However, I commend him for presenting the counterpoint to what seems from anecdotal evidence to be the opinion of just about every cop with whom I've had a conversation on the topic.

Where I do agree with Lou is that there is room for more training, especially of young officers, in decision-making skills. And I'm not just talking about increased work in the use-of-force simulator. Problem solving skills gleaned from studying things like philosophy and Socratic debate are enormously valuable on the streets. That's probably a topic for another day.

http://www.policeone.com/police-trainers/articles/228155006-Why-one-cop-says-there-is-no-war-on-cops/

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Connecticut

Norwalk officers recognized during National Community Policing Week

by Leslie Lake

NORWALK — Four members of the Norwalk Police Department were among 22 officers throughout the state recognized by the United States Attorney's Office for their community policing efforts.

Thomas Carson, a spokesperson for the District of Connecticut, said the agency hosted a Community Policing Awards Ceremony Friday in New Haven to commemorate National Community Policing Week.

In Norwalk, Lt. Terrence Blake, Sgt. Sophia Gulino, and Officer Felipe Taborda were recognized for their creation of a semester-long weekly program about policing for students at Pathways Academy. Officer Cesar Ramirez was recognized for his organization of an Interfaith Prayer Vigil in the wake of officer-involved shootings.

Beginning in January 2016, the Norwalk Police Department partnered with Pathways, an alternative high school, to create a curriculum to educate its students about policing in a fun and positive manner, Carson said. The class is taught entirely by members of the Norwalk Police Department, and provides students with insight into law enforcement as a career. According to Carson, the program seeks to bridge a gap between the police and younger members of the community, many of whom did not previously hold a positive opinion of law enforcement.

Over the course of the 17-week program, the students participated in police officer training through academic and practical offerings. The students spent three weeks learning about different roles within the police department by investigating a mock homicide. This scenario — a domestic violence homicide — was also used as an opportunity to discuss family violence, which is a pervasive issue in many of the kids' homes, Carson said.

The team also arranged for the students to meet with key participants in the justice system, including a state's attorney, a public defender, police chiefs, a Superior Court judge, and a U.S. District judge. All of these individuals met with the students in informal settings to discuss the educational and career choices they had made and the hardships they overcame along the way.

“The sincere commitment by the NPD to connect with its city's youth in such a constructive and innovative manner has been an inspiration to all,” Carson's said.

On Aug. 3, in the wake of officer-involved shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota and the subsequent murders of five police officers in Dallas, the Norwalk Department of Police Service sought to find ways to ease tensions and to promote unity between the community and law enforcement. To that end, Ramirez, a Norwalk resident who has also been a member of the Norwalk Police Department for over 25 years, planned an Interfaith Prayer Vigil.

On the day of the vigil, more than 200 people gathered on the courtyard in front of the police department. The widely diverse crowd joined hands, prayed, and sang together in a great show of solidarity. Representatives from 20 of Norwalk's faith-based institutions spoke and prayed in English, Spanish, Italian, French, Creole, Hindi, and Hebrew.

“The event not only fostered a positive dialogue between law enforcement and the community, but also joined together different segments of the community who displayed a great respect for one another's cultures and beliefs,” Carson said.

http://www.thehour.com/news/article/Norwalk-officers-recognized-during-National-9960665.php

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Florida

Boynton Beach Community Policing program funded for another year, City Council sets conditions

by Michelle Quesada

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- Their doors will stay open for another year. A new Boynton Beach Police substation on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. just got the green light to remain operational for another year in the Heart of Boynton Beach.

For the past 8 months, residents in the Heart of Boynton have been getting used to their new neighbors.

"It's very good having them next door," said Rose Charles, who picks up her daughter from daycare right down the street from the police substation.

Charles has seen Officer Terrence Paramore and Sergeant Henry Diehl manning the station created as part of a new Community Policing effort to build relationships with local residents.

"I see them talking to the kids or the neighbors and then they are always waving and say hi and stuff," said Charles.

The program which cost $200,000 it's first year is funded by the Community Redevelopment Agency. The area covered is from Boynton Beach Blvd. to North 13th Avenue and from I-95 to Federal Highway. City Council voted to fund the program for a second year, but not without some conditions.

"You need to be visible, you need to be on the streets, you need to be reaching more young people." said Vice Mayor Mack McCray after stating that some of the residents in his district don't feel like the program has done enough.

Officer Paramore and Sergeant Diehl ride on bicycles, segways, walk the neighborhoods and also use patrol cars.

Some residents who did not want to go on camera echoed Vice-Mayor McCray's demands to see more of the officers and extended the substation's hours.

"What the vice mayor said, we could do better, I agree with that. We can always do better," said Sergeant Diehl.

Sergeant Diehl is working to get computers donated to the station. Workstations will be created for children who can use the computers for homework. Specific hours would then be created for after school work and for local residents to use workstations for job hunting.

One of the conditions set for by Vice Mayor McCray was to receive quarterly reports of the program's progress.

http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palm-beach-county/boynton-beach/boynton-beach-community-policing-program-funded-for-another-year-city-council-sets-conditions

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North Carolina

Chapel Hill police take aim at more openness, less racial bias

by Tammy Grubb

CHAPEL HILL -- The Town Council unanimously approved a plan Monday for addressing community concerns about racial bias in policing.

The council also asked the Chapel Hill Police Department to report each year on progress toward the plan's goals and to study challenges facing undocumented immigrants who are charged for driving without a license. Those drivers, who are not eligible to get a license, end up paying hundreds in fines and court costs.

Both issues are part of a continuing conversation with the Orange County District Attorney's Office and the community, Police Chief Chris Blue said.

The town's Justice in Action and Community Policing Advisory committees helped craft the anti-bias plan, he said, in response to the Orange County Bias-Free Policing Coalition's 2015 petition. The letter suggested 11 steps for reducing racial bias and building trust.

Council member Nancy Oates, a liasion to both committees, said it's been educational to hear other people's experiences.

“I know, for me, as a middle-class, middle-age, white woman, it's very easy for me to say the police are doing a great job. I want to make sure that everybody in town can feel that same way, and that's what I hear from both committees, is they want everybody in town to feel that same way,” she said.

More meaningful citizen input will enhance trust in police, said James Williams, the county's chief public defender and a coalition member. It's also important that town leaders help build a lasting structure, he said.

“I was impressed by both (Blue's) willingness to learn more, to grapple with this difficult issue of race and policing, and to try to come up with solutions within his own department, but I also knew that Chief Blue – just like a mayor, just like a council member – can transition out,” he said.

Justice In Action committee member Mani Dexter agreed more citizen input could promote greater transparency and community input, but she also suggested more openness in investigating and resolving police misconduct allegations.

Blue offered 11 steps, some of which have been implemented, such as racial equity training for officers and in-car dash cameras. Others, such as equipping officers with body cameras and making marijuana less of a priority, are in progress, he said.

A pilot body camera program could start soon, he said. Other expected changes include collecting data about who gets a warning and who is charged for same crimes, and less focus on traffic stops for regulatory or equipment issues.

Police are driving the debate, but racial bias isn't just a police problem, said Ty Hunter, a member of the coalition and the policing committee.

“I think the most important thing is for the council to be engaged in this and for the public to be engaged and to stay engaged, for this to be an important issue, not when something terrible happens that we have to deal with, but let's deal with it now so that nothing terrible ever happens,” Hunter said.

That idea can be applied more widely, Council member Donna Bell said.

“I hope that we can use this particular crisis that we currently have around policing to think about social equity and bias in a larger way in what we do,” she said. “That is not in any way, shape or form to minimize the work that's been done on this particular issue, but to also use this as an opportunity to help us think about how we want to continue to spread this idea of creating more social equity in a lot of the areas of what we do.”

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article107434467.html

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California

Alleged Palm Springs shooter had body armor, high-capacity magazines

SWAT made several attempts over the course of a 12-hour standoff to make contact with suspect John Felix, who was holed up in his family's residence

by Ruben Vives

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The suspect in the killing of two Palm Springs police officers and wounded another was wearing body armor and equipped with high capacity magazines when he was taken into custody, authorities said.

SWAT officers made several attempts over the course of a 12-hour standoff to make contact with suspect John Felix, 26, who was holed up in his family's residence, authorities said at a Sunday morning news conference. But there was no response.

Remote-controlled robots were used unsuccessfully to pinpoint the suspect's location in the house. Eventually, chemical agents were deployed into the residence, authorities said.

“Almost immediately ... the suspect emerged out the back door,” said Riverside County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ray Wood. "When he emerged, he was wearing soft body armor and he had a number of high-capacity magazines on his person."

Felix was not armed and surrendered peacefully when he was taken into custody about 1 a.m., authorities said. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.

He was expected to be booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on two counts of murder of a peace officer.

The officers killed were identified as Officer Jose “Gil" Vega, a 35-year veteran of the department who was due to retire in December, and Officer Lesley Zerebny, who had been with the department 1 ½ years and was the mother of a 4-month-old girl.

During Sunday's news conference, an emotional Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes spoke about the loss of his officers and the impact on the community.

He spoke of how Vega, who was working overtime, on Saturday, was scheduled to retire in December, and about watching Zerebny's husband, a Riverside sheriff's deputy, mourn his wife's loss.

“To see her laying there with her eyes open, and to witness her husband, in full Riverside Sheriff's uniform, kiss her on the forehead for the last time, it's tough," Reyes said, his voice quivering. “We're going to rely on you to help get us through this. Our community will get us through this.”

Reyes said the third officer who was wounded in Saturday night's attack was doing well and assisting investigators. He said the officer could be released from the hospital sometime Sunday.

A candlelight vigil is schedule for 5 p.m. Sunday at the Palm Springs Police Department.

The suspect has a history of violence, records show.

Felix was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon after an initial charge of attempted murder in 2009. Prosecutors at the time accused him of being a member of a criminal gang. He was sentenced to two years in prison. In 2013, he was accused of resisting arrest with Palm Springs police on the same street where Saturday's shooting occurred. He pleaded guilty to a count of malicious noise.

The officers went to the scene in the 2700 block of Cypress Road shortly after noon, police said. They tried to make contact with the suspect, who threatened to shoot the officers through the front door.

“They were responding to a simple family disturbance and [the gunman] elected to open fire,” an emotional Reyes told reporters during an afternoon news conference.

Outside the Palm Springs Police Department early Sunday, residents continued to add to the growing tribute of flowers, American flags and candles left for the fallen officers. Among them were Carrie Donovan and her husband, Mike, a retired police officer who had worked with Vega.

"Gil was an outstanding police officer,” Mike Donovan said, as his wife wiped away tears. “Highest level of integrity, cared deeply for all the citizens of the city of Palm Springs and beyond and just gave his heart to the job and to the community. I can't think of a better cop. It was an honor to work with him."

He described Vega as the kind of police officer who "always thought of others before himself," especially in emergency situations.

The couple heard about the deaths through social media and were in disbelief, especially after finding out who was involved. Mike Donovan noted that Vega was the father of eight children.

He said it has been years since the police department lost one of its officers to a shooting. Officer Gale Gene Eldridge was killed in the line of duty on January 1961, and Officer Lyle Wayne Larrabee was killed in January 1962.

"It's just one of those things you think about being a guardian of the public. You don't let it occupy your mind as you're working, but you try and prepare yourself for it and your loved ones and when it does happen, we all come together."

Nearby, police chaplains waited outside the department, preparing to speak with officers about their fallen colleagues. Steve Ballinger, lead chaplain for Riverside police, said he was among those who were asked to help.

"Our hearts are broken," he said. "This is happening way too much. I've been doing this for years. And it never gets easier. I look at it as an honor and a privilege to be able to come alongside these men and women in times like this to just do whatever I can to ease their pain."

"There's no words that I'm going to be able to share with them that's going to take away their pain and their hurt,” Ballinger said. “But it's that presence just to let them know they're not in it alone."

He gestured at the flowers and balloons that local residents had contributed to the makeshift memorial.

"The community dropping by the station here and dropping off flowers and candles ... it means the world to them," Ballinger said of the department's officers.

Nearby, two men held up signs to passing motorists that read "Law Enforcement Lives Matter."

"We drove down to be here today for two reasons: one, to bring hope and encouragement through the gospel of Jesus Christ to people who are hurting and to show our respect for officer's Gil and Lesley who made the ultimate sacrifice yesterday," said Tony Miano, 52, a retired Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.

"This hit very close to home for me," Miano said. "To have this happen so close to that, hurts. They gave their lives in the line of duty trying to resolve someone else's problem and trying to protect the community."

Gov. Jerry Brown also issued a statement, saying that the officers were killed “doing what they do every day — protecting their community."

"We grieve with the family members, friends and fellow officers coping with this senseless tragedy," Brown said. "Anne and I join all Californians in offering our heartfelt condolences.”

The Palm Springs Police Department has turned the investigation of the shooting over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Late Saturday, police used a remote-controlled robot to open the door to the suspect's house. But it wasn't until hours later that Felix was arrested.

Frances Serrano, who lives on Cypress Road, across the street from where the shooting took place, was coming out of her garage around noon Saturday when her neighbor came bursting out of his own garage.

The man sought Serrano's attention.

“He said, “Help. I need help. My son is in the house, and he's crazy. He has a gun. He's ready to shoot all the police,' ” Serrano recalled the father saying.

The father “was very nervous,” Serrano said. “He was afraid of his son.”

Serrano, 65, said she called authorities, and as soon as she began walking back into her house, she heard gunshots, “starting with a loud — I mean really loud — ‘bang!' ”

Law enforcement and the suspect appeared to be exchanging gunfire, she said.

“There were police everywhere,” Serrano said. “I looked out the window and saw police with rifles.” Serrano said she remembered her neighbor's son, who she believed was in his mid-30s, as “a very nice young man — very polite.”

Juan Graciano, 67, who lives a block away from the suspect's residence, said he saw officers trying to revive Zerebny. He said he was out in the yard about 1 p.m. when he noticed a crowd gathering at the corner of Cypress and Delgado roads.

“I saw a woman officer who had been laid down in the trunk of a police cruiser,” he said. “There were about four officers around her. I watched as they picked her up and laid her down on the street and began administering CPR. A few minutes later paramedics arrived and took her away.”

By 5:50 p.m. with police on every street corner continuing their search, Serrano said she was “really scared,” and had locked her windows and doors.

“Some are saying [the suspect] is still in the father's house. Others say he's on the run,” she said. “I knew there were problems before between the father and this young man. But I never imagined he would do something like this. I don't want to believe it.

“I feel so sad for the officers,” she added. “It's like a nightmare.”

Georgie Eden said she was outside doing yard work with her son and her husband when “all of a sudden I hear this pow, pow, pow pow.”

“At first I'm thinking, perhaps it was party poppers in the neighbor's garden or something, and my husband's like, ‘Uh, that's gunfire — get in the house.' ”

Eden then heard several more rounds of gunfire that seemed to continue for 10 to 20 minutes, she said.

“So we stayed indoors,” she said, “and it was kind of, pretty scary.”

Nothing like this has happened during the three years Eden has lived in Palm Springs, she said.

“It's horrible to even think that officers are out there and very much at risk because of guns and people that have a lot of mental health issues,” she said. “Just being a human being, it [hits] close to home.”

Lee Weigel, the city's former police chief and a onetime city councilman, learned of the shooting while out of town Saturday at his son's baseball game.

Weigel's friend, who coaches another baseball team, walked up solemnly. At first, Weigel said, he heard that one officer had been shot. Before long, he learned it was three.

“It makes you weak in the knees,” he said.

The police department is relatively small and everyone knows one another, said Weigel, who worked in the department for 32 years.

City officials said the department is made up of 98 sworn officers. The last time an officer was killed in the line of duty was about five decades ago.

“It's a family,” Weigel said. “This is the worst incident in the history of Palm Springs in terms of officer shootings.... This is shocking, a blow to the entire department and community.”

http://www.policeone.com/police-products/body-armor/articles/229549006-Alleged-Palm-Springs-shooter-had-body-armor-high-capacity-magazines/

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California

Parolee charged in 'execution' of L.A. sheriff's sergeant

Trenton Trevon Lovell could make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted for the fatal shooting of Sgt. Steve Owen

by Veronica Rocha and Nicole Santa Cruz

LOS ANGELES — Dave Young waited in the Antelope Valley courthouse hallway on Friday for more than an hour to see the man accused of killing Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Owen.

Young, 54, wore a black Sheriff's Department bomb squad shirt, given to him as a gift by Owen and the sergeant's wife, who is a detective in the department's Arson Explosive Unit.

It had been two days since Young rushed to Antelope Valley Hospital to see the wounded lawman before he died. He held his hand until Owen's wife could arrive.

"I wanted to see the guy that killed my friend," he said in the hallway of the Lancaster courthouse.

Then Trenton Trevon Lovell appeared in court for the first time since his arrest.

About a dozen uniformed sheriff's deputies watched the handcuffed man as he walked into a holding area for inmates.

The sight of Lovell, Young said, brought about a "flood of emotions." Anger was one of them, he said.

Lovell, a parolee with an extensive criminal history, was charged with murder Friday in Owen's death. He faces additional charges: attempted murder of a second sheriff's deputy, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts each of residential robbery and false imprisonment. Lovell, 27, of Lancaster, was ordered held without bail.

The charges could make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty.

Inside the courtroom, Lovell did not look Superior Court Judge Richard Naranjo in the eye as he called the case. In a separate area, family members blew Lovell kisses as deputies looked on with strained faces.

After the hearing, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michael Blake declined to comment on the specifics of the case but said there is a possibility Lovell could face additional charges. He said the decision to seek the death penalty is a careful and complicated process.

Authorities said Lovell was on active parole when he encountered Owen, 53, outside an apartment complex Wednesday afternoon with a stolen gun.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell, who refused to speak the suspected gunman's name at a news conference this week, called the slaying a "calculated execution." He said the shooter wounded Owen, then stood over his body and pumped an additional four rounds into the lawman's body.

After the killing, authorities said, Lovell ran to the front of the apartment complex and tried to steal Owen's cruiser. A second deputy confronted him and opened fire on the cruiser, but Lovell threw the car into reverse and rammed a second patrol car, which struck the deputy and injured him, authorities said. Lovell was shot and wounded in the shoulder, officials said.

Lovell jumped out of the cruiser and ran into a nearby home, where two teenagers were inside, sheriff's officials said. Prosecutors said he held the teens hostage at knife point. One teen texted a message to his mother, who alerted authorities.

Sheriff's SWAT deputies entered the home to rescue the teens. Lovell fled out the back and was captured after he jumped over a fence into a neighboring backyard, authorities said.

Lovell's rap sheet dates back to when he was a juvenile selling marijuana, McDonnell said. From there, he racked up 11 arrests, two of which landed him in state prison, the sheriff said.

Prosecutors said Lovell was convicted of robbery as a juvenile in 2006.

In 2008, he pleaded no contest to resisting arrest and was given a 90-day jail sentence. Months later, he was arrested on suspicion of pointing a gun at an off-duty USC security officer and robbing him of his wallet, cellphone and watch near campus. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in prison, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

Lovell served roughly five years in custody, according to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation records. As a prisoner, he served his time in multiple locations, including in Oklahoma, Arizona and various prisons in California, said Luis Patio, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Lovell was paroled June 23, 2014. His parole was scheduled to end next year.

Last year, he pleaded no contest to driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury to another person, court records show.

Lovell was ordered to complete a nine-month first-offender program for drunk drivers and enroll in a drug and alcohol counseling program. In that case, he was ordered to serve 15 days of jail, and given 36 months of summary probation, according to Frank Mateljan, a spokesman for the Los Angeles city attorney's office. He was scheduled to appear in court Oct. 24 for a progress report.

It's unknown whether Owen ever encountered Lovell before Wednesday's shooting.

Owen, a 29-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department and a Medal of Valor recipient, was a well-known sergeant who volunteered as a football coach in the community.

As Lancaster mourned his killing, even people who had been arrested by Owen visited the city's sheriff's station to pay their respects.

On Friday, Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said he plans to ask the City Council to rename Lancaster Community Park after Owen. If approved, the space would be named "Sergeant Steve Owen Community Park."

Owen had worked most of his law enforcement career in the Antelope Valley.

Young said he had been friends with Owen for about 15 years.

At the court hearing, Young said he noticed a man in a sheriff's uniform with flat-top haircut -- like Owen's -- walk into the courtroom.

For a fleeting moment, he thought it was Owen.

"You know it's not," he said.

California

Call that ended Palm Springs officers lives was among most unpredictable

The domestic violence call that ended the lives of two Calif. officers last weekend was the kind of report that many officials say they hate and fear the most

by Amy Taxin and John Rogers

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A domestic violence call that ended the lives of two California police officers last weekend was the kind of report that many authorities say they hate and fear the most.

For no matter how much training and experience officers receive, they often have little idea what awaits them when they approach the scene of such a disturbance.

"You never know all the facts until you get there. And you never know what's on the other side of that door," said Erroll Southers, a former police officer and FBI special agent who is currently director of the Homegrown Violent Studies Program at the University of Southern California.

Police say Palm Springs Officers Jose "Gil" Gilbert Vega and Lesley Zerebny had just asked John Felix to come out of his family's home Saturday when he opened fire through the closed front door.

A neighborhood home surveillance system recorded the sound of dozens of gunshots echoing through the ordinarily quiet neighborhood. Its camera did not show the officers.

Vega and Zerebny were killed and a third officer was treated for a gunshot wound and later released from a hospital. A fourth officer was unharmed.

A neighbor, Frances Serrano, told The Associated Press that the suspect's panicked father, Santos Felix, told her just before the shooting that his 26-year-old son was armed and "acting crazy."

When she suggested he call police, Serrano said he told her, "'Yeah, he already knows they are coming, and he is going to shoot them.'"

Efforts to reach Santos Felix for comment have been unsuccessful.

John Felix was apprehended early Sunday after a lengthy standoff and authorities say he will be charged with murder.

Authorities have so far declined to release a 911 recording alerting police about a problem or say who made the call, and it wasn't immediately clear if the officers knew they were about to confront someone waiting to kill them.

Vega and Zerebny, like all California peace officers, were thoroughly trained in handling domestic violence calls, said Riverside County sheriff's Deputy Mike Vasquez, whose agency is investigating the shooting.

Vega, 63, was a 35-year veteran of the force who was preparing to retire soon. Zerenby, 27, had been with the department about 18 months and her husband is a sheriff's deputy. The couple has a 4-month old daughter.

All of the officers at the Felix home were wearing bullet-proof vests, a Palm Springs Police Department requirement, said Sgt. William Hutchinson.

Southers said it's standard procedure for dispatchers to press a 911 caller for as much information as they can get, then relay it to officers so they'll have an idea what they're getting into.

"They want to know what is the situation," he said. "Is it an argument? What's going on in the house? Who is in the house? Most importantly, we always ask if there are any weapons in the house."

Dispatchers may not have had an opportunity to obtain that information during the call on Saturday, he said, and even if they had, there would be little time to react to a heavily armed gunman firing repeatedly through the door as soon as the officers approached.

"There's not much you can do in a situation like that," Southers said. "You're totally defensive."

In addition, the nature of a domestic violence call can change in an instant.

"We can go to what is a domestic violence (call) and it turns to active shooter," Vasquez said. "Someone says it was active shooter and it was a backfire on a vehicle. Everything is fluid."

Palm Springs, which had not lost an officer in the line of duty since 1962, mourned Monday as authorities investigated.

A makeshift memorial outside police headquarters in the desert resort town of 45,000 people about 100 miles east of Los Angeles grew as mourners placed balloons, flowers, stuffed animals, American flags and cards. So many candles were lit that the air was thick with the smell of wax.

Tracy Burwell said she didn't know the officers personally but added that residents interact with police all the time in the tight-knit community.

"They look so strong and ready to protect us," she said. "This is just devastating."

Authorities said services for the officers are pending.

http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/229786006-Call-that-ended-Palm-Springs-officers-lives-was-among-most-unpredictable/

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California

Alleged Palm Springs shooter had body armor, high-capacity magazines

SWAT made several attempts over the course of a 12-hour standoff to make contact with suspect John Felix, who was holed up in his family's residence

by Ruben Vives, Brittny Mejia and Richard Winton and Matt Stevens

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The suspect in the killing of two Palm Springs police officers and wounded another was wearing body armor and equipped with high capacity magazines when he was taken into custody, authorities said.

SWAT officers made several attempts over the course of a 12-hour standoff to make contact with suspect John Felix, 26, who was holed up in his family's residence, authorities said at a Sunday morning news conference. But there was no response.

Remote-controlled robots were used unsuccessfully to pinpoint the suspect's location in the house. Eventually, chemical agents were deployed into the residence, authorities said.

“Almost immediately ... the suspect emerged out the back door,” said Riverside County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Ray Wood. "When he emerged, he was wearing soft body armor and he had a number of high-capacity magazines on his person."

Felix was not armed and surrendered peacefully when he was taken into custody about 1 a.m., authorities said. He was rushed to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening.

He was expected to be booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside on two counts of murder of a peace officer.

The officers killed were identified as Officer Jose “Gil" Vega, a 35-year veteran of the department who was due to retire in December, and Officer Lesley Zerebny, who had been with the department 1 ½ years and was the mother of a 4-month-old girl.

During Sunday's news conference, an emotional Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes spoke about the loss of his officers and the impact on the community.

He spoke of how Vega, who was working overtime, on Saturday, was scheduled to retire in December, and about watching Zerebny's husband, a Riverside sheriff's deputy, mourn his wife's loss.

“To see her laying there with her eyes open, and to witness her husband, in full Riverside Sheriff's uniform, kiss her on the forehead for the last time, it's tough," Reyes said, his voice quivering. “We're going to rely on you to help get us through this. Our community will get us through this.”

Reyes said the third officer who was wounded in Saturday night's attack was doing well and assisting investigators. He said the officer could be released from the hospital sometime Sunday.

A candlelight vigil is schedule for 5 p.m. Sunday at the Palm Springs Police Department.

The suspect has a history of violence, records show.

Felix was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon after an initial charge of attempted murder in 2009. Prosecutors at the time accused him of being a member of a criminal gang. He was sentenced to two years in prison. In 2013, he was accused of resisting arrest with Palm Springs police on the same street where Saturday's shooting occurred. He pleaded guilty to a count of malicious noise.

The officers went to the scene in the 2700 block of Cypress Road shortly after noon, police said. They tried to make contact with the suspect, who threatened to shoot the officers through the front door.

“They were responding to a simple family disturbance and [the gunman] elected to open fire,” an emotional Reyes told reporters during an afternoon news conference.

Outside the Palm Springs Police Department early Sunday, residents continued to add to the growing tribute of flowers, American flags and candles left for the fallen officers. Among them were Carrie Donovan and her husband, Mike, a retired police officer who had worked with Vega.

"Gil was an outstanding police officer,” Mike Donovan said, as his wife wiped away tears. “Highest level of integrity, cared deeply for all the citizens of the city of Palm Springs and beyond and just gave his heart to the job and to the community. I can't think of a better cop. It was an honor to work with him."

He described Vega as the kind of police officer who "always thought of others before himself," especially in emergency situations.

The couple heard about the deaths through social media and were in disbelief, especially after finding out who was involved. Mike Donovan noted that Vega was the father of eight children.

He said it has been years since the police department lost one of its officers to a shooting. Officer Gale Gene Eldridge was killed in the line of duty on January 1961, and Officer Lyle Wayne Larrabee was killed in January 1962.

"It's just one of those things you think about being a guardian of the public. You don't let it occupy your mind as you're working, but you try and prepare yourself for it and your loved ones and when it does happen, we all come together."

Nearby, police chaplains waited outside the department, preparing to speak with officers about their fallen colleagues. Steve Ballinger, lead chaplain for Riverside police, said he was among those who were asked to help.

"Our hearts are broken," he said. "This is happening way too much. I've been doing this for years. And it never gets easier. I look at it as an honor and a privilege to be able to come alongside these men and women in times like this to just do whatever I can to ease their pain."

"There's no words that I'm going to be able to share with them that's going to take away their pain and their hurt,” Ballinger said. “But it's that presence just to let them know they're not in it alone."

He gestured at the flowers and balloons that local residents had contributed to the makeshift memorial.

"The community dropping by the station here and dropping off flowers and candles ... it means the world to them," Ballinger said of the department's officers.

Nearby, two men held up signs to passing motorists that read "Law Enforcement Lives Matter."

"We drove down to be here today for two reasons: one, to bring hope and encouragement through the gospel of Jesus Christ to people who are hurting and to show our respect for officer's Gil and Lesley who made the ultimate sacrifice yesterday," said Tony Miano, 52, a retired Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy.

"This hit very close to home for me," Miano said. "To have this happen so close to that, hurts. They gave their lives in the line of duty trying to resolve someone else's problem and trying to protect the community."

Gov. Jerry Brown also issued a statement, saying that the officers were killed “doing what they do every day — protecting their community."

"We grieve with the family members, friends and fellow officers coping with this senseless tragedy," Brown said. "Anne and I join all Californians in offering our heartfelt condolences.”

The Palm Springs Police Department has turned the investigation of the shooting over to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Late Saturday, police used a remote-controlled robot to open the door to the suspect's house. But it wasn't until hours later that Felix was arrested.

Frances Serrano, who lives on Cypress Road, across the street from where the shooting took place, was coming out of her garage around noon Saturday when her neighbor came bursting out of his own garage.

The man sought Serrano's attention.

“He said, “Help. I need help. My son is in the house, and he's crazy. He has a gun. He's ready to shoot all the police,' ” Serrano recalled the father saying.

The father “was very nervous,” Serrano said. “He was afraid of his son.”

Serrano, 65, said she called authorities, and as soon as she began walking back into her house, she heard gunshots, “starting with a loud — I mean really loud — ‘bang!' ”

Law enforcement and the suspect appeared to be exchanging gunfire, she said.

“There were police everywhere,” Serrano said. “I looked out the window and saw police with rifles.” Serrano said she remembered her neighbor's son, who she believed was in his mid-30s, as “a very nice young man — very polite.”

Juan Graciano, 67, who lives a block away from the suspect's residence, said he saw officers trying to revive Zerebny. He said he was out in the yard about 1 p.m. when he noticed a crowd gathering at the corner of Cypress and Delgado roads.

“I saw a woman officer who had been laid down in the trunk of a police cruiser,” he said. “There were about four officers around her. I watched as they picked her up and laid her down on the street and began administering CPR. A few minutes later paramedics arrived and took her away.”

By 5:50 p.m. with police on every street corner continuing their search, Serrano said she was “really scared,” and had locked her windows and doors.

“Some are saying [the suspect] is still in the father's house. Others say he's on the run,” she said. “I knew there were problems before between the father and this young man. But I never imagined he would do something like this. I don't want to believe it.

“I feel so sad for the officers,” she added. “It's like a nightmare.”

Georgie Eden said she was outside doing yard work with her son and her husband when “all of a sudden I hear this pow, pow, pow pow.”

“At first I'm thinking, perhaps it was party poppers in the neighbor's garden or something, and my husband's like, ‘Uh, that's gunfire — get in the house.' ”

Eden then heard several more rounds of gunfire that seemed to continue for 10 to 20 minutes, she said.

“So we stayed indoors,” she said, “and it was kind of, pretty scary.”

Nothing like this has happened during the three years Eden has lived in Palm Springs, she said.

“It's horrible to even think that officers are out there and very much at risk because of guns and people that have a lot of mental health issues,” she said. “Just being a human being, it [hits] close to home.”

Lee Weigel, the city's former police chief and a onetime city councilman, learned of the shooting while out of town Saturday at his son's baseball game.

Weigel's friend, who coaches another baseball team, walked up solemnly. At first, Weigel said, he heard that one officer had been shot. Before long, he learned it was three.

“It makes you weak in the knees,” he said.

The police department is relatively small and everyone knows one another, said Weigel, who worked in the department for 32 years.

City officials said the department is made up of 98 sworn officers. The last time an officer was killed in the line of duty was about five decades ago.

“It's a family,” Weigel said. “This is the worst incident in the history of Palm Springs in terms of officer shootings.... This is shocking, a blow to the entire department and community.”

http://www.policeone.com/police-products/body-armor/articles/229549006-Alleged-Palm-Springs-shooter-had-body-armor-high-capacity-magazines/

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From The Department of Justice

Justice Department Announces ‘Safer Families, Safer Communities' Website to Enforce Domestic Violence Firearm Prohibition

Today, the Justice Department's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) announced the launch of the National Domestic Violence and Firearms Resource Center's Safer Families, Safer Communities [external link] website. The website is a project of the newly-established resource center, designed to support the implementation and enforcement of domestic violence firearm prohibitions to reduce firearm-involved domestic violence and homicide.

In order to address the challenges that communities face in responding to firearm-involved domestic violence, Safer Families, Safer Communities provides a comprehensive approach for attorneys, prosecutors, court personnel, judges, domestic violence service providers, law enforcement and communities at large. The website highlights the importance of an approach focused on addressing five key areas: criminal, civil, federal, purchase prevention and resources. All five areas are implicated in successfully enforcing firearms prohibitions and disarming domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.

The federal Gun Control Act prohibits people who are subject to certain orders of protection and those who have been convicted of misdemeanor crimes against select individuals, among other classes of individuals, from purchasing, possessing and/or receiving firearms and ammunition. There are also tribal and state laws that have been enacted to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous domestic violence offenders, but due to the complexity of the laws and lack of guidance, these laws can be under-utilized and under-enforced. Through the assistance available on this website, OVW hopes to help agencies and organizations work together to prioritize victim safety so that communities are able to rise to meet these challenges.

OVW provides leadership in developing the nation's capacity to reduce violence against women through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing 21 federal grant programs, OVW often undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges.

Yemen: Missiles target US warship, Pentagon says

by Ryan Browne and Jamie Crawford

Two missiles targeted a US warship off the coast of Yemen on Sunday but missed the vessel and hit the water instead, a Pentagon spokesman said.

The missiles were fired at the USS Mason from Houthi-controlled territory in war-torn Yemen, Capt. Jeff Davis said, adding that the guided-missile destroyer deployed "onboard defensive measures" and was undamaged.

But the Houthis -- a minority Shia group that has taken control of much of Yemen, including the capital -- denied Monday that its forces had targeted the warship.

The US warship was in international waters more than 12 nautical miles (22 km) offshore, in the southern end of the Red Sea, north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to a defense official.

The missiles were launched within 60 minutes of each other, Davis said.

"We assess the missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. The United States remains committed to ensuring freedom of navigation everywhere in the world, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our ships and our service members," he said.

The Houthi-controlled SABA news agency quoted a military official as saying: "Reports that allege that Yemeni rockets targeted ships off the Yemeni (coast) are baseless."

The official added that the reports were aimed at covering up a "heinous" Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a wake Saturday in the capital, Sanaa, that officials said killed at least 155 people.

Airstrike on wake

Washington has backed a Saudi-led coalition fighting to prevent Houthi rebels allied with Iran and forces loyal to Yemen's deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking power in Yemen.

But on Saturday the US said it was reevaluating its support after the deadly wake airstrike.

The Saudi-led coalition had earlier denied accusations that it was responsible for the attack and said it would "immediately investigate" reports that its warplanes were behind the airstrikes, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

How war broke out

The Saudi-led coalition, involving several Arab countries, began a military campaign in Yemen in March 2015 after Houthis drove out the US-backed government, led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, and took over Sanaa.

The crisis quickly escalated into a multisided war, which allowed al Qaeda and ISIS -- other enemies of the Houthis -- to grow stronger amid the chaos.

The conflict has killed an estimated 10,000 Yemenis and left millions in need of aid, according to the United Nations.

Since peace talks in Kuwait failed in August, the coalition has intensified airstrikes, despite vocal criticism from rights groups that the bombardments have been indiscriminate and could constitute war crimes. The attacks have often hit civilian targets with devastating results.

Arms deal

The United States has come under increasing pressure to stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia.

The US Senate last month rejected a bipartisan proposal to block a pending $1.15 billion United States arms sale to Riyadh.

Critics of the military deal, which was approved by the Obama administration, complained it could further drag the US into the war in Yemen and contribute to the worsening humanitarian crisis there.

Civilian casualties are only part of the crisis. Yemen's UNICEF office has reported that nearly 10,000 children younger than 5 died from preventable diseases there during the past year.

Some 1.5 million children are currently malnourished in Yemen, and 370,000 of them suffer from severe acute malnutrition, according to the charity.

Yemen's economic infrastructure has also been ravaged by war.

At least 430 factories and companies were destroyed by coalition airstrikes since the start of the conflict, according to Ahmed Bahri, political chief of the Sanaa-based Haq Party.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/politics/yemen-us-navy-targeted/

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California

How a San Bernardino police officer is working to build community trust

by Beatriz Valenzuela

On a recent Sunday evening, Jerry Segura heard a commotion outside his San Bernardino home. He looked outside, saw a San Bernardino police vehicle and heard raised voices. Curious, he went outside.

Sgt. Christopher Gray, in full uniform, tossing a football back and forth with three young men, who moments earlier had accidentally struck the windshield of Gray's police SUV.

“He's got a great arm,” Gray said, when one of the young men threw a long bomb that forced the officer to sprint backward through the intersection of 16th and Genevieve streets.

After a few tosses, young children and curious adults came to watch.

“You never see stuff like this,” said Segura as he stood on his front lawn watching Gray lead a group of neighborhood children in a set of pushups before he handed out badge stickers. “I think we need to see more of it. I mean, look at these kids. They're all excited. It's a very good thing for the cops and for the people. It builds trust.”

Segura's stepson, Paul Malacara, 12, came outside in his ROTC uniform shirt and sheepishly asked Gray for a picture.

For Gray, a 14-year veteran of the San Bernardino Police Department, taking the time to make positive contacts with the community, especially children, is an integral part of policing and builds trust.

“Especially with everything that's happening in the nation right now, it's really important to build those relationships,” the 38-year-old Gray said.

In recent weeks, police across the country shot and killed black men and a 13-year-old boy: Tyre King, 13, in Columbus, Ohio; Terence Crutcher, 40, in Tulsa, Oklahoma; Keith Scott, 43, in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Alfred Olango, 38, in El Cajon. Closer to home, the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Carnell Snell Jr. in Los Angeles on Oct.?1, sparked outrage from the community even after surveillance video appears to show Snell with a handgun moments before his death.

“I truly believe that if you treat people with respect you will get respect back,” Gray said.

Community policing

Gray's commitment to community policing was reinforced when he spent two years in the department's Crimes Against Children Detail where he interviewed neglected and abused children.

“That's when it sparked in me to try to be positive toward people and especially these children because maybe they hadn't had that before and maybe that one positive word could make a difference,” Gray said. He carries a dog-eared and highlighted copy of Simon Sinek's book, “Start with Why” in his patrol vehicle. The book highlights practices that help build positive leaders who inspire others.

His commitment to San Bernardino and its residents has grown.

“You have to ask why,” he said. “Why are things the way they are and how can that be changed?”

That questioning and looking inward is a part of community policing, said Larry Gaines, chair of Cal State San Bernardino's Criminal Justice Department.

After identifying the problems plaguing a community or neighborhood, law enforcement and the public must start working together to get those problems fixed, Gaines said, but it can be a difficult proposition.

“In some neighborhoods there are long-standing issues with the police,” Gaines said. “What happens is the police need to work with the community to develop some level of trust. It's more difficult in some neighborhoods than in others.”

Even the way police engage with residents can have different connotations — positive or negative, Gaines said.

“The overwhelming contacts they have with people is negative,” Gaines said. “(They) give them a ticket put them in jail, tell them they can't do something. That is something very hard to overcome. It really gets down to the most basic level where police officers try to have more positive interactions with their citizens and hopefully it will overcome some of the negatives.”

There have been mixed reactions to the effectiveness of community policing. Some studies indicate that despite a positive effect on citizen satisfaction and trust in the police, no statistically significant impact was found on reported crime.

One study published in 2014 in the Journal of Experimental Criminology, also noted increased citizen satisfaction with police after the strategies were put into place.

A lack of consistency may be to blame for the low numbers.

“Anyone who says community policing doesn't work, those departments may not be implementing it correctly,” said Gaines. “This isn't something you can do once and leave it at that. They have to constantly work with these neighborhoods. A lot of their efforts may be disregarded initially but over time they may be able to win over some of the people.”

Even during the recent volatile vice presidential debate, both Donald Trump's running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Hillary Clinton's pick Sen. Tim Kaine agreed that community policing and working with those who live in the cities and neighborhoods is vital.

“At the risk of agreeing with you,” said Pence during the debate, “community policing is a great idea.”

Gray's take on it is not a one-man mission, though.

There are several officers in the department who also make it a point to take advantage of rare lapses between calls to interact with citizens.

“There are officers out there buying Slurpees for the kids and doing a lot of the critical community policing,” Lt. Rich Lawhead said.

During a recent event at the Waterman Gardens complex, which has long had a reputation for being a rough part of the city, several uniformed officers showed up to dance and play with the children and residents.

Through various programs including Coffee with a Cop, Community Clean-Ups, Community Police Academy and officer-initiated positive contacts, the department is actively trying to build that bridge between residents and the police.

According to Gray, officers are encouraged to make positive contact, which can be as small as shaking hands or having a quick chat.

In his 14 years in law enforcement, Gray has done assignments that could have hardened some people, but he instead sees the need to reach out and engage.

“He's spent several years on the SWAT team, he's a go-get 'em gang guy, but he still knows how to talk to kids and how to interact with the community,” said Lawhead. “I wish we could clone Chris. Not just for officers in our department but other agencies can learn from his policing style.”

Backflips and crushing crime

Darlene Maldonado first met Gray last month when the smiling sergeant was patrolling her neighborhood near Sepulveda Avenue and 13th Street.

Her children and their friends were out playing basketball when Gray drove by.

“The best way to get me out of my patrol vehicle is to show me a basketball or football,” said the fit Gray, who used to play baseball when he was younger.

With no pending calls holding, Gray took advantage of the short lull to play a little basketball with the youngsters.

“A lot of times when you see the cops it's usually not to play a game. It's usually to arrest someone,” she said. “This way when they see him they aren't afraid.”

During that first game, one impish little girl gave Gray a challenge: If she completed a round-off, a kind of cartwheel, he'd have to bo a back flip.

“Well she did it in the middle of the street so I had to do it,” Gray said with a smile.

That afternoon, in uniform, the former gymnast executed a perfect back flip to astonished cheers and hoots from the children.

Since their initial meeting, Gray returned to check up on his “buddies” and to play another quick game.

Children came pouring out of their homes to play with the ninja cop — as one boy called him — while neighbors watched and snapped photos.

One driver slowed down to thank Gray.

After a quick game, Gray told the children he would have to leave soon and he was again challenged to show off his gymnastics skills.

“OK, I gotta do a back flip, we gotta take a group photo and then I gotta crush crime,” he said.

http://www.sbsun.com/government-and-politics/20161009/how-a-san-bernardino-police-officer-is-working-to-build-community-trust

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Indiana

Police kill man, 36, after holding child hostage

by Rod Hissong

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – A man who took a young child hostage has died after being shot by police early Friday morning.

The incident began when officers were called to 5328 Stony Run Lane shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday for a reported disturbance. Fort Wayne Police spokesman Officer Chris Felton said officers found a man was inside the home holding a child hostage and possibly armed with a knife. A woman also inside the home was able to get out.

The first arriving officers tried to talk with the man get him out of the house, but he refused.

Due to the situation, the FWPD's Crisis Response and Emergency Services teams were called at 11:58 p.m.

Negotiators attempted to make contact with the man and initially did so through text messages. That communication stopped and police threw a phone into the home that allowed for direct between the man and negotiators. However, the man refused to answer the phone.

The department then used its armored rescue vehicle. Officers communicated via loudspeaker, lights and a loud horn in an attempt to get the man to exit the house. Eventually the man started speaking with negotiators on a different phone that was put in the house.

Around 4:50 a.m. Friday, Felton said the man made statements over the phone that forced the hand of EST members.

Officers stormed the house, and according to Felton, saw the man standing over the child with what police described as “two large-edged weapons.” Officers shot the man and rushed the child out of the home.

The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition where he later died. The child was not hurt.

The man was identified as 36-year-old Joseph S. Schroeder. The Allen County Coroner's Office said Schroeder died of gunshot wounds and ruled his death the county's 38th homicide of 2016.

Police confirmed Schroeder and the woman lived in the house together. It's not clear, though, if both are parents to the child.

The Indiana State Police will run a parallel investigation with FWPD. The officers who entered the home and the negotiators will be placed on a 5-day administrative leave, per department policy.

Felton could not provide information about how many shots were fired, how many times the man was struck by gunfire, or how many officers discharged their weapon.

In July, police were called to the same address for a similar situation. Schroeder had taken a child hostage with a large knife. After 3 hours, he surrendered to police without incident. He was previously facing several felony charges due to the incident.

http://wane.com/2016/10/07/fwpd-involved-in-hostage-situation/

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Pennsylvania

Philly cop joins director for planned project on issues raised by Black Lives Matter

Police Captain Altovise Love-Craighead said most officers take the job to help others and that sometimes their experiences on the street "muddle that"

by Jan Hefler

PHILADELPHIA — Teya Sepinuck said the drumbeat of police-involved shootings of African Americans has weighed heavily on her, but until now she felt powerless to do anything.

She founded Theater of Witness, which a decade ago had united mothers of children murdered in Philadelphia with mothers of killers to create a testimonial performance and documentary on the roots of crime and its devastating effect on families.

But she said a new project tackling the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter movement and the targeting of police officers on the street would be delicate.

Sepinuck said months of soul-searching and meditation ended this summer with a text to an old friend, Altovise Love-Craighead, a Philadelphia police captain in the 16th District. Would Love-Craighead partner with her on such a project?

Love-Craighead's response was a quick "yes, with lots of exclamation marks," Sepinuck said during a program on racial injustice Saturday at Mishkan Shalom, a Reconstructionist synagogue in Manayunk.

Love-Craighead's brother was fatally shot in 1997, and she and her mother had participated in Sepinuck's production about the families dealing with murder.

"Beyond ideas of right and wrong, there is a field and I'll meet you there," Love-Craighead said in the production, which had focused on forgiveness and healing.

Rabbi Shawn Zevit had invited the two women to talk about the planned traveling performance, Walk in My Shoes, which will bring together police and African Americans who are victims of racial targeting and bias. It is expected to be completed by next fall.

About 50 people attended Saturday's discussion, including Pastor Nicolas O'Rourke of Living Waters Church in Philadelphia, the organizer of Live Free! Ending Racial Injustice Campaign for POWER.

"We try to dedicate this Shabbat, between Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana, to raising awareness of injustice," Zevit said. The synagogue inside a former textile mill opened 15 years ago.

O'Rourke said mass incarceration is another problem, because there now are "more people of color in jail than there were slaves in 1850." He said 60 percent of those who are imprisoned are awaiting trial, and African Americans are disproportionately arrested.

"We're not against police, but we're anti-police brutality," he said.

Love-Craighead, who has been an officer for 22 years, said Walk in My Shoes aims to have "the community and police share time together, and hopefully people will see the 'other' is not so much the 'other.' " She said that most police officers take the job to help others, and that sometimes their experiences on the street "muddle that," and they need to be reminded of their role in a community.

She said that her police superiors gave her the green light to pursue the project and that she will try to enlist officers to participate. "This is policing and the community coming together. . . . It's an effort to understand why people do what they do," she said.

Sepinuck, the artistic director for various social-justice productions for 30 years, said the first step will be to hold "listening circles" to gather stories from officers and people affected by police shootings and to open the dialogue.

"The topic we're going to address is scary," Love-Craighead said. "Especially because of where our country is today. . . . I'm optimistic that people and hearts will win out."

http://www.policeone.com/community-policing/articles/229324006-Philly-cop-joins-director-for-planned-project-on-issues-raised-by-Black-Lives-Matter/

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Massachusetts

FDA app would direct overdose victims to nearest Narcan

The competition seeks to align public health forces with technology experts as communities across the nation remain in the grip of a heroin and opioid epidemic

by Jill Harmacinski

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — Overdosing on heroin or another opiate? Soon, there could be an app for that.

The federal government is hosting a competition -- a call for innovators who can develop a mobile phone application that will help a person having or witnessing an opioid or heroin overdose get the quickest access to the drug naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, which can reverse the overdose.

The competition seeks to align public health forces with technology experts as communities North of Boston and across the nation remain in the grip of a heroin and opioid epidemic.

Registration for the competition closed Friday and no late registrations are allowed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration hopes to announce the winner by the end of this year, a spokesman said.

The FDA would not say whether anyone from this region had registered as a contest participant.

"The goal of this competition is to develop a low-cost, scalable, crowd-source mobile application that addresses the issue of accessibility," said Dr. Peter Lurie, FDA associate commissioner for public health strategy and analysis, in a statement.

Lurie noted that mobile phone apps have been developed to educate people on how to identify when someone is overdosing and how administer naloxone or perform CPR.

"To date, however, no application is available to connect carriers of naloxone with nearby opioid overdose victims," he said.

Nearly 2 million Americans abused or were dependent on prescription opioids in 2014. Additionally, according to the FDA, overdose deaths involving prescription drugs such as oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine and illicit opioids, such as heroin and illegally produced fentanyl, have more than tripled since 1999.

Many of these deaths could have been avoided if people overdosing had immediately received naloxone, according to the FDA.

Naloxone is routinely used locally by police officers, firefighters, paramedics and emergency room staffers to reverse opioid overdoses. The number of laypersons provided naloxone nearly tripled between 2010 and 2014, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Through this competition, we are tapping public health-focused innovators to help bring technological solutions to a real-world problem that is costing the U.S. thousands of lives each year," said Dr. Robert M. Califf, an FDA commissioner, in a statement.

"With a dramatic increase in the number of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S., there's a vital need to harness the power of new technologies to quickly and effectively link individuals experiencing an overdose -- or a bystander such as a friend or family member -- with someone who carries and can administer the life-saving medication," Califf added.

Participants will be given access to background resources, including information on the opioid epidemic, health recommendations for the safe and appropriate use of naloxone and mobile medical applications, according to the FDA.

On Oct. 19-20, the FDA will host a two-day "code-a-thon" so entrants can develop their concepts. Participants will then redefine their concept and submit a video and a brief summary of their concept by Nov. 7.

Representatives from the FDA, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Services Administration will judge the contest. The highest scoring entrant will receive a $40,000 award, according to the FDA.

The app competition was developed under the American Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science (COMPETES) Act of 2010. The act allows federal agencies to host prize competitions "to spur innovation, solve tough problems and advance their core missions," according to the FDA.