Oregon

Portland police urge Trump protesters to ‘stay home' after shooting

by Leah Sottile, Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Rob Kuznia and Ylan Q. Mui

PORTLAND, Ore. — The increasingly tense protests around the country in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory escalated early Saturday with a shooting here that scattered panicked protesters and left one man hospitalized.

Portland police said a pair of 18-year-olds who had no connection to the protesters were arrested in the shooting. But after the fourth straight night of demonstrations in response to Trump's unexpected presidential win, city and police officials here appeared harried and frustrated. At a news conference Saturday afternoon, they told protesters to “stay home.”

Mayor Charlie Hales (D) said Portland has experienced “great unrest” since Tuesday night. While he shared the frustration over the election of Trump, he said that changing the outcome “doesn't involve signs anymore.” Hales encouraged residents who oppose Trump to get involved with organizations that will work to thwart controversial promises that the Republican had made on the campaign trail. Among other things, Trump has called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States and the deportation of immigrants who are here illegally.

“It is not the work of four days. That is the work of four years,” Hales said. “Going to the streets for another night is not going to keep Donald Trump from taking office.”

Portland has been home to some of the country's most virulent anti-Trump protests, with residents taking to the street as early as Tuesday night, even before the results of the presidential election were announced.

Despite Saturday's pleas from officials to stay home, but about 200 demonstrators had gathered by 6 p.m. in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Eager to take the streets, the demonstrators flooded across downtown to express their ire over the election of Donald Trump.

But police quickly nipped the protest, herding the young crowd back toward the square. Small groups of men and women blocked streets near the square, sitting down at intersections or standing in front of light-rail trains. They were quickly arrested.

After several nights of protests, some of which began as peaceful but escalated to vandalism, Portland's Resistance — a local group formed in the wake of the election — said it would not organize any event Saturday. And the evening protest reflected that leaderlessness. Young protesters Instagrammed themselves wearing bandannas over their faces. They yelled at police and, at times, more words were flung at police than about the president elect.

Demonstrations have sprouted up over the past few days in more than a dozen places across the country, in major metropolises such as New York and Los Angeles, as well as in cities in red states such as Atlanta, Dallas, Omaha and Kansas City, Mo.

On Saturday, a massive rally in Los Angeles began at MacArthur Park and snaked through a concrete canyon of downtown high rises and a quarter-mile-long tunnel en route to the Federal Building at 300 N. Los Angeles St. Police estimated the crowd at 8,000, but organizers claimed the numbers were significantly higher.

Shouting chants such as “Hands too small to build a wall!” and “Black Lives Matter!” the gathering mass of demonstrators drew cheers from bystanders from the windows above and beeps of support from vehicles stalled in the river of protesters.

No arrests had been reported by midafternoon Saturday, although the tunnel was defaced with anti-Trump graffiti and a small group of demonstrators cracked open a Trump piñata with a stick at the march's terminus in front of the Federal Building.

Jessica Rodarte, a history teacher at an arts high school in Los Angeles, said many of her students are frightened at what a Trump presidency could mean for them. “Some of them are scared of deportation, but I happen to work in a school that has a huge LGBT community … and this is a complete affront to their world view,” she said.

Tanya Thompson, 67, said one of her black friends was recently threatened by white men. She joined the march to “protest bigotry, racism and hate,” she said. “It's here, in white, upper-middle class, privileged Santa Monica,” Thompson said.

Dotting the crowd were hundreds of placards and picket signs bearing messages such as “You can't comb over racism” and “Dr. King's dream has turned into a nightmare.”

Union del Barrio was the main organizer of Saturday's march, although about 10 other groups took part.

Jocelyn Moguel, 20, draped herself in the Mexican flag as she walked. “My mom honestly didn't want me to come here because, she says, ‘What if somebody kills you because of how you look?'” said Moguel, the editor of her campus newspaper at Harbor College. She said she wears the flag because “I have pride in who I am.”

As the crowd amassed at the end of the march, several people spoke from the steps of the Federal Building. Among them was a magnetic 12-year-old named Joseph Moreno, a seventh-grader at Walnut Park Middle School.

“He calls us rapists, he says we do drugs, he says we do all this stuff,” Joseph said of Trump, rousing the crowd. “You know what, let's prove them all wrong today! Today, we can let out our anger — say what we want, do what we want. The best part about this is this has all been peaceful.” The crowd cheered.

In Portland, the initially peaceful protests turned violent Thursday night when a group the police identified as anarchists lit fires and smashed car windshields and business storefronts, causing more than $1 million in damage.

Organizers of Portland's Resistance had scheduled a “heal-in” in front of Portland City Hall on Friday night, but before 9 p.m., the event turned tense when eager protesters shouted, “Let us march!” Hundreds of protesters stood off for hours with police in riot gear, who began advancing from their positions after people threw bottles at officers. For three more hours, police announced that the protest had become an unlawful assembly and used flash-grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

At the news conference Saturday, Portland Police Chief Mike Marshman said that the peaceful protests had been overshadowed by a “criminal element” who want to engage in a “battle with police.”

After midnight, a crowd of remaining protesters marched across a bridge spanning the Willamette River, blocking traffic. A man driving a car got out and shot a protester before speeding away.

By Saturday afternoon, Portland police had announced that Steffon Marquise Corothers and Shamar Xavier Hunter, both 18, were booked with attempted murder and unlawful use of a weapon in the shooting. Police spokesman Peter Simpson confirmed that a TEC-9, a semiautomatic gun, was recovered from the suspects' vehicle.

The pair will be arraigned Monday in Multnomah County Court, police said. No additional details were released.

The gunshot victim was recovering, authorities said.

Simpson said the shooter had no connection to the protesters and was not a “counterdemonstrator,” but instead was “out looking for trouble.”

In a statement, the protest's organizers said they would not march Saturday night, and Marshman appeared hopeful that others would heed the message.

Meanwhile in New York, demonstrators thronged the streets around Trump Tower, which has served as the headquarters for the president-elect's transition team. Filmmaker and activist Michael Moore walked into the building's lobby Saturday afternoon while shooting a Facebook Live video. He attempted to meet with Trump but was denied access. Instead, he left Trump a note. “Mr. Trump. I'm here. I want to talk to you,” it said.

Later Saturday night, Indianapolis police said two officers were slightly injured and seven people arrested after demonstrators threw rocks during a protest march, the Associated Press reported. Police Chief Troy Riggs said that most of the hundreds of protesters marched peacefully in downtown Indianapolis for several hours Saturday but a small group became more aggressive later. Police spokesman Major Richard Riddle said some of the group began threatening officers, including chants of “Kill the Police,” and throwing rocks at them.

T.V. Reed, a Washington State University professor and author of the book “The Art of the Protest,” said the past few days could be just the beginning of broader signs of discontent.

“We can be certain that these protests portend far larger ones in the future as social movement groups prepare to resist any policies of the new administration that threaten people stigmatized by Trump or that scientific evidence suggests will hasten environmental catastrophe,” he said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/11/12/protester-shot-in-portland-as-anti-trump-demonstrations-sweep-u-s-cities/

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Texas

150 customs agents deployed to Texas border

by Ralph Ellis

US Customs and Border Protection is sending 150 extra agents to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas as authorities report a surge in the number of undocumented children and families trying to cross into the United States from Mexico, the agency said Saturday.

In October, 46,195 people were apprehended on the border, compared to 39,501 in September and 37,048 in August, Department of Homeland Security Director Jeh Johnson said in a statement earlier this week.

"As a result, there are currently about 41,000 individuals in our immigration detention facilities -- typically, the number in immigration detention fluctuates between 31,000 and 34,000," he said.

The extra agents are being assigned work in the immigrant processing centers in McAllen and Weslaco, Customs and Border Protection said in a news release. The move should free up local agents who are more familiar with the region, the agency said.

The extra agents are coming from the areas of Tucson, Arizona; San Diego; and Del Rio, Texas. They are expected to arrive as early as Sunday and will probably remain in South Texas at least two months, said Chris Cabrera with the National Border Patrol Council.

That part of Texas saw a surge of unaccompanied and undocumented children and families the summer of 2014, many of them from Honduras, Guatemala and other Central American nations.

Unaccompanied minors have been trekking to the United States in steadily increasing numbers since 2012, according to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute.

Johnson said Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking additional detention space to hold single adults so they can be returned quickly to their home countries.

"Those who attempt to enter our country without authorization should know that, consistent with our laws and our values, we must and we will send you back," Johnson said. "Once again, I encourage migrants and their families to pursue the various safe and legal paths available for those in need of humanitarian protection in the United States."

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/12/us/customs-agents-texas-border/

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Alaska

Alaska officer ‘ambushed' and shot multiple times, police say

by Amy B. Wang

An Alaska police officer was “ambushed” and shot multiple times in downtown Anchorage early Saturday morning, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

The officer is undergoing emergency surgery and expected to survive, while the man suspected of shooting the officer was killed at the scene, police said.

“It's horrific. It is really sad,” Anchorage Police Chief Chris Tolley said in a recorded statement about the attack, noting that he had seen video of the incident. Although the department did not release details about the wounded officer, Tolley referred to him as a man.

Police said that, around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, an officer in a patrol car responded to a report of a theft suspect on foot in downtown Anchorage.

As that officer was making a stop, a man with a gun walked toward the patrol car and began firing, police said.

The officer got out of his vehicle and returned fire; the shooter continued to fire as the officer was on the ground, Anchorage police spokeswoman Jennifer Castro told the Associated Press. Police said the officer was struck multiple times.

As shots were being fired, another Anchorage police officer arrived and also shot at the gunman.

Several other officers later gave emergency aid at the scene to both the gunman and the first officer. The man was declared dead at the scene, police said.

Tolley, the police chief, said the department is concerned about the officer who was shot “but we're hoping the best.”

“It is very troubling, but I'm so proud of our officers in that they were able to apprehend this individual to keep anyone else from being hurt,” Tolley said. “These men and woman are out on the streets of Anchorage each and every day and night protecting our citizens.”

Following department policy, both officers who fired their weapons have been placed on four days of administrative leave and their names will not be released for three days. Police said state and internal investigators will determine if the officers' use of force was justified.

The incident follows several recent high-profile police officer shootings. Last month, a man wearing body armor killed two officers in Palm Springs, Calif., as they responded to a domestic disturbance call. Also in October, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's sergeant was fatally shot while responding to a burglary call in Lancaster, Calif.

In July, five police officers in Dallas were killed and seven others were wounded by a lone gunman.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, 67 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty this year as of July 20, an increase over the 62 officers killed in the same period last year. The nonprofit group's midyear report noted a troubling increase in some of those deaths occurring in “ambush” attacks.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/11/12/alaska-officer-ambushed-and-shot-multiple-times-police-say/

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New York

Falls police putting community policing into practice

APPROACH: Safe shopping days, other community engagement programs put officers in touch with residents.

by Rick Pfeiffer

It's a bit of an odd sight.

A Falls Police Department deputy superintendent, accompanied by a police lieutenant and an officer, marching into a supermarket at mid-morning on a Wednesday, and they weren't there to make an arrest.

“For a long time, we gave the community what we thought they wanted,” Deputy Superintendent Carl Cain said. “Now, we give them what they ask for. The focus is on what (the community) is looking for (from law enforcement).”

So on this particular day, Cain and members of the Falls Police Community Relations Division are working on their Safe Shopping Days program. It's a chance for officers to spend time walking and talking to neighbors and business owners and allows them to get a sense of the pulse of various shopping districts.

“A lot of the people from the neighborhood like to see us here,” Lt. Tom Licata said. “Even the employees are glad to see us.”

That becomes apparent when, later in the day, the Community Relations Division vans pull up in front of a big box home improvement store.

“Hi, how are you?” says the store manager.

When the cops say they're just popping in to visit, the manager tells them, “You can stay all day.”

As they walked through the store, a young African-American employee stopped the cops.

“Are you from the Falls PD?” he said.

When they say, “Yes,” he replies, “I might be joining you when I graduate (from college).”

In virtually every neighborhood the Community Relations officers visit, they're warmly welcomed. Officer Pat Clifton, who spent five years on patrol before joining community relations two years ago, admits it's a different kind of policing.

“You're not out there to take an enforcement aspect,” he says. “It's nice to be able to go places when people are happy to see you. It's a nice change.”

Cain agrees. Patrol officers tend to encounter members of the community when they're “having a bad day.”

The officers under his command are in high demand at events across the city.

“I think the relations between our department and citizens is going well,” Cain says with a broad, infectious smile. “I judge that by the number of requests we get to engage with the community.”

But the greatest benefit for Falls cops from their evolving approach to community relations may have been on display in September.

That's when an Emergency Response Team officer shot and wounded a suspect in a drug raid. The suspect was black, the officer was white.

Cain believes the department's community relations efforts were a key element in the lack of street protests over the shooting.

“You have to believe that the work you've done in the community will give the community the belief that you will thoroughly investigate an incident and put the facts first,” Cain said. “I appreciate that the community has given us that opportunity.”

The Rev. Craig Pridgen, the pastor at True Bethel Baptist Church, said the trust and communication that has resulted from the police department's enhanced community relations efforts were critical in keeping neighborhoods calm after the shooting.

“We can't agree on everything,” he said. “But because we have had these conversations ahead of time, we understand each other.”

Cain, the highest ranking African-American officer in the department, notes that community relations today is much more than traditional school-based programs like GREAT and DARE. Following models pioneered by police departments in Dallas and San Diego, Falls cops now seek to do much more than “reach out” to neighborhoods, and in particular, communities of color.

“We seek to engage them,” Cain said, “And that's different. It's more than an officer just tossing a football with a kid in the community. It's that officer befriending that child in the community.”

The significant cultural shift for Falls cops, when it comes to community relations, began in earnest about three years ago. It was driven, in part, by the demands of a Consent Decree between the Falls Police Department and the New York State Attorney General.

The decree sough to address complaints about excessive use of force by Falls cops and a sense in the community that no one in law enforcement cared about their concerns.

“It's time-intensive work,” Cain said. “We spend time with civic organizations, business groups, churches and the schools. And then we bring that (engagement) back to our (patrol) officers. We're trying to take the lessons we learn and merge that into patrol.”

The deputy superintendent admits that when his officers first went out to “engage” the community, many folks, especially in communities of color, were skeptical.

“They said, ‘We know we won't see you again,'” Cain said. “But we kept coming back and now we have a relationship (with those communities).”

Pridgen says he's a firm believer now in the efforts of Falls cops.

“With the current administration of the Niagara Falls Police Department, they have done over and beyond what they can do to bridge the gap (between police and communities of color),” Pridgen said. “I have walked the streets with them and my personal observation is they've been there for us.”

Pridgen has become an active member of the department's Police, Pastors and Politicians on Patrol program. He says he also had the chance to attend a Pastors Police Academy.

The program, similar to other Citizens Police Academies, seeks to provide an inside look at police work.

“It was fun,” Pridgen said. “But it also gave me, as a citizen, a different outlook (on policing).”

Cain said that's the goal of the program.

“We brought them into our home, for eight hours on a Saturday,” he said. “And they said they were glad they came. They learned about use of force, they went with us on car stops. They learned how difficult it is to do this, rather than Monday morning quarterback.”

Community relations officers, and police brass, have even taken the concept of community forums and moved them to the streets.

“We call it ‘Kickin' with the Cops,'” Cain said. “The first time we did it, we took the entire command staff to Highland Avenue and set up on a corner and the people who wouldn't come (to a meeting) at a church or police headquarters, we saw them there.”

Pridgen said police will always face challenges in communities of color.

“In certain communities, some people will always look at the police and believe they are coming to get them,” the pastor said. “Some people will never come around.”

But even the independent auditor who monitored the Falls Police under the Attorney General's Consent Decree expressed admiration for the department's community relations efforts.

“The Community Relations Unit has become very active,” Auditor Robert Warshaw said.

http://www.niagara-gazette.com/news/local_news/falls-police-putting-community-policing-into-practice/article_953dc341-1cdc-57f7-817f-5c531907a09b.html

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Dearborn police chief invited to global community policing conference

by Press & Guide

Due to the Dearborn Police Department's recognized success with community policing, Police Chief Ronald Haddad was invited to speak at an international conference in Brussels, Belgium focused on the exchange of ideas on security practices.

Dearborn was the only police department in America selected to participate.

Because the conference took place last week, Haddad instead stayed in Dearborn to oversee national election functions, participate in high-level security meetings with corporate partners, attend an annual event honoring Dearborn service clubs, and participate in long-standing Veterans Day ceremonies.

Cmdr. David Robinson represented the Dearborn Police Department at the conference, which took place at the Egmont Palace – Foreign Affairs Ministry.

“I am confident that Commander Robinson will provide masterful insights on our community policing and mental health intervention models in Brussels,” Haddad said. “Our lessons learned have global value.”

The workshop featured international homeland security subject matter experts, who presented operational models driven by community engagement and the essential building of trust.

Additionally, conference workshops explored the specific ways and means through which government and police services facilitate and motivate the public for effective engagement in counterterrorism policies.

Paul Goldenberg, Homeland Security Council senior advisor, moderated the lead panel titled, “The Importance of Community Policing.”

“Mayor O'Reilly and Chief Haddad are recognized nationally and around the world as thought leaders for developing security measures that are dependent on community engagement and trust-building,” Goldenberg said. “Dearborn should be extremely proud of their efforts.”

Panel discussions from the Molenbeek Social Services, European Strategic Communications Network, and the United Kingdom Metropolitan Police were anticipated. The audience included prevention officers, federal police officials, municipal police officials, academics and researchers, and federal/municipal government officials from Belgium.

“It is indeed an honor that Dearborn was the only city in our nation selected to participate during these crucial times,” O'Reilly said. “Chief Haddad and our police department have been at the forefront of shaping critical public policy regarding homeland security.”

John Farmer, professor and special advisor to the president at Rutgers University, was a keynote speaker and discussed specific ways to examine the challenges relating to radicalization, violent extremism and the prevention of terror attacks.

http://www.pressandguide.com/news/dearborn-police-chief-invited-to-global-community-policing-conference/article_b0e1385b-40aa-5c6b-aa74-2e1635faa5c6.html

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Wisconsin

Learning From Cincinnati's Police Reform

Can its collaborative, community-oriented approach be a model for Milwaukee?

by Jabril Faraj

In the early morning hours of April 7, 2001, Timothy Thomas, a 19-year-old African-American man, was shot and killed by a Cincinnati police officer. The shooting, the 15th police killing of a black man in the city since 1995, set off five days of riots.

Shortly before Thomas' killing, the Cincinnati Black United Front and ACLU, with the assistance of civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein, had filed a class action lawsuit in federal court against the City of Cincinnati alleging 30 years of racial discrimination by police against African-Americans.

“The community had been simmering,” said Iris Roley, project manager at the Cincinnati Black United Front, a coalition of activists and clergy that was formed in early 2001 to combat racial discrimination. “We were trying to save our people; we were trying to stop the bleeding. We didn't want any more police-involved shootings. And, whatever it took to make that happen, that's what we were going to do.”

The suit, backed by hundreds of personal accounts, resulted in a court-mandated collaborative agreement in early 2002 that the independent monitor's final report called “one of the most successful police reform efforts ever undertaken.”

Recently, Roley, Gerhardstein and former Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Kathy Harrell discussed the collaborative, its formation and results at an event hosted by the Community Coalition for Quality Policing (CC4QP), a Milwaukee group that includes more than 20 faith-based, community and civil rights organizations. The purpose of the event was to educate the public on the Community Problem-Oriented Policing model, a strategy meant to more proactively and effectively reduce crime.

Cincinnati adopted the model as part of the collaborative agreement, also instituting bias-free police training, use-of-force reform and accountability measures, including an early-warning system to detect troubled officers and the creation of an independent Citizen Complaint Authority. Heightened transparency practices for officer-involved shootings were also adopted. Since then, use-of-force incidents, citizen complaints, violent crimes and misdemeanor arrests in Cincinnati have dropped dramatically.

“It was about changing the mindset and changing their vision of what it meant to be a police officer,” said Gerhardstein.

The purpose, according to Gerhardstein, was to address the root causes of crime instead of making arrests. “It's counterproductive to do those types of arrests that only happen in the black community, that only piss off the black community, and that don't lower crime — they just make criminals out of ordinary citizens, and make suspects out of people who are just going to work,” he said.

Change did not happen immediately, however. Harrell, who was an officer at the time of the riots, said police felt like they were being unfairly attacked. Initially, she voted against the police union engaging in the reform process. But after becoming FOP president, as part of the reform board, Harrell saw that officers wanted reform, despite the police administration's resistance, and her view changed.

“It was a change that was needed,” she said of the collaborative and the switch to a problem-oriented strategy. “It was important to be at that table, and I think that we're a better police department because of it. And, I think that we're going to continue to be one of the best police departments because this is not done — it's not over.”

Roley, Gerhardstein and Harrell all stressed that the progress so far has not been easy. Especially in the beginning, there was resistance from the police chief and conflict within the reform board.

“This is real stuff,” Roley said. “It's not easy, because we're humans and we all think we know what's best. But, we're telling you that it worked, and it's still working because we're still engaged.”

She added, “It was bigger than us. It was bigger than the people who were at the table; it was bigger than small, petty disagreements.”

Gerhardstein said communities around the country are calling for these reforms and others, including requiring de-escalation in any encounter that may lead to use of force, a move he called “common sense” and “good policing.”

“I'm excited that the pressure by the public is helping raise the bar for policing across the country,” he said. “Because of the drumbeat, and the footsteps, and the voices of the community, policing is advancing well above the constitutional floor.”

In Milwaukee, high profile killings of black men have put policing tactics squarely in the spotlight. Dontre Hamilton, a 32-year-old man with mental illness was shot 14 times by an officer in 2014, after an altercation in a downtown park. Most recently, Sylville Smith's shooting in August sparked two days of sometimes-violent demonstrations in Sherman Park.

“Enough is enough,” said Darryl Morin, former director of Wisconsin's League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a CC4QP member. “If Milwaukee is going to become the city we know it can be, for everyone, we need to change the way we're doing things.”

Wisconsin leads the nation in the incarceration of black males. In Milwaukee County, more than half of African-American men in their 30s have served time in state prison. One in eight black men in the county, which is home to almost 70 percent of the state's African-American population, are currently incarcerated.

“These issues are issues that most urban places experience, but what's different in each of these places is how closely the police and community work together, and what they do when they work together,” said Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) Assistant Police Chief James Harpole.

Harpole said MPD is committed to finding solutions other than arrest for offenders and to working with the coalition, acknowledging that different communities have different experiences with police, some of them negative. He said it's important for MPD to work with residents, “so that we can become the police department that you want us to be, so that we're policing in this city the way the community wants us to police.”

Sherman Park resident Barry Givens said for that to happen there has to be “a genuine effort and a willingness to sit down at the table, establish dialogue and keep that going.”

Andra Williams, a police captain in District 4 who attended the discussion while off duty, agreed, saying dialogue between groups is essential to create understanding. “When people are in isolation and they get into their own groups, they start to hear their own messages … over and over again.”

Milwaukee NAACP President Fred Royal said the coalition, which has already met with MPD Chief Ed Flynn and his three assistant chiefs, hopes the Department of Justice collaborative reform process that is currently underway results in more dialogue and concrete commitments from MPD.

Roley said it is important to “remove blame” to find solutions. She noted that the Black United Front's greatest accomplishment has been to increase the public's knowledge and engagement around safety, and what they want that to look like.

“It's not just about policing,” she said. “It is about safety; it is about education; it is about engagement; it is about respect; it is about acknowledging what has happened in the past so that you can move forward.”

Givens added, “There are so many things that get pushed to the side because we focus too much on the police. And, if we turn our attention to some of these other, deep-seated problems, then I think we can start to make some headway.”

http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2016/11/09/learning-from-cincinnatis-police-reform/

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Idaho

2 Idaho officers, K-9 wounded in shootout

One officer is being treated at a local ER, the other is in surgery, and K-9 Jardo was taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment

by Cynthia Sewell

BOISE, Idaho — The man who traded shots with Boise police Friday afternoon was declared dead on arrival at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, Boise Police Chief Bill Bones said this evening.

That man is believed to be Marco Romero, sought since Tuesday in connection with a shooting injuring two people in Meridian.

Two BPD officers were also shot during the incident, which took place at Irving and Wilson streets. One is being treated in the Saint Al's ER, the other is in surgery, Bones said. The officers have not been named.

And a BPD police dog, Jardo, was shot and taken to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

Jardo, a Belgian malinois, joined the department in 2013. He is trained to track and apprehend dangerous criminals.

Garden City police are the lead agency investigating the shooting as part of a Critical Incident Task Force.

Treasure Valley law enforcement agencies have been searching for Romero since Tuesday.

Romero, 33, a recent parolee, was sought in connection with a Tuesday shooting in Meridian that injured two people. Meridian police say Romero may also have been the man who stole a Mercury Sable from an 89-year-old woman on Thursday at a retirement community in Meridian.

According to Boise police, a search began around 1 p.m. in the neighborhoods north of Emerald Street and east of Orchard Street.

At about 3:25 p.m., many shots were reported fired in an alleyway near Irving and Wilson. Two police officers and the suspect were all injured. It's unclear how many shots were fired and who fired them.

During the search, police were in communication with residents in the area through a reverse 911 system. That notification asked residents to stay inside and to report any suspicious activity to 911.

It appears, though, that not everyone is either signed up for the city's notifications or otherwise got them.

Ebony Jorgansen, who lives near Wilson and Gage streets, said she did not receive any notification on her cellphone of there being a dangerous suspect in her neighborhood. She doesn't have a landline.

She said a police officer used her garbage can to set up crime scene tape to block access on Wilson. When she popped out the door to talk to her, the officer advised her to stay inside her house.

Resident Jeff Sele said he was talking with someone on the street when shots rang out.

“I heard guns and shotguns, it sounded like to me. You can definitely tell the difference between a gun and shotgun blast. It happened real fast....It was 10 to 12 shots, and then it was done.”

Sele has lived on Irving for 25 years and has been home recovering from back surgery. “It's usually a pretty quiet neighborhood.”

Jake Chappele, another Irving resident, said he was just getting home from school with his three kids. He ushered them inside the house when the gunfire broke out.

He thought he heard 15 to 20 shots, he said: “At least 10.”

This is the third police shooting in the Treasure Valley in 24 hours. Ada County sheriff's deputies shot a 72-year-old Melba man Thursday night after a chase leading from Canyon County to southern Ada County. Caldwell police today shot a man suspected of attempting to break into a home.

Only one Boise police officer has been killed in the line of duty. Officer Mark Stall was shot and killed on September 20, 1997, during a traffic stop.

Idaho law enforcement officers have fatally shot five other people this year.

Last year, Idaho police shot and killed seven people, tying the 2007 record.

https://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/240515006-2-Idaho-officers-K-9-wounded-in-shootout/

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Iowa

Woman live-streams harassment of Iowa cops

The woman made fun of how officers were honoring their slain Des Moines colleagues

by PoliceOne Staff

(Video on site)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A woman live-streamed her verbal harassment of police officers in a local restaurant.

Police were allegedly called by employees of the restaurant due to the woman causing a disturbance.

“We know the pig does whatever it wants, whether it's live-streaming or whatever. The only thing that ain't live about the popo is the way they kill people and get away with it,” the woman said.

The officers remained calm and escorted the woman from the premises.

https://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/240366006-Video-Woman-live-streams-harassment-of-Iowa-cops/

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From the Department of Homeland Security

Statement by Secretary Johnson On Southwest Border Security

In October a total of 46,195 individuals were apprehended between ports of entry on our southwest border, compared with 39,501 in September and 37,048 in August. Within these totals, we have seen corresponding increases in the numbers of unaccompanied children and individuals in families apprehended. We've also seen increases in the numbers of those who present themselves at ports of entry along the southwest border seeking asylum.

I have told our border security and immigration enforcement personnel that we must keep pace with this increase. As a result, there are currently about 41,000 individuals in our immigration detention facilities -- typically, the number in immigration detention fluctuates between 31,000 and 34,000 – and I have authorized Immigration and Customs Enforcement to acquire additional detention space for single adults so that those apprehended at the border can be returned to their home countries as soon as possible. We have also engaged with a number of countries to repatriate their citizens more quickly, and they have agreed to do so.

Our borders cannot be open to illegal migration. We must, therefore, enforce the immigration laws consistent with our priorities. Those priorities are public safety and border security. Specifically, we prioritize the deportation of undocumented immigrants who are convicted of serious crimes and those apprehended at the border attempting to enter the country illegally. Recently, I have reiterated to our Enforcement and Removal personnel that they must continue to pursue these enforcement activities.

Those who attempt to enter our country without authorization should know that, consistent with our laws and our values, we must and we will send you back.

Once again, I encourage migrants and their families to pursue the various safe and legal paths available for those in need of humanitarian protection in the United States. Earlier this year, the Government of Costa Rica announced its agreement to enter into a protection transfer arrangement with the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration to help address the Central American migration challenge. We've also established an in-country referral program in countries of origin in Central America. This will enable vulnerable residents in the region to be considered for refugee protection in the United States after being screened and interviewed by DHS officers. We have also announced expansion of the categories of individuals eligible for participation in our Central American Minors program when accompanied by a qualified child. We encourage use of these programs.

For more information, see the Fact Sheet.

Veterans Day 2016: Why is Veterans Day on Nov. 11? Holiday history and more

by Leada Gore

Veterans Day – a time set aside to honor those who served in the U.S. armed forces – is Friday, Nov. 11.

The day traces its origins back to the end of World War I. On Nov. 11, 1918, an armistice between the U.S.-led Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11 th hour of the 11 th day of the 11 th month. Though the war wasn't officially over until the Treaty of Versailles was signed seven months later, the Nov. 11 is recognized as the end of the "war to end all wars," according to the Veterans Administration.

In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of what was then known as Armistice Day. The day was originally celebrated with parades and a brief suspension of business at 11 a.m. Congress officially recognized the day with a resolution passed on June 4, 1926.

It was then that the day – Nov. 11 – was officially recognized as the date of the holiday.

Almost 30 years later, after U.S. soldiers had served in World War II and Korea, Congress voted to change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day in honor of all those who served in the military.

Veterans Day remained on Nov. 11, no matter which day that fell, until the passage of the Uniform Holiday Bill. The 1968 law was intended to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Veterans Day was first moved off its Nov. 11 day to a Monday on Oct. 25, 1971.

The change was not popular.

"It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens," the VA said.

On Sept. 20, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed a bill returning Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11. It continues to be observed on Nov. 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls.

Veterans Day facts

Difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day: Veterans Day is a federal holiday that is celebrated on Nov. 11 each year. It's often confused with Memorial Day, which is set aside to honor those who died serving their country. Veterans Day is for all those who have served in the armed forces.

Alabama's role: In 1945, Birmingham veteran Raymond Weeks, a veteran of World War II, led a delegation to then Army Chief of Staff Gen. Dwight Eisenhower to convince him to turn Armistice Day into a time to honor all those who served in the armed forces. Weeks led the first national celebration in Alabama in 1947, something he continued to do until his death in 1985.

Celebrations in other countries: Britain, France, Australia and Canada commemorate those who served in World Wars I and II on or near Nov. 11th: Canada has Remembrance Day and Britain has Remembrance Sunday (the second Sunday of November). In Europe, Britain and the Commonwealth countries it is common to observe two minutes of silence at 11 a.m. every Nov. 11.

Its official name is Veterans Day: According to the VA's Office of Public Affairs, the correct spelling is Veterans Day, no apostrophe. The spelling reflects that the day does not belong to veterans but is instead a time to honor all those who served.

http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/veterans_day_2016_why_is_veter.html

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Virginia

Policing the Police

by Mark Spain

LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) -- They are sworn to protect and serve and use their training to make split second life or death decisions.

But, with a lens focused on so many negative encounters, many now see policing in a different light. Social media has put wearing the badge up close and personal.

All of it is causing police departments across the nation to rethink how they police and Lynchburg is among them. "I'm not sure the law enforcement profession has always been that transparent. And I think now the profession is starting to learn that is crucial," said Lynchburg Police Deputy Chief Todd Swisher.

Swisher leads the Lynchburg Police Department's Community Policing Advisory Group that formed in 2015. "Certainly providing services in any community requires a partnership between the police and the community. That's what this is," Swisher said.

http://wset.com/features/special-reports/policing-the-police-10-19-2016

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Texas

Texas cop's daughter hopes in note that 'this violence stops'

A Fort Worth sergeant traveling to New York for the funeral of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo opened his luggage to find a sweet note from his young daughter

by Claire Z. Cardona

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Fort Worth police sergeant traveling to New York for the funeral of an officer killed in the line of duty opened his luggage Tuesday to find a sweet note from his young daughter.

"Dear Dad, I'm sorry about NYPD officer," Sgt. Pablo Mendoza's daughter wrote. "I pray and hope this violence stops. You are my hero, be careful and be safe. Grace, Mom and I are going to miss you. WE LOVE YOU! Love, Emily. I <3 U Daddy."

Mendoza said the note brought tears to his eyes, KDFW-TV reported.

"My daughters, they see the news and what's going on -- the violence toward police," he told the station. "So they pray for me and other police officers on a nightly basis."

His wife said Emily became more curious and concerned after the July 7 ambush in downtown Dallas.

"We have been having so much violence throughout this year, and it's getting worse," Emily said. "So I just decided to write him a note."

Mendoza went to New York for the funeral of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, a 19-year veteran of the New York Police Department who was gunned down Friday while responding to a call about a man with a gun who had broken into a woman's apartment in the Bronx.

As Tuozzolo and Sgt. Emmanuel Kwo approached a Jeep that the suspect was in, Manuel Rosales opened fire with a .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking them both, police said.

Officers returned fire and Rosales, the estranged husband of the woman who called 911, died at the scene. Tuozzolo was pronounced dead at the hospital. Kwo, who was shot in the leg, is expected to recover, police said.

Tuozzolo's viewing was held Wednesday and the funeral was Thursday morning.

https://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/240173006-Texas-cops-daughter-hopes-in-note-that-this-violence-stops/

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5 things American police can expect from President Donald Trump

Even the deep-in-the-weeds political analysts are befuddled at the outcome of this election, so it's no small thing to offer predictions, but let's give it a shot

by Doug Wyllie

With Hillary Clinton securing 228 and Donald J. Trump winning 279 Electoral College votes, one of the most astonishing political upsets in American history has been made, with a political outsider defeating a career politician in the 2016 presidential election. When the nation swears in the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017, the person with their hand on the Bible will be the billionaire businessman from New York City.

In a stunning rebuke of the political establishment, Trump's victory shocked an electorate that had all but anointed the first female president in Hillary Clinton — the overwhelming majority of the pollsters and the pundits predicted that Clinton would win with a sizeable majority of the Electoral College. The talking heads called Trump's path to the White House “narrow” and Clinton's lead in the polls “insurmountable.” While the general public and the mainstream press puzzle over the events of November 8 2016, law enforcement officers go to work as they have done every day during this marathon of a campaign — taking to the streets to serve society and protect people from themselves.

What will the next four years mean for those cops? Even the deep-in-the-weeds political analysts are befuddled at the outcome of this election, so it's no small thing to offer predictions, but it is certainly worth the effort to examine a few general ideas about what a Trump presidency means for American law enforcement.

1. Greater general support for law enforcement

Roughly six months into his presidency, Barak Obama famously remarked that police “acted stupidly” in arresting a prominent black Harvard professor in July 2009. That set the tone for how the White House would be positioned on law enforcement matters for the next seven years.

In stark contrast, Trump has gone out of his way to demonstrate support for law enforcement throughout his presidential campaign. He has been photographed and videotaped on numerous occasions shaking hands with officers assigned to his protection detail. Officers have, in turn, overwhelmingly thrown their support to the president-elect, with the National FOP and myriad other police organizations endorsing the candidate in the run-up to Election Day.

It is safe to assume that there will be no need for a “Beer Summit” during the Trump administration, and that politically left-leaning appointees at the Department of Justice will soon be floating their resumes on K Street and elsewhere.

2. More funding and support for immigration enforcement

When Trump descended the escalator in Trump Tower to announce his candidacy for the Republican Party's nomination for president on June 16, 2015, he declared that he would build a wall on America's southern border in order to stem the flow of illegal immigrants into the United States.

While experts can agree to disagree on the efficacy of such a behemoth undertaking, it is not difficult to imagine that President Trump will seek to pour resources into U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement — the two agencies charged with keeping illegal immigrants out and apprehending those who have slipped through the existing net.

Trump has also declared on the campaign trail that he would end federal funding for so-called “sanctuary cities” but that may be more difficult to accomplish by presidential fiat. There would almost certainly be lawsuits and injunctions filed should he try, and that process could go either way.

3. Anti-Trump protestors hit the streets early and often

Even as Trump supporters revel in what Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan called “the most incredible political feat I have seen in my lifetime,” people are lining up to protest the outcome of the election.

“From Pennsylvania to California, Oregon and Washington State, hundreds of people hit the streets, according to reports by local news media and The Associated Press,” said one report in the New York Times this morning.

KRON-TV has reported that demonstrators are planning to take to the streets in Oakland and San Francisco on Wednesday evening, and it takes very little imagination to conclude that people will do so in countless cities across the country not just in the days following the election, but at times throughout the Trump presidency.

Police will have to protect the First Amendment rights of those who take to the streets, while also preventing the destruction of property that has become commonplace in demonstrations following controversial police shootings in recent years. This is an ongoing officer safety (and public safety) issue that could extend well into the Trump presidency, as we simply cannot predict with certainty what Trump will do on any given day.

4. A shift in the fight against radical Islamist terrorists

Throughout his campaign, Trump has repeatedly criticized President Obama's handling of the fight against the Islamic State, as well as the handling of the domestic terror threat inspired by ISIS. He has stated that he would “knock the hell out of ISIS” but has provided virtually no specifics on his plan.

In the event that Trump delivers on his promise to increase military intervention in Syria, that could certainly lead to a retaliatory increase in the terrorists' efforts in recruiting new members online and inspiring lone-actor attacks like we've seen at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino.

Local law enforcement is on the front lines of domestic counterterrorism, so it will fall on officers to be even more vigilant in their defense of innocents at the hands of self-radicalized attackers. This will require even greater collaboration and information sharing between law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal level. This is simple, but not easy, and it is an undertaking that should begin in earnest immediately.

5. A conservative Supreme Court will last for decades

Perhaps the most significant outcome of the 2016 election is that Antonin Scalia's vacant seat on the Supreme Court will almost certainly be filled by a conservative nominee. Further, with the advancing years of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, 83, and Justice Stephen G. Breyer, 78, Trump will likely have the opportunity to add several other conservatives to the Court.

By adding one or more of the conservative nominees Trump has publicly named, the Court will affect how myriad cases are decided for several decades to come — issues as diverse as firearms ownership and personal privacy in a digital age are sure to be argued before the Court in that timeframe.

As the people charged with enforcing the law, those decisions will have a direct impact on how police officers do their jobs. We simply don't yet know what the future holds for Constitutional law.

Conclusion

Brexit. The Chicago Cubs. Donald J. Trump.

Three things that nobody thought would ever happen, have all happened.

For cops out on patrol, today is “just another day at the office.” But many people across the nation — indeed, the world — are reeling in shock that a man who has never before held public office has secured the most powerful office on the planet.

In coming weeks, the Trump camp will begin to reveal his Cabinet selections and other key predictors of what the Trump presidency will look like. One thing is certain: the future is uncertain. To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, we are looking at a host of unknown unknowns. There simply are too many things “we don't know we don't know.”

We shall soon see what we shall see.

In the meantime, stay safe out there my friends.

Pennsylvania

1 Officer Dead, 1 Wounded In Canonsburg Shooting

by Christine D'Antonio

CANONSBURG (KDKA) – One officer has died and another was wounded in a Canonsburg shooting early Thursday morning.

According to police, the incident happened around 3:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Woodcrest Drive.

Police were initially called to the area for a domestic dispute. As the two Canonsburg police officers approached the home, the suspect opened fire.

“Upon their arrival, the two officers were ambushed. They were shot with an unknown type of firearm,” Trooper Melinda Bonderanka said.

Both officers were taken to Canonsburg Hospital, but one was then flown to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh.

“It is my sad duty to announce that one officer is deceased and the other officer has been flown to a Pittsburgh hospital,” Washington County Coroner Tim Warco said. “Obviously, it's very sketchy at this point it's still an active scene and search of the shooter.”

The injured officer's condition is unclear. Names of the officers have not been released.

“When it first started, one was bleeding badly. The shooter had everyone pinned down when they were trying to get him. I don't know where he was shot,” a firefighter said.

The suspect remains at large and police are advising residents in the area to stay in their homes and stay away from windows.

The Canon-McMillan School District is closed today, due to the ongoing situation.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2016/11/10/canonsburg-officers-shot/

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Illinois

Racial tension flares in mostly white Chicago neighborhood

by Don Babwin

CHICAGO (AP) — A largely white Chicago neighborhood that many police officers and firefighters call home has taken center stage this week in the city's tensions over gun violence, race and policing as protests erupted following the fatal police shooting of a black man.

Some residents used racial slurs, revved motorcycle engines and yelled "go home" Tuesday night as protesters with the Black Lives Matter movement demanded an investigation into the death of 25-year-old Joshua Beal of Indianapolis. It was the second confrontation in Mount Greenwood since Beal, who police say was armed, was shot Saturday in what police said was a road rage incident following a funeral.

When protesters tried to conduct a prayer, some residents shouted "CPD, CPD" in support of the Chicago Police Department.

http://gazette.com/racial-tension-flares-in-mostly-white-chicago-neighborhood/article/feed/420165

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Utah

Utah lawmaker proposes death penalty for cop killers

The current law makes the crime eligible for the death penalty, but the new measure would make it the mandatory sentence

by PoliceOne Staff

SALT LAKE CITY — Rep. Paul Ray is drafting legislation that makes the death penalty a mandatory sentence for any person convicted of targeting and killing a police officer.

According to the Deseret News Utah, Ray said that harsher consequences need to be put in place to prevent ambushes on officers that have become all too common.

The current law counts murder of a law enforcement officer as an aggravated crime, allowing prosecutors and jurors the choice to ask or sentence the suspect to the death penalty.

The proposed bill eliminates the district attorney's choice of pursuing capital punishment, and makes the death penalty a mandatory sentence, the publication reported.

After news broke of the ambush of two Des Moines officers sitting in their patrol cars, Ray told the publication he became “furious” and even more committed to make the bill a law.

“These are guys who knowingly, every day, go to a job they know they may not return from,” Ray said. “And then you've got cowards that are going out and targeting these guys, trying to make sure they don't go home to their families.”

Rather than focusing on officers who are attacked or killed during process of investigating other crimes, the bill focuses on targeted attacks that single out officers, the publication reported. Defining exactly what constitutes targeting is still in progress.

http://www.policeone.com/legal/articles/239536006-Utah-lawmaker-proposes-death-penalty-for-cop-killers/

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Mississippi

Miss. girls raise funds for first responders with lemonade stand

The 11- and 8-year-olds used the funds to give "a hug and a mug" to police, firefighters and EMS

by Robin Fitzgerald

D'IBERVILLE, Miss. — Paige and Kaley Wilson are using proceeds from a lemonade stand they have to give “a hug and a mug” to first responders.

They've raised $1,202 since July and bought Arctic mugs to give to police, firefighters and other emergency personnel.

The girls, along with their dad, John Wilson, took 60 mugs to the Mississippi Highway Patrol Office on Wednesday to give to state troopers.

“I love seeing their reactions because it just makes me smile,” Paige said.

Piage is 11, Kaley is 8, and both attend North Woolmarket Elementary School.

They call their project Delicious Divas' Lemonade, and they will set up shop at a public event in D'Iberville on Saturday.

http://www.policeone.com/police-heroes/articles/239634006-Miss-girls-raise-funds-for-first-responders-with-lemonade-stand/

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Wyoming

Wyoming Launches ‘Safe2Tell' App To Help Prevent Suicides, School Threats

by Tom Morton

Students often won't talk to their parents, teachers, ministers, or others in authority.

That's part of growing up.

But tragedy can happen when they don't talk to someone about a friend considering suicide or about someone they suspect may be planning an attack on a school.

The State of Wyoming, working with school districts and mental health professionals, has adopted a computer and phone application tip line — Safe2Tell Wyoming — for people to confidentially report potentially harmful and violent behaviors.

State Auditor Cynthia Cloud knows first-hand the consequences of young people not talking, and believes Safe2Tell will bridge that communication gap, she said at a press conference at the Pathways Innovation Center school on Wednesday.

Her son Connor committed suicide in March, and his friends knew he was thinking about it, she said.

“I really believe that my son could have been saved if this app had been available in March, on March 20th when he took his own life,” Cloud said.

Students use social media to talk to each other and share their feelings and what's happening in their lives. They don't talk to teachers, counselors or parents, she said.

“My son told three individuals that he was going to do this, starting on Wednesday, and it happened on Sunday,” Cloud said.

“They just didn't know what to do with this information,” she said. “Maybe they were afraid they were going to make my son angry if they told someone. Or maybe they thought they could solve this on their own. When you're dealing with suicide or violence or ideas like this, it's just bigger than what a young individual can handle on their own. They need help.”

Cloud believes Safe2Tell will enable and encourage people, not just students, to notify professionals who can help someone, she said.

“I do not want another child to be burdened with the guilt of knowing that ‘I could have done something, but yet I didn't do it,'” Cloud said. “I don't want a child to receive a text message from a younger brother saying, you know, ‘Connor's gone,' when the last communication they had was ‘I'm going to kill myself.'”

Cloud and other state officials, legislators who crafted the bill, school officials and law enforcement want all community members to download the Safe2Tell app.

Guy Cameron, director of the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, said Gov. Matt Mead wanted a way to help prevent school shootings and other violent behaviors in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, 2012.

State officials decided to develop a program based on Colorado's successful Safe2Tell Colorado, Cameron said.

Earlier this year, the Legislature passed, and Mead signed, the bill authorizing Safe2Tell Wyoming.

The program, Cameron said, has three core components: education and awareness to improve school safety, prevention and early intervention while protecting the reporter's confidentiality, and accountability and follow-up to ensure authorities properly handled a situation.

When someone submits a tip, the information is handled by the Wyoming Highway Patrol's dispatch center on a 24 hour/seven-day-a-week basis. The information is passed to local responders who can intervene in a crisis.

Sen. Bill Landen, R-Casper, worked on the bill, and contrasted it with the new Pathways Innovation Center where the press conference was held. “What good is a beautiful environment when our students and teachers don't feel safe?”

Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michal said his father was the principal of a large high school, and his wife has been a teacher for 30 years.

The cost of the program — funded mostly from federal grants — will be greatly outweighed by the benefits, Michael said.

He and others said Safe2Tell will be worth it if just one life is saved.

Saving even one life, Michael said, will prevent a lot of heartache in the larger community. At the school where his wife teaches, a student committed suicide and the fallout affected not only their family but also the education environment for months, he said.

The state is launching Safe2Tell in the Natrona County School District, and it will be in effect throughout school districts in the state by the end of the year, Michael said. The Attorney General's office wants to hear from them and encourage students to download the apps on their phones.

“Nip these situations in the bud and help those students move on with their lives and prevent their personal tragedies and other personal tragedies,” Michael said.

California

Anti-Trump Demonstrators Take to the Streets in Several U.S. Cities

by Thomas Fuller

BERKELEY, Calif. — Chanting “Not my president,” several hundred protesters streamed through the streets of Berkeley and Oakland in the predawn hours of Wednesday venting their anger at the election of Donald J. Trump as president. Demonstrations were also reported in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Portland, Ore.

The California Highway Patrol said that one protester, who was not identified, sustained major injuries after being hit by a car when protesters attempted to move onto a freeway.

The demonstration was one of the first visible signs of anger in the liberal and heavily Democratic San Francisco Bay Area after Mr. Trump's surprising victory.

From Pennsylvania to California, Oregon and Washington State, hundreds of people hit the streets, according to reports by local news media and The Associated Press. In Oregon, dozens of people blocked traffic in downtown Portland and forced a delay for trains on two light rail lines. The crowd grew to about 300 people, according to local reports, including some who sat in the middle of the road to block traffic. The crowd of anti-Trump protesters burned American flags and chanted “That's not my president.”

In Seattle, a group of about 100 protesters gathered in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, blocked roads and set a trash bin on fire.

In Pennsylvania, hundreds of University of Pittsburgh students marched through the streets, with some in the crowd calling for unity. The student-run campus newspaper, The Pitt News, posted on Twitter about an event later Wednesday titled “Emergency Meeting: Let's Unite to Stop President Trump.”

“We can't just sit back and let a racist and sexist become president,” said Adam Braver, a 22-year-old political science student at the University of California, Berkeley, who marched with other protesters past empty fast-food restaurants in the early hours.

“He makes us look bad to the rest of the world,” Mr. Braver said, as the demonstrators reached the outskirts of Oakland. The few cars on the road honked in apparent support of their efforts. “This is the beginning of a movement.”

Marchers said the protest had begun spontaneously among students who had gathered on the Berkeley campus to watch the results.

When it became clear that Mr. Trump would win, students filled a wide avenue and began marching toward neighboring Oakland.

Daniel Colin, a graduate student in epidemiology and a naturalized American citizen from Guatemala, said the election marked the first time he had voted in the United States. “Now that I'm finally expressing my vote, this happens,” Mr. Colin said of Mr. Trump's election. “It's very sad.”

Mr. Colin and a number of other Latino students on the march said they were concerned about what would happen to their friends and relatives during a Trump presidency because of his stance on migrants from Latin America.

Daniel Austin, an African-American first-year student at the California College of the Arts in Oakland, said he felt threatened by Mr. Trump.

“I feel like a part of my identity was stolen away from me. Not as a bisexual. Not as a black,” Mr. Austin said. “As an American.”

Oakland officers attempted to block the marchers before they reached the police's headquarters. One demonstrator flashed a handmade sign to the police blocking their path that read, “Trump is a fascist pig.”

The protesters dispersed after 3 a.m., but many vowed to return to the streets in the coming days.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/10/us/trump-election-protest-berkeley-oakland.html

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Illinois

Protesters square off with police supporters in Chicago

by David Boroff

Protesters squared off with police supporters in a predominantly white neighborhood in Chicago on Tuesday, three days after a black man was killed by police and his brother was arrested.

Joshua Beal of Indianapolis was fatally shot Saturday during a dispute over whether a funeral caravan was blocking a fire lane. His brother Michael was arrested after he tackled an off-duty police officer seconds after the shooting.

The shooting and subsequent demonstrations have taken place in the mostly white Mount Greenwood neighborhood, which is home to many police, fire and city workers. On Tuesday night, protesters were told to "go home" and "get the (expletive) out of here!" according to the Chicago Tribune.

"People are missing the point," Tiara Davis, who is black, told the Tribune. "This is not about white versus black. That cop, whether he was white, black, purple or green, he still took a life. Let's evaluate the facts first. They don't even let us get to that point. They circle us in, shout racial slurs like we're less than human. It hurts."

Tuesday night's heated confrontation came two days after a similar protest in which police supporters used slurs and held signs including one reading: "You are animals, #gohome."

Mayor Rahm Emanuel called for peaceful protest "without it spilling over to anywhere that in any way demonizes anybody for their race, their ethnicity or their culture."

Also Tuesday, Michael Beal was ordered held on charges of felony aggravated battery to a police officer and attempting to disarm a police officer.

"F--- you — you killed my brother. I'm going to kill you," prosecutors recounted Beal as saying, according to the Tribune.

Barry Spector, Michael Beal's lawyer, said his client didn't know the man was an off-duty officer. "Mr. Beal's brother was shot and killed right before his eyes, right in the street," Spector told the Tribune.

Joshua Beal, who was 25, was shot several times after attending a funeral for a cousin who was killed in Indianapolis. Officials felt he was blocking a firehouse while the procession returned from the funeral, according to DNAinfo in Chicago.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/protesters-square-police-supporters-chicago-article-1.2866056

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California

Cocaine-fueled Calif. gunman attempted to ambush cops in deadly rampage

Responding officers were tending to the victims when the gunman opened fire with an assault rifle

by Veronica Rocha

AZUSA, Calif. — A cocaine-fueled "gun fanatic" armed himself with an assault rifle and launched a rampage Tuesday in his Azusa neighborhood, killing one man and critically wounding two women before he attempted to ambush responding police officers.

During a furious gun battle in the quiet San Gabriel Valley neighborhood, police shot him dead, and his body was found in a home's entryway.

The gunfire forced authorities to secure the neighborhood and shut down nearby polling places — sending voters scrambling to find alternate locations as police confronted the assailant.

The motive for the shooting remained under investigation, but Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. John Corina said the 45-year-old assailant was on a cocaine binge that had prompted his wife and two children to leave the family's home Monday evening.

"He is kind of a gun fanatic," Corina said. "He came out in the street and, according to people, he started shooting randomly at people."

About 2 p.m. Tuesday, the man — who has not been publicly identified — armed himself with handguns, a rifle and shotgun. Clad in black combat gear, he headed for the street.

He opened fire at a woman driving a van, causing her to crash into cars.

When a 77-year-old neighbor left his home to see the commotion, the assailant fatally shot him, Corina said.

A woman making her way down the street was also wounded in the rampage.

Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Ron Singleton said that two people were airlifted to a hospital. Corina said the women remained in critical condition and have not spoken with detectives.

Responding officers were tending to the victims when they were met with a hail of gunfire by a gunman armed with an assault rifle with "a rapid-fire capability," acting Azusa Police Chief Steve Hunt said.

"He was hiding when officers came up," Corina said, adding that police had seen the wounded victims in the neighborhood. "When they went attend to those people, he opened up fire."

The shooter fired at least 20 rounds at police.

Officers took cover and returned shots at the assailant, who retreated into a home in the 500 block of Fourth Street. No officers were injured.

"I heard this 'boom boom' like a rifle or shotgun, and then I heard 'pop pop' back, then boom boom again," said neighbor Hector Serrano, 21.

"I came outside and [police] were throwing gas at the house."

Another neighbor saw the same man as he was walking away from the Memorial Park parking lot.

"I just ran inside," Fabiola Morena, 47, said after the man stopped to reload his weapon and glanced her way. "I secured the door, grabbed my granddaughter and ran into the bathroom, and we locked ourselves there."

Inside the home, she heard police sirens and more gunshots.

"I don't know if he shot at the police or they shot at him, but it was several gunshots," said Morena, who spoke to The Times by phone while locked in the room. "I was afraid a bullet would come through the walls of the house."

Liberata Collela said she saw a body lying near the front door of the house next door.

Sheriff's officials used a robot with a camera to confirm the gunman was dead.

Inside his home, investigators found hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and family members told authorities he would occasionally binge on cocaine, Corina said.

The man was employed at a public works division in an unidentified Orange County city and was previously in the U.S. military, Corina said.

He collected guns and had at least four weapons, including handguns, a shotgun and a rifle. He had lived in the Azusa home for about five months.

Officials said that an earlier report by authorities that the shooter was a woman was the result of "misinformation" as the events were unfolding.

The shooting unsettled Azusa -- a bedroom community of 50,000 that marks the entrance to the San Gabriel Canyon -- on the eve of a contentious election.

The Azusa Unified School District issued a lockdown for Slauson Middle and Mountain View Elementary schools about 2:15 p.m., officials said. A nearby daycare center and preschool were also locked down.

As helicopters droned above, residents attempted to navigate around sheriff's cruisers stationed in multiple intersections, cutting off traffic. Some approached officers outside the city's police headquarters, searching for a place to vote. Residents were told they could cast a provisional ballot anywhere in the county.

Rosa Valdovinos, 62, said she had raced to Memorial Park, where some children who attend nearby schools huddled on a bleacher, and was relieved to learn her grandson had already been picked up by a relative. Still, she was rattled by the violence.

"We never have this happen before here in Azusa. Especially with the election? It's weird," Valdovinos said. "There are so many crazy people, acting emotionally."

http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/239418006-Cocaine-fueled-Calif-gunman-attempted-to-ambush-cops-in-deadly-rampage/

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Arizona

Ariz. cop killer fatally shot in gun battle

36-year-old Daniel Erickson shot at police after more than 6 hours of negotiations

by The Associated Press

SHOW LOW, Ariz. — A man suspected of killing an Arizona police officer was fatally shot by officers who had surrounded a cabin where he was holed up, authorities said.

KNXV-TV in Phoenix reports authorities say 36-year-old Daniel Erickson shot at police after more than 6 hours of negotiations late Tuesday, and officers returned fire on the man who was barricaded inside a cabin near the city of Show Low.

There was no immediate word on a motive.

Officer Darrin Reed was taken to a hospital in critical condition after the 1:30 p.m. shooting and later died from his injuries, police said.

Police said Erickson, of Huachuca City, was a convicted felon who has served two prison sentences in Arizona — a four-year term for a drug conviction in 2009 and five months for an endangerment conviction in 2007.

Police said Erickson was seen leaving a Show Low hotel near the scene of the shooting in a vehicle and was dressed in a black leather trench coat and reportedly armed with a silver handgun.

The car Erickson drove from the scene was found abandoned Tuesday evening and he was believed to be driving another vehicle with an Arizona license plate, according to authorities.

Arizona

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Loses Bid for 7th Term in Arizona

by Fernando Santos

PHOENIX — Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an enduring symbol of Arizona's unforgiving stance toward illegal immigration, lost his bid for a seventh term on Tuesday, effectively ending the career of perhaps the most divisive law enforcement figure in the country.

In the end, Sheriff Arpaio's bid for re-election as sheriff of Maricopa County was undone by Latino voters who responded to his hard-line position on illegal immigration, which included workplace raids, frequent traffic stops and harsh talk.

“The people Arpaio targeted decided to target him. He lost his power when undocumented people lost their fear,” said Carlos Garcia, executive director of Puente, an advocacy group formed in 2007 to counter the sheriff's embrace of a federal program that allowed his deputies to act as de facto immigration agents.

“We knew that losing an election was only a matter of time,” Mr. Garcia said. “For us, what is most important now is to undo the damage and culture of hate that he has brought upon this county.”

On Tuesday, Paul Penzone, a Democrat and a former Phoenix police sergeant who lost to Sheriff Arpaio in 2012, won the rematch, 54.9 percent to 45.1 percent, and will be the next sheriff of Maricopa County.

The race attracted millions of dollars from outside the state, a testament to the outsize role Sheriff Arpaio, 84, has played in the national debate over immigration overhaul. George Soros, a liberal investor, for example, spent more than $2 million opposing the sheriff.

Sheriff Arpaio remained combative until the end, thumbing his nose at critics and turning setbacks into lines of attack. He blamed “the corrupt Obama Justice Department” for trying to influence the race when federal prosecutors announced that they would pursue criminal contempt-of-court charges against him for refusing a judge's order to stop discriminating against Latinos.

“I'm kind of a trophy to the White House,” Sheriff Arpaio told members of a group called Believers for Trump last week at a Mexican restaurant in Wickenburg, which is in Maricopa County.

In an ad, he described the contempt charges, filed on Oct. 26, as “a bunch of garbage.”

Barrett Marson, a Republican political strategist, called Sheriff Arpaio “the Donald Trump of Arizona” for his ability to “turn every controversy into a line of attack against the Obama administration and a selling point for his die-hard fans.”

Older white and conservative voters propelled him to victory every four years for six elections, pumping millions of dollars into his campaign. But his dominance waned as he faced more legal challenges and opposition from a growing number of Latinos, who this year accounted for almost 20 percent of all registered voters in the state. Latinos are poised to become a majority in Arizona by 2030.

Even as Maricopa County, the state's largest, spent tens of millions of dollars in Sheriff Arpaio's legal defense — he has also faced numerous lawsuits over abuse and faulty medical care in the several jails he runs — he claimed that he saved taxpayers money.

His focus on immigration enforcement intensified as hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants were crossing into Arizona. For a time, the federal government enabled his activities, allowing some of his deputies to act as immigration agents and, with that, to selectively target Latinos on the streets and at work.

Sheriff Arpaio plunged into the illegal immigration debate in 2005, after an Army reservist named Patrick Haab detained seven undocumented immigrants at gunpoint in the desert. The sheriff ordered Mr. Haab arrested, saying, “Being illegal is not a serious crime.”

The Maricopa County attorney at the time, Andrew Thomas, refused to prosecute Mr. Haab, though, holding him up as a sort of folk hero who was simply exercising his rights as a citizen.

“You could almost see a light bulb go off as Arpaio watched the positive reaction from the public,” recalled Paul K. Charlton, who served as United States attorney for Arizona from 2001 to 2007. “From that point on, we lost him.”

In 2005, an Arizona law made it a felony to smuggle people for profit in the state, and Mr. Thomas, who has since been disbarred, interpreted the law as one that criminalizes both smugglers and those being smuggled, effectively giving the sheriff carte blanche to carry out his arrests of unauthorized immigrants.

More than 50,000 such people were caught in Sheriff Arpaio's roundups, or about 10 percent of the 500,000 undocumented immigrants believed to be living in Arizona, he boasted in 2012. His so-called saturation patrols, sweeps in heavily Hispanic neighborhoods in and around Phoenix, were routinely done without evidence of criminal activity, violating federal safeguards against racial profiling. At the same time, investigations on violent crimes, including dozens of sexual assault allegations, stalled or were abandoned altogether.

“His overall legacy became that of an individual who stained law enforcement's reputation, who harmed law enforcement's reputation and who did great damage in the community,” Mr. Charlton said. “He went from a leader of a law enforcement agency to literally being an outlaw.”

A week before he was due in Federal District Court here last year for a contempt-of-court hearing on his discrimination case, Sheriff Arpaio brought the former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson to his outdoor jail, called Tent City, to promote the meatless meals served there that he called “vegetarian.”

The visit generated more news coverage than the hearing did.

More than once, he has joked about his possible imprisonment if he were convicted.

“If I do go to jail, I'm glad it will be federal, because I'll get three square meals a day,” he said during the event in Wickenburg. The eight jails he runs serve two meals a day — breakfast and dinner.

Massachusetts

Grant expands Fitchburg's community-policing effort

by Elizabeth Dobbins

FITCHBURG -- Collaboration between officials and community organizations helped secure a $250,000 federal grant for the Fitchburg Police Department, Chief Ernest Martineau announced at a press conference Monday.

He hopes that collaboration creates another -- a stronger partnership between police, residents and businesses in downtown Fitchburg.

"This grant is going to allow us to foster a new type of mentality downtown," he said.

Martineau, Mayor Stephen DiNatale, U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas and community leaders gathered in the police station Monday to discuss the town receiving the Community Oriented Policing Service, or COPS, grant from the Department of Justice.

The grant will create two officer positions to serve in the new Community Engagement unit.

Martineau said the two officers -- one who will work a daytime shift and the other a nighttime shift -- will be asked to attend community meetings, make educational presentations and engage residents while out on foot patrol.

"Their sole job is to concentrate on our lower Main Street area and areas of concern, generally in this area (near the police station)," he said. "They're not going to be answering calls for service. They are out there as community-engagement officers."

Martineau said the positions are a return to the community-policing efforts of the 1990s when the department had 14 dedicated community-involvement officers.

"It went away after 9/11," he said. "We put our guard up. It's time to put the guard back down.

We need to work with our community, and we have to foster that kind or relationship. This grant is going to allow me to do that."

Tsongas, who worked with the department during the application process, said she also sees the expansion of community policing as a way to respond to the opioid crisis. Officers who are accessible to the community can work to prevent drug use, and serve as a connection for those looking for treatment, she said.

"Funding is very important to assist communities with the work that needs to be done," she said.

The grant will fund the two officers for three years starting in January. Fitchburg is required to fund the positions for one additional year following the expiration of the grant.

If the department can secure funding, Martineau hopes to continue the positions beyond the grant. The officers will be selected from the existing force.

Including the positions created by the grant, the Police Department will have 78 people on the force starting in January -- three more than a year ago. Martineau said Mayor DiNatale included provisions for another new officer in the city's most recent budget.

"When I ran for mayor," DiNatale said at the press conference, "I indicated to voters that I would work to have a safer and more appealing city. To discourage criminal activity, we need to increase our public-safety force and have greater police visibility."

The grant application was written by Kristi Fritscher, the Police Department's crime analyst, and was one of 184 to receive funding from a pool of 4,000 applicants.

Community groups, such as Elm Street Congregational and ReImagine North of Main, also sent letters of support for the application.

Tricia Pistone, associate director of Montachusett Opportunity Council and director of the ReImagine project, said the grant will work toward the same goal as ReImagine -- improving life for Fitchburg residents.

"It should be underscored that these funds go to support community engagement and outreach to under-served populations," she said. "Nationally, the community-policing goal is to promote public safety while enhancing the quality of life in our neighborhoods."

http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/news/ci_30531390/grant-expands-fitchburgs-community-policing-effort

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Pennsylvania

We must focus more on community policing

by Jim Walsh

It's time for Pennsylvania to encourage police departments to be more responsive to the needs of our communities through local and regional police departments adopting the community policing model of law enforcement.

Community policing is a well established concept where police proactively involve themselves with the community they serve on an ongoing basis, not just when called for service. The U.S. Department of Justice, Harvard University and many other governmental and nongovernmental think tanks agree that community policing provides the framework for good policing.

The concept is that police should not just respond to calls (reactive policing) but be involved with the community they serve (proactive policing). The police must know their community but equally or more importantly, the community must know their police.

This concept is not new but harks back to the days before police patrolled in cruisers responding to calls and were "beat cops" working a particular neighborhood. Policing today, in many departments, involves going from one call to another and keeping up with paperwork. It does not allow for follow-up or follow-through to become problem solvers in the community. We need local officers solving local problems in a collaborative effort with the community.

The implementing of community policing requires a different way of thinking both by police administrators and governing bodies but also by the public. The normal measures of gauging police effectiveness such as the number of arrests made or citations written need to be replaced by evaluating decreases in crime incidents and traffic accidents. This shift will require sufficient staffing to not only allow for response to calls for service but also have officers out in the community they serve, listening to problems and hopefully being able to help resolve some of them. It does not mean a single officer is designated a "community police officer"; the entire department must follow the model.

In order to do this we need police departments that are "right sized" to serve their respective communities, keeping it local but large enough to be efficient. Pennsylvania, by and large, is made up of many small communities. It may not be cost effective for each to have its own department, but regionalization provides a cost-effective way of keeping the departments local. Regionals can have sufficient resources to allow for community policing and be more efficient eliminating redundancies in administration, purchasing and capital costs.

The state currently has programs to encourage regionalization, and there are federal grants for community policing; these must be maintained and if possible increased. Local governments that invest in local or regional police, that implement community policing, should be given additional resources to encourage their development.

Finally, the state must provide the tools the community police officers need to assist their communities. Those tools could include readily accessible drug treatment, family counseling and mental health services. Most of our police officers want to make a difference in their communities. Let's give them the means to do that.

Jim Walsh has more than 28 years of experience in law enforcement at the local, county and federal levels. He is retired and lives in York Township.

http://www.ydr.com/story/opinion/columnists/2016/11/08/we-must-focus-more-community-policing-column/93469388/

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Texas

Diverse cultures: Putting a face on community policing

by Keri Blakinger

Myra Draaven has yearned to be a police officer since she was a little kid.

She's been in the military and lived in Tennessee and Colorado, but when the 27-year-old was looking for a place to protect and serve, she chose Houston.

"What drove me here was the diversity," she said.

But that diversity can be fraught with problems for police, whose sometimes-tense relationship with minority communities nationwide has been tested recently after a series of high-profile, officer-involved shootings.

On Monday, Draaven joined the current class of 68 Houston police cadets through a daylong diversity tour across the city to learn about sometimes-marginalized communities they'll meet on the beat. Packed onto two buses, they made stops at the Islamic Society of Greater Houston center, the Sobering Center and a smattering of locations in neighborhoods that are predominantly black, Latino or Chinese.

"The academy keeps you very busy, but this allows me to see the city all at once," Draaven said. "This tour bus allows me to get to know the community on a personal level and get to know the religions and cultures in the city."

This week's group of bright-eyed cadets - set to graduate in about two months - was the eighth class to finish the diversity training since it started in 2015.

"We wanted to make sure we were covering an additional diversity piece for our cadets because many are from out of state," police spokeswoman Jodi Silva said.

The day started at the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center where the officers-to-be got a half-hour of instruction about community perceptions of police before boarding the buses for a whirlwind community tour.

After a talk at the Chinese Community Center and five-stop tour followed by lunch and a stop at the Islamic Society, cadets visited the Sobering Center, an alternative to arrest for public intoxication.

When they marched off the buses dressed in crisp white shirts with navy slacks and ties, the eager cadets peppered the center's staff with questions about daily operations.

Each of the cadets walked away from the day with something different. Connor Davidson, 23, grew up in Houston but said this was his first experience learning about the many cultures.

"I didn't really go into the Chinatown area before, so I didn't know that there were so many cultures and backgrounds in that area," he said.

Draaven gained a lot from the Islamic Society stop, she said.

"With the Islamic community, you might come to a call and the woman answers the door and runs away - but she might be running for her head cover," she said.

The last stop of the day was the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center in the heart of one of Houston's Hispanic neighborhoods.

Immigration attorney Silvia Mintz offered cadets a history of the community and some words of wisdom.

"In our countries, there is a distrust of the police," she said.

That's a stumbling block with which Houston police might have to contend, but Mintz said local involvement might be the answer.

"I think that it's very important … to become a member of the community," she told the cadets.

The stop was something of a homecoming for cadet Egla Flores. The 22-year-old grew up "across the tracks" on the East Side, and she knows how her childhood neighbors view police.

"They might think we are the bad people but at the end of day we are here to help them," she said.

But even as a lifelong Houstonian, she got plenty out of the day.

"It's an eye-opener," she said.

Draaven concurred.

"We want to do our duty in a respectful way with the community," she said. "It's very important in such a diverse city. This is the most diverse place I've seen."

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Diverse-cultures-Putting-a-face-on-community-10599551.php

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Missouri

Columbia Police Department hosts community policing event

by Hannah Sandfeld

The Columbia Police Department's Community Outreach Unit recently showed community members how the department is training police officers in regard to fair and impartial policing.

Sgt. Mike Hestir, the Community Outreach Unit Supervisor, lead a training for the public on Saturday, to show how important it is to recognize implicit bias.

Hestir talked about the importance the training has on the safety of police officers and the relationships they foster with members of the community. Hestir stressed that bias is a human problem and can get in the way of many things- especially policing.

“We should dig a little deeper and try to help more people,” Hestir said.

Hestir showed the community how police officers are trained to acknowledge their bias by leading them through small exercises. Hestir had volunteers re-enact scenarios where bias can easily be present, including situations where social class, race, gender and sexuality are affected by bias.

Matt Rodriguez, a Community Outreach Unit officer said that this training has helped him in his ability to think of others and have a better understanding of where they are coming from.

“The training in fair and impartial policing has helped me by just thinking outside the box a little bit and bringing to my attention how to think of others perspectives,” Rodriguez said.

This training showed the community the ways in which the Police Department is working on making their policing safer for everyone. Another discussion is scheduled for this Wednesday to address the concerns and opinions of citizens on fair and impartial training.

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

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New York

Utica Police debut 'Community Outreach Team'

by Micaela Parker

UTICA — For the last 3 1/2 years, Utica Police Officer Maynard Anken has been the police department's sole “unofficial” community policing officer.

Now he and Officer Jimmy Dongsavanh will be the first two members of the UPD's official “Community Outreach Team,” which seeks to foster relationships with the community, city officials announced at a news conference Monday.

“With the evolution of life and society, patrol gets in the car and goes from call to call to call and don't have the time to stay and talk to people,” Anken said. “Having a second community policing officer is having someone else be able to spend eight hours in the community talking to the good 90 percent of the community while we try to stop the bad 10 percent.”

The mission of the Community Outreach Team is to help bridge the gap between the police department and community members by developing and strengthening partnerships with a wide variety of community leaders, neighborhood watch groups, civic groups, schools, faith-based groups, businesses and public service agencies throughout the city, according to a news release.

The unit also will be responsible for passing on information regarding problem areas in the city or tips to other officers, as well as identifying nuisance properties and working with homeowners to address any quality-of-life issues.

“It's very important for us, for the community, to continue to stimulate and move forward,” Mayor Robert Palmieri said. “What this team is, what we're saying they'll be, they'll be with our faith-based groups, they'll be with our businesses. They'll be at community events, they'll out there consistently bringing people together to make sure we are one and only one to climb this wonderful hill together that we call our great City of Utica.”

Utica native Dongsavanh, 32, has been on the force for about a year. He said he was honored by his appointment to the new unit.

“It's an honor, it's a privilege,” he said. “Me being so young in my career, to be chosen to be a part of the community outreach team. It's a good feeling.”

Chief Mark Williams said community policing is not just limited to the efforts of Anken and Dongsavanh.

“To the credit of (Deputy Chief Edward Noonan) and my command staff, we've really increased our efforts to have community outreach, really bridging the gap between the inner-city people and ourselves,” Williams said, pointing to cookouts the police department organized over the summer, programs through the Citizens Police Academy and an upcoming Youth Explorer program organized through the Boy Scouts as examples of those efforts. "We've got a lot of good things on the agenda."

http://www.uticaod.com/news/20161107/utica-police-debut-community-outreach-team

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Massachusetts

Mass. cops hospitalized after suspect throws heroin

The suspect threw an open bag of heroin in the faces of the officers as he was being booked

by PoliceOne Staff

FALMOUTH, Mass. — Two officers were hospitalized Friday after a suspect being booked on drug charges threw an open bag of heroin at them.

According to WJBD radio, officers were searching Russell Pena's vehicle on suspicion of distributing heroin and cocaine. They discovered marijuana, cocaine and $1450 in cash on Pena and passenger Michael Lopes.

Police told the station Pena struggled during booking and began to fight officers.

“During this struggle he was able to remove a bag of narcotics believed to be heroin from his pants in the area of his genitals,” Falmouth Police said in a statement. “Pena then tore the bag apart and dispersed the drugs in the air purposely toward and onto the police officers.”

Both officers and Pena were taken to a local hospital where they were treated for exposure to narcotics.

http://www.policeone.com/Officer-Safety/articles/239014006-Mass-cops-hospitalized-after-suspect-throws-heroin/

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Massachusetts

Mass. lieutenant teaches officers about autism

Lt. Martin Baker takes his family life and makes it an educational experience for fellow officers

by PoliceOne Staff

NORWOOD, Mass. — Norwood Police Lt. Martin Baker has spent 10 years teaching autism education in police departments across the state.

Baker's 22-year-old son Drew has autism. The officer has made it his personal mission to inform fellow cops of how to interact with people on the spectrum, NECN reported.

“One of my biggest fears is Drew being out there without my family that knows Drew, and knows his disability, and knows how to handle him and help him,” Baker said.

Baker recently taught forty-eight recruits from 22 different departments how to prevent incidents with people on the spectrum from escalating, according to the station.

When dealing with autistic people, physical contact can cause unintended results and requires a specific approach compared with contacts who are not on the spectrum.

“A light touch on the shoulder can trigger a violent response from somebody with autism,” Baker said. “Yet if you went in and kind of gave them a bear hug, they'd probably melt right in your arms.”

Drew told the station he's proud of his father for educating police officers about autism.

“Sometimes, people don't understand autism,” Drew said. “I'm glad dad is helping them.”

http://www.policeone.com/training/articles/239016006-Mass-lieutenant-teaches-officers-about-autism/

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Iowa ambush attacks raise officer safety reminders

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says that ambush attacks on police officers have increased by 167 percent this year — here are some thoughts on how to win these deadly encounters

by Doug Wyllie

This week, the state of Iowa lost two heroes — Des Moines Police Sergeant Tony Beminio and Urbandale Police Officer Justin Martin — in separate but related ambush attacks. Both officers were in their patrol vehicles when they came under sudden, unprovoked attack.

In the first shooting, investigators believe the gunman walked up to the officer's car and fired more than two dozen rounds. Officers responding to the shots-fired call found Martin in his Urbandale squad car. Despite attempts to save his life, Martin later died. A short time thereafter and less than two miles away, Sergeant Beminio was ambushed during the search for the suspected cop killer.

The 46-year-old suspect — who was arrested soon after his murderous attacks — had a recent confrontation with officers at a high school football game last month, had a history of racial provocations and other contacts with police.

Ambush attacks on the rise

The ambush killings of these two officers in Iowa are the latest in an ugly trend. According to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, ambush attacks on police officers have increased by 167 percent this year, with 16 ambush-style killings so far this year.

In another troubling trend, many of these ambush attacks have claimed the lives of more than one officer in a single incident. Two Palm Springs police officers were murdered in an ambush in October. In early July, five officers were killed in Dallas while they were protecting a protest march. Three more were killed in ambush later that month in Baton Rouge.

According to preliminary data supplied to PoliceOne by NLEOMF, police officers have also been shot and killed in ambush attacks in Salt Lake City (Utah), Danville (Ohio), Bel Air (Maryland), Prince William, (Virginia), Landover (Maryland), and Richmond (Virginia) this year.

Not all ambush attacks in 2016 have been fatal. In October, two Boston police officers who were responding to a report of a domestic disturbance were wounded in an ambush attack. University of Pennsylvania Police Officer Eddie Miller and Philadelphia Police Sergeant Sylvia Young survived a shooting rampage in September. In January, Philadelphia Officer Jesse Hartnett was shot three times in a brazen ambush. He survived that sudden attack, and even took the fight to his assailant.

Thankfully those officers survived. However, those incidents were ambush attacks nonetheless. It is unclear how many officers have been shot in ambush attacks but saved by body armor and improved trauma care in recent years. We simply do not have that data — somehow, some way, we should.

Targeted in the patrol vehicle

Speaking about the loss of his officer, Urbandale Police Chief Ross McCarty said, “I don't think he may have even been aware that there was a gunman next to him,” according to reports.

That statement offers the reminder that especially when the patrol vehicle is not moving, officers are particularly vulnerable to ambush attacks. When stopped, officers are more likely to be looking at their in-car computer and not at their surroundings. That brief lack of situational awareness can be fatal. And the practice of doing written reports in a stationary vehicle should be banned outright. Even taking up space at the kitchen table at the local firehouse is better than that (and you might even get a good meal out of that deal).

This not to suggest that Martin was staring at his MDT, doing a report, or was otherwise distracted — we presently don't know and will probably never know what happened in Urbandale — but the fact is that the more time you spend looking at something other than your surroundings, the more vulnerable you become. The more you keep your eyes on your side and rear view mirrors and keep 360 awareness, the harder a target you become. Suffice it to say, it is imperative that you not allow individuals to approach you while you are sitting in your car.

Another way to open yourself up to an ambush in the squad car is to have a well-worn patrol path. Vary your routes around your assigned sector and take note of the possible pinch points where an attacker might lurk in hiding. Do your when/then thinking about how you would respond should an attack occur there. Watch out for choke points and areas that have only one avenue of access and egress. Be especially on guard in those locations.

Finally, remember that your vehicle can be used tactically to protect you. For example, an assailant in front of you can be run down — get as low as you can behind the engine block and attack the ambush. Conversely, slamming the transmission into reverse and making a hasty exit from the kill-zone can also save your life. You're sitting in a one-ton weapon — use it to your advantage.

Ambush after an officer-down call

It is unclear whether or not the assailant in Iowa planned his attack on one officer in order to lure responders into a trap, but this incident does make us consider the prospect of the threat.

It has been a tactic of terrorists in the Middle East for decades: commit an attack that lures others into a kill-zone, and unleash an even more catastrophic attack on that “second wave” of first responders. Because the ease with which such a thing could be pulled off, it's actually a little surprising that this tactic has not been successfully employed by anti-police individuals and groups here in America.

That is not to say it has not been considered or planned. The Hutaree militia in Michigan allegedly planned to kill an unidentified member of local law enforcement and then ambush the law enforcement officers who gather in Michigan for the funeral.

PoliceOne Columnist Richard Fairburn has been teaching about countering ambush attacks for years, and has included the prospect of this tactic in his instruction.

“I'm teaching everyone to stop responding to a potential ambush call individually,” Fairburn told PoliceOne. “Someone needs to take command of the response and designate a Rally Point some distance out. Then send in teams who are better able to deal with an attacker who may be using the first scene as ‘bait' to draw in additional single victims.”

Training for ambush attacks in patrol vehicles should be incorporated into and emphasized in EVOC training. Ambush attacks should be discussed regularly at roll call.

Unhinged individuals and organized groups

Municipal cops, sheriff's deputies, tribal officers, state troopers, and federal officers are potential targets from organized criminal groups and as we've seen just this week, unhinged individuals — are equally dangerous. The gunman in Iowa reportedly had been facing intense money problems, had been found by a judge to be financially exploiting his mother and was ordered to move out of her basement hours before the shootings.

As I have said previously about terrorism, ambush attack is a tactic, not a tribe. Watch for pre-attack indicators of an ambush attack and do everything in your power to win whatever confrontation you encounter.

Stay safe out there my friends.

About the author

Doug Wyllie is Editor at Large for PoliceOne, responsible for providing police training content and expert analysis on a wide range of topics and trends that affect the law enforcement community. An award-winning columnist — he is the 2014 Western Publishing Association "Maggie Award" winner in the category of Best Regularly Featured Digital Edition Column — Doug has authored more than 900 feature articles and tactical tips. Doug is also responsible for planning and recording the PoliceOne Podcast, Policing Matters, as well as being the on-air host for PoliceOne Video interviews. Doug also works closely with the PoliceOne Academy to develop training designed to prepare cops for the fight they face every day on the street.

Doug regularly represents PoliceOne as a public speaker in a variety of forums and is available for media interviews — he has appeared on numerous local and national radio and television news programs, and has been quoted in a host of print publications.

Doug is a member of International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association (ILEETA), an Associate Member of the California Peace Officers' Association (CPOA), and a member of the Public Safety Writers Association (PSWA).

http://www.policeone.com/police-trainers/articles/238338006-Iowa-ambush-attacks-raise-officer-safety-reminders/

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From the Department of Justice

Justice Department Files Brief to Address Automatic Suspensions of Driver's Licenses for Failure to Pay Court Debt

The Justice Department filed a statement of interest today in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia addressing the constitutionality of state policies that automatically suspend the driver's licenses of those who fail to pay court fines or fees. The statement of interest was filed in Stinnie et al. v. Holcomb , a class action brought by four individuals whose driver's licenses were suspended because they could not afford to pay fines, fees and costs assessed by Virginia courts.

The statement of interest advances the United States' position that suspending a driver's license is unconstitutional if it is done without providing due process and without assessing whether the individual's failure to pay was willful or the result of an inability to pay. As the Supreme Court has affirmed, the Constitution prohibits punishing a person because of his or her poverty. The United States' brief explains that the defendant's alleged “practice of automatically suspending the driver's license of any person who fails to pay outstanding court debt—without inquiring into ability to pay—violates that constitutional principle.” Without taking into account an individual's ability to pay, the practice results in indigent defendants having their driver's licenses suspended because they cannot afford fines and fees, while defendants who can afford to pay do not. The brief argues that, if the facts as alleged by plaintiffs are true, such practice violates the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14 th Amendment.

In Stinnie v. Holcomb , the plaintiffs allege that their driver's licenses were indefinitely suspended because they did not pay court fines and costs that they could not afford. They further allege that 900,000 people in Virginia, or one in six drivers, have had their licenses suspended for failure to pay court debt. The department's statement of interest in this case rests on a fundamental principle, developed in a long line of Supreme Court cases, “that conditioning access or outcomes in the justice system solely on a person's ability to pay violates the Fourteenth Amendment.” The brief also explains that a driver's license is a constitutionally protected interest under clear Supreme Court precedent and that it cannot be suspended under the circumstances permitted in Virginia without adequate notice and a meaningful opportunity to be heard first.

“People depend on driver's licenses to get to work, access health care and provide for their families – and so when their license is suspended for reasons that do not relate to public safety, it unnecessarily disrupts lives and harms communities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “This brief advances the department's robust efforts to prevent unlawful practices that punish poverty at every stage of the justice system and that trap vulnerable residents in cycles of debt from court fines and fees.”

“The Constitution prohibits punishing a person for their poverty,” said Director Lisa Foster of the Office for Access to Justice. “Yet suspending a person's driver's license when they are unable to pay court debt does just that. And it's also counterproductive. How can a person pay their fines and fees if they lose their job because they can't drive to work?”

“Driver's licenses permit individuals to work and contribute to society in positive ways,” said U.S. Attorney John P. Fishwick Jr. of the Western District of Virginia. “It makes no sense to suspend this privilege because a person is poor.”

In recent years, the department has taken several steps to address the unequal treatment of the poor in the justice system. In March 2015, the Civil Rights Division addressed a range of harmful practices in the enforcement of fines and fees, including the suspension of driver's licenses to coerce payment, in its investigation of Ferguson, Missouri. In March 2016, the division and the Office for Access to Justice sent a Dear Colleague Letter to state courts clarifying the constitutional limits on coercing payment of court debt, including through license suspensions.

Plaintiffs in Stinnie v. Holcomb filed their complaint in federal court in July. The defendant is the commissioner of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. In October, the state's Office of the Attorney General filed a motion to dismiss the case. In its filing, the United States does not take a position on the factual accuracy of the plaintiffs' claims, but instead addresses the appropriate legal framework for analyzing their claims.

From ICE:

ICE HSI investigation leads to arrest of 6 in US, Mexico in international sex trafficking scheme

NEW YORK — Special agents in New York and the Mexican Federal Police in Mexico arrested six people Oct. 27, for sex trafficking-related charges. The arrests follow an extensive multi-year investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Government of Mexico.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) unsealed a 21-count indictment charging six defendants with sex trafficking offenses. These individuals are alleged members of an international sex trafficking organization that exploited and trafficked adult and minor women in Mexico and in the United States from at least 2000 to 2016. Fourteen victims of the charged sex trafficking organization are identified in the indictment.

Over a two-day period, authorities arrested four defendants in Mexico and two in Queens, New York, as part of a coordinated bilateral law enforcement action. The six defendants are Raul Romero-Granados, aka Chicarcas and El Negro, 32; Isaac Lomeli-Rivera, aka Giro, 34; Efrain Granados-Corona, aka Chavito and Cepillo, 41; Alan Romero-Granados, aka El Flaco, 24; Pedro Rojas-Romero, 37; and Emilio Rojas-Romero, 34. Juan Romero-Granados, aka Chegoya and El Guero, remains a fugitive.

“The sexual exploitation of human beings is one of the vilest crimes committed against humanity. This operation reflects our commitment to bring to justice traffickers who have no regard for human life,” said ICE Director Sarah R. Saldaña. “Each arrest is a testament to the outstanding bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. We are sending a clear message to human traffickers that law enforcement agencies on both sides of the border have them in their sights.”

“Human trafficking is a corrosive and degrading practice that goes against both the rule of law and the most basic standards of human dignity. This indictment is yet another sign of the Justice Department’s steadfast determination to hold traffickers accountable for their heinous crimes, and of our unshakeable commitment to helping survivors reclaim their futures and restart their lives,” said U.S. Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch. “I want to commend our partners in Mexican law enforcement for their commitment to combating human trafficking. We thank them for their cooperation in this important action, and for their ongoing collaboration in our shared efforts to end human trafficking in our nations.”

"Human trafficking is nothing less than a modern form of slavery and no one should be forced to live in a world of fear and involuntary servitude," said Angel Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI New York. "HSI will remain steadfast in its commitment to working with its law enforcement partners to dismantle the international criminal organizations involved in human trafficking."

As alleged in the indictment, members of the sex trafficking organization, which operated largely as a family business, used false promises, physical and sexual violence, and threats to force and coerce adult and minor women to work in prostitution for the organization’s profit in both Mexico and the United States. Once in the United States, the young women and girls shared apartments in New York City and were forced to work weeklong shifts in brothels or were delivered to a customer’s home. The brothels and delivery services are located both within New York, and in surrounding states, including, but not limited to Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Since 2009, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Department of Justice have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative aimed at strengthening high-impact prosecutions under both U.S. and Mexican law. The initiative is aimed at dismantling human trafficking networks operating across the United States-Mexico border, bringing human traffickers to justice, reuniting victims with their children, and restoring the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims held under the trafficking networks’ control.

These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 50 defendants in multiple cases in New York, Georgia, Florida, and Texas since 2009, and numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers. In announcing the unsealed charges, Attorney General Lynch commended U.S. and Mexican law enforcement partners for their shared and continued commitment to coordinated bilateral anti-trafficking efforts.

This case is being prosecuted out of the SDNY’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-hsi-investigation-leads-arrest-6-us-mexico-international-sex-trafficking-scheme

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ICE, Caribbean Corridor Strike Force seize 1,786 kilograms of cocaine; contraband has an estimated street value of more than $45 million

ICE seizes $45 million worth of cocaine in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), working jointly with the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF) partners, seized 1,786 kilograms of cocaine Monday in Cataño. The cocaine has an estimated street value of approximately $45 million.

On Oct. 13, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment against six defendants charged with conspiracy to import controlled substances from the Dominican Republic into Puerto Rico. The indictment, unsealed Tuesday, alleges that from about January 2013 through May 2013, Erick Mosquea-Polanco, Juan Jose De La Cruz-Morales, Kevin De Morla-Santana, Rudy Contreras-Severino, Jose Morales-Soto and Sandy Hernandez-Mieses conspired to intentionally and knowingly import and attempt to import from the Dominican Republic into the United States more than five kilograms of cocaine. The indictment also alleges that the defendants knowingly and unlawfully conspired to launder more than $1 million in illegal proceeds from drug trafficking.

“The indictment and arrest of these individuals sends a clear message to those involved in drug trafficking and money laundering that HSI will go after them to bring them to justice and will seize the assets produced from their illicit activity,” said Ricardo Mayoral, special agent in charge of HSI Puerto Rico
During the arrest of Sandy Hernandez Monday, HSI special agents found more than $30,000 in cash, three weapons and approximately 1,786 kilograms of cocaine. Of the six persons in the indictment, three were arrested while the others are awaiting extradition from the Dominican Republic.

HSI agents enforce a wide range of criminal statutes including Title 18 and Title 19 of the U.S. Code. These statutes address general smuggling issues as well as customs violations. ICE also enforces Title 21, which covers the importation, distribution, manufacture and possession of illegal narcotics.

HSI agents have extensive knowledge of the border environment and techniques employed by smuggling organizations to transport contraband into the United States. This expertise has been gained through years of experience in conducting undercover operations, utilizing confidential informants, special enforcement operations and conducting contraband smuggling investigations.

The methods used by smuggling organizations are always changing and through continued training, the use of emerging technologies and dedication, ICE has maintained its expertise in disrupting and dismantling these criminal organizations.

If convicted the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison.

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https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-caribbean-corridor-strike-force-seize-1786-kilograms-cocaine

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Law enforcement agencies around the world collaborate on international Darknet marketplace enforcement operation

WASHINGTON – A globally coordinated law enforcement action against the buyers and sellers of illicit drugs and other illegal activities using Darknet global marketplaces was conducted Oct. 22 to 28.

“Operation Hyperion” was initiated by U.S. federal law enforcement, the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States) and members of Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, as the first step in developing a more unified global law enforcement response to the growing usage of the Darknet by individuals seeking to buy and sell illicit drugs and other illegal goods and services.

While illegal drugs continue to be the biggest item purchased and sold on Darknet marketplaces, law enforcement agencies around the world are also seeing counterfeit prescription drugs and other counterfeit items, dangerous and deadly synthetic drugs like Fentanyl, deadly toxins, fake and stolen identities, identity documents and stolen credit card data, as well as illegal services like computer hacking, murder for hire and money laundering.

Operation Hyperion resulted in a number of law enforcement leads on cases related to the buying and selling of illicit drugs and other goods on the Darknet. This operation will also help law enforcement agencies continue to combat the trafficking of illicit goods and services on the Darknet through the identification of new smuggling networks and trends.

Law enforcement agencies participating in the operation included: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI) Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and various state and local entities.

International partners included Europol the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency; Australian Federal Police; New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs Service; Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Post and Canada Border Services Agency; The Netherlands; French Customs National Intelligence and Investigations Directorate; Finnish Customs; Swedish Police Authority and Swedish Customs; Ireland’s Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau; and Spain’s Guardia Civil.

The operation was supported by CBP’s National Targeting Center and coordinated by HSI’s Cyber Division.

https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/law-enforcement-agencies-around-world-collaborate-international-darknet-marketplace

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South Carolina

South Carolina Kidnapper Went From Sadistic Teen to Serial Killer

Todd Kohlhepp confessed to several cold-case murders after a missing woman was found chained up but alive. His gruesome past included rape, torture, and more.

by Kelly Weill

A South Carolina man has confessed to seven murders after a missing woman was found chained in a shipping container on his rural property. The woman's boyfriend was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds nearby.

Police arrested Todd Kohlhepp on Thursday in the missing persons case of Kala Brown, 30, and Charlie Carver, 32, who disappeared from their Anderson, South Carolina apartment in August. On Thursday, investigators found Brown restrained in a metal container in Spartanburg, South Carolina, approximately an hour from her home. She told police she witnessed Kohlhepp shoot and kill Carver, and that up to four bodies might have been buried on the overgrown 100-acre lot. But Kohlhepp has readily admitted to more than four killings, authorities say.

Kohlhepp, 45, confessed to slaying seven people, including four in a 13-year-old South Carolina cold case, police said on Saturday. The Superbike Killings, as the cold case became known, claimed the lives of four employees in a Spartanburg motorcycle shop. Two were shot and killed in broad daylight outside the shop. Another was shot in the back while apparently servicing a motorcycle, and a third appeared to have been ambushed as she left the bathroom. The whole incident took seven minutes or less, said a friend of the victims who discovered their bodies shortly after speaking on the phone with one of them.

The slayings appeared to lack both suspect and motive. A briefcase with money and a signed deposit slip were left untouched. Until this weekend's discovery on Kohlhepp's property, the shooting was “the most gruesome scene Spartanburg authorities have ever experienced,” a February 2016 cold case report recalled.

Kohlhepp was never reported as being eyed in the killing. But he had a violent record, and was a registered sex offender, records show. He served 15 years in jail on kidnapping charges, after pleading guilty to the brutal rape of a 14-year-old neighbor when he was 15. Threatening her with his father's gun, Kohlhepp ordered the girl into his house, where he tied her up and raped her, court records obtained by the GreenvilleOnline show.

Testimony from this 1986 case painted the adolescent Kohlhepp as a repeat offender with a lust for violence.

He promised to murder his mother in order to move in with his divorced father, prosecutors testified in the 1986 case. Upset that he received a goldfish instead of a gerbil, the young Kohlhepp allegedly poured bleach into his goldfish's bowl; he shot a dog with a BB gun; he smashed a newly remodeled bedroom with a hammer, and destroyed other people's belongings on a regular basis. He allegedly locked a young boy in a dog crate, rolling the cage over and over until the child was crying and the young Kohlhepp was laughing.

He was kicked out of boy scouts for behavioral issues and struggled in school, eventually attending a mental health clinic in 1980 at the age of nine or ten. Progress reports from the clinic described Kohlhepp as anti-social, self-centered, and obsessed with sex, prosecutors testified.

Anger was the only emotion Kohlhepp was capable of showing, his father told a probation officer.

Authorities feared Kohlhepp's behavior would only worsen after he completed 15 years in jail, a reduced sentence reached as a result of his plea bargain.

“It would appear that his behavior has been progressively worsening and now, it has escalated to the point where he has sexually assaulted an innocent child,” probation officer Kim Otto testified in a pre-sentencing report. “One can only speculate as to where the defendant's behavior will lead. It is this writer's opinion that it is this type of individual, one with little or no conscience, who presents the greatest risk to the community.”

The report was darkly prescient. Like Kohlhepp's childhood victim, Kala Brown and Charlie Carver might also have been kidnapped at gunpoint. Brown sometimes worked cleaning properties for Kohlhepp, who ran a real estate business. When Brown and Carver disappeared on August 31, they had driven to a rural lot Kohlhepp owned, under the assumption that they would help clean the property, one of Brown's friends reported.

"They were going to do some work, help cleaning up the property. And he pulled out a gun and took them hostage," Brown's friend Daniel Herren told the Associated Press.

Herren said Kohlhepp fed Brown once a day, likely fast food. A vast stockpile of guns and ammunition were found on Kohlhepp's property. “It's unbelievable how much he had," prosecutor Barry Barnette testified on Friday.

The investigation into Brown and Carver's disappearance spanned multiple jurisdictions, but did not appear to focus on Kohlhepp until recently.

Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart, whose jurisdiction launched the investigation, told the Associated Press that authorities searched the rural property, because it was the last place a cell phone related to their search had pinged.

The whereabouts of the couple's cell phones, particularly Carver's, have been central to the missing person's case. After the pair disappeared, Carver's Facebook continued to post chilling updates, claiming he and Brown were married and expecting a baby, to the distress of friends and family who suspected an imposter.

“Im just missing to everyone else,” Carver's account told a friend in a series of September messages shared with The Daily Beast. “We [are] both ok. there is only one person that knows where we are … the person that means the most to me and kala she know where we are and we are coming that way for ever.”

The person declined the friend's pleas to video chat.

Facebook can track a user's location, provided they have their location settings turned on. If served with a subpoena or a search warrant, Facebook will share this information with law enforcement. But as of October 12, over a month after the couple's disappearance, Anderson police had not served Facebook with a warrant, a spokesperson told The Daily Beast in October.

“To do anything like that, we'd have to issue a search warrant to Facebook,” Lt. David Creamer of the Anderson Police Department said. “I don't know if we've done that but I'm pretty sure we have not done that… You'd have to serve [Facebook] with a search warrant to search their records for an IP.”

Information on the investigation that led to Brown's discovery on Kohlhepp's property is still emerging.

“Basically through our investigation, he became a person of interest,” an Anderson Police spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Friday. “They did research and found that he was a registered sex offender.”

Kohlhepp was charged with kidnapping on Friday, and with four counts of murder on Sunday. He has not yet been charged with Carver's murder. The two other people he allegedly confessed to killing remain unnamed.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/11/06/missing-couple-s-kidnapper-confesses-to-seven-killings.html

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Georgia

1 deputy killed, 1 injured in Ga.

A Peach County deputy was killed and another was wounded responding to a dispute between neighbors

by The Associated Press

BYRON, Ga. — Authorities say a Peach County deputy was killed and another was wounded responding to a dispute between neighbors in central Georgia.

The Macon Telegraph reports the shooting happened about 5:30 p.m. Sunday near Byron, about 16 miles southwest of Macon.

Peach County coroner Kerry Rooks confirmed 41-year-old Patrick Sondron died at about 6:40 p.m.

GBI special agent J.T. Ricketson says the sheriff's office contacted him about 6 p.m. requesting assistance responding to "a dispute between neighbors."

Ricketson says when deputies arrived "they were under gunfire." He says they returned fire.

A suspect was taken to a hospital. Ricketson would not say if the suspect was shot.

A person who answered the phone at the sheriff's office said no one was there who could release any information.

http://www.policeone.com/officer-shootings/articles/238796006-1-deputy-killed-1-injured-in-Ga/

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Utah

Utah officer fatally struck by car during pursuit

A suburban Salt Lake City officer was deploying tire spikes when he was struck and killed by a stolen vehicle

by The Associated Press

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — A suburban Salt Lake City police officer was killed Sunday when authorities say he was struck by people fleeing in a stolen vehicle.

West Valley City police Officer Cody Brotherson was deploying tire spikes when he was hit, authorities said. He is the first officer to die in the line of duty since the department formed in 1980.

"A West Valley born and bred individual and our hearts are heavy with his loss," Police Chief Lee Russo said at a news conference just hours after the officer's death.

According to Russo, it was not clear why the 25-year-old officer was outside his vehicle since spike strips had already been deployed before he was hit.

"He was certainly responding to the coordinated effort in stopping this vehicle," Russo said.

However, the chief said it was not yet clear if the suspects deliberately hit Brotherson.

Brotherson joined the department in December 2013. He is survived by a fiance, his parents and two brothers.

Dozens of officers saluted as his body was loaded into a hearse, which was escorted by police cars to the state medical examiner's office.

The incident began around 3:30 a.m. when an officer noticed a suspicious vehicle. Officers then witnessed three people in the car steal another vehicle from the parking lot of an apartment complex, police said. They tried to stop the vehicle but the suspects fled, leading to a pursuit.

Less than a minute later, an officer called for medical help for Brotherson. He died at the scene.

After hitting Brotherson, the vehicle went off the road and came to rest a short distance away.

All three people in the stolen vehicle were taken into custody. They are still being questioned, police said. Their identities were not released.

Another Salt Lake City-area police department will now lead the investigation.

Body cameras end guesswork in controversial cop stops? 1,000 deputies get them

by KEN STONE

The Los Angeles Police Department isn’t the only massive Southern California law enforcement agency grappling with the use of body-worn cameras in the wake of controversial shootings and confrontations around the nation.

The Riverside county Board of Supervisors next week is expected to authorize Sheriff Stan Sniff to move ahead with plans to outfit all patrol deputies with body-worn cameras to “improve employee and citizen accountability.”

The giant sheriff’s department not only patrols unincorporated areas of Riverside County, it also has a major presence in numerous smaller cities where deputies act as the local police under contracts with those communities.

The Riverside Board of Supervisors is slated Tuesday to vote to accept a $577,900 U.S. Department of Justice-Bureau of Justice Assistance grant that’s specifically intended to fund the sheriff’s efforts to equip personnel with wearable video cameras while in the field.

The grant requires a 50 percent county match, which Sniff said has already been budgeted in the current fiscal year.

“The project will expand our existing body-worn camera program, improve employee and citizen accountability and strengthen community relationships by using video to improve transparency in law enforcement encounters with the public,” according to a sheriff’s statement posted to the board’s policy agenda.

An additional 1,000 patrol deputies will be provided cameras thanks to the grant award, sheriff’s officials said.

Sniff inaugurated a formal policy on the use of body cams at the beginning of the year.

In March 2015, he initiated a pilot program to test the effectiveness of the cameras, deploying the shirt-mounted devices with deputies in Jurupa Valley.

The Riverside Sheriffs’ Association initially challenged the field testing because there was no provision in deputies’ collective bargaining agreement with the county that specified how the cameras would be utilized and whether RSA members would have the option of not wearing them.

The union later dropped its challenge after negotiators and sheriff’s executive staff reached a compromise on the conditions of department-wide use.

“Due to lack of audio or video record of the majority of police and citizen encounters, the department spends a significant amount of time annually investigating citizen complaints against officers,” the agency said. “In order to save personnel time and increase accountability of both officers and citizens, the department needs to equip every uniformed patrol officer with a body-worn camera and establish policies as needed.”

The sheriff’s department acquired 165 body cams from Seattle-based Vie Vu in November 2014 at a cost of $184,000. It’s unclear whether the sheriff will continue to use that vendor for the new purchases.

The goal is to have all patrol personnel trained and wearing cams within two years.

http://mynewsla.com/crime/2016/10/28/body-cameras-end-guesswork-in-controversial-cop-stops-1000-deputies-get-them/

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Parents of Ezell Ford, who was fatally shot by LAPD officers, settle lawsuit with city

by Matt Hamilton

The parents of Ezell Ford, a mentally ill man who was fatally shot by Los Angeles police officers in 2014, have settled their wrongful death and state civil rights lawsuit with the city of L.A., according to court papers.

Attorneys for Ford’s parents and the city reached the tentative settlement Oct. 21, according to an order filed by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rita Miller. The terms of the agreement were not publicly disclosed.

Boris Treyzon, one of the attorneys representing the Ford family, said the settlement was not finalized and needed approval by the City Council.

“Without their approval, there is no settlement,” Treyzon said.

Ford, 25, was walking near his family’s South L.A. home about 8 p.m. on Aug. 11, 2014, when LAPD Officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas left their car to speak with him.

Ford, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, looked over at the officers, walked away and tried to hide his hands near his waistband, according to the Police Department’s account of the shooting.

The officers trailed Ford to a driveway, where Ford hid near a car and bushes. An officer reached for Ford, who then forced the officer to the ground, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck has previously said.

Wampler stated that Ford tried to grab his firearm, according to a lawsuit the officer later filed against the city. Villegas fired two shots at Ford, and Wampler used a secondary gun to shoot Ford in the back.

Two hours later, Ford died in a hospital.

The death of Ford, a black man, ignited a new round of protests amid a wave of highly publicized and controversial shootings of black men by police across the country.

Ford’s parents, Edsell and Tritobia Ford, alleged in their lawsuit filed March 6, 2015, that both officers were motivated by “prejudice, disdain and contempt for African Americans or persons of black skin tone.”

Attorneys for Wampler, who is Asian American, and Villegas, who is Latino, could not be reached for comment late Tuesday.

But in court papers, attorneys for the officers rejected the Fords’ claims and said the lethal force used by the officers was “reasonable and necessary for self defense.”

The parents alleged the LAPD was negligent in the hiring, training and supervision of the officers.

A separate federal lawsuit was also filed by the Fords against the LAPD and the two officers. To focus on the state lawsuit, the family’s attorneys voluntarily dropped the federal case June 28 without reaching a settlement or verdict.

Beck concluded that Wampler and Villegas acted within department policy. Investigators found evidence backing Wampler’s assertions that he had been in a fight for his life as he and Ford wrestled for the officer’s gun. They identified Ford's DNA on the weapon, and scratches on the holster and hands of the officer and Ford.

But in June 2015, the Police Commission, the civilian panel that oversees the LAPD, rejected Beck’s finding and determined that Wampler violated the department’s deadly force policy.

The panel disapproved of Villegas' initial decision to draw his weapon early on in the confrontation, but said he ultimately was right to fire at Ford to protect Wampler.

The district attorney’s office has yet to announce whether charges will be filed against the officers.

In May, a federal judge approved a protective order that allows the district attorney’s office to review previously confidential information, including the officers’ interviews with LAPD internal investigators; the officers’ depositions; and the depositions of three civilian witnesses.

Meanwhile, Wampler and Villegas filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the city Aug. 3, contending they have been denied advancement and other employment opportunities in the LAPD because of their race and that of Ford.

The officers said they had been confined to desk duty and restricted from returning to the field since the shooting. Both are seeking lost income and compensation for emotional and other injuries from the loss of overtime, promotions and other job opportunities.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ezell-ford-lawsuit-20161101-story.html

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Former Long Beach Officer Arrested After Alleged Domestic Assault and Death Threat

by KEELEY SMITH

A former Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) officer was arrested today by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) and charged with felony counts by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division, including burglary, assault with a firearm and false imprisonment charges, the LBPD announced.

According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, 34-year-old Toby Benskin, a 14-year LBPD employee, allegedly broke into the residence of his estranged wife's boyfriend on October 27, 2015. He allegedly assaulted and threatened to kill the man before threatening the man's roommate, who came to see what was happening. He then allegedly forcibly dragged his wife from the residence.

Benskin faces up to 25 years, eight months in state prison if convicted, the district attorney’s office stated.

According to the LBPD, the department became aware on October 28, 2015 of the off-duty incident that had occurred the day prior, involving Benskin, who had been assigned to the Investigations Bureau.

The LBPD immediately launched an internal administrative investigation regarding Benskin after learning of the misconduct. The department also placed Benskin on administrative leave, given the seriousness and nature of the allegations. His duties as a police officer were discontinued, the announcement stated.

“When we take our oath of office, we assume a tremendous responsibility which includes upholding the values and maintaining the integrity of our police department and profession,” stated Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna. “When an officer betrays the public trust we have worked so hard to cultivate, they must be held accountable.”

At the conclusion of the investigation on June 20 of this year, Benskin was terminated.

Upon presentation of the case to the District Attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division, Benskin was charged with nine felony charges, including burglary, assault with a firearm, criminal threats, and false imprisonment. The division subsequently issued an arrest warrant, arresting Benskin this morning.

He is being held on $200,000 bail.

The Long Beach Police Department will not be releasing anything further information regarding the investigation, they announced. For additional information, contact the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

https://lbpost.com/news/crime/2000009860-former-long-beach-officer-arrested-charged-with-assault-with-firearm

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L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell discusses Hatzolah, Israel and Black Lives Matter

by Ryan Torok

While appearing as a guest of attorney Andrew Friedman at the Nov. 1 American Friends of Magen David Adom Red Star Ball, which was held at the Beverly Hilton, drew more than 1,000 attendees and raised more than $14 million to support Israel’s ambulance, blood-services, and disaster relief organization, Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell discussed what local emergency medical response services could learn from similar organizations in Israel, the state of police and African-American relations in Los Angeles in the age of Black Lives Matter and more with the Journal.

Jewish Journal (JJ): You’re not a member of the Jewish community but you support Israel. Who were some of the people in your life who educated you about Israel and what goes on there?

L.A. County Sherriff Jim McDonnell (JM): I think anybody who is a student of history, somebody who cares about what is going on in the world, is interested in what’s happening in Israel. Growing up, my parents, who were immigrants from Ireland, always had a healthy respect for people who were being oppressed, people who had more to offer than were allowed to offer and wanted everybody to realize their full potential. I think they instilled that in me and I look at Israel as a place of great hope, people of great success, who have gone all over the world and showed the ability to be able to give back, the ability to be able to share their talents with others.

JJ: What can emergency responses organizations locally learn from Israel’s emergency response services?

JM: I think we all do. We all look for best practices, I’m familiar with Hatzolah [the Orthodox Jewish volunteer emergency response corps] here and the work they do, but also all of us in policing, all of us in the public safety arena, we all look to each other for best practices. Israel has been on the forefront of the counter terrorism effort, we’ve learned a lot from them; I’ve been to Israel and been able to see firsthand their ability to be able to prevent incidents from occurring and then when they do occur, responding in a way you save lives quickly, be able to be resilient and get back to the normal life as quickly as possible.

JJ: What do you make of Black Lives Matter [which is advocating for change in the treatment of police of African American communities and has caused controversy with some of its tactics and positions]?

JM: It’s something that has been the cause of great deal of conversation about police-community relations, in America, in particular. I think that conversation is good. I think at the end of the day, though, the police need the support of the communities they serve in order to be successful. There has been a faction that has created a level of divisiveness that is not productive for any of us, so as we move forward we look forward to creating a dialogue to work through the problems we have, acknowledging where we’ve been wrong and working to be better than we were previously.

JJ: How are the state of things between police and the African American community in Los Angeles?

JM: Actually, pretty good. We’ve have not seen the kind of unrest here that we’ve seen in some other cities across America and I attribute that to the fact that we learned from the [19]92 civil unrest, we built relationships where they didn’t exist before, we built on the foundation that we did have, and when something happens we’re not meeting people for the first time. We have relationships, we have the ability to work through problems in a way that’s productive and not destructive.

JJ: Two years into being sheriff, how would you describe your experience serving in the position?

JM: It’s a great experience. Everyday is a challenge, on so many different fronts. But I look at the great men and women of the organization who put it all on the line everyday for people they don’t even know and they do that willingly and I don’t think get enough credit for that at all.

http://www.jewishjournal.com/meeting_jews_is_easy/item/l.a._county_sheriff_jim_mcdonnell_discusses_hatzolah_israel_and_black_lives

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Why ex-Sheriff Lee Baca’s jail corruption trial will stay in LA County

by Brenda Gazzar, Los Angeles Daily News

Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca will be tried in Los Angeles County in December in connection with a jail corruption case after a federal judge denied his request Monday to hold the trial outside the area.

U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson denied the motion to change the venue by Baca’s attorneys, who argued that thousands of news stories about the high-profile case this year have saturated the public to the point Baca could not get a fair trial in Los Angeles County.

“Any time a former sheriff of L.A. County says ‘I’m guilty’ that’s not routine and that’s what the media has feasted upon,” Nathan Hochman, who is Baca’s defense attorney, told the judge.

Anderson, however, said the county’s large and diverse population weighed strongly “against a presumption of prejudice.”

“Nor has there been blatantly prejudicial information of the type that readers or viewers could not reasonably be expected to shut from their sight,” Anderson said.

While the media has reported on Baca’s earlier plea agreement and the court’s rejection of that deal, it was not a dramatic admission of guilt that’s likely to be indelibly imprinted in the mind of someone who has seen or heard the news stories, he added.

A federal grand jury indicted Baca in August on charges alleging that he conspired to obstruct a grand jury investigation, obstructed justice, and lied to the government in connection with an FBI probe into jail-abuse allegations. That probe has so far led to convictions of at least 20 current or former members of the Sheriff’s Department, according to prosecutors.

Baca, who retired in 2014, pleaded guilty in February to lying to investigators in an April 2013 interview when he said he did not know that Sheriff’s Department officials planned to approach an FBI special agent who was investigating the abuses.

But during his sentencing on July 18, Anderson rejected the former sheriff’s plea agreement with prosecutors, saying a six-month sentence was too light and diminished his role in a series of events that led to deputies covering up abuses, looking the other way and altering records.

On Monday, Anderson also rejected a motion from Baca’s attorneys for the lead prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fox, to be removed from the case since the defense intended to call him as a witness. A prosecutor cannot also be a witness in the same case.

But Anderson said the defense team failed to demonstrate a compelling need for having Fox testify in the case.

Baca, who was dressed in a blue suit and striped tie, spoke few words Monday to his attorneys in Anderson’s courtroom at the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.

A doctor will conduct a competency examination that will be kept under seal once filed, Anderson said. Baca’s defense team has said that he is in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Prosecutors estimated that Baca’s trial in December could last seven or eight days. If convicted on all counts, Baca faces up to 20 years in federal prison, according to prosecutors.

http://www.dailynews.com/general-news/20161031/why-ex-sheriff-lee-bacas-jail-corruption-trial-will-stay-in-la-county

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Public Safety United in Opposition to Prop 57

In our role of providing specialized communications for public safety organizations, 911MEDIA has provided the following article representing law enforcement’s concerns about Proposition 57 on the California ballot, to be voted on November 8. Need help with your organization’s communications? Call 877-DIAL-911 (877-342-5911).

Top law enforcement officials, peace officer and district attorneys’ associations, victims’ rights organizations and civic leaders from across the state have joined forces to speak out against Proposition 57, which will be voted on in California’s general election on November 8. More than 50 county district attorneys, 30 county sheriffs, 20 police chiefs, 30 congressional members and thousands of peace officers, crime victims and criminal justice advocates represented by over 45 associations unequivocally urge voters to vote No on Prop 57.

Innocuously named the California Parole for Non-Violent Criminals and Juvenile Court Trial Requirements Initiative on the ballot and pushed as the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act by Governor Jerry Brown, who developed it, Prop 57 is designed to ease prison overcrowding by releasing “nonviolent” offenders from state facilities and, ostensibly, to prevent a federal court order forcing their release. But, according to public safety experts, Prop 57 is a flawed, misleadingly titled measure that will allow tens of thousands of violent criminals to be discharged from state jails and allowed back onto the streets.

“Governor Brown is deceiving Americans and Californians in calling this the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act,” said Brian Moriguchi, president of the Professional Peace Officers Association representing over 8,000 L.A. County law enforcement personnel, at an October 19 press conference that also included L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, District Attorney Jackie Lacey, Supervisor Mike Antonovich and the heads of numerous peace officer associations. “It’s neither improving public safety nor rehabilitating criminals.”

Further, changes written into Prop 57 would be incorporated into the California Constitution as an amendment, so any detrimental effects could only be changed by another ballot measure put before the voters.

“If this measure passes, at least 16,000 state prisoners, and potentially tens of thousands, will be released back into our communities,” according to Marshall McClain, LAAPOA President and PORAC Director.

“Peace officers around the state are alarmed by this highly irresponsible and dangerous proposal,” says Marshall McClain, President of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association and Director with the Peace Officers Research Association of California (the state’s largest public safety organization, representing nearly 70,000 members). “If this measure passes, at least 16,000 state prisoners, and potentially tens of thousands, will be released back into our communities.”

Analysis by the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) finds that the governor’s initiative would create drastic changes to sentencing laws, provide prison officials with broader authority to award good conduct credit, and conflict with other constitutional and legislative provisions such as use of enhancements — policies enacted over decades by voters and the Legislature to ensure that punishments fit the crime. Under Prop 57, inmates sentenced to nonviolent felony offenses would be eligible for parole consideration after completion of only the term of their primary offense, and because only a limited number of felonies are defined as “violent” in the penal code, an extensive list of violent crimes could potentially qualify as nonviolent offenses eligible for early release. These include dozens of crimes under the categories of violent assault (including assault with a deadly weapon), sexual assault (including rape of an unconscious person and use of date-rape drugs), physical and sexual child abuse, child abduction, human trafficking, acts of terrorism, domestic violence, elder abuse, gang-related violence, assaults on peace officers, assaults on inmates and many more.

“Crime rates are rising in our state right now as a result of reduced drug penalties via Prop 47, passed in 2014, and early releases under AB 109 realignment,” says McClain. “For the first time last year, after historic lows, we saw an overall 10% increase in violent crime, 37% increase in rape and double-digit increases in property crimes in cities across the state. Prop 57 will only accelerate this growing problem.”

“The governor believes these criminals are nonviolent; I disagree. We all disagree,” said Brian Moriguchi, PPOA President.

Moriguchi agrees about the dangers posed by early releases. “Fifteen days ago, one of my members, Steve Owen, was brutally murdered, shot by a parolee,” he said at the press conference. “Just three days later, two Palm Springs officers were brutally murdered, shot by a parolee … The governor believes these criminals are nonviolent; I disagree. We all disagree.”

Director Kristi Eckard of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the bargaining unit for LAPD officers, points out another reason the governor has incentive to push this proposal. “There’s a financial benefit for him to not hold these people in a state facility,” she says. “Keep in mind that the state pays for the state facilities, so if he can free up that money, he can spend it elsewhere on things that the state wants to do, like the high-speed-rail project, while keeping his budget balanced. Meanwhile, he kicks the can down to the local municipalities to have to deal with it. He’s freeing up his money and putting the burden downstream on public safety.”

No on Prop 57 coalition members feel that citizens are being duped about the true impacts of this initiative, which is why the campaign is trying to educate voters. “When people read the ballot and they hear the commercials, they’re not truthful,” says Moriguchi. “It’s dishonesty by the governor and his supporters … He says law enforcement supports it — that’s ridiculous. He’s lying to the voters to get this passed, and I think that’s wrong.”

http://911media.com/public-safety-united-opposition-prop-57/#.WCDg1_krLDe

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California Voters Poised to Pass New Gun and Ammo Restrictions

Proposition 63 would also require background checks for the purchase of ammunition and ban large-capacity magazines.

by Paige Austin

LOS ANGELES, CA -- California voters will decide Tuesday whether to approve an ammunition and gun-control initiative, that would prohibit the possession of large-capacity magazines and require background checks for the purchase of ammunition.

According to a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll released Thursday, the measure has strong voter support with 58 percent in favor of it versus 35 percent opposed.

In addition to requiring the destruction or removal from the state of large-capacity ammunition magazines, Proposition 63 would also require most individuals to pass background checks and obtain Department of Justice authorization to purchase ammunition.

The measure also:

-- requires most ammunition sales be made through licensed ammunition vendors and reported to Department of Justice;

-- requires lost or stolen firearms and ammunition be reported to law enforcement;

-- prohibits people convicted of stealing a firearm from possessing firearms;

-- establishes procedures for enforcing laws prohibiting firearm possession by felons and violent criminals; and

-- requires the Department of Justice to provide information about prohibited people to the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Passage of the initiative would result in increased state costs in the tens of millions of dollars annually related to regulating ammunition sales, likely offset by various regulatory fees authorized by the measure, according to an analysis conducted by the Legislative Analyst's Office and Department of Finance.

There would also be an increase in court and law enforcement costs, not likely to exceed the tens of millions of dollars annually, related to removing firearms from prohibited people as part of court sentencing proceedings. These costs could be offset to some extent by fees authorized by the measure, the analysis found.

There would also be a potential increase in state and local correctional costs, not likely to exceed the low millions of dollars annually, related to new and increased penalties, according to the analysis.

"The Safety for All initiative will save lives by making it much harder for dangerous people to get guns and ammunition in California," said its author, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a 2018 candidate for governor.

Michele Hanisee, president of the Association of Los Angeles Deputy District Attorneys, said the initiative "seems designed to raise Newsom's public profile, because in reality it will do nothing to prevent mass shootings in this state nor will it have any positive effects on the safety of California residents."

"Since ammunition will still be legal to possess, albeit more difficult to acquire, the measure does nothing to stop criminals who commit murder, which, of course, is already illegal," Hanisee said. "It will only affect the law abiding citizens.

"It is bad public policy to enact laws which the vast majority of Californians will simply, consciously, ignore. And it is worse public policy to enact measures which will not accomplish the goals they claim."

http://patch.com/california/hollywood/california-voters-poised-pass-new-gun-ammo-restrictions

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Black community fearful of Trump's policing tactics

by Brittany Horn

Black Delawareans, especially those living in urban areas, say tension between police and the community have reached a new level following the election of Donald Trump.

The president-elect, who garnered the support of police officers throughout the country during his campaign, has said he plans to return "law and order" to America through the increased use of tactics like "stop-and-frisk," long pegged as a racial profiling measure for minorities in urban areas. In August, he listed poverty, poor education and joblessness as reasons for black voters to support him.

“Look at how much African-American communities have suffered under Democratic control," Trump said at the rally in Dimondale, Michigan. "To those I say the following: what do you have to lose by trying something new like Trump? What do you have to lose?"

African-Americans in Delaware say the United States has, for a long time, not provided them with fair and consistent law and order, and many see Trump's presidency as a turn for the worse.

"Traditional politics suggest that you say things all the way to the left or all the way to right but when you come to the general elections, you become more centrist," said the Rev. Donald Morton, head of Complexities of Color Coalition in Wilmington. "Donald Trump has shown us that that's the old way of politics. The militarization of police, the idea that he would be the law and order president, we've heard that before. And we have no indications that he will deviate from that rhetoric."

This election, said Ty Johnson, who founded Churches Take a Corner in the city, brought that lack of discourse and understanding from both police and the community to the forefront.

"There was a certain code of hidden racism ... that was going across this country," he said. "But I didn't know that so many white folks felt displaced, that they could not relate to folks of color who have been disproportionately locked up all their lives ... and that this was the way they had to teach the lesson."

The National Fraternal Order of Police backed Trump in his run for the presidency, citing his continued support of law enforcement and emergency responders. Locally, the Delaware State Lodge supported Trump, but said his beliefs on law enforcement policies won't necessarily change policing in the First State.

"It's still going to be business as usual," said state FOP President Fred Calhoun. "I think it's because we're such a small state and we train so much. ... We don't have the issues we have in larger states."

He specifically referenced Thomas Webster, the Dover police officer who was caught on video kicking a suspect in the head, and Dover's response to the incident in 2015. Unlike other cities across the country, Calhoun said, there wasn't an uprising following release of the video.

"There wasn't a big uproar," he said. "That's because the citizens of Dover knew what the police department is about. ... They know the average police officer is there to help them."

He believes America will benefit from hearing a difference in "the rhetoric that President Obama and The White House is spewing to create an uprising," Calhoun said.

Keith James, a 21-year-old Wilmington activist, wants to take aim at the local level. In his mind, Generation X has been lost in the shuffle and handed decisions they do not support or condone.

He also said that too often, national tragedies overshadow local progress. For him, Trump has taken America back in time.

"America has already been run like a business," he said of Trump's presidential plans. "We stole the land. We stole the labor. And we capitalized upon it. Slavery is illegal but not in the form of punishment. If we increase stop and frisk, we're going to increase black people in America being incarcerated. It's taken slavery to a whole new level."

Others hope that Trump's election will serve as a wake-up call and a rallying cry for the African-American community.

Mahkeib Booker, who founded Black Lives Matter Wilmington, said Wednesday that all this election did was show the type of America we're living in – an America that doesn't value the rights of women, minorities or the disabled.

"I just want the African-American community to band together," Booker said. "There are lot of disappointed Americans today, but it's like Obama said. Don't boo, vote. Don't sit around and cry about it. Do something."