Rare.us | Students For Liberty's Ethan Pritchard wants students to have carry-conceal on campus Rare.us Owning a Taser, owning a can of mace, these are all victimless crimes, said Pritchard in an interview last year. Using it, especially if you're the aggressor, that's not okay. We try to divorce the idea that just because something is legal means ... |
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Students For Liberty's Ethan Pritchard wants students to have carry-conceal on campus - Rare.us
The legalization of marijuana in Canada has brought about many questions throughout the process. What will the final age limit be? Where will marijuana be sold? And will there be restrictions on advertising for pot companies?
The only aspect of this enigmatic experience that we have been able to predict is where the political party lines have been drawn on the issue.
The Liberals, of course, want to pass their bill and make marijuana legal for all adults. The New Democrats (NDP) want to do the same, but also eliminate arrests and convictions for possession immediately. The Conservative Party has been historically predictable, not wanting to legalize at all.
That goes for all Conservatives except one.
During the second reading of Bill C-45, Conservative MP Scott Reid was the only outlier among the group, voting in favour of legalization. This change is a refreshing outlook amongst a sea of unsurprising dissension from Reids party on the issue.
We have a policy as a party that possession of marijuana should be a ticket offense, said Reid in an interview with Marijuana.com. Theres what the party supports, and there are my own views, which are two separate things.
Reid goes on to explain that he has been of the mind for quite some time that marijuana should be legal for adults. Ive been an advocate of marijuana legalization since before the beginning of my political career. My own view is based on being a libertarian and believing that we should not have victimless crimes. Also, having a safe supply and ending the existence of revenue sources for organized crime is a good thing.
Regardless of Reids difference in opinion with his party, he has never received any pressure from them to change his mind and join their ranks on the issue. This is not new for me, I published a paper in 2001. Within a year of my first election, it was widely known that I was an advocate of marijuana legalization. Not decriminalization but of full legalization. People have respectfully disagreed, but [other than that]it has never been a problem.
Now that the bill has passed the second reading with the help of Reid, he will be developing a questionnaire for his constituents to ask how they feel he should vote in what will be the third and final reading of the bill. In the third reading, you have the bill in its final form. That is the appropriate point at which to say to your constituents, is it what you want, is it good enough?
Even before posing the question to the citizens Reid represents, he is already unsatisfied with some points of the bill. Right now the contemplative legislation proposes the age of 18 as the age at which it will be legal to consume cannabis. Others have proposed a higher age, including myself. Ive proposed 21 as being preferable. Reid added that he also feels that liquor and cannabis should not be sold together, which was an option that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne supported. They are not products that should be sold [together]for public health reasons.
Despite the challenges Reid has with the bill, the Conservative Member voted for C-45 because he believes in the bigger picture. Seemingly, the most challenging part for Reid was not voting for what he believed in, but being applauded by the Liberals when doing so. Having voted against my party on a number of occasions, I never enjoy [applause from the opposition], he said. Ive talked to people from multiple parties who have voted against party lines and it is always an uncomfortable feeling when it happens, just because of the partisan nature of the House.
As the Trudeau government steamrolls forward with its plan to change the history of prohibition, its clear that the issue of pot legalization creates strange bedfellows. But amongst the exciting and chaotic times we Canadian pot lovers live in, one thing is clear. Marijuana is going to be legal in Canada thanks to the powers that be and people like MP Scott Reid, who stood up in a sea of Conservatives and voted against their collective mindset.
Well done Scott Reid, well done.
Cover Image Courtesy of CBC
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Rebel With a Cause: The One Conservative Who Voted For Legal Pot - Marijuana.com
Local News
Jun 13, 2017
Wilcox
The four arrests made June 6 culminated a joint state police and Fulton County Sheriffs Department operation.
Christopher L. Wilcox, 49, of Gloversville, was charged with one felony count of second-degree attempted rape, second-degree attempted criminal sexual act and felony first-degree disseminating indecent materials to a minor. A sheriffs news release indicated he allegedly attempted sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old female. The release said Wilcox was communicating with a member of state police, who he thought was a 14 years old girl.
Thomas Gordon, 59, of Fonda, was charged with second-degree attempted sexual act with a 14-year-old male. He communicated by electronic device with a person he believed was a 14-year-old boy, deputies said.
Both male suspects were arraigned before town Justice Wayne McNeil and sent to the Fulton County Jail.
Gordon
Bail was set at $15,000 cash or $30,000 insurance bond, as requested by Fulton County District Attorney Chad Brown.
Laura Law, 35, of Fort Plain, and Shitiqua Williams, 28, of Albany, were each charged with one misdemeanor count of prostitution.
The woman were also arraigned before McNeil, who set an unspecified amount of bail for each.
The operation was jointly conducted by state police members of the Fonda and Mayfield Bureaus of Criminal Investigation and the sheriffs office Investigative Unit. Members of both agencies uniform divisions participated, as well as the New York state Computer Crimes Unit, Investigations Unit and Electronics Unit.
Giardino and state police Sr. Inv. Walter Hadsell stated that from the standpoint of sharing resources and removing two alleged child predators from the street, the operation was a success.
Williams
The sheriff said anyone with information involving efforts by individuals trying to exploit children or reaching out to young children through social media should contact the sheriffs office at (518) 736-2100; or state police BCI.
Anyone with information about women being exploited by handlers, or pimps, to be used as prostitutes should report that as well, Giardino said.
The sheriff said in the release that while many consider prostitution a victimless crime, it is sometimes much worse.
Giardino said a trial currently going on in Schenectady County involves a pimp accused of murdering a prostitute because she wasnt making enough money for him.
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at manich@leaderherald.com.
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Child porn, prostitution sting nets 4 | News, Sports, Jobs - Leader ... - Gloversville Leader-Herald
ST. CLAIRSVILLE Belmont County Common Pleas Judge John Vavra handed down an eight-year prison sentence Monday for crimes involving child pornography.
Russell Conrad, 30, incarcerated, was sentenced to eight years on three counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor, a second-degree felony occurring Feb. 15. The sentences are to be served concurrently for a total of eight years.
Conrads defense attorney asked Vavra to consider Conrads mental issues and otherwise clean record.
Vavra said this was not a victimless crime.
Children are victimized when that happens, he said.
Belmont County Prosecutor Dan Fry said his office was pleased with the eight-year sentence, adding that although the child victims in the depictions are not residents of Belmont County or of Ohio, his office will prosecute those individuals who exchange these pictures online.
We need to aggressively investigate and prosecute these cases in order to eliminate child exploitation, Fry said, commending the Belmont County Sheriffs Department. I cant say enough about the detective division that closely monitors this online. Without their efforts, we would not be able to successfully prosecute these matters like we do, and they deserve the credit.
In other cases before Vavra on Monday:
Justin Allen Bradley, 27, of Warren, Ohio was sentenced to 18 months for conspiracy to convey drugs into a detention facility, a felony of the third degree occurring May 15, 2015.
Ryan Joseph Braun, 30, incarcerated, self-terminated from drug court after an alcohol offense and saw his sentence of almost one year imposed, with credit for 240 days. He was originally convicted of theft, a felony of the fourth degree occurring Nov. 1, 2015.
Bradley Alan Craig, 31, of 1811 Hill St., Martins Ferry, pleaded guilty to importuning, a felony of the fifth degree occurring April 24. Sentencing was set for July 10.
Jean Paul Geiger, 42, incarcerated, saw his imposition of sanctions for violating his community controls. His original sentence of two years was imposed, with credit for 462 days served. He was originally charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a felony of the third degree occurring Sept. 2, 2014.
Morgan Ashton Hood, 19, of 807 Grant Ave., Martins Ferry, pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition, a felony of the third degree occurring Jan. 27. Sentencing was set for June 26.
Taylor Patrick Hughes, 35, of 53981 Belmont St., Neffs, pleaded guilty to two counts of theft, a felony of the fourth degree occurring April 8, 2016. Sentencing was set for June 19.
No plea agreement was reached in the case of Gary Mark Henthorn, 45, of 613 South Chestnut St., Barnesville, and his trial remains set for June 27. He is accused of possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree allegedly occurring Nov. 15.
Luke Aaron Kovalyk, 29, of 4436 Lincoln Avenue, Shadyside, pleaded guilty to possession of heroin, a felony of the fifth degree occurring Nov. 8. Sentencing was set for June 26.
Michael Kenneth Lewis, 18, of 44525 Lafferty Road, St. Clairsville, was sentenced for burglary, a felony of the fourth degree occurring March 27. He was given three years of community controls and will serve up to six months in jail and six months in the Eastern Ohio Correction Center. A violation will mean a sentence of 18 months.
Vavra pointed out the financial and psychological trauma suffered by the victim.
Today is your last chance not to go to prison, he said.
Aaron Franklin Riley, incarcerated, was arraigned and pleaded innocent to theft, a felony of the fifth degree. His pre-trial hearing was set for June 26, with a plea agreement deadline of July 10 and trial on July 20.
Quintae Lawrence Dishontee Stubbs, 26, of 609 Vine St., Martins Ferry, withdrew his guilty plea. He will be re-indicted and his bond was set at $100,000. He was accused of trafficking in cocaine in the vicinity of a juvenile, a felony of the fourth degree allegedly occurring May 19, 2013.
Darrah K. Wade, 30, incarcerated, self-terminated from drug court after several violations. She will serve to up to six months in jail, six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center. She was originally convicted of trafficking in drugs, a felony of the fifth degree occurring Jan. 19, 2014.
Danielle Laurice Webb, 33, incarcerated, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to convey prohibited items into a detention facility, a felony of the fourth degree occurring Aug. 1, 2015. Her sentencing was set for June 26.
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Being Libertarian | The extent to which a state should exist Being Libertarian Thus, the elimination of a good justice department that acts to mitigate violation of rights and prevent non-victimless crimes would be detrimental to a libertarian society that embraces freedom. (This is not an endorsement of the US Department of ... |
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The extent to which a state should exist - Being Libertarian
Paola Loriggio, The Canadian Press Published Friday, June 9, 2017 1:57PM EDT Last Updated Friday, June 9, 2017 5:15PM EDT
TORONTO -- A Canadian accused in a massive hack of Yahoo emails will have to stay in custody as he prepares to fight extradition to the United States.
Ontario's appeal court has dismissed Karim Baratov's effort to fight a judge's decision to deny him bail, saying that while the judge made some mistakes, they were not serious enough to affect the outcome.
"At the end of the day, Mr. Baratov remains a significant flight risk, and is alleged to have committed a serious offence," Justice Bradley Miller said in upholding the judge's ruling.
In a decision released Friday, Miller acknowledged the judge erred in finding that Baratov had breached the secure computers at Yahoo, Google and other companies, when in fact he is accused of "spear-phishing," a type of scam used to dupe users into giving away confidential information.
But Miller rejected the defence's allegations that the judge was wrong to describe Baratov as a highly skilled hacker or to find that the 22-year-old made a substantial income from his alleged activities.
"The fact is, Mr. Baratov gave evidence and was not able to persuade the application judge that he had any sources of legitimate income that could account for him acquiring, by age 22, a house, a string of luxury automobiles, and $31,000 in cash," Miller said.
"What is relevant, for the purposes of the application judge's analysis, is that there is evidence that Mr. Baratov is capable of generating significant earnings, not tied to any geographic location, and that this fuels his flight risk. These findings were open to the application judge on the record before him."
Baratov was arrested in March under the Extradition Act after U.S. authorities indicted him and three others -- two of them allegedly officers of Russia's Federal Security Service -- for computer hacking, economic espionage and other crimes.
The judge who denied Baratov bail in April found the young man was too much of a flight risk to be released under the plan proposed by his legal team.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Alan Whitten also said Baratov's parents -- who offered close to $1 million in cash and assets as collateral -- would not make suitable supervisors because they had not questioned his growing wealth or his business activities while he was living with them.
Whitten further said he believed Baratov would be motivated to flee, given that he could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted in the U.S.
Baratov's lawyers had argued that Whitten made several errors, including amplifying the Hamilton man's alleged connection to the Yahoo hack and the Russian intelligence agent who allegedly hired him.
His legal team said in court that there's no evidence to suggest Baratov was involved in the large-scale breach of Yahoo security systems.
Miller took issue Friday with the defence's position that Baratov is accused of a "comparatively minor and victimless crime."
"Whether the applicant was paid nothing or was paid millions; whether the skill and energy expended were advanced or basic; whether he thought he was dealing with (Russian intelligence agents) or with a high school principal, the alleged conduct remains a destabilizing attack on the integrity of systems that are vital to all of our well-being," he said.
"Even unsuccessful attacks imperil public confidence and require the commitment of substantial resources for defence. The public cost, monetary and psychological, is broad and deep."
Baratov's lawyer,Amedeo DiCarlo, said they will now focus their efforts on challenging the extradition order.
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Rockland County District Attorney Chief of Detectives Peter Modafferi recounts 45-year career as he prepares to retire. John Meore/Lohud
Peter Modafferi, Rockland County District Attorney's Chief of Detectives, recounts his 45-year career. Photographed at the Rockland County District Attorney's Office in New City on Monday, June 5, 2017.(Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)Buy Photo
Murders. Political corruption. Mobsters. Gambling. Police abuse.
Peter Modafferi, who is retiring June 14, helped investigatethose and many other crimes during his 44 years with the Rockland District Attorney's Office30 of those years as chief of detectives. His 45-year career started in June 1972 as an investigator with the Rockland Public Defender's Office.
Modafferi, 67, raised in Rockland County and married for 31 years to retired teacher Mary Beth Modafferi, also has been a major force behind the maturation of law enforcement in Rockland, such as helping create the Rockland Drug Task Force by obtaining a $125,000 grant in 1973 to rent a building and buy four unmarked cars.
His contacts in federal law enforcementprovided Rockland with millions of dollars in modernized surveillance, connections and credibility. He's testified before Congress on law enforcement issues, including surveillance and homeland security issues.
"If you look at Peter Modafferi, you see someone known nationally in law enforcement who's not always recognized as an influential figure in his local community," Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe said. "Here's a guy who's been involved in every majorinvestigation in the county over four decades. The guy's a visionary. He has been well ahead of his time when it comes to law enforcement changes.
"He's had a lot to say on a national level such as the president's drug policy on law enforcement advancements in the 21st century," Zugibe said.
Modaferri's seen Rockland change from thebucolic community of his youth and younger days as an investigator to a more urban suburbia, but insists the county always had its share of violence and drugs. He's seen law enforcement officers grow in numberand become better equipped and trained,spurred by the murder of two Nyack police officers and a Brinks armored car guard on Oct. 20, 1981.
Peter Modafferi, Rockland County District Attorney's Chief of Detectives, recounts his 45-year career. Photographed at the Rockland County District Attorney's Office in New City on Monday, June 5, 2017.(Photo: John Meore/The Journal News)
"It's been a thrill of a lifetime," Modafferi said recently,sitting behind his desk at the DA's Office in New City.His desk is modestly clear of clutter, but police patches,hats andawards are scattered on furniture andwalls.
"It was always what I wanted to do," he said of law enforcement. "It was exciting. Every decade brought something new. "
All cops and prosecutors have horrific memories of violence, as well as dealing with families facing emotional distress, shock and anger.
(Photo: Courtesy of her family )
Two horrific murders of young girls are among the major investigations recalled by Modafferi cases he won't forget:
(Photo: Submitted)
File photo /The Journal News The Clarkstown police Honor Guard presents the colors during the 34th annual Brinks Memorial Service in Nyack on Oct. 20. The Clarkstown police Honor Guard presents the colors during the 34th annual Brinks Memorial Service in Nyack on Oct. 20. The event remembered South Nyack police Sgt. Edward O'Grady and Officer Waverly Brown, and Brinks guard Peter Paige, who were killed in an armored-car robbery in 1981.(Photo: File photo by Peter Carr/The Jou)
Despite Rockland's reputation as a bedroom community, Modaferri said Rockland has long been home to violence, murders, illegal gambling and organized crime figures. He's been involved in establishing units to investigate the mob, gambling, drugs, and political corruption, working closely with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Attorney's Office.
"Since I started, the population of Rockland County has grown 40 percent," he said of the changing nature of the state's smallest county geographically. Law enforcement has changed with the times, he said.
He recalledthe 1970s and 1980s when Rockland saw 15 to 25 murders annuallymany that went unresolved as "we couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt."
Nyack Police Officer Waverly "Chipper" Brown, left, and Sgt. Edward O'Grady were murdered Oct. 20, 1981, at a Nyack roadblock during robbery of a Brinks truck.(Photo: The Journal News/File photo)
"There wasn't DNA back then," Modafferi said. "They did tests on blood to determine the range of possibilities. DNA made it a different world as technology has enhanced law enforcement and investigations today. The technology can help convict or exonerate a suspect."
Organized crime also has a foothold in Rockland. Several major mob figures such as Genovese family captain Daniel Pagano and organized crime-linked gamblers and loan sharks have been arrested and sent to prison over the years. Pagano's father, Joseph Pagano, reputedly ran the region's garbage industry and gambling.
"They are very active in Rockland," Modafferi said, adding recently retired detective William Michella headed investigations into the mob. "I've met them. They are wiseguys. That's what they do for a living. They know we know it. It's a chess game. "
He recalls a lawyer who stole from senior citizens to pay his gambling debts to the mob, saying that alone is proof gambling is not a victimless crime, as many in the public claim.
"Loansharking comes with a price," he said. "It's a vicious cycle."
Aside from helping solve crimes and conducting investigations,Modafferi takes pride that he represented the Rockland District Attorney's Office on national panels and with groups studying crime and modernizing investigative approaches.
He's spent 27 years working with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, chairing its investigative operations committee for years. He's been published in law enforcement magazines and periodicals numerous times. He also chaired the executive advisory board of the National Domestic Communications Assistance Center.
Hetestifiedin 2013 before theHouse Investigations Subcommittee on the use of warrants and probablecause to get personal information on citizens as part of an investigation. He's been quoted on law enforcement issues by newspapers and periodicals nationwide, such as the Washington Post.
His connections with the federal drug councils provided the county Drug Task Force with$2 million worth of surveillance equipment. Rockland got the equipment free and became a test site forfederal drug agencies to determine the effectivenessof the equipment, he said. The Sheriff's Office also got a $400,000 ballistics identification system through his efforts.
"When you get involved in these organizations, the benefits to the county are huge." Modafferi said.
Modafferi's been ahead of the curve on law enforcement needs for decades and his work with the chiefs association has won him respect across the nation, said Col. Steve McCraw of the Texas Department of Public Safety, which includes the Texas Rangers, patrol officers and intelligence-gathering.
"He's clearlyan icon," said McCraw, who met Modafferi decades ago as an FBI agent. "I don't use that word lightly."
McCraw said Modafferi has been a leader on advocating intelligence-based investigations, the use of data, computers, cooperative witnesses, and law enforcement combining resources.
"He hadseen the need for intelligence-gathering before 9-11 and he's seen the impacts of commercial sex trafficking and exploited children," McCraw said, noting the work done by the Rockland District Attorney's Office and other agencies to curb sex trafficking at the recent Super Bowl in New Jersey.
"For some children, theironly chance of being free is an informed patrol officer on human trafficking, and that's something Pete has long advocated," McCraw said.
Modafferi has worked for four district attorneys over his career hired by Robert Meehan and followed by Gribetz, Michael Bongiorno and Zugibe, with whom he has worked since 1981 when Zugibe was an assistant district attorney. Modafferi worked closely with Zugibe's father, the later Dr. Fred Zugibe, a world-renowned forensic pathologist who created the Rockland Medical Examiner's Office.
Retired FBI AgentHilda Kogut also praised Modafferias an advocate forcooperative investigations building bridges to solve crimes.
"Peter is a detailed oriented guy and a really good investigator," she said. "I've always found him to be educated, a real classy guy, very professional and always there to help you."
She said she and the FBI worked with Modafferi and the District Attorney's Office on many cases, including a robbery of a millionaire businessman in Piermont, the murder of a scientist in Pearl River by his wife and her cousin, and the Judaic Studies case, during which millions of dollars in education funds and other social welfare programs were stolen by residents of New Square.
Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe in his New City office April 27, 2017.(Photo: Peter Carr/The Journal News)
Zugibe, who has worked with Modafferi since 1981,described Modafferi's investigative style like Peter Falk's character in "Colombo" intellectual and meticulous.
"He can dig into the most complex cases and come up with a strategy," Zugibe said. "I am talking about white collar cases, not just street crime. Peter has a natural knack. He's going to be missed by my office and the county."
Modafferi graduated from the FBI Academy in June 1983 and always tried to send his office's investigators to the program, where they got training and could make connections that last a lifetime, Kogut said.
"Networking is critical to being a good investigator," Kogut said. "We're a small county. You want people like Pete out there who is a point person to meet the right people so we can get the equipment and financing we really need."
Modafferi said the District Attorney's Office's working relationship with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office led to the formation of an anti-corruption task force.He noted that District Attorney's Office detectives provided the FBI with a key undercover operative, Moses Stern of Monsey, whichled to the convictions of officials from Spring Valley and New York City.
He helped spearheadthe office's community prosecution concept and the special victims unit with Lt. Mary Murphy to establish the Spirit of Rockland Special Victims Unit for interviewing and helping sexual abuse survivors on the grounds of Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern.
His future plans involve working for a national program that delves into human trafficking, a worldwide crime problem.
"Something has to be done about the sexual and laborhuman trafficking of children, women," he said. "Crime doesn't stop. It's just being done differently."
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An Ontario Court of Appeals judge has dismissed an attemptby alleged Yahoo hacker Karim Baratov to be allowed to wait out a U.S. extradition hearing at home, saying the 22-year-old is a flight risk.
Baratov, 22, who owned a home in an affluent neighbourhood in Ancaster, Ont., will remain behind bars after the court dismissed his application for a review of the detention order Friday. Baratov was arrested in early March and formally denied bail in April.
In his decision Friday, Justice J. A. Miller rejected the argument from Baratov's lawyers that the crimes he's accused ofdidn't hurt anyone.
"Counsel for Mr. Baratov argues that what is alleged against his client is a comparatively minor and victimless crime," he wrote. "It is anything but."
Even unsuccessful hacking attacks undermine public confidence, the judge said.
"The public cost, monetary and psychological, is broad and deep."
The dismissal is disappointing but expected, saidAmedeo Dicarlo, one of Baratov's lawyers.
"The next step is to fight extradition."
Akhmet Tokbergenov, left, and Dinara Tokbergenova, Baratov's parents, leave the court after their son was denied bail, with lawyer Deepak Paradkar. (Mark Blinch/Canadian Press)
Baratov, he added, is doing "fine."
"He is anxious for closure and/or vindication like anyone would be in his position."
At his April bail hearing, Baratov's lawyers argued that he isn't a flight risk, and pointed out that time served in Canada doesn't translate to the U.S. His parents said at the time that they were willing to act as sureties.
The Crown argued that Baratov had lots of money at his disposal and the ability to take shelter in other countries.
Baratov was arrested in March under the Extradition Act after U.S. authorities indicted him and three others two of them allegedly officers of Russia's Federal Security Service for computer hacking, economic espionage and other crimes.
The Yahoo breach affected at least a half billion users, but Baratov is only accused of hacking 80 of them.
Miller agreed that Baratov was a flight risk, and that him staying in jail was required to protectthe public and maintain public confidence in the justice system.
Baratov has an ability to make "substantial income from any location where he can get internet access," the decision said.
"There were no reviewable errors, and no material change," it said. "At the end of the day, Mr. Baratov remains a significant flight risk."
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Alleged Yahoo hacker Karim Baratov will stay in jail as he awaits extradition hearing - CBC.ca
Crime.
15:36 Friday 09 June 2017
Police are hunting thieves who attempted to steal railway cables two nights in a row - causing major delays across Sheffield.
Cable was cut on two consecutive nights in locations near to Shireoaks Train Station.
They first struck just before midnight on Thursday, June 1, when rail workers disturbed a group of men on a foot crossing near the station. The men fled but left trailers, bikes and cut cable at the scene.
The following day cable was cut near to Shireoaks Junction at 10.15pm, which affected trains on the Worksop to Sheffield and Worksop to Nottingham lines.
Thieves also targeted the same scene two years ago.
Detective Constable Gavin Buck, of British Transport Police, said: We have launched an investigation being run by a dedicated team of officers. We are also in the process of forensically examining items left by the would-be thieves at the scene.
We are doing all we can to find those responsible, but I would like to urge members of the public to be vigilant and report any information, including suspicious people or vehicles near the railway, which may help us stop such crimes taking place and catch those responsible.
The railway is also an extremely dangerous environment and anyone who risks their lives - while disrupting those of others - by carrying out this sort of crime needs to be found. "
He added: Cable theft is not a victimless crime far from it. Train delays and cancellations directly affect people getting to work, visiting family and travelling to hospital appointments.
Contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40.
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Police hunting rail cable thieves who caused travel disruptions in Sheffield - The Star
A family of fraudsters who pocketed more than 45 million in the largest payroll fraud of its kind in the UK have been jailed for a total of 27-and-a-half years.
Essex Police is also now looking to recover as much of the cash as possible from Geoffrey, Joshua and Andrew Copp, who pocketed money that should have gone to the public purse.
Geoffrey, 55, his son Joshua, 24, and brother Andrew, 51, ran Central Payroll Specialists (CPS), which was later rebranded as Quality Premier Services (QPS), based in Croxley Heath near Rickmansworth.
These were umbrella payroll companies, which were used by recruitment agencies to manage the wages of thousands of temporary workers.
Over the course of three years, the Copps did not pass the VAT they received from the recruitment agencies to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
Instead, they split the cash to fund lavish lifestyles, buying luxury cars, watches and property.
The scam came to light after information was passed to Essex Police, resulting in an investigation led by the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, with the assistance of HMRC's Criminal Taxes Unit.
Initial enquiries focused on Joshua and police found that during 2013/2014, 2.4million was transferred to his personal bank accounts from CPS, and a further 9.2million was transferred to him from CPS and QPS during 2014/2015.
READ MORE: Man who tried to burgle elderly Rosyton woman while on licence has jail sentence cut
Further investigations by Essex Police and HMRC found the two companies paid just under 4million in VAT between September 2012 and September 2015.
HMRC investigators estimated there was just under 46million in unpaid VAT.
Tax records also showed that Geoffrey and Joshua paid no income tax between 2009 and 2015, while Andrew had paid 15,930.
Warrants were executed at their homes in May and September 2015.
In March 2016 they were each charged with conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and conspiring to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer or remove criminal property.
They stood trial at Wood Green Crown Court on April 4 and were found guilty by a jury on Monday June 5.
The court heard Geoffrey set up the businesses, later taking back seat in the day to day management and passing over that responsibility to Andrew. Joshua, who previously had very little work experience, also played a substantial role in the businesses.
They spent money on houses, expensive cars, jewellery, private jet travel and gambling.
The court heard Geoffrey Copp bought four homes, one in Spain and three in England, mortgage free between 2014 and 2015. Their combined value is 3million.
He spent nearly 300,000 on private jet flights to Spain between July 2014 and January 2015 and owned several racehorses.
When police executed warrants at Joshua's home in Olivers Lane, Stotfold, in May 2015, they found several cars worth 1million overall registered in his name and ten watches with a combined value of about 400,000.
READ MORE: Video shows men pulled out of van in Cheshunt and arrested
Police also found Joshua Copp's receipt for two seats at a Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao boxing match at the MGM Grand - each seat cost 10,000.
He also had a receipt for a 26,064 bar bill at the Rose club in Marylebone, London, where he left a 4,000 tip.
From February 2014, Andrew Copp bought four homes for 1,395,000 and six cars, including two Lamborghinis and a Bentley Continental.
They were sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court today, Friday, June 9.
Speaking after the hearing, Detective Chief Inspector Josie Hayes, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "This was a sophisticated scam yet all three defendants consistently denied any knowledge that their companies owned such an enormous amount of VAT.
"They saw this money as a windfall to spend as they wished. But this was not a victimless crime.
"The vast sums of cash they spent so freely on their extravagant lifestyles should have gone into paying for public services such as health, welfare and law and order.
"All three were well aware of what they were doing and played a substantial role in this conspiracy.
"Geoffrey set up the payroll companies and the mechanism of the fraud.
"Andrew became the director of QPS during the time when most of the VAT was stolen.
"And Joshua played an administrative role and shared out the proceeds."
READ MORE: Burglars stole elderly woman's jewellery while she was in her back garden
She added: "Now they will all pay for their crimes with time behind bars.
"Essex Police will also begin the process of applying for confiscation orders under the Proceeds of Crime Act to recover the cash that should rightfully have gone into the public purse, ensuring they do not benefit from their criminality.
"We have already obtained a restraint order for property and money valued at 22million, which 'freezes' property that may be liable to confiscation following a trial and the making of a confiscation order.
"I would like to thank the witnesses who provided evidence during the investigation and trial, and staff at HMRC's Criminal Taxes Unit, with whom we have worked with closely on this complex case."
QPS has been placed into liquidation as a result of a HMRC winding up petition. CPS was also liquidated.
HMRC's Criminal Taxes Unit is working closely with the liquidators in order to maximise recoveries for creditors.
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Independent business owners suffering from a burglary epidemic today thanked Merseyside Police and the ECHO for bringing those responsible to justice.
An emergency meeting was called in April this year after we revealed a crime wave plaguing bars and restaurants in Liverpool city centre.
Some victims were even considering hiring their own security wardens to tackle determined crooks operating in Bold Street and Dale Street.
Frustrated owners sought help from the police, council representatives and members of Liverpool Business Investment District (BID).
Officers have arrested 19 suspects since April 10 and six of these men are now facing more than 11 years behind bars in total.
They include:
Alan Bell, 45, of Prescot Road, Old Swan - jailed for 18 months
James Riley, 38, of Boundary Street, Vauxhall - jailed for two years and four months
Marshall Tung, 30, of no fixed address - jailed for three years
Daniel Tung, 18, of no fixed address - jailed for two years
James Quarton, 28, of no fixed address - jailed for five months
Colin Spicer, 47, of Seel Street, Liverpool - jailed for 20 months
Gareth Morgan, who owns Dead Crafty Beer Company, suffered 1,600 of damage to a window and till area when Spicer and Bell struck.
He described the crime spree as an epidemic, but today said: It just shows what the police can do when they have the right resources for something.
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Our CCTV has helped to catch one of these guys, so that was clearly worth the investment.
I think the ECHO drawing attention to it has certainly helped and possibly made the police step things up - which they have done and has clearly been a good thing.
Staff at nearby Dale Street Eatery were also happy with the results, tweeting they could sleep a little better after hearing Spicer had been jailed.
Tariq Batayneh runs the restaurant with his wife Lenka Balkova, which twice had its windows smashed during raids by Spicer and Quarton.
She said it was so sad to watch people on CCTV smashing through the business you have worked so hard on and ruining our livelihoods.
But today Mr Batayneh said: We feel a lot better after these results and we would like to thank the police for their work.
We would also like to thank the Liverpool ECHO who really helped us to get the message out. We just feel a lot safer now.
Both Dale Street Eatery and Dead Crafty Beer are now working with the council to look at installing new shutters at their premises.
City centre councillor Nick Small, who organised the urgent meeting, said small independent businesses were the lifeblood of our city centre.
The talks were also attended by Otto Mellouki, who runs Koop and Bakchich restaurants in Bold Street, both of which had been targeted.
A community policing team patrolled the areas to offer reassurance, while officers visited businesses to provide security advice.
Meanwhile undercover and uniformed officers walked city centre streets during the day and night to identify those responsible.
Superintendent Mark Wiggins said: Business burglaries are not victimless crimes.
Many of these businesses are local people who just want to earn a living and the actions of this group have not just left businesses out of pocket, they have the potential to damage the confidence of those local people running the businesses.
We committed resources to help combat this problem following a series of burglaries.
I hope todays result sends a strong message to anyone considering this type of criminality to think again.
Supt Wiggins said it was in everyones interest to help solve and prevent crimes against people providing a vital service to our communities.
He added: Liverpool city centre has continued year on year to be awarded Purple Flag status, and is consistently recognised as one of the safest cities in the UK.
We will continue to work hard with our partners to ensure the city remains a safe place with a good reputation, which encourages people to continue to enjoy what the city has to offer.
Anyone with information about these incidents is urged to contact Merseyside Police on 101 or the confidential Crimestoppers number 0800 555 111.
Read more here:
Michael Applebaum in 2016: It's hard to justify filling up overcrowded jails with white-collar criminals like the former mayor, Allison Hanes says, but corruption is not a victimless crime. Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette
The whiff of corruption in Quebec has claimed political careers and unseated administrations. It spawned a public inquiry and fuelled scandals. It has sparked legislative changes, led to the creation of watchdog bodies and generated investigative exposs.
But at the end of the day, when someone is charged, tried and convicted of breaching public confidence, the penalty meted out might seem underwhelming compared to all the outrage, debate and hand-wringing over the extent of the rot.
Michael Applebaum is in many ways a case in point. The former mayor of Montreal and long-time borough mayor of Notre-Dame-de-GrceCte-des-Neiges spent just two months behind bars after being convicted on eight fraud charges for demanding a $55,000 kickback connected to a construction project.
By all accounts, he was a model prisoner, participating in animal therapy sessions and going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings even though he didnt have a drinking problem. And, perhaps most notably, he has now owned up to his crimes and the harm they inflicted after fighting the charges tooth and nail in court. So the Quebec parole board released him, after he served one-sixth of his 12-month jail term. He is still on probation and has to do community service, but he is out from behind bars and back at home.
These decisions are par for the course in the normal administration of justice, however they tend to be met with incomprehension, and sometimes fury, by society at large.
The court system, thankfully, isnt moved by the barometer of public opinion in such matters.But it is still valid to ask in such cases whether the punishment fits the crime and whether the justice system is accomplishing the goals it has set for itself.
Judges must weigh several principles in meting out sentences. Besides the circumstances of the case, the particular aggravating or mitigating factors can include denunciation, deterrence, rehabilitation and separation from society (a.k.a. protecting the public).
When it comes to corruption, I would argue deterrence is the most important of these considerations.
Specific deterrence is the message the censure sends to the offender, the consequences that are supposed to persuade them to not repeat their mistakes. In Applebaums case, its hard to see how he got off lightly.
He has lost his influence, power and profile. He is up to his eyeballs in debt to his lawyer. He torpedoed his career, both at city hall and in real estate. He has squandered all the respect, dignity and pride he garnered from his public service. He may have compromised his mental and physical health, too. And he has probably wounded his family by putting them through this ordeal.
This is a mess entirely of his own making, so you can hold the sympathy.He did this, he now admits, not to line his own pockets, but to feed the insatiable goat of campaign financing.
For a public officeholder like Applebaum, who staked his success on the approbation and approval of others, disgrace is the ultimate comeuppance.
But what message does the two months he actually served send to other officials who might be tempted to bend the rules, abuse their authority or otherwise breach the public trust out of personal or political greed? This is the real question.
General deterrence is another part of the puzzle judges must contemplate. Its the cautionary tale, the attempt to dissuade others from going down a similar path. Will two months discourage other risk-takers driven by hubris from cheating the public purse?
White-collar crime is not typically dealt with very harshly by the justice system.
Lets face it, its likely the only reason Applebaum got jail time in the first place was that he denied the fraud until the end, contesting the charges at trial, when his co-accused, councillor Saulie Zajdel and borough inspections director Yves Bisson, pleaded guilty. That was his right, but its also a risk. The court offers leniency in exchange for acknowledging wrongdoing.
Pragmatically speaking, its hard to justify filling up overcrowded jails with white-collar criminals who arent an imminent threat to security when there are many violent offenders who should be taken off the streets. But corruption is not a victimless crime.
Taxpayers and citizens suffer from being constantly forced to pay the inflated price of contracts won through deceptive means. Companies and contractors who play by the rules are hurt where there is a lack of fair competition for public work. And confidence in our very democracy is undermined when those who exploit their influence to cling to power.
This is no longer about Applebaum, who has done his time and will live with the consequences for the rest of his life (or as long as the collective memory endures). This is about uprooting the system his crimes served, the one Justice France Charbonneau (but not her co-commissioner Renaud Lachance) uncovered, and warned us is very deeply entrenched.
Read the original here:
Allison Hanes: Disgrace is the deterrent for Applebaum - Montreal Gazette
CNN recently reported that a federal judge in Iowa reluctantly imposed the federal mandatory minimum drug sentence of five years in prison on a grandmother who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute five or more grams of methamphetamine. The judge noted that had she been tried in state court, she would have gotten probation since she was never in trouble with the law before.
Mandatory sentencing takes administering the law out of judges' hands, leaving them unable to consider all mitigating circumstances. The judge should have authority over administering the law, not federal agencies in D.C. and certainly not Attorney General Jeff Sessions, since neither hear these cases. Mandatory sentencing on those convicted of victimless crimes also impose an economic burden on society, who not only has to pay room and board of the convicted in prison, but also the families of those convicted are deprived of the economic and family role that those convicted of victimless crimes played at home.
This imposes a burden on the rest of society, for the people left behind need to be provided for to the extent they can't provide for themselves. Put federal drug sentencing back in the hands of the judges where it belongs.
Michael Radowitz
Newburgh
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Letter: Judges should get say in drug sentencing - Times Herald-Record
ALBANY A Schenectady man was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison Tuesday for receiving and possessing child pornography.
Jeffrey Butler, 33, was also sentenced to 15 years of post-release supervision.
While pleading guilty on Feb. 6, Butler admitted he used the Internet and a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download more than 300 child pornography files.
"Many, many people continue to believe that viewing child pornography is a victimless crime," U.S. District Judge Mae A. D'Agostino said before sentencing Butler. "But it is important, I think, for the record to establish that what you were viewing, Mr. Butler, was horrendous crimes being committed against children who are real children
"They're not fake, they're not three-dimensional caricatures, and it's not victimless," the judge said. "Every time you view child pornography, you are prolonging and perpetuating the agony that these real children sustained when they were being tortured and raped as depicted in many of the images and films that you viewed."
Investigators found videos and still images depicting the sexual exploitation of children on electronic devices inside Butler's home, according U.S. Attorney Richard S. Hartunian of the Northern District of New York, and James C. Spero, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O'Hanlon as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.
Read more from the original source:
Schenectady man sentenced to 7 years in prison for child porn - Albany Times Union
I am running for Whitefish Municipal Court judge for one reason: to make the court and our community the best it can be.
My initial goal is to reduce your taxes. I will make the judge position part-time, with a corresponding reduction in salary, to save your tax bill. I want to increase efficiency.
I will use video arraignments to free county deputies for patrol rather than transporting prisoners. This will also make scarce jail space available for more serious offenders.
I will improve case resolution by implementing simple business practices, such as telephone conferences, so citizens will not miss work to resolve a parking ticket and visitors will not have to make multiple return visits for a traffic violation.
I will punish domestic violence. On average, a woman is beaten 25 times before she makes a police report. Women are killed by abusers at twice the rate of our troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fifty to 75 percent of those deaths are when she leaves her abuser. I will issue restraining orders when a victim makes the courageous decision to seek help, and will strongly punish domestic abusers.
I will protect our community from drunk drivers and those without insurance or licenses. These are not victimless crimes. I will impose maximum penalties, including treatment and interlock devices, to protect each of your families and our community.
I will do more with less of your tax dollars. You are being taxed for a new city hall, a new high school and the Haskill Basin conservation easement. Soon you will be asked to pay for a new middle school and a new county jail. As I said, I will reduce the courts budget, beginning with the judges salary.
I will bring experience to the job. I am the only candidate who has served as Brad Johnsons sub-judge. As Johnson's sub-judge, I handled all cases when he was absent, had a conflict of interest or did not want to handle the case.
I have long been a public servant. I have lived and practiced law in Whitefish for 26 years. I have been Planning Board chairman, Flathead Countys Employer of Choice and the Whitefish Chambers Citizen of the Year.
For more information on my background, experience and goals, go to my website at http://www.tornowforwhitefish.com or call me at 862-7450.
With all these things in mind, I respectfully ask for your vote in November so that together, we can make the court and our community the best it can be.
Tom Tornow is a candidate for Whitefish municipal judge.
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David Shapiros smear of Jeff Sessions in a Chicago Tribune op-ed, suggesting that the attorney generalis a racist, is consistent with other failed partisan efforts to distort and delegitimize the former senators record on race and law enforcement. Apparently, Shapiro missed Sessionss confirmation hearing in which the same smears were attempted only to be refuted one by one by witnesses mostly black who actually know the facts and the man.
Shapiro asserts Sessionss directive to staff on criminal sentencing related to drug crimes is the latest in a series of attempts by the Attorney General to tear down protections for people of color. Mr. Shapiro seems to have forgotten that during the height of the crack epidemic ravaging the black community in the 80s, it was Congressman Charlie Rangel and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus who voted for the Anti-Drug Abuse Act (ADAA), which established the 100-1 sentencing ratio for crack and powder cocaine. Were Rangel and other members of Congress racist?
Attorney General Sessions wasnt in the Senate at the time the ADAA passed, but he was in the Senate in 2010 and co-sponsored the Fair Sentencing Act, which reduced the crack-to-powder ratio. If Sessions were a racist why reduce the crack-to-powder ratio, let alone co-sponsor the Fair Sentencing Act?
The rest of Shapiros piece is character assassination of the worst kind. As U.S. attorney for Alabama, Sessions successfully sought the death penalty for Klan members. He defended black voting rights. He hired blacks for prominent positions. As a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Ive known and worked with Jeff Sessions for years and consider him the most principled and decent person in Washington, a man of the highest integrity.
Shapiros complaint seems to be that Attorney General Sessions is actually doing his job enforcing the law as Congress passed it. In contrast, former attorneys general Holder and Lynch, under the veil of prosecutorial discretion, failed to enforce the law. Select immigration and sentencing laws were simply ignored, virtually wholesale. Thats not the role of the attorney general, whether his name is Holder or Sessions. Such a sweeping use of prosecutorial discretion effectively nullifies or rewrites federal law. If drug laws need to be changed, Congress needs to change them. Holders and Lynchs actions were a plain derogation, if not usurpation, of legislative authority. That Attorney General Sessions is being criticized for restoring both the rule of law and the Justice Department to their proper roles is an indication of how debased respect for the rule of law has become.
Shapiro suggests blacks are disproportionately harmed by enforcement of drug-sentencing laws, but its other blacks who are disproportionately harmed by drug crimes. I live in inner-city Cleveland where the possession, sale, and trafficking of drugs arent victimless crimes. Nothing esoteric here. Neighborhoods decay, people sink into addiction, families are ripped apart, children are neglected, turf wars break out, and innocent people are destroyed. Clearly, there are good reasons why our current drug laws should be revised, but it takes a certain...mentality...to assert that those who enforce drug laws as written possess nefarious motives. And with the country in the grip of an opioid crisis that dwarfs the crack epidemic, a crisis that doesnt discriminate on the basis of race, uniform enforcement of the law is anything but racist.
Shapiro admits that there is no hard evidence of Sessionss racism, yet nonetheless accuses him of having a single-minded focus to attack people of color. Somewhere a Red Queen is smiling.
Jeff Sessions prioritizes the rule of law and the well-being of the victims of crime, not the well being of criminals. On the evidence, Jeff Sessions has a single-minded focus to act the way the attorney general of the United States is supposed to act. And Americans regardless of color are better off for that.
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Jeff Sessions & David Shapiro & the Rule of Law | National Review - National Review
So to be blunt and get straight to the point, addiction is a disease. That being said, recidivism concerning drug addicts should be viewed and treated differently compared to other criminals who re-offend.
If a crime has been committed and the only victims are the person battling addiction and the state, then realistically no actual crime has been committed. My taxes should not have to fund police salaries and the incarceration of non-violent inmates. I should be able to decide that my hard-earned tax dollars go towards rehabilitating addicts, in order to prevent recidivism among those suffering from addiction. Fewer tax dollars should be directed towards police and redirected to fire and rescue, and educational and training programs.
Violent crimes like assault, rape and murder are one thing, but drug possession, sales, petty theft and unpaid fines are a whole different category. I do not believe my (or anyones) tax dollars should be wasted to incarcerate the individuals suffering from addiction and those that have committed minor crimes. The main goal should be the prevention of recidivism in general, but especially regarding drug offenders who have committed victimless crimes. If we do not address the problems that surround addiction as well as addiction itself I say good luck finding a place to house the influx of inmates in a state with an overpopulation of inmates, and good luck trying to use tax dollars to cope with the problem instead of finding a legitimate solution.
Alexander Ingram
Winthrop
Continued here:
Spend tax dollars on addiction wisely - Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel
In Cobb County, residents have many opportunities to speak before the Board of Commissioners, the Cobb and Marietta Boards of Education and at the six City Council meetings of Acworth, Austell, Kennesaw, Marietta, Powder Springs and Smyrna - not to mention the planning commissions and other boards of these governmental entities and many town hall meetings.
However, regulations vary on how much time Cobb residents are allowed to voice their opinions and whether they will receive a response. Public hearings on zoning matters are separate from the public comment portion. Speakers must sign up in advance and state their names and addresses.
In Austell, residents may speak near the beginning of the monthly meeting. In Marietta and before the Cobb Board of Commissioners, residents may speak during the twice-monthly meetings near the beginning and at the end. In Kennesaw and Smyrna, residents also may speak during the twice-monthly meetings but at the end. In Acworth and Powder Springs and before the Cobb and Marietta Boards of Education, residents may speak near the beginning of the twice-monthly meetings.
Except for the Cobb Board of Education, allotted times for each speaker are set - usually five minutes each. With the Cobb BOE, speakers do not know how much time they will be allowed - one time this year only one minute as determined by Board Chair David Chastain until school board member David Morgan made a motion to give each speaker one additional minute. Many comments concerned the unidentified North Cobb High student who made racial threats, Cobb school officials said one to two minutes was sufficient since a maximum of 15 speakers are allowed for 30 minutes. However, the Cobb BOE can allow 30 more minutes at the end of the meeting.
The lack of uniformity has frustrated some concerned citizens who want their voices heard. Some officials say they just want meetings to run smoother and quicker. What do you think Cobb County should do about public comment periods during government meetings?
Send comments to communitynews@ajc.com. Submissions may be edited for length and may be published in print and/or online.
DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of indecency and obstruction after he allegedly exposed himself in a public park and ran from Atlanta police. He appeared in Atlanta Municipal Court for a brief hearing to enter his plea. His trial is scheduled for July 7.
In the meantime, residents of DeKalb County are torn about what should be done about Mann. Some assert as a law enforcement official, he should be held to higher standard and resign his post or be fired. Others maintain what Mann did was a victimless crime and although he showed bad judgement, he should be forgiven and the county should move on.
Last week, we asked readers their opinion. Here are some responses:
His conduct certainly falls into conduct unbecoming as the DeKalb sheriff. There doesnt appear to be any doubt that he ran after an officer identified himself as police. If it was a deputy booked for the same thing what would he have done? It wouldnt be a one week suspension with pay I dare say. He is entitled to due process on the misdemeanor charges, but that isnt the question. How can his deputies continue to have any respect for him? It is another disgrace to DeKalb County. I predict he will be removed from office if he doesnt resign which he should do. Dennis Caniglia
Sheriff Jeff Mann should resign. He is a leader and as such he should held to the highest of standards. Would Sheriff Mann tolerate this type of behavior from one of his deputies? If the people of Dekalb County accept substandard and deviant behavior from the sheriff, can they expect better from others in and out of government? The sheriff should resign immediately. Freddie M. Edenfield
This was a victimless crime. I am of the opinion that we should all move past it. His embarrassment has been enough to pay for what he did. Warren Bice
I think he should resign because one he did not use good judgment. You go to a public park and expose yourself, knowing you are public figure elected to serve and protect the citizens of Dekalb County. It shows that he has other problems that he needs to address before he can lead a major department. Richard Taylor
The sheriffs indiscretion was a victimless crime. He is a good man. The county should move past this incident. Let it go! Catherine Carter
There should be no question on what should be done to Jeff Mann. An elected official caught by law enforcement breaking the law in such a lewd manner. Who knows how many times he has done this? Thankfully he got caught! Victimless? No, the law enforcement officer who caught him was the victim! FIRE HIM!!!! Cherie Gibson
I think Sheriff Mann has already paid a high enough price for the incident in Piedmont Park. This was, in my opinion, a victimless crime for which he has already suffered very public humiliation. I dont know what led him to expose himself to the officer but I find it very sad that a man of his education and career success should feel a need to do so. He has already suspended himself from work and to his credit has not tried to deny his mistake or blame others. I hope that he will seek help to understand why he placed himself in such a self-destructive situation. However, I dont believe that his actions disqualify him from performing his duties as Dekalb Sheriff in the meantime. Let us show some compassion for this man. Judith Mozley
He is a negative example to his employees and the community. This incident shows that Sheriff Mann is a pervert. Imagine what is going on inside the job site. I suggest that he resign and be prosecuted. Donaldo Whyte
He is a grown man who knew bloody well what he was doing and why he was there. He is a disgrace to the county and ought to be fired. I would feel the same way about a female official who was caught soliciting for prostitution. Susan Harte
We were upset when we saw the article about DeKalb Sheriff Jeff Mann was arrested because he ran away from the Atlanta police officer. Yes, Sheriff Mann ran away and that was wrong, but the officer made an issue that could have been handled in a better way. Sheriff Jeff Mann has been a dedicated officer in his years that he has served in the law enforcement in DeKalb County. He has been involved in public service to so many organizations. He should be allowed to continue his service as DeKalb County sheriff. Josiah V. Benator
It is my opinion that Sheriff Mann should be fired for breaking the law by exposing himself in public and then fleeing a law enforcement officer. Furthermore, I believe that he should get the maximum penalty for those offenses. While Sheriff Manns sexual preferences/delights are his business, he chose to break the law that he was voted to uphold by the people of DeKalb Countynot only one law, but two laws. Rose Casey
The better question: When does a lapse in judgement, during which nobody was maimed, murdered, or harmed in any way, warrant an investigation or a resignation? Answer: It doesnt! How many of you clamoring for the sheriff to resign can HONESTLY say that you have never done something that, in retrospect, you wished you hadnt? Answer: Crickets.
Time to stop being so judgmental and MOVE ON and focus our energy on the REAL criminals and their crimes and the havoc they cause locally as well as nationally. I applaud Sheriff Mann for the self-imposed suspension that exceeds the Code of Conducts recommended discipline for a first time offense. Clara Black DeLay
Read the original:
At Issue: Should Cobb County consider uniform public comment rules? - Atlanta Journal Constitution
Published on: April 7, 2017 | Last Updated: April 7, 2017 6:02 PM MDT
Infiniti SUV was spray-painted with anti-Islam phrases early Thursday, April 6, 2017 in the 2200 block of 48th Street N.E. Calgary Police Service
Calgary police believe the owners of an SUV found covered in hatefuland anti-Muslim graffiti in Rundle Thursdaywere targeted based on their ethnicity.
Early Thursday morning, a grey Infiniti SUV parked in the 2200 block of 48th Street N.W. was sprayed with racist phrases mentioningIslam and people from the Middle East,police said in a release Friday.
The vehicle was also scratched with a key and the windows weresmashed.
Senior Const. Craig Collins, hate crimes coordinator with the Calgary Police Service, said it is believed the owners of the SUV a Syrian family who live atthe house where the vehicle was parked were the targets of the graffiti and investigators are treating the incident as a hate crime.
This isnt a victimless crime, thats not how the police service sees it, Collins said. Its a heinous crime which not only targets the individual, but sends a really impactful message into the community and it sends a message of fear.
Collins said graffiti targeting certain people based on ethnicity or religion has been occurring more regularly in Calgary.
We are seeing an increase and some of that is likely due to recent high-profile media incidents, Collins said. I think theres a misconception that its just graffiti and we need to put the message out its not a mindless act, its a personal attack on somebody.
Police said there have been six investigations into hateful graffiti launched this year, including a recent case in Ranchlands Park.
When people are targeted with vandalism and hateful messages, it has a big impact on how safe they feel in the community, Collins said.
These are not minor offences. We take it very seriously and will pursue the people responsible to try to prevent other families from being victimized in the same way, simply because of their ethnicity or religion.
Police urge anyone with information related to this incident or anyone who finds hateful graffiti around the city to call the non-emergency line at 403-266-1234, or contact Crime Stoppers annonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
If you see something report it, Collins said. Make a difference.
With files from Ryan Rumbolt
See the rest here:
Vehicle covered with anti-Muslim slurs in Rundle; police say hateful ... - Calgary Herald
On Wednesday, April 5, 2017, LAPD Valley Bureau Commander Jorge Rodriguez, center, speaks during a press conference at L.A. City Hall about a $50,000 reward being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in residential burglaries, particularly knock-knock burglaries that have recently plagued the San Fernando Valley. Rodriguez is flanked by LAPD Lt. Tim Torsney of the Devonshire Division, left, and L.A. Councilman Mitch Englander, right. Photo by Elizabeth Chou, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG
Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander is hoping to provide extra incentive to pawnbrokers and others who may be able to help authorities bring down knock-knockburglary rings that target upscale homes in the San Fernando Valley and other parts of the city.
Englander on Wednesday introduced a motion, seconded by Councilman Bob Blumenfield, calling for a $50,000 reward to be offered for information to help authorities identify, arrest and convict people responsible for this series of knock-knock burglaries.
Such burglaries have been a growing epidemic throughout the San Fernando Valley and throughout the city of Los Angeles, Englander said during a news conference Wednesday, prior to making the motion.
The proposed reward is aimed at the public, particularly pawnshop owners and employees, who are the first people who are going to know, particularly when they get repeat offenders who are bringing in stolen merchandise, Englander said.
These burglaries are not victimless crimes, he said, adding that some of the stolen jewelry include family heirlooms that cannot be replaced.
RELATED STORY: LAPD arrests 3 suspects in Valley knock knock burglaries
While the motion was introduced amid a spate of knock-knock style burglaries, Englander noted the reward is actually being offered to anyone with a tip about any type of residential burglary, no matter the method, as it is sometimes difficult to know what method a burglar used.
The motion, which is expected to be voted on next week, needs City Council approval before the reward can be offered.
In February, the Los Angeles Police Department launched a San Fernando Valley Knock Knock Burglary Task Force to address the problem.
News of the task force came amid a rash of high profile break-ins, including at the Tarzana home of Los Angeles Lakers player Nick Young and the Sherman Oaks residence of Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig.
According to the LAPD, the suspects work in teams of three or four. One person knocks on the door of a home and if no one answers, they will signal to the others, who try to enter from a side or rear entrance of the home.
LAPD officials said Wednesday the alleged rings appear to be based mostly in South Los Angeles, with the burglars using more sophisticated methods than in the past.
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The burglars have been operating in the Valley for some time, and they have really taken the game to the next level from the beginning of this year, Valley Bureau Commander Jorge Rodriguez said.
The burglars are monitoring when people typically leave their homes, as well as driving cars and wearing clothes that help them blend into the neighborhood, according to LAPD officials.
Among the hardest hit areas are Porter Ranch, Chatsworth and Granada Hills, Devonshire Division Lt. Tim Torsney said.
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The Devonshire Division, which patrols those communities, has recorded a spike in burglaries that goes against the trend in most of the Valley. As of March 25, 336 burglaries were reported, up from 249 burglaries from the same time last year, for the area alone, according to figures released by the LAPD.
Out of the additional 87 burglaries this year, the majority appear to have been committed using knock-knock methods, Devonshire Division Capt. Kathleen Burns said.
LAPD figures also show burglaries in the Van Nuys Division are up 31 percent from last year.
Torsney noted police have made some inroads on knock-knock burglary crimes.
Within the last two months weve made significant arrests of multiple crews with no affiliation with one another, which has resulted in a significant decrease over the last two weeks in the area, Torsney said.
Even with the improvements, Englander said the job is not done.
The arrests are happening, but the crimes are not stopping, he said.
Link:
LA councilman targets 'knock-knock' burglars with $50,000 reward - LA Daily News