Mohammad Anwar was shot five times by his own sub machine gun

A policeman was found dead insides a police post within the jurisdiction of Korangi Industrial Area (KIA) Police Station (PS) Monday. Thirty-eight-year old Mohammad Anwar was shot five times by his own sub machine gun (SMG) while he was on duty at police post Ameer Shaheed at Bhains Colony. On-duty policeman, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ahmed Khan Niazi thinks that the post in-charge Nasur Hayat and another colleague Mohammad could be involved in the killing as they were both absent from duty Sunday night, the time of the murder. Niazi said that Hayat had recently arrested some criminals along with a dagger and was promoted by his officials after support from a political party. Niazi alleges that Hayat is an irresponsible policeman who did not do any police course to warrant the promotion. He is also known to take ‘bhatta’ money widely. “This never happens at the police post when he is on duty alone,” informed Niazi. “I think Hayat and Mohammad are involved in the killing.”Denying Niazi’s arguments, while talking to Daily Times, Hayat said, “I did a police course and that is why I was appointed as an ASI.” Hayat also said that he had the day shift while the crime took place at night and he did not know why Mohammad Anwar was not present on duty. When Hayat reached the post in the morning, Anwar was lying in a pool of blood. His SMG was also present there.
SHO KIA Mukhtiar Ahmed said that according to initial investigation, Anwar did not have any enemies inside the force. “Anwar was alone at the time of incident and it is possible that some of the friends came to visit him, where a fight broke out and they opened fired on Anwar.” An FIR, number 50/08, has been registered on behalf of Nasur Hayat against the unknown assailants. Acting-in-charge Landhi Town ASP Farrukh Bashir said that the case is being investigated from all angles. “Your argument that Hayat was involved in Anwar’s death might be true but we cannot arrest Hayat without any proof.” However, the ASP said that if found guilty, Hayat and Mohammad will immediately be arrested. The murdered Anwar was appointed to the police post one-and-a-half years ago. He lived at Green Town, Shah Faisal Colony and was the father of a child. His family lives in his hometown Sargodha. Anwar’s body, accompanied by two policemen, was rushed to his hometown by flight number PK-730.

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Saul Avalos ,Javier Avalos ,Samuel Perez, Elezar Morales arrested

.On Sunday morning, police arrested Saul Avalos 23, of Nuevo, for murder.Investigators learned that Avalos and Javier Avalos 22, had argued with Richardson about money. Saul Avalos allegedly produced a gun and shot Richardson several times. The suspects apparently fled, met with Samuel Perez 21, of Nuevo, and drove to Shadybend Drive in Moreno Valley.Searches in Nuevo and Moreno Valley uncovered evidence linking Saul Avalos to Richardson’s death; they also turned up four pounds of marijuana and several ounces of methamphetamine.Javier Avalos and Perez were arrested as accessories to murder and possession of marijuana. Elezar Morales 22, of Moreno Valley, was arrested for possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and illegal possession of a firearm.Four men have been arrested in connection with the shooting death of a San Jacinto man.According to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Charles Richardson, 60, was found in the 27800 block of Highway 74 in unincorporated Romoland with gunshot wounds on Saturday afternoonRichardson died that evening at Riverside County Regional Medical Center.

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Sean R. Rex tried to rob the business and struck a woman in the head with a gun

Sean R. Rex, 32, who has no permanent address, was arrested at 2:06 a.m. Wednesday at Margie's T-Bird Lounge at 1425 15th St. SW. Rex was in the Stark County Jail where he was held without bond Thursday.
Police reports show Rex tried to rob the business and struck a woman in the head with a gun, said Lt. James Cole. Rex was charged with aggravated robbery, illegal possession of a firearm in a liquor establishment, having weapons under disability, carrying concealed weapons, cocaine trafficking, cocaine possession, felony drug tampering and resisting arrest. Jail records said he was wanted on an unrelated warrant in Carroll County. Jail records said he tried to fight with police at the bar, pulling out a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun, then grabbing an officer's gun that had "fallen loose." He was shot with a Taser gun and arrested, jail records said. The officers said they found him with powder cocaine, Xanax pills, digital scales and bags of marijuana. The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Web site shows Rex went to prison in 1997, 1999 and 2002 for felony weapons convictions, and for drug trafficking and weapons convictions in 2002.

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William D. Johnson,Xavier Baker Both sold stolen weapons at the undercover shop

William D. Johnson, 18, and Xavier Baker, 18, pleaded guilty in separate federal cases that could mean as much as 10 years in prison without parole.
Both men were arrested through the undercover operation, Augusta Ink. Both sold stolen weapons at the undercover shop, Colur Tyme Tattooz & Things on Tobacco Road, Richmond County Sheriff Sgt. Blaise Dresser testified Monday.Mr. Johnson pleaded guilty to two charges involving the theft of 40 weapons from Waldens Outdoor World and the sale of several of those guns to undercover agents.
Mr. Johnson boasted that he and his friends burglarized the sports store, and that breaking into gun shops was "his thing," Sgt. Dresser testified. Mr. Johnson returned to the tattoo shop with a gun that had been stolen from another gun shop, Shooters, on Patriots Way.He was planning to burglarize another gun shop when he came into Colur Tyme for the last time on Nov. 8, Sgt. Dresser said.
Three other men indicted with Mr. Johnson have pleaded not guilty. Their cases are pending.Mr. Baker pleaded guilty to the theft of weapons from Shooters and the sale of two of those guns at Colur Tyme. Mr. Baker claimed he was in the Meadowbrook gang.

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Vaughn Rico Wright, Michael William Long,Garnett Lee Long-Parham"The guns were all loaded ... and ready for use,"

A search turned up a loaded .40-caliber Glock handgun in the waistband of Long-Parham's pants, police said. Two more weapons were found near front-seat passenger Long and rear-seat passenger Wright, authorities said. "The guns were all loaded ... and ready for use," Seranko said. Greensburg police said they stopped a vehicle going the wrong way on a one-way street and arrested three Allegheny County men on drug distribution charges.
Authorities reported four pounds of marijuana, with a street value of about $6,000, nearly $1,400 in cash and three stolen handguns were seized during the traffic stop about 7:30 p.m. Saturday on West Otterman Street.
"Where they were going, we really don't know at this point," police Capt. George Seranko said during a news conference Monday.
Charged are Garnett Lee Long-Parham, 22, Michael William Long, 25, and Vaughn Rico Wright, 21, all of Wilkinsburg. Each faces charges of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance, possession of both a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, firearms violations and receiving stolen property. Long-Parham also is charged with driving the wrong way down a one-way street.
Police said that after Patrolman John Swank stopped the vehicle, he discovered the car was a rental and that Long-Parham wasn't listed as an eligible driver on the rental agreement. Swank spotted suspected marijuana residue on Long-Parham's shirt, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. Other officers arrived, drew their weapons after the handgun was found, and ordered the passengers out of the vehicle, police said.
Greensburg's police said their canine indicated the possible presence of drugs. The marijuana was found in a bag in the trunk, according to court papers.
A trace showed that the three weapons were reported stolen to Monroeville and Clearfield police, as well as state police at Kittanning. Also seized were a Springfield .45-caliber handgun and a .22-caliber Smith and Wesson.
Police said they found $442 on Long-Parham, $461 on Long and $467 on Wright, for a total $1,370. Long had four cell phones on him. Each was jailed in lieu of $50,000 after their arraignments in Westmoreland County Night Court on Sunday.

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On trial are Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora for manslaughter and Detective Marc Cooper for reckless endangerment.

The trial of three New York City police officers is scheduled to begin today in the death of Sean Bell, who was killed outside a strip club where his bachelor party was held the day before his wedding. Thinking that Bell was going for a gun, Police fired more than 50 bullets at Bell and his friends and no weapon was ever found in Bell's vehicle.
On trial are Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora for manslaughter and Detective Marc Cooper for reckless endangerment.Undercover police had the Kalua Cabaret strip club under surveillance on Nov. 25, 2006 when two groups of men had an altercation outside the club around 4 a.m. One of the men yelled, "Yo, get my gun."The altercation ended and the men broke up into two groups. An undercover officer followed one of the groups that got into a silver Nissan Altima, which belonged to Sean Bell who was driving.Bell drove the car about a half a block, turned a corner and collided with a unmarked police minivan which had several plainsclothes officers inside. Bell then backed up onto a sidewalk and into a storefront security gate, almost hitting an undercover officer. He then drove the car forward again striking the police minivan for the second time.Five officers then fired at least 50 rounds into the vehicle, killing Bell and wounding the other two passengers. No guns were found in Bell's vehicle, according to police reports.
Oliver fired 31 shots, including the one that killed Sean Bell. Isnora fired 11 time and Cooper fired four times.After an appeals court turned down their request to move the trial out of New York City, the policemen waived their right to a jury trial. The fate will be decided instead by State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Cooperman.
"I have said from the very beginning the shooting was tragic," Michael Palladino, president of the Detectives' Endowment Association, told reporters. "But they didn't act with criminality in their hearts and in their minds, and I think the proper arena for this is civil court."

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Metro Vancouver had the highest rate of gun crime

Metro Vancouver had the highest rate of gun crime in the country in 2006, part of a trend of relatively high violent crime and weapon use in western provinces, according to a new Statistics Canada report. Calculated by population, Metro Vancouver's gun crime rate was ahead of second-place Winnipeg and third-place Toronto. B.C.'s largest metropolitan area recorded 45.3 violent offences involving guns for every 100,000 people, compared to 43.9 in the Winnipeg region and 40.4 in metropolitan Toronto. The national average for gun-related crime of all types was 27.5, illustrating the modern trend of gun crime in urban areas. For gun-related homicides, the report found Abbotsford had the second-highest rate in Canada behind Edmonton. Provincially, B.C. had 29 gun-related homicides in 2006, and 521 robberies in which guns were used. B.C.'s rate was slightly higher than the national average for both homicides and robberies with guns. Nationally, gun crime rates for B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba were two to three times greater than those in the Atlantic provinces. One exception was Halifax, which had the highest rate in the country of robberies with guns. With its large population, the Toronto region accounted for a quarter of all the gun-related crimes in the country.
Long-term trends show a decline of homicide with guns through most of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, with the 2006 rate about half what it was 30 years earlier. The study attributes that mainly to an 86 per cent decrease in homicides using rifles and shotguns, which have become scarce in modern urban society. The use of handguns in homicide surpassed rifles or shotguns by 1991, and by 2006 there were three times as many people killed with handguns as with rifles and shotguns.
The study found that mandatory minimum sentences for gun-related crime resulted in an average sentence of just over four years in prison, double the average sentence for violent crimes committed without guns. Adults accused of a violent offence involving a gun were also less likely to plead guilty. In 2005-06 a guilty plea was entered in 79 per cent of cases involving a firearm, compared to 86 per cent for violent crimes without a gun.

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Twenty-one associates of jailed don Mukhtar Ansari were arrested

Twenty-one associates of jailed don Mukhtar Ansari were arrested from the state capital on Sunday evening. hey were on way to execute crimes involving extortion and land grabbing in different parts of the state capital. Five revolvers, four rifles, one double barrel gun, 118 cartridges and 32 cellphones were recovered from the accused travelling in five SUVs. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Akhil Kumar said that the arrests were made following a tip-off.
“The group was undertaking criminal activities in the name of Mukhtar Ansari for quite sometime now.
Investigations revealed that they were in regular touch with Ansari through cellphones or meetings inside the jail or during his visits to district courts,” he said. The Cantonment police intercepted the gang in Rajman Bazaar area. They have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 188 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). They have also been charged under the Arms Act, Motor Vehicle’s Act and Criminal Law Amendment Act.
“We are preparing crime history of them all so that Gangster’s Act could be slapped on them,” SSP told TOI. The arrested persons were identified as Amarnath, Ramakant Yadav, Ram Bachan Ram, Nasim Ahmad, Manoj Kumar, Shambhu Ram, Subhash Yadav, Babban Yadav, Kamta Ram, Ramjanam Yadav, Zakir Hussain, Shamshuddin, Zubair Ahmad, Mohammed Kashif, Arvind Kumar Singh, Guddu, Ashish, Tauqueer, Radhey Shyam, Manoj and Shakeel Haider. According to the police, they were working as the henchmen of Ansari who is languishing in jail in connection with the murder of BJP MLA Krishna Nand Rai.

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Police arrest 143 in Operation Eagle

143 people have been arrested in a three-day police crackdown on burglars and drug dealers.Operation Eagle was carried out in Neath, Port Talbot and Swansea and the arrests were for offences including violence, drug possession, burglary, theft and criminal damage.There were 119 arrests in Swansea and 24 in Neath Port Talbot in the operation which ended at the weekend.Firearms, goods worth more than £100,000 and class A drugs including heroin were recovered.Det Ch Insp Huw Lewis said, “This was an extremely successful operation which sent a clear message out to criminals in the area.”The haul of stolen property recovered included a £80,000 Mercedes Benz car.

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Jacob Lee Sperl Wisconsin man with gun killed by deputies

Wisconsin man with gun killed by deputies
A man from rural Hammond, Wis., was shot dead late Saturday by St. Croix County sheriff's deputies, who said he pointed a shotgun at them.
Authorities were called at 11 p.m. to the home of Jacob Lee Sperl, 22, who had a shotgun and reportedly was making suicidal threats. Sperl had told the callers that he had shells for the shotgun, was going to take his own life, and "that if the cops come up the driveway, it will be too late." Sperl's parents were in the home.
The first two deputies to arrive watched two acquaintances of Sperl pull up to the house and speak with him outside a garage. When the deputies approached, Sperl picked up the gun and pointed it at a deputy, ignoring orders to put the gun down, according to a statement from the sheriff's office. Both deputies then shot Sperl, who died at the scene.The sheriff's office said that the shotgun was loaded and that 19 additional rounds were found on Sperl's body.Both deputies are on administrative leave, standard policy in such cases. The shooting is under investigation by the Pierce and St. Croix County sheriffs' offices

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One in seven people charged with murder and awaiting trial was released

The first survey of its kind by the Courts Service has revealed that at least 60 of the 455 people accused of murder were on the streets on January 31, while 35 out of 41 of those awaiting trial for manslaughter were bailed. Nearly one in seven people charged with murder and awaiting trial was released on bail last month, the Ministry of Justice has admitted.The revelation comes weeks after Gary Weddell murdered Traute Maxfield, his mother-in-law, before killing himself. At the time he was on bail charged with the murder of his wife. Opposition parties have called for a rethink of the bail laws but Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, revealed in his local newspaper that he was already considering tightening the rules. “There is already legislation on granting bail in homicide and rape cases where the defendant already has a conviction for a similar crime,” he said. “I am now looking at whether a similar sort of provision could be made to cover murder charges where this is the first such offence. I hope to make decisions fairly quickly on this,” he wrote in the Lancashire Telegraph.Gordon Brown has also told the Commons that he is looking again at the bail rules.
The figures come days after the Prison Service said that the jail population in England and Wales had reached a record 81,681 and declared the system to be full for the second time in eight months.
Despite having to put dozens of prisoners in court cells to house the overflow, the Ministry of Justice denied that there was any link between prison capacity and the bail figures. More than two thirds of those awaiting trial in a Crown Court were granted bail, according to the Ministry of Justice. That figure jumps to 85 per cent for those awaiting trial for manslaughter. A spokeswoman said that she did not have any comparative statistics and was unable to say whether the figure of 60 murder suspects on bail was unusually high. The ministry, which released the information in response to a freedom of information request, said that there may be more cases that have not been entered on their system. Nick Herbert, the Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “After Gary Weddell murdered his mother-in-law while out on bail, the Government claimed that it was unusual for bail to be granted to murder suspects. Now we discover the disturbing truth that a large number of people charged with murder were in fact free on bail at that time. “Tougher bail laws are needed to ensure that public safety comes first. What happened to the review announced by Gordon Brown, and does the Government plan to tighten up the law or not?”
One of those convicted last month at Chester Crown Court of kicking to death Gary Newlove, a 47-year-old sales manager, outside his home in Warrington, Cheshire, was also on bail. Adam Swellings, 19, from Crewe, had been bailed from custody only hours before the fatal attack. A statement from the Ministry of Justice said that the issue was for the courts to decide based on individual circumstances. “Courts may withhold bail if they are satisfied that there are substantial grounds for believing that, if released on bail the defendant would abscond, commit an offence or interfere with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice. Analysis of court records suggests that, in most cases where a murder or manslaughter defendant is granted bail, there will have been a period of remand in custody before bail is granted.” The ministry said that bail cases where the defendant is charged with murder or manslaughter often have more stringent conditions attached. These include residence and curfew conditions, financial guarantees and the requirement to report to a police station regularly and surrender travel documents. It also suggested that the charges may change or be discontinued. “It should be recognised that not all of the defendants counted in this table will necessarily stand trial for murder or manslaughter.” Anne Owers, the Chief Inspector of Prisons, spoke out against the latest rise in the prison population at the weekend. She told The Observer: “Prisoners are getting very frustrated; staff are struggling to survive the day. That’s not a good recipe for running prisons. It’s a very risky situation.”
Colin Moses, chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, told the BBC: “We currently have the lowest morale that we have ever had. And we have total mismanagement by the Ministry of Justice.
“The lack of investment is putting in danger everyone who works in prisons and is serving sentences.”
An investigation by The People newspaper, monitoring extradition cases for five weeks, found that 82 out of 189 detainees were granted bail.

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Oscar Pena, Jr,Sotero Sotelo,firearms were likely going into Mexico and sold he says for one purpose, "Just to kill."

Authorities in Cameron County say a La Cueva Drive Thru in Brownsville was used as a front for illegal firearms and cocaine sales. Undercover sheriff investigators say they purchased both at the business on Central Boulevard. Police said one home on Linda lane in Brownsville is where the suspects stored their drugs and weapons.
"It's a big deal here in Cameron County because we in law enforcement are concerned about people having these types of weapons," said Sheriff Omar Lucio.
Two people were arrested and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and possession of a controlled substance.
Oscar Pena, Jr. is one of them. He traded in his county bailiff uniform for a county-issued orange, jail jumpsuit.
Pena reportedly works for Cameron County Court at Law number 2 Judge Daniel Robles' office who had no comment following the arrest. The other suspect, Sotero Sotelo, is already on probation. He admitted in court he had a previous firearms violation.
Sheriff Lucio said Sotelo and Pena can say goodbye to this: 14 high powered assault rifles, five semi automatic handguns, a sawed-off shotgun, thousands of dollars in cash and over a kilo of cocaine.
Lucio says the firearms were likely going into Mexico and sold he says for one purpose, "Just to kill."

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Two people are hurt after a drive-by shooting in North Omaha

Two people are hurt after a drive-by shooting in North Omaha. The victims tell police they were near 27th and Fort around 12:30 Saturday morning, when a dark car pulled up and the people inside started shooting at them.Someone drove 19-year-old Kyle Viktora and 23-year-old Terrell Griffin to the hospital, where police came to investigate. They're both expected to survive.No arrests have been made.

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Los Angeles police fatally shot an armed suspect and wounded another

Los Angeles police fatally shot an armed suspect and wounded another Thursday in the wake of a fatal gang-related drive-by shooting, authorities said.
The drive-by killed a man holding a 2-year-old girl, who emerged from the incident unscathed. The victims and suspects were not immediately identified.
The officer-involved shooting occurred shortly after noon at Estara Avenue and Drew Street, but no officers were injured, said Los Angeles police Officer Kate Lopez.
"What we do know is that three suspects exited that car - all three with firearms," Deputy Chief Sergio Diaz said. "At least two of them fired at the officers, possibly three fired at the officers. "The officers fired back, striking two of the suspects. One expired at the scene. One was wounded and has been transported to a local hospital. Another, we're told, fled on foot, and we believe the driver fled in his vehicle." According to police, gang violence has erupted in the area in the past month, prompting additional resources to be assigned to the area. LAPD Assistant Chief Jim McDonald told reporters the officer-involved shooting occurred blocks away and minutes after a fatal drive-by shooting in which a man was shot 15 times.
"At that location, there was a man walking down the street carrying a 2-year-old child. The suspects in this vehicle drove by, ... shot the victim in this case a number of times. The victim went down at the scene, dropped the baby."
Police said the 37-year-old victim died later at a hospital. According to Chief William Bratton, officers anticipated that the suspects in the drive-by would return to their own neighborhood, so police tried to head them off. A third suspect ran from the scene, but was arrested shortly after 5 p.m., according to KABC (Channel 7). A fourth suspect, the vehicle's driver, left the scene and is still being sought.

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Drive-by shooting on Queensland's Sunshine Coast

Two men have been injured, one seriously, in a drive-by shooting on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.The shooting happened around 8:00pm outside the Royal George Hotel in Nambour.One man received the full force of the shotgun blast to his chest and arm, while a bystander received minor injuries.Both have been taken to Nambour Hospital.
Police Sergeant Jeff Coote says it appears the incident was sparked by an altercation inside the hotel moments earlier."Two men and a woman have left the hotel," he said."The man who was also involved in the altercation has gone outside, and whilst he was outside, the car has gone past and a shot has been fired from the car whilst it was still moving."There was actually another man walking past at the time, and he was also injured by the shotgun blast."Police are searching for a light blue car involved in the incident

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Gerardo Reyes,German Reyes Real, Jose Javier Laris the three faces six counts of attempted aggravated murder and an unlawful use of a weapon

Jackson County grand jury has indicted three men for their suspected roles in a gang-related drive-by shooting Monday night near South Medford High School.In addition to two Talent men arrested Tuesday — Gerardo Reyes, 20, and German Reyes Real, 18 — the grand jury indicted Jose Javier Laris, 18, of Rogue Valley Mobile Village, 3761 S. Pacific Highway, Medford. Each of the three faces six counts of attempted aggravated murder and an unlawful use of a weapon charge, officials said.Investigators suspect that Gerardo Reyes was the driver of a sedan from which shots were fired and his brother, German Reyes Real, was the gunman, Medford police Lt. Tim Doney said.They were arrested Tuesday night, one in Medford and one outside their family's home in the Shady Brook Mobile Home Park in Talent.Detectives believe Laris provided a small-caliber rifle to Reyes Real. A 16-year-old boy also was in the car when multiple shots were fired into a car with four teenage girls and two young men inside on Monroe Street near J Street Monday at about 11 p.m., but the boy was not charged by the grand jury, Doney said.Laris was arrested at the Jackson County District Attorney's office at about 4 p.m. Thursday after the grand jury met.Police seized the suspected car, a 1992 Mercury Marquis, Tuesday, and a .22-caliber rifle linked to the shooting Wednesday.Police said several people involved in the case are members or associates of the Sureños and Norteños gangs in both Oregon and California, but declined to confirm who among the suspects and victims had gang ties.The three suspects remain at the Jackson County Jail, with bail set at $1 million each. Jail records don't show any immigration holds that would indicate they are in the country illegally.In a continuing crackdown on people suspected of being involved with gangs, the Jackson County Sheriff's Department is searching for three young men who were at a gang-related New Year's Eve party that erupted in violence in White City early Jan. 1.Jorge Pacheco, 20, Jose Santos Perez, 18, and a 16-year-old whose brother is already in jail on charges linked to the party and ensuing fight are believed to be in Tulare County, Calif., sheriff's Detective Sgt. Colin Fagan said.The party in the 3200 block of Antelope Road erupted in violence after two carloads of young men drove up and began assaulting partygoers with broken bottles and other objects. They fled and eluded police. A 23-year-old Hispanic man was stabbed and driven to Providence Medford Medical Center by friends.Investigators haven't arrested anyone in the stabbing, but have arrested eight people ranging in age from 14 to 22 on charges of riot and second-degree disorderly conduct stemming from the incident. Two are teenage girls and the rest are men and boys. The arrests were made locally and in California between Jan. 9 and Feb. 12.Investigators have seized gang-related clothing, drawings of gang symbols, and photos of people posing with known gang members and showing hand signs that link them with Sureños, Fagan said.He said the sheriff's department, along with Medford police and other police agencies across the county, has adopted a "zero-tolerance policy" for criminal gang activity."The whole criminal justice system is taking a stand," Fagan said. "If this gets a foothold, it will be much more difficult to deal with later."While Salem and Redding, Calif., have a long heritage of gang activity and families with several generations of gang involvement, Jackson County has a small faction of upstart activity, he said.He said people associated with gangs in other communities have come here and are recruiting young members, in part to add to their marijuana distribution network.The young men currently wanted in association with the New Year's Eve incident have long-standing family ties in the White City area and friends in California's Central Valley, where some arrests linked to the fight here were made, Fagan said.The clash at the party, a street fight in Medford on New Year's Day and three stabbings reported over three weeks in December and early January raised police concerns about escalating gang violence.Police were summoned to a party involving suspected gang members on Pinecroft Avenue, on the northeast edge of Medford, Saturday night after a 16-year-old boy affiliated with the Sureños suffered a gunshot wound to his neck in an apparent suicide attempt. Other partygoers believed the shotgun was an illegal weapon and hid it, so detectives spent hours searching for the weapon as they tried to piece together what happened, Doney said.The boy, Cody Eugene Sanders, died at Rogue Valley Medical Center at around 7 p.m. Thursday, hospital officials said.
Shaley Gomez, 16, who grew up with Sanders in Medford, said he was a friendly person who had struggled with homelessness and his mother's drug addiction and had been depressed recently. She said his wide circle of friends included gang members."He wanted to fit in," she said. "He wanted somebody to love him. He wanted somebody to lean on."Tom Cole, Kids Unlimited executive director, said he knew Sanders had endured many struggles that typically make kids vulnerable to the influence of gangs."He felt so hopeless (about) his role with gangs," Cole said. "He felt there was no way out."We haven't seen this sequence of tragedies before," Cole said. "I hope some positives can come out of these negatives."

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John R. Chambers, 54, was arrested for aggravated robbery and felonious assault on an officer.

Columbus police officer fired his weapon at an armed man after a robbery at a University District pharmacy Thursday evening. The shot missed, but the officer quickly captured the man, police said.John R. Chambers, 54, was arrested for aggravated robbery and felonious assault on an officer. Police listed his address as “streets of Columbus.”The officer, whose name was not released, responded to a report of an armed robbery at Crosby’s Drugs, 2609 N. High St., at 6:55 p.m. Police said the officer spotted a man fitting the description of the robber nearby on W. Hudson Street and ordered the man to stop and drop his weapon.The officer fired when the man ignored the command and displayed his gun, police said. The man threw his gun into a ravine and ran from the officer, who captured him and recovered the weapon.Police said Crosby’s employees identified Chambers as the man who robbed the store.All officer-involved shootings are investigated by the division’s Critical Incident Response Team, comprised of veteran homicide detectives. Their findings are reviewed by a panel of commanders who determine whether the officer acted within division policy.

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Armed robbery of the Florida Telco Credit Union

About 11 p.m. Wednesday, a 38-year-old man as arrested in connection to an armed robbery of the Florida Telco Credit Union in the 8100 block of Normandy Boulevard back in August. Witnesses said that on on Aug. 22 the man demanded cash and then fled into the woods. Surveillance footage was released to the media. A week later, a man said he believed the robber was one of his employees. Investigators spoke with the bank manager and a family member and identified 38-year-old Alan Dewayne Holston as the suspect. He was arrested Wednesday.Police are looking for a well-dressed suspect in an armed robbery Thursday morning at the Winn Dixie grocery store in the 11000 block of Old St. Augustine Road. An unknown masked man in a charcoal pin striped suit came in about 6:30 a.m. and demanded the money from the safe, witnesses said. After being handed $4,000, the man duct-taped the employees in the office. He fired a round from his handgun at a witness, who was not injured. No arrests have been made.
About 3:15 a.m. Thursday, shots rung out in the parking lot of The Globe Club at 11000 Beach Boulevard. An off-duty officer claimed he saw 21-year-old Lemarcus Kumar Mitchell, of Jacksonville, fire a gun into the air out of his car. Nobody was hurt. Mitchell was arrested on charges of discharging a firearm from a vehicle.

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Patrick Haliburton aka Killy Killy and another man were found suffering from gunshot wounds

One of two men who the police claimed was wanted for murder, was shot and killed, his crony injured and two guns seized.
The dead man was identified as Patrick Haliburton, 18, also known as 'Killy Killy' or 'Frost' of Walkers Avenue, Gregory Park, St Catherine.
Deputy Superintendent Clive Blair of the St Catherine South Division said the lawmen went to an address along Walkers Avenue when they were greeted by a barrage of gunfire. He says that the police fired at the men and shortly after, Killy Killy and another man were found suffering from gunshot wounds. Both men were found clutching 9mm pistols. They were taken to the Spanish Town Hospital where Killy Killy was pronounced dead and the other man admitted in a serious condition.
"These men were wanted for two murders, one on the 16th and the other on the 18th. On the 18th Jennifer Bell was shot and killed while another woman was injured and yesterday, Denroy Taylor was murdered by these men," remarked the division's crime chief acting Deputy Superintendent Carl Malcolm.

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Joe Gun Store arrests

Police have made six arrests and recovered about 150 of the more than 200 guns stolen from a Midland County gun dealer earlier this month.WJRT-TV in Flint reports police arrested a 33-year-old Chesaning man and another person about 1 a.m. Wednesday near St. Charles. The Midland Daily News reports two more suspects were picked up in Midland County on Tuesday in Jerome and Greendale townships.The Saginaw News reports local law enforcement and federal agents acting on a tip also raided a Saginaw home Monday and a Chesaning apartment Tuesday. WSGW-AM reports a man and a woman were arrested.Authorities say someone cut the burglar alarm wire and forced open the door of Joe Gun Inc. in Sanford. Stolen were $92,000 worth of weapons and ammunition.

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England banned all guns in November 1997, gun crime has gone up

England banned all guns in November 1997, gun crime has gone up. As recently as 2006, Scotland Yard noted that more people than ever are carrying firearms as fashion accessories. These are not the law-biding citizens. They are not allowed to carry. A report in January 2006 showed offense involving guns soared by as much as 50 percent in some parts of the country. Kings College in London found that the use of handguns in crime rose by 40 percent in the two years after the weapons were banned.
"Hot" burglary rates, defined as burglaries committed while people are in the building, is 13 percent in the U.S. and in gun-free Great Britain it's 59 percent.
An American study showed that the No. 1 explanation from would-be burglars not to enter an occupied building was: "I might get shot."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has shown that manslaughter rates or the attempted murder rate have not changed significantly since the gun bans have gone into effect.Parliament repealed the long-standing British Common Law right justifying the use of deadly force to defend oneself and one's property against a home invasion. Now, a homeowner repelling a burglar is liable for assault and even murder charges. Farmer Tony Martin languishes in a British fail for self-defense against burglars. Crime figures in Britain are a sham. If a burglar hits 15 or 20 flats, only one crime was added to the statistics.
If three men kill a woman during an argument outside a bar, they are arrested for murder, but because the main witness is dead, charges are eventually dropped. In America, the event counts as a three-person homicide, but in British statistics, it counts as nothing at all. As a final note Britain and Australia top U.S. in violent crime.

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Ammunition used in a Mafia-style hit was traced by cops back to the barracks of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Ammunition used in a Mafia-style hit was traced by cops back to the barracks of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
Bullet stolen from a Scots Army unit was used in a brutal gangland killing, the Record can reveal.
Cops ordered a raid on the battalion HQ after tracing the origin of a bullet taken from a murder victim's body.The Record revealed yesterday how cops smashed a major weapons-dealing ring in a joint raid with Kent Police at Howe Barracks in Canterbury, Kent, which led to soldiers being arrested for allegedly selling bullets and grenades.An Army insider said: "This thing's massive and will cause huge embarrassment for the Army top brass."It's all connected with the Scottish gangsters and civilian shootings committed using Army ammunition."I've heard that murders have been linked to the investigation - it's going that far. The security implications are massive."Each bullet has its own individual markings and can be traced back to source very easily."The police are talking about it being huge and are taking it very seriously. That was obvious by the number of officers used in the raids on Friday."The source said rank and file soldiers have been horrified by the arrests.He said: "The reaction amongst the regiment is one of complete shock. The senior hierarchy are furious that the name of the regiment has been dragged through the mud."The Record can also reveal today that lethal plastic explosives were allegedly found in the locker of a colour sergeant, one rank down from a sergeant major, during the bust.The colour sergeant, Garry Graham, 36, from Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, and Sergeant Kieran Campbell, 27, from Glasgow, who were arrested at the barracks, appeared at Folk estone Magistrates' Court yesterday.They are accused of shipping guns and grenades.Both were charged with possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose but made no pleas and spoke only to confirm their names.They were remanded in custody until their crown court trial, which is yet to be fixed.A civilian at the barracks, where Graham and Campbell were based, has been questioned by Kent Police about stealing munitions. She has been bailed until April 2.It is understood all three were questioned under the Terrorism Act before appearing at court.
Graham is a former sergeant major from the Royal Highland Fusiliers who was demoted to colour sergeant and moved to the Argylls last year after having an ASBO slapped on him when he was involved in a street fight.The two soldiers arrested in the ammo-dealing scandal head up the battalion's crack Reconnaissance Platoon, who deal closely with Army intelligence.They are in charge of monitoring ammunition during training exercises and have regular contact with the armoury.Last night, three separate sources told the Record how the cops had linked the soldiers to the ammo ring after tracing a bullet from a murder victim.One source said: "The bomb squad swooped on their homes and the sergeants' mess at four o'clock in the morning, they weren't taking any prisoners. It was an operation planned with military precision.
"They knew who and what they were looking for and they had names of everyone involved."The gangsters used the stolen bullets in a hit job and the cops traced the bullet from the body back to the barracks."A 9mm pistol was also found when the guys were arrested but I would think that didn't come from the barracks as guns are monitored very closely."The Argylls, the 5th Battalion of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, are preparing to deploy to Afghanistan.

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Mustafa Ali, Handgun allegedly used to kill two armored car guards

Two men connected to the handgun allegedly used to kill two armored car guards last year were among the latest round of arrests in a wide-ranging effort to crack down on straw purchases, authorities said Tuesday.
A dozen people were arrested on illegal gun trafficking charges in Philadelphia from Nov. 13 to Jan. 18.The warrants were issued through the efforts of a gun-violence task force formed in 2006 to round up straw purchasers, state Attorney General Tom Corbett and Philadelphia District Attorney Lynne Abraham said at a news conference announcing the arrests.
"We're going to push for very hard time on all these straw purchasers," Abraham said.
Mustafa Ali, 36, is charged with killing armored car guards William Widmaier, 65, and Joseph Alullo, 54, on Oct. 4 as they were servicing an ATM outside a Wachovia bank in Northeast Philadelphia.Police found the 9 mm semiautomatic pistol where Ali told them he had buried it, investigators said.Authorities arrested Jason Lighty, 2, who they said legally bought the pistol in a gun shop in 2003. He later illegally sold it to his co-worker Eric Benson, 25, who also was arrested, Abraham said.
Lighty's attorney, James A. Funt, said his client is a churchgoing, law-abiding husband and father of two toddlers. He wanted the gun out of his house and sold it to a co-worker who said he was the victim of a robbery and assault, Funt said.
Lighty "made a very bad lapse in judgment ... but does not fit the profile (of a straw purchaser) in any way, shape or form," Funt said.
Benson did not yet have an attorney in the gun case, according to court records, and a telephone number for him could not be found.Investigators are continuing to look into whether others had the gun before it allegedly made its way into Ali's hands.Felons are prohibited from owning firearms. Those trying to get guns typically enlist straw purchasers, who then commonly report the guns as stolen in an attempt to avoid liability if the weapons are used in crimes, authorities say.
The alleged straw buyers , two of whom are women accused of buying guns for their boyfriends , face felony charges including making false statements in connection with a firearm, transfer of a firearm to an ineligible person and other counts. Abraham said in cases when the straw purchaser knew the gun would be used in a crime, they could be charged as an accessory before the fact.
"We want to send a message to the straw purchasers that this is something you don't want to do," Corbett said.
Straw purchasers should serve time in state prison, not simply be sentenced to probation, because they are "aiding in the violence that is striking this city," Corbett said.In all, 112 arrests have been made and 190 firearms seized since the December 2006 creation of the task force, which includes 27 investigators and about five prosecutors working with city police.
Abraham said the task force existed largely through the efforts of state Sen. Vincent Fumo, who worked to get $5 million from the Legislature for 2007 and is seeking the same amount for this year.
Last year, Philadelphia tallied 392 homicides , many of them the result of gun violence.

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Melvin Bridges, unlawful use of a weapon Terrence T. Miller arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of a weapon

Terrence T. Miller, 33, of Centreville, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon when police allegedly found him in possession of a loaded 9 mm handgun early Sunday outside the Blue Top nightclub, 817 S. 46th St., Centreville.Centreville Police Officer Corey Allen said the club's security guards called police to the club at 2 a.m., when a shot was fired inside the building.Miller fled investigating officers and was arrested shortly afterward.
Allen said no one was hurt in the shooting and police are still investigating whether Miller fired the shot.If convicted, Miller faces between two and three years imprisonment In a separate incident, Centreville police arrested Melvin Bridges, 19, of East St. Louis for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon at 12:30 p.m. Friday in the 4700 block of Piggott Avenue in Centreville.Allen said police were investigating reports of a prowler in the area when Bridges fled police. Police arrested Bridges and allegedly found a loaded handgun in his possession.If convicted, Bridges faces between one and three years imprisonment.
Miller and Bridges were being held in jail Sunday the Centreville Police Department on $20,000 bail, and will be taken to the St. Clair County Jail today.
Allen said it was unusual for the department to have two gun-related arrests in a weekend and he was thankful no one was hurt during the police chases.
"The biggest thing for us lately has been investigating burglaries," Allen said

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"riot" erupted outside a birthday party in the Center Point area

Fairfield police arrested five people on fighting and disorderly conduct charges at a skating rink, according to Police Chief Pat Mardis.
Police were called to investigate a report of gunfire in the area, but no one was injured, Mardis said. Saturday-night fights landed six people in Jefferson County jails. Also on Saturday, a "riot" erupted outside a birthday party in the Center Point area, according to Sgt. Randy Christian of the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Teenagers began to gather outside a banquet hall in the 2300 block of First Street Northeast that was filled to capacity when a 14-year-old girl got into a fight, Christian said, "and riot conditions followed."
A gun was fired, but no one was hit.
Birmingham police, Center Point firefighters and deputies working other areas of the county responded to the scene.
Deputies were "vastly outnumbered," Christian said.
"I am sure at some point the deputies thought this is how Custer must have felt," Christian said. Some in the crowd threw things at deputies and at one point nearly 40 of the approximately 450 people there were involved in multiple fights, Christian said. The 14-year-old was the only one arrested, Christian said, because she started the fight that sparked the riot.
There were no known serious injuries, Christian said, but one person claimed to have been assaulted by approximately 14 males.
In Fairfield, one person arrested had a gun, Mardis said. An adult was also arrested for fighting a teenage girl, he said.

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Driver was Jerome Lamar Joe of Holiday Florida. passenger is Isaac Flowers of Clearwater

Tampa Police Officers responded to a "shots being fired" call in the area of Ybor City this evening at 12:50AM. The suspect vehicle was a purple car.
Sergeant James Harris of the District III Street Anti-Crimes Squad observed a
1998 Plymouth Breeze, 4door, bearing Fl Tag 627-JJM near N. Nebraska Ave & E. Floribraska Ave. As it matched the description of one of the vehicles involved in the shooting incident, he ran the tag. The registration check showed that the vehicle was reported as stolen through the Pasco County Sheriffs Office on February 11, 2008.
Sgt Harris continued to follow the vehicle until additional officers responded to stop it. The vehicle was successfully boxed in at Nebraska Ave & E. 3rd Ave. As officers approached the vehicle, they observed the driver jump into the back seat and the passenger making furtive movements. When the vehicle doors were opened to extricate the occupants, the passenger was observed holding a loaded Beretta 92 9mm pistol in his hand, concealing it under his leg. The suspects were removed from the vehicle without incident and the gun was recovered. Search of the occupants and the vehicle revealed gloves. The driver had a screwdriver of the type used to commit auto burglaries and a quantity of rock cocaine. The driver was charged with Grand Theft Auto, Auto Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools, Possession of Rock Cocaine, and Habitual Traffic Offender. The passenger was charged with Grand Theft Auto, Auto Burglary, Possession of Burglary Tools, and Carrying a Concealed Firearm.
Additionally, he had outstanding warrants out of Pinellas County.The driver was Jerome Lamar Joe of Holiday Florida.The passenger is Isaac Flowers of Clearwater, FL
A check by Officers in the Ybor City area did not reveal any reported incidents.

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Andrew Wright pulling a gun on someone during a football game

Tavares police took down a man for pulling a gun on someone during a football game.
Police searched for the suspect, Andrew Wright, for 30 minutes and finally found him at a home on Sinclair Avenue in Tavares. Police said Wright was playing football when he got into an argument with another player and threatened to shoot him.
"They showed up at the house, wanting to get in the back door and everything saying that they was after him," said Tony Steward who lives at the house police thought Wright was hiding inside.police were also investigating a stolen car they found parked behind the same home on Sinclair Avenue.

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'mosquito' devices

Retailers are entitled to use 'mosquito' devices to disperse unwanted gangs of disruptive teenagers from hanging around their shops, according to the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The sonic gadget emits a high-pitched noise that only those aged under 25 can hear. The trade association said that violent crime against retail staff had gone up by 50% last year, and threats of violence had more than doubled. "Staff constantly feel threatened by teenage gangs and it should be within their right to use the device," said a BRC spokesman.

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Firm that transports prisoners the real CONAIR in court.

The arrest of Eric Scott Kindley, 39, was part of an FBI airport security initiative that has led to the filing of four criminal cases in the last few months, prosecutors said. Kindley surrendered to federal law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He is president of Court Services Inc., a Riverside-based company that transports prisoners. Kindley and an employee, Gary Douglas Garratt, 54, of Mountain View, were named in a federal grand jury indictment last Friday. The indictment alleges Kindley instructed Garratt to transport a prisoner from Phoenix to Honolulu. When the airline advised Kindley that two armed law enforcement officers must accompany a prisoner on flights longer than four hours, Kindley instructed Garratt to drive to Los Angeles and take a flight from there. On March 15, Garratt and a co-worker went to Los Angeles International Airport with the prisoner, but were again told about the law enforcement officer requirement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. That night, Kindley gave Garratt a handgun. The next morning, as Garratt attempted to board the unidentified commercial airliner, he was stopped. The gun was not registered to him or Kindley and he was not a sworn law enforcement officer, Garratt, who was arrested last year, and Kindley are expected to be arraigned Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles. If convicted of conspiracy and attempting to bring a handgun on to a commercial airplane, they face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, according to prosecutors.
Charles Aaron Smith, 38, of Camarillo, and Ricky Gene Boyd, 52, of Redlands. Smith was charged in December with attempting to bring a gun onto an airplane while claiming to be a retired police officer from Iowa. According to court documents, Smith arrived at LAX in January 2007 to board a flight to Atlanta. Prosecutors said he was stopped at the security checkpoint after an X-ray showed a handgun in his carry-on bag. Smith then falsely identified himself as a Lawler County police officer and presented a fake "retired police officer" identification card that purportedly allowed him to carry a concealed weapon, prosecutors said. When asked about the law enforcement credentials, Smith called Boyd, who then lied to airport officials by telling them that Smith was a retired police officer. Smith struck a deal and is set to enter his guilty plea Feb. 22 in Los Angeles. He faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced. Boyd, who made the bogus credential for Smith, pleaded guilty in November to charges of transporting a false identification document. He faces up to five years in federal prison at his Feb. 25 sentencing hearing. "It should be common sense that private citizens cannot bring firearms onto airplanes ," said U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien. "Security at our airports and in the air is a top priority for law enforcement, who should not have to contend with armed civilians or be distracted by bogus threats."

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Dennis Robert White must spend 16 years behind bars without parole for the fatal shooting of aspiring artist Lee Matasi.

"pitilessness and randomness" of his crime, a judge ruled Friday that Dennis Robert White must spend 16 years behind bars without parole for the fatal shooting of aspiring artist Lee Matasi.White, 30, was found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder and received the mandatory life sentence, with a minimum of 10 years in jail with no parole.Because the jury made no recommendation on a possible increase in parole ineligibility up to a maximum of 25 years, a hearing was then held for submissions on that issue.The Crown asked that White be held in prison for between 15 and 18 years without parole, calling the December 2005 killing outside a Vancouver nightclub an "execution-style" shooting and arguing that White's possession of cocaine indicated his involvement in drug dealing.White's lawyer disputed those claims and argued for no additional time.On Friday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Mark McEwan said one of the difficulties in the case was that White had no criminal record, his remorse was genuine, he recognizes the gravity of the offence and has the support of family and friends.But the judge also noted that White was "clearly in an aggressive frame of mind" on the night of the murder and his actions in mishandling the gun, and discharging the weapon into a building prior to the fatal shooting, gave White no pause."It's clear that . . . there was something almost compulsive about the way White handled and showed and used the gun," said the judge, citing case law indicating that gun crime must be deterred and denounced.White, who stood in the prisoner's box during the sentencing, looked up at the ceiling of the courtroom in response to the ruling.A number of his supporters sitting behind him, including his mother, broke down in tears.Outside court, Matasi's parents said they were satisfied with the judge's decision.His mother, Susan Jessop, said she found the judge's arguments to be "very reasoned" and commented that it properly delivered the message that handguns don't belong in Canadian society."I think my son would be happy with the outcome today."She noted the "absolutely senseless" nature of the crime."A man is dead, that's my son. Another man is going to jail for a very long time -- and for what? How did this come to pass here?"Matasi's father, Lou Matasi, said he was relieved at the ruling and that the next step was for Parliament to pass tougher laws against gun crimes.White's lawyer, Terry LaLiberte, called the sentencing "pure punishment" and vowed that there will be an appeal.

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Plot to overthrow Australia’s first woman Chief Commissioner of Police Christine Nixon.

In the centre of the police scandal are claims of backroom deals and a plot to overthrow Australia’s first woman Chief Commissioner of Police Christine Nixon.
These are the damning disclosures from the report of the Office of Police Integrity (OPI), which was tabled in the Victorian Parliament last week. The report caused shockwaves throughout the nation as Assistant Police Commissioner Noel Ashby resigned, preceded by the police media chief Stephen Linnell, whose alleged lies were exposed by the secret recordings of his series of telephone conversations with Ashby. The report also lists numerous police scandals that prompted further calls for a royal commission or an anti-corruption inquiry with wider powers to investigate beyond the police force. The most serious allegation, of course, is the circumstances of the leaking of information to Detective Sergeant Peter Lalor, who was under surveillance for his alleged involvement in the murder of the so-called vampire. Linnell was alleged to have leaked the information about the surveillance to Ashby, who then spoke to police association secretary Paul Mullet, who allegedly passed on the information to his association president Brian Rix who, in turn, allegedly told Lalor. Mullet denied the allegation and insisted that the information he had passed on for Lalor concerned an Internet e-mail campaign in which Lalor used the pseudonym “Kit Walker”. “Mr Ashby did not tell me about any targets and murder and Lalor,” he said categorically. “Neither did I try to induce that from him. And neither did I pass information on that to Mr Rix to go through to Mr Lalor, and I’m very strong on that because I may not be an angel ... (but) I pride myself on being a police officer who hates crooks.” The OPI report, however, names Ashby and Mullet whose “personal ambitions led them to work towards destabilising and undermining” other senior police officers. It adds: “... the end goals of this alliance were to install Mr Ashby as (Chief) Commissioner and to provide Mr Mullet with a puppet commissioner ... even the prospect of compromising a murder investigation appears to have had secondary consideration.” An excerpt of a taped telephone conversation played at the OPI hearing earlier quotes Ashby telling Linnell about his dealing with Mullet. I’m sick of dealing with him,” Ashby was alleged to have said. “He’s like ... when I was thinking about it, I thought, dealing with this c*** is like dealing with a criminal informer. It’s difficult and smelly.”
Oddly nicknamed “Fish”, Mullet was described in the report as a “forceful, even intimidating person” who rose through the ranks of major crime and armed robbery units to become one of only two Victorian policemen to be awarded with two Valour Medals. After becoming Police Association secretary in 1991, he declared he would not be bullied by the commissioner. Mullet has been suspended from the police force on full pay. He is now challenging that suspension in the Federal Court. Nonetheless, the report recommends that Mullet be charged with, among other offences, attempting to pervert the course of justice. Linnell, described as “one of a willing and gullible supporting cast”, and Ashby, who joined the police force at 16 and rose through the ranks, face a number of charges, including misconduct in public office and perjury. Ashby insists that he has never had an allegation put to him that affects his integrity, but Commissioner Nixon says that Ashby has always been an ambitious man. “Perhaps I should have done something about that, but ambition is not an offence,” she declares, showing her disappointment at what she describes is Ashby’s “betrayal”. The matter has now been referred to the Public Prosecutor who is considering the charges, which carry jail terms up to 25 years.

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Therapist Kathryn Faughey murdered Dr. Kent Shinbach, went to Faughey's aid and was badly injured

David Tarloff, 39, was taken into custody in the morning after investigators matched him with three palm prints found at the bloody crime scene, said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.Tarloff made statements incriminating himself during a 25-minute interrogation, Kelly said. The questioning stopped when he asked for a lawyer, and it wasn't clear later Saturday whether he had an attorney. Murder and attempted murder charges are pending, Kelly said.Therapist Kathryn Faughey was slashed 15 times with the cleaver and a 9-inch knife in her Manhattan office Tuesday evening. A psychiatrist who worked in the building, Dr. Kent Shinbach, went to Faughey's aid and was badly injured.During questioning, Tarloff said he had gone to the office because Shinbach had him institutionalized in 1991. He said he planned to rob the psychiatrist and leave the country with his mother, who lives in a nursing home, but until recently had lived with him in an apartment in Queens. Kelly couldn't confirm whether Tarloff was ever Shinbach's patient, or whether he had met Faughey. It remained unclear why Tarloff would have attacked Faughey, police said.The breakthrough in the case came as friends, relatives and former patients attended a funeral for the slain therapist in Manhattan."I hope this arrest provides some measure of solace at this terrible time for her husband and the rest of her family," Kelly said.Neighbors described Tarloff as a troubled man with an erratic and sometimes combative personality who would occasionally wander the halls half-clothed. He had been arrested two weeks ago for assaulting a security guard at a hospital, according to criminal court records. Kelly said police matched prints from that arrest with a palm print found on a roller suitcase left at the crime scene.
There was a whirl of police activity at the Queens apartment Saturday. Police kept outsiders from entering the building, and officers came and went from the building throughout the afternoon.
One neighbor who has known the family for decades, Phyllis Zicherman, said that Tarloff had seemed down lately, but that she was stunned to hear he was a suspect. "He had problems, but he was never violent," she said.
Sisters Betty and Margaret Feeney, who live below Tarloff, said they have known him his entire life. They described him as unstable but were shocked that he was accused in the slaying."I know he's crazy and everything," said Betty, 72. "I don't think that he's capable of doing something like that — of killing somebody. I really don't."She said that Tarloff would come around asking for money but that she would not give it to him."I would keep out of the elevator if I saw him. I was scared of him. I wouldn't go near where he would be," she said. "He used to make terrible noise above us. We had an awful time with him. He was tramping back and forth all hours of the night."Investigators said the pudgy, balding, middle-aged killer arrived around 8 p.m. Tuesday, telling the doorman he had an appointment with Shinbach, then sat in the waiting room with another of Shinbach's patients until she went into his office around 8:30 p.m.Sometime after that, the killer entered Faughey's office and attacked her. Shinbach came to her aid but was assaulted and robbed of $90.Blood was splattered on the walls and pooled on the floor of Faughey's office. Blood also was found on the basement door, police said.Kelly said the case had strong forensic evidence, and investigators worked on blood and DNA samples from the scene. Police combed surveillance footage and removed evidence from the slain therapist's office.Kelly said Saturday that the suspect was seen on surveillance tapes walking the same escape route about an hour and a half before the slaying.
Earlier in the week, detectives traveled to Pennsylvania to interview a friend of Faughey who spoke to the psychologist that day. He was not considered a suspect, police said.The killer left behind two bags near the basement door through which he escaped. A larger roller suitcase was filled with adult diapers and women's clothing, and a smaller bag was full of rope, duct tape and eight knives apparently not used in the attack, police said.
Shinbach was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center with slash wounds on his head, face and hands. The hospital declined to release any information about Shinbach on Saturday.

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Victoria Police identification badges, surveillance and radio gear, body armour and uniforms for sale

Breathalysers, bullet-proof vests and handcuffs are also among the 700 items reported by police as having been lost or stolen over the past five years, documents reveal.crime gangs could be in possession of Victoria Police identification badges, surveillance and radio gear, body armour and uniforms following the disappearance of hundreds of items of police equipment.However, there were no reports of lost or stolen guns in the 17 pages released through freedom of information. The missing items included:

■317 police badges.

■7 bullet-proof vests.

■62 pairs of handcuffs.

■16 batons.

■64 breathalysers.

Police could not say how many of the missing badges were recovered, or how many of the listed items were subsequently used in criminal activity.Last year, three men allegedly impersonating police were arrested after an attempted robbery in Kensington — but it is unclear if they were in possession of any legitimate police-issue equipment.Opposition police spokesman Andrew McIntosh described the losses — totalling $420,000 — as extraordinary and outrageous, warning that the equipment could fall into the hands of organised criminals, posing a very serious threat to the public."The question is, have any of these items turned up during acts of crime?" he said.The loss of police body armour was of great concern, given Parliament had recently passed legislation toughening laws for the possession of body armour, he said."Police badges and body armour are a real concern and would be worth big dollars in the crime world."Some of the equipment went missing from inside police stations, with badges disappearing from sensitive policing areas including the crime desk, the special operations group and the fraud and firearms units.
Corruption investigators also lost a voice recorder with a memory stick. The documents do not reveal what information it held.Along with unaccounted for surveillance equipment and mobile phones, more than a dozen Victoria Police hand-held radios valued at more than $3500 each have been lost.Victoria Police's Bec Fraser said the force had "a large recovery rate" of stolen items, particularly ID badges. She said the total cost of losses was comparable to other police jurisdictions and the number of items lost was "very low … considering the nature of policing and the amount of operational equipment currently utilised by Victoria Police".

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Mithun Ghosh, Chandan Basu, Lakshmi Chakra-barty and Phulmani

A probe revealed that Gupta had reportedly developed homosexual tendencies recently and depended on a criminal ring to supply him with the means to satisfy his carnal desires.Rakesh Gupta murder case after arresting four people on Saturday. After one such porn show on February 10, the gang demanded a huge sum from him. He refused to pay up and an argument broke out. When Rakesh started screaming, the criminals tied a handkerchief to his throat and throttled him. They later dumped the body by a pond in Muragachha, North 24-Parganas. This is what the gang of four - Mithun Ghosh, Chandan Basu, Lakshmi Chakra-barty and Phulmani - told the police on Saturday after their arrest. However, mastermind Shibu has gone under cover. Gupta had met Shibu about six months ago at City Centre. As both got to know each other, he told Shibu about his private desires. The criminal was quick to see that the liaison would spin big money for him. At first, he organised small, private escapades for Gupta. Then about a week before February 10, he hatched a bigger plan with Mithun, Chandan and Lakshmi, who is Chandan’s companion. They decided to lure Gupta to a two-storey house in the Ghola area with the bait of a porn show. This time, they hoped to ask for a bigger amount. Accordingly, on the fateful day, Shibu called up Gupta. The executive, who had gone to drop his mother at the airport, cancelled all appointments and rushed to the house. Call details reveal that Gupta had switched off his cellphone at 3.47 pm, which indicates he was in the building by then. Police suspect the gang cornered Gupta inside the house and demanded a huge sum of money. Gupta refused to pay up as he had only Rs 2,600 on him. The gang then asked for his ATM card and threatened to expose him if he didn’t pay up. But Gupta didn’t give in. Instead, he said he would call the police. As Gupta started screaming, one of the gang members strangled him with a handkerchief. His death put the gang in a spot. Lakshmi then got in touch with her sister-in-law Phulmani at Ultadanga and told her about their predicament. It was Phulmani who hired a Matador, got the sack and nylon rope and stuffed the body inside the sack. Late at night, the body was taken out of the house and dumped beside a nearby pond. A blouse was stuffed in the sack to mislead investigators. “We are now looking for Shibu and the Matador driver. All the four arrested persons were produced in a Barrackpore court on Saturday and remanded in police custody for four days,” said North 24-Parganas SP Supratim Sarkar

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South African Passports are worthless

South African Passports are worthless, now we know why. As a result, British immigration experts said, the South African passport was “no longer worth the paper it’s written on”. South Africa leapt to the top of the British government’s visa “hit list” last month following a British trial that heard that at least 6 000 illegal Asian immigrants had been smuggled into Britain on South African passports.Last week Sir Stephen Lander, chairman of Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency, told Britain’s Home Affairs Committee that the case “is likely” to lead to visa controls being placed on all South Africans, the Sunday Times said.
British immigration authorities are currently subjecting South Africa, with other countries, to a “Visa Waiver Test”, expected to end this year.
Experts said South Africa was almost certain to fail on three of the six key criteria due to crime and Home Affairs corruption. On Friday, the British Home Office insisted a decision had not been made but admitted that the issues raised by a recent police operation “will be of concern to both governments”.
Cleo Mosana, spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, acknowledged on Friday that there were “major issues about the integrity and credibility” of South African passports, the Sunday Times said.

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Stephen Kazmierczak "outstanding" student and a "disturbed individual."

Authorities are describing the gunman who killed five students at Northern Illinois University yesterday as both an "outstanding" student and a "disturbed individual."Police say Stephen Kazmierczak carried a shotgun hidden in a guitar case and three handguns onto the campus. They say he bought the weapons legally and had a valid Firearm Owner's Identification Card required of all Illinois residents who own guns.Campus police say Kazmierczak "had stopped taking medication and become somewhat erratic in the last couple of weeks." But they declined to provide details.In Lakeland, Florida, the gunman's father briefly came to the door of his home and asked reporters to leave him alone. Saying "this is a very hard time," Robert Kazmierczak said he would make no statements, then broke down in tears.

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Carlos Leon,Christopher Ault,Jordan Cole

"Two of these thugs are 17-year-old Crips members who were trying to make their bones and they figured by doing a robbery, a carjacking, it would carry some weight in their little criminal enterprise," Chief Mike Chitwood with the Daytona Beach Police Department said.Police believe that if Gibson had not saved herself by jumping out of her trunk she possibly would have been killed as part of the gang behavior.
Charity Gibson, 26, said she was forced into the trunk of her car at gunpoint during Tuesday's incident.
"I'm glad personally, and maybe this sounds a little bit crazy but I’m glad it happened to me, because I was prepared, rather than to somebody else," Gibson said. "Hopefully these guys will get justice."
Police said two teenage gang members, Carlos Leon, 17, and Christopher Ault, 17, and another man, Jordan Cole, 20, are responsible for the carjacking. The suspects were arrested with the help of authorities in Casselberry and Winter Springs.Leon and Ault escaped from a drug treatment center in Winter Springs and came to Daytona Beach with Cole.The suspects had followed six other women before investigator said they targeted Gibson and her red Ford Mustang.Police said the suspects were looking to make a name for themselves within their gang.Investigators also said they recovered the gun used during the carjacking.Authorities said they hope to charge the teenagers as adults for armed kidnapping and armed carjacking. They could face possible life sentences.

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Kenrick Rowe,Juno Daniel was banned by a court from having a firearm for 10 years for a previous incident involving a firearm.

Kenrick Rowe, 31, and Juno Daniel, 25, both of Toronto, are charged with robbery while armed, possessing an unregistered restricted firearm, possessing a restricted firearm with ammunition, possessing a restricted knowing it's unauthorized, and wearing a disguise with intent to commit an indictable offence. Daniel is also charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possessing a firearm with prohibited.
banned from having a firearm for a decade by a court was arrested with a loaded handgun following a store robbery in Etobicoke. Toronto holdup Det.-Sgt. John Brown said uniformed officers recovered the 9 mm pistol in a high-risk takedown at Alliance Ave. and Rockcliffe Blvd. shortly after the 9:41 p.m. Thursday robbery of the Islington Ave. shop.
Brown said plainclothes officers spotted a vehicle matching the one seen fleeing the convenience store.
Two suspects who obscured their faces by wearing balaclavas, wigs, hoodies and gloves threatened the clerk with the pistol, he said.
The suspects took some cash and then fled scene, leaving the victim shaken but uninjured, Brown said.
A patrolling plainsclothes team spotted the vehicle and followed it until marked cruisers were able to move in and assist in the arrests of the two suspects.
Police said the loaded handgun was found on the person of one of the suspects.
Police sources said one suspect was banned by a court from having a firearm for 10 years for a previous incident involving a firearm.

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Gun tracker

Criminals don't sit still. They move from place to place, Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray s Cooperative police work among cities on the Route 222 corridor in recent years has helped track individual criminals and gangs, Gray said.And the guns they use, Gray said, also often don't stay in one place. New technology and cooperative efforts discussed at a conference this week in Baltimore can be used to track those guns on an even larger scale.Gray and mayors from 11 cities from New York to Annapolis met Wednesday and agreed to share ballistics information that could link guns to crimes used in different cities.A presentation to the mayors focused on shell casings from one handgun that showed it had been used in crimes in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, he said.A criminal caught with that gun could lead to multiple prosecutions against several individuals in several cities."It provides a wealth of information to law enforcement people," Gray said this morning.The meeting, organized by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, included mayors from New York City, Baltimore and Annapolis, Md.; Newark and Trenton, N.J.; Dover and Wilmington, Del.; and Lancaster, Reading and York. Philadelphia's mayor sent an aide.
They agreed to establish a computer database for information collected from police along the Interstate 95 corridor and the surrounding areas. It will combine data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with local police ballistics and interrogation information. The mayors hope to have the database in operation later this year.A fundamental part of the plan is new technology that can identify a firearm by markings left on shell casings. With matching marks, police can trace a firearm to crime scenes in different states even if the firearm itself has not been recovered."They said it's like a fingerprint. It's that unique," Gray said of a Newark police presentation on the marking identification technology."It seems to be a real tool that police can use to track illicit activity," he said.In a joint statement that came from the meeting, the mayors said it wouldn't cost much to develop the database and new personnel would not be needed to implement the program.Gray said the federal government should really be leading the interstate effort. He remains hopeful that the federal or state government will step in to cover the cost of acquiring the new technology for Lancaster police.A spokesman for the National Rifle Association commented after the meeting to the Associated Press that law enforcement already has more than enough tools to combat gun crimes and the project sounded more like a publicity stunt.

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90 percent of the 500-euro notes in circulation outside Europe are being smuggled into Colombia.

Federal agents last year used their dogs Frankie and Sox to detect cocaine residue on euro shipments seized at the Miami airport. One seizure alone involved seven bags. One of the shipments contained 12,224 of the telltale 500-euro notes. The money is shipped in sealed, tamper-resistant plastic bags the size of duffel bags.Those seizures are now the subject of the U.S. forfeiture action, a civil action that requires the government only show that it's more likely than not that the money is ill-gotten.The Justice Department has received claims for the cash from casas de cambio in Colombia that say the money is legitimate. A judge will sort out those claims.
American Airlines Flight 914 takes off from Bogota, Colombia, at 8:20 a.m. and touches down at the Miami airport at noon. In the jet's cargo hold are usually bags and bags of euros that investigators say are part of a huge $1.4 billion cocaine money-laundering scheme.Crime is happening right on schedule in Miami, almost every day, federal prosecutors say. But so far, despite nearly four years of investigation, they have apparently been unable to build a strong enough case to stop it.Instead, they are attacking the problem piecemeal. The U.S. Justice Department this week went to federal court in Miami seeking forfeiture of nearly $11 million seized last June and July by federal agents, who used drug-sniffing dogs to find cocaine residue on some of the cash

.The money represents only a tiny fraction of a huge scheme to launder euros from the sale of Colombian cocaine in Europe, Justice Department attorney Lea Carlisle said in the document. She said the total coming through U.S. airports could reach 1 billion euros a year, or about $1.4 billion at current exchange rates."This seizure represents a small but telling snapshot," Carlisle said. She declined to comment beyond the court document filed Tuesday.The complex arrangement involves money exchange businesses in Colombia, commercial jetliners from the U.S. and Britain and financial firms in Miami and London. When the circle is complete, Colombian drug cartels cloak the true source of millions of dollars.Vast quantities of cocaine are smuggled each year from Colombia to Spain and then sold throughout Europe, where use is growing dramatically. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says cocaine sells in Europe for twice what it brings in this country, generating large amounts of cash."All of this means they have a new problem — laundering their euros," said Bruce Bagley, an expert on drug trafficking and chairman of international studies at the University of Miami. "This new problem has led them to these complex daisy-chain money laundering activities."Huge amounts of cash are moved around the globe all the time, most of it legitimate. But the DEA, Justice Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement began investigating in 2004 after agents noticed astronomical amounts of euro notes coming into Miami from Bogota.Still, no business or person has been charged with a crime. Convicting someone requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt, a tougher legal standard than the one for confiscating suspected drug money.

Moreover, to search a bulk cash shipment, U.S. investigators need a warrant. And they cannot get one unless they can show probable cause to believe it's dirty money.Bagley said the lack of criminal charges is a sign that investigators have yet to build enough evidence against any conspirators, something that often depends on inside informants or drug defendants looking to make deals for lighter sentences."The U.S. government is behind the curve on this," Bagley said. "This is a test case to see how far they can get."According to the U.S. government, here is how the laundering scheme works:
Euro notes generated by cocaine sales in Europe are first smuggled illegally into Colombia. Then, low-level couriers known as "smurfs" bring the cash in small amounts at various times to a number of different Colombian money exchanges known as "casas de cambio," or "houses of exchange."
The Colombian exchanges then fly the euros to the U.S., often after falsifying the paperwork. A good chunk of the money arrives aboard American Flight 914 each day under an arrangement with a Miami-based exchange business, InterTransfers Inc.

Once in Miami, the euros are transferred by armored car, counted, repackaged and put on a flight to London, where they are converted into dollars and eventually transferred back through Miami and on to Colombia. Ultimately, they become "clean" pesos for the cocaine traffickers, according to the court filing.The Colombian Embassy in Washington did not return a phone call seeking comment.Neither InterTransfers nor American, nor any of their employees, have been accused of any wrongdoing. American spokesman Tim Smith said the airline has "distinct security procedures" for currency shipments but declined to discuss them."American Airlines assists law enforcement authorities in any way possible any time we are asked to in cases such as this," Smith said.Ramiro Miqueli, InterTransfers president and chief executive, said his company has been assured in writing by the Justice Department that it is not a target of the investigation. He said about $1.5 million of the firm's money seized last summer is being returned without fine or penalty."InterTransfers has been found not to have violated any U.S. law," Miqueli said.A major red flag is the frequent appearance of the 500-euro note, which allows a lot of money to be shipped without taking up a lot of space. The 500-euro note — equal to about $700 — is rare in legitimate transactions and often turns up in suspicious real estate and financial deals in Spain.Colombian regulators recently concluded that 90 percent of the 500-euro notes in circulation outside Europe are being smuggled into Colombia.

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My job as attorney general is to continually look for ways of improving our system of justice

The Ontario Criminal Lawyers' Association urged the province to abandon an appeal of a judge's ruling that stayed corruption charges against six former members of the Toronto police drug squad on the grounds the case was taking too long to come to trial. A group representing criminal lawyers in Ontario added its voice Tuesday to a chorus of demands for a public inquiry into how the provincial government bungled one of the largest cases of police corruption in Canadian history.
Superior Court Justice Ian Nordheimer stayed the charges last month, blaming the prosecution's "glacial pace" for violating the rights of the accused officers to a timely trial. Attorney General Chris Bentley launched an appeal of the stay last Friday.Political considerations, not the law, may have been the motive for Bentley's decision to appeal the ruling, said association director Peter Zaduk. The appeal has a limited chance of success, since Nordheimer was following well-recognized precedents, he added."This was a pretty clear case, but accepting that they do have an argument, it's a marginal, speculative argument. It's not outside the realm of possibility that political considerations may have been the deciding factor," Zaduk said."The Crown just didn't put forward anything in front of (Nordheimer) to justify any of these delays."Criminal lawyer Edward Sapiano, who alleged in 1999 that some Toronto cops were beating and robbing suspects and telling lies in court in order to obtain subpoenas to allow them to conduct illegal activities, said Tuesday the appeal should be abandoned."My personal opinion is that it's a no-hoper," he said.
"It's going to be really, really unfortunate if the attorney general spends more of our taxpayers' money, after delaying the proper inquiry still further, if they lose this appeal."Sapiano said the appeal allows the Liberal government to stave off a public inquiry, or any accountability for its actions, for at least two more years, even though Nordheimer directly criticized the Ministry of the Attorney General for the delay."The error that led to the staying of this prosecution, (that) type of error occurs over a long period of time. They had repeated warnings," said Sapiano.
"One must ask - what was the intention of the attorney general?"Ontario's justice system provides for the right of appeal, countered Bentley, who rejected suggestions Tuesday that the appeal was politically motivated.Bentley also dismissed the idea of a public inquiry, saying there have been many studies already and he'd rather get on with the job of making changes to the justice system instead of waiting for another report.
"My job as attorney general is to continually look for ways of improving our system of justice," Bentley said in an interview."I'll be making the necessary improvements to strengthen that independent system that we all cherish."
Conservative Leader John Tory called for an independent probe of allegations that the Crown or the ministry somehow dragged its feet and intentionally delayed the prosecution."I think the very fact that allegation is circulating is a reason why we need the public inquiry," Tory said."I think they can get on now with the public inquiry into certain aspects of the justice system not involving this case, while the appeal is pending, because there are lots of other instances."NDP Leader Howard Hampton also predicted the appeal's demise and suggested it was politically motivated."I think the announcement of an appeal was simply the (Liberal) government again trying to cover up the fact they've really blown it here," said Hampton.
"You need to have a public inquiry here because the police prosecution cases are the real test of the integrity of your justice system."Zaduk called it a "fundamental failure" of Ontario's legal system and warned it would likely have a "chilling effect" on anyone with legitimate complaints about police."It has to be a significant deterrent."

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Lindstrom witness protection

Lindstrom has pleaded guilty to soliciting the murder of two witnesses who were due to give evidence against her boyfriend on serious drug charges.In return for a lighter sentence, she has vowed to testify against him and others, but as a result is kept in protective custody as "serious" threats on her life have been made. Speaking publicly for the first time since being locked up last May, Lindstrom made a heartfelt apology to the Supreme Court, saying she wished she could have her time over. During her short stint in the witness box, she also confessed to suffering anorexia from the age of 13 and said the illness still plagued her. Her barrister, Paul Byrne SC, asked if she had anything to say to the court about her offence. "Yes, I totally regret my actions and I'm sorry to the people that are suffering (as a result)," she said.
"I wish I could get a second chance at life but mostly I wish I could turn back time. It will not ever happen again."Lindstrom spoke softly, also thanking her family and friends for their ongoing support. She was facing a lengthy jail term but Justice Stephen Rothman agreed she was in no way the instigator of the murderous plan - instead describing her as an "administrator". Lindstrom is unlikely to receive anything like the maximum jail term of 25 years. Mr Byrne submitted special circumstances should be applied because, even after being granted parole, she would be held in witness protection as she testified against her former boyfriend and others in the drug case. Looking gaunt and occasionally wiping away tears, Lindstrom was supported by her father and friends as the court heard of two covertly recorded phone calls between her and her boyfriend - who cannot be identified for legal reasons - just prior to her arrest. In them, they discuss Lindstrom seeing "solicitors" - a reference to the hitmen who were to carry out the shooting deaths. Lindstrom's father Hans told the court he had met Charlotte's former boyfriend and did not think he was a good person to spend time with. According to the Crown case, Lindstrom met with an undercover policeman who pretended to be a hitman. In one conversation, she told him her boyfriend wanted the two witnesses "in a cemetery" rather than a hospital. Justice Rothman said he would pass sentence as soon as possible.

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SOFAST and the Blood and Honour gang

Jason Gregg was arrested in Newark, and John Carr was taken into custody in Gahanna. Both suspects have been charged with felonious assault and abduction.
Two alleged white supremacists believed to have fired gunshots at an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent and another individual in August 2006 in Thornville were arrested Thursday by the Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension and Strike Team (SOFAST).According to the U. S. Marshals Service, the suspects are known members of the threat group known as the Blood and Honour gang. The Blood and Honour gang is a white supremacist group that promotes anti-semitism and racism. It produces its own magazine based out of Salem. The neo-Nazi group was founded in the 1980s and has active chapters operating in various areas of Ohio.
SOFAST is a team comprised of law enforcement officers from federal, state and local agencies. The task force's objective is to seek out and arrest dangerous fugitives.Last year, U.S. Marshals task forces arrested more than 27,000 state and local fugitives on felony charges.

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Investigation into the private security industry

THE Australian Crime Commission has launched a special investigation into the private security industry amid fears organised crime rings are using it to infiltrate businesses, sell drugs and launder money.Criminals no longer just use private security jobs to sell drugs and steal guns; they are now using it as a cover to get access to lucrative sectors such as insurance, finance and telecommunications, it warns."We're seeing criminal infiltration across a broad range of areas," commission chief executive Alastair Milroy said.
"The potential is (for) quite a broad range of criminal activity — access to business, business information, facilitating theft for others and access to things that business might be involved in."The jobs now carried out by security guards — such as surveillance, property protection and even fraud investigation — involve trust from the community, but some people might exploit that, Mr Milroy said.The commission began an investigation into the industry last September, after an intelligence assessment found that different job types and the kind of access they allowed provided opportunities for criminals.Intelligence gathered by the commission on organised crime suggests criminals are moving into business sectors with high profits and less risk of scrutiny from law enforcement, such as insurance and transport.Security licence holders have access to businesses such as banks, airports, hotels, shopping centres and government services.
"Security plays a significant part in those industries, to (get access to them) they would need to infiltrate within the security," Mr Milroy said.
"It's an issue of access to sensitive information.
"We are taking a very open mind to really look at the extent of criminal infiltration and the risks associated with that brings to all business.
"(It) increases the risk to business and it also raises the issue of the credibility of the agencies involved."
The Australian Crime Commission was using its coercive powers "quite extensively", Mr Milroy said. Intelligence was being passed on to state police. The investigation is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

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Never would hold back information if they believed doing so would put the public at risk.

It happens in an instant: A quiet suburb that most people living even just a few miles away couldn't find without a map becomes synonymous with the most grisly of crimes.It happened in Tinley Park, where a gunman went into a women's clothing store on a Saturday morning earlier this month and shot six women, killing five.Now authorities hunting for the man who executed the women during an attempted robbery Feb. 2 are under an unrelenting spotlight unlike anything the Chicago suburb has dealt with before. The department is being tested, as is its ability to at once investigate the crime, keep the public apprised of developments and try to control information -- and misinformation -- coming out about the case.As authorities continue to hunt for the man who executed five women in Tinley Park, the slayings have tested the department and its ability to at once investigate the crime, keep the public apprised of what it is doing and try to control the information that has come out. Like many crime stories, this one is made up of official accounts, anonymous tips and rumors, as both detectives and reporters track down leads.
But Tinley Park's case has from the beginning included something else: A conscious decision by police not to reveal that along with the five women who were killed, a sixth woman inside the Lane Bryant store had survived a gunshot wound to her neck.Not until three days after the shooting, and only after the survivor's family talked to the press, did police confirm her existence.Quietly, law enforcement officials said there was a very good reason, but the department wouldn't comment. On Thursday, Tinley Park's mayor explained the goal was not to deceive the public."But if the killer knew that he had killed all (the) people he would have been more liable to make a mistake, brag about it, as opposed to know someone's alive and go underground," Mayor Edward Zabrocki said.Police feared that if they released information on the survivor, the gunman might change his appearance, leave the area or otherwise make himself more difficult to find. And Police Commander Rick Bruno said the department never would hold back information if they believed doing so would put the public at risk.
"We were not necessarily trying to mislead anyone other than maybe the guy who pulled the trigger," Bruno said.
But at least one expert argues such a premise is misguided; that police are deceiving the public and not criminal suspects.
"You are keeping it from who? The people that already know," said Chris Ryan, who teaches law enforcement worldwide about how to deal with the media and the public.

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