Articles in the forum - 2010 - ... LA Community Policing

Make Your Voice Heard at The White House

Feb

Play a role in
letting the White
House and Federal
Government know
what you want
& what you need
------------------
Now its EASY !!

from The White House - by Tina Tchen - February 23, 2010

On February 6, the White House Open Government Initiative launched a government wide public participation opportunity unprecedented in the history of our democracy. As part of the Open Government Directive issued in early December, every major agency published an open government website.

These pages went live in early February complete with the latest news and updates, downloadable data unique to that agency, and information about how each agency is moving to implement the President's call for a more transparent, participatory, and collaborative government.

These new websites also incorporate a mechanism for online civic engagement.

What's Behind America's Falling Crime Rate - TIME Magazine

Feb

Crime rates have
been falling and
last year's murder
rate nationwide
may be the
lowest since the
mid-1960s

from TIME Magazine - by David Von Drehle - February, 2010

Health care, climate change, terrorism — is it even possible to solve big problems? The mood in Washington is not very hopeful these days. But take a look at what has happened to one of the biggest, toughest problems facing the country 20 years ago: violent crime.

For years, Americans ranked crime at or near the top of their list of urgent issues. Every politician, from alderman to President, was expected to have a crime-fighting agenda, yet many experts despaired of solutions. By 1991, the murder rate in the U.S. reached a near record 9.8 per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, criminologists began to theorize that a looming generation of so-called superpredators would soon make things even worse.

Then, a breakthrough. Crime rates started falling [and] last year's murder rate may be the lowest since the mid-1960s.

LAPD to Host the California Homicide Investigators Association

Feb

---------------------
LAPD hosts
California
conference in
LAS VEGAS !!??

Conference in Las Vegas !!?? - from LAPD - February 22, 2010

Las Vegas, Nevada: The Los Angeles Police Department will host the 2010 Annual Conference of California Homicide Investigators Association (CHIA) in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2-5, 2010, at the Palms Casino Resort.

The 2010 CHIA Conference, as is typical for professional association conferences, will provide those associated with homicide investigations, continuing education, training and networking opportunities.

A unique aspect of the conference will be a first-ever "Behind-The-Scenes" look at some of the most notable homicides and critical incidents that occurred in Los Angeles over the past 100 years. The 8,000 square foot Key West Ballroom inside the Palms Casino Resort will be transformed into a multimedia museum of photographs, video displays and actual evidence, some of which has never been seen in or outside of a courtroom.

DONE (Department of Neighborhood Empowerment) is .. well .. done

Feb

---------------------
DONE is Kaput
---------------------
Several issues
have contributed
to its demise

Several issues have contributed to its demise- by Bill Murray - February 23, 2010

Will the Neighborhood Council system survive in Los Angeles? We'll just have to wait and see. But this much is certain. The "experiment" is over."

In and all-or-nothing vote, the City of Los Angeles passed into law a completely new City Charter in the late 90s, and one of the reasons the take-it-or-leave-it document gained grassroots acceptance was the addition of a specialized mechanism touted to allow regular Angelenos the ability to have a say in public policy and choices for their communities.

Calling it quits after 8,000 hours of risky flying

Feb

Dale Gant is retiring
from the LA Fire
Department
after 35 years

Angel of the Air retires - by Dennis McCarthy - LA Daily News - 02/20/2010

The winds hit you first. They slam you side to side in your helicopter and beat your brains out, but you keep going.

A couple of your buddies are riding your tail, following your lead through a dark, smoky canyon at night.

They're counting on you getting them close enough to the flames for an effective water drop - then getting the hell out of there.

If you fail, you're tomorrow's tragic headline.

"You have to trust that guy," veteran Los Angeles City Fire Department pilot Jeff Moir says. "We all trusted Dale. He was that good."

Dalai Lama to speak Sunday at Universal City

Feb

Dalai Lama
Tibetan Buddhist
spiritual leader

Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader - LA Daily News - 02/20/2010

The Dalai Lama will deliver his first large-scale public talk in Los Angeles since September 2006 on Sunday, speaking at the Gibson Amphitheatre as part of an effort to raise awareness of the plight of institutionalized children.

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists will deliver a speech titled "Cultivating Compassion and the Needs of Vulnerable Children."

"We're honored to have His Holiness come to demonstrate his solidarity with our work," said Karen Gordon, founder and chief executive officer of Los Angeles-based Whole Child International, a non-governmental agency that works to improve care for vulnerable children worldwide.

"His compassion and wisdom will inform our efforts, and help us identify new objectives as we strive to ensure that all children receive the loving care they need to fulfill their potential," she said.

Jim McDonnell to be sworn in as Long Beach PD chief

Feb

New LBPD Chief Jim McDonnell

Ceremony open to the public - March 13 - by Tracy Manzer - The Press Telegram, Long Beach

LONG BEACH - Long Beach's new Chief of Police will be officially sworn in March 13.

Jim McDonnell, who is still finishing out his tenure at the Los Angeles Police Department, has been meeting with Long Beach Police officers and civilian staff so that he will be ready to "hit the ground running," following swearing in.

The ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Terrace Theatre, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., and is open to the public.

The more than 30-year veteran of the LAPD, who achieved the rank of second in command under former LAPD Chief Bill Bratton, was chosen in January as the replacement for former Chief Anthony Batts.

House passes 'Billy's Law' on missing persons

Feb

US House of
Representatives

Expands the database of missing people - by Richard Simon - The LA Times - February 23, 2010

A measure named for Janice Smolinski's son, who disappeared in 2004, would help expand the database of missing people and unidentified remains, partly by requiring the FBI to share what it knows.

Reporting from Washington - As the House on Tuesday approved "Billy's Law," a bill designed to aid families searching for missing loved ones, Janice Smolinski had more than a casual interest.

Her son, Billy, for whom the legislation is named, disappeared more than five years ago.

The measure, which seeks to expand online public information on missing people and unidentified remains, comes in the wake of missing-persons cases that have drawn national attention ..

US Concerned by Threat of Domestic Extremists

Feb

Janet Napolitano

Spoke to a gathering of governors - February 21, 2010 - Voice Of America News

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says authorities are becoming more concerned about American citizens or legal residents becoming involved in terrorist plots against the United States.

Speaking Sunday in Washington to a gathering of U.S. state governors, Napolitano said law enforcement officials do not have good methods for preventing people from becoming violent extremists.

In one recent case, five young Pakistani men who lived in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., traveled to Pakistan where they allegedly attempted to join militant Islamist groups.

School District sued for cyber spying on students

Feb

1,800 high-school
laptop computers
involved

Cyberspying on kids / parents in Phili - by Dana DiFilippo - Philadelphia Daily News - February 19, 2010

Lower Merion School District officials brag that they give every one of their 1,800 high-schoolers laptop computers to "ensure that all students have 24/7 access to school-based resources."

Instead, they ensured they got a 24/7 sneak peek into students' private lives by secretly monitoring webcams embedded in the laptops to spy on teens and their families at home, according to a federal, class-action lawsuit filed this week in Philadelphia.

The suit alleges the remotely controlled covert cameras violate everything from the Fourth Amendment to wiretapping, electronic communications and computer fraud laws.

Public – Private Partnership with Nixle

Feb

newest portal for
the Department to
receive information
from the community

News from LAPD - February 17 2010 - Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Police Department continues to expand the use of Nixle as a communication platform.

Since piloting Nixle in October 2009, the Los Angeles area user base has grown from a few hundred to well over 40,000 and growing. Nixle is a service that is free to the City of Los Angeles and to the community.

In uncertain budgetary times public-private partnerships take on a more critical role. Similar partnerships, such as Web-Tips, Text-a-Tip, and the newest, Crimestoppers, have opened portals for the Department to receive information from the community. Nixle is the first professional-grade mass communications platform which allows the police department to communicate directly with a geographically specific portion of the community in real time and at any time.

Report tracks lost firearms at DHS

Feb

Almost 300 "lost"
guns is fewer
losses than some
other agencies ??

Almost 399 "lost" GUNS ??? !! - by Joe Davidson - The Washington Post - February 19, 2010

Almost 300 firearms -- handguns, M-4 rifles and shotguns -- were lost by various DHS agencies during fiscal 2006-08, according to the department's inspector general. In most cases, carelessness was the culprit. The inspector general's office says "179 (74 percent) were lost because officers did not properly secure them."

Not all the blame is on the officers. The department's management and oversight of "safeguards and controls over firearms were not effective," largely because specific policies and practices were not in place, said the report released this week by Inspector General Richard L. Skinner.

Unfortunately, DHS is not alone. Previous reports by the Government Accountability Office and the Justice Department found that losing weapons is a problem in various federal law enforcement agencies. In fact, DHS had fewer losses than some other agencies.

Important 2010 Census Information

Feb

ITS IN OUR
HANDS
---------------------
... but be aware
of con artists

2010 Cencus to Begin - February 15, 2010

With the U.S.. Census process beginning, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises people to be cooperative, but cautious, so as not to become a victim of fraud or identity theft.

The first phase of the 2010 U.S. Census is under way as workers have begun verifying the addresses of households across the country.

Eventually, more than 140,000 U.S. Census workers will count every person in the United States and will gather information about every person living at each address including name, age, gender, race, and other relevant data.

The big question is - how do you tell the difference between a U.S. Census worker and a con artist?

PA police mum on motive in disabled woman's death

Feb

Greensburg PA
--------------------
a tragedy in
middle America

UPDATED - A tragedy in middle America - by Dan Nephin - Associated Press - February 13, 2010

GREENSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Jennifer Daugherty's mom and stepdad didn't press for details when she mentioned she had made some new friends. The 30-year-old had the mental abilities of an adolescent but wasn't the kind to get in trouble, and she was even thinking about getting her own place soon.

Police found her body Thursday stuffed into a garbage can in a school parking lot; they say she had been forced to consume detergent and urine -- and to write a fake suicide note -- before she was fatally stabbed by attackers who also shaved her head and painted her face with nail polish.

Six suspects have been charged, including her new "friends." .......... NOTE: SEE THE VIDEOS

Female Professor Charged in Deadly Alabama Shooting

Feb

Killing
On The Crimson
Tide
Campus

She can't believe it happened - by Kristin M. Hall - Associated Press - February 13, 2010

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Feb. 13) - A University of Alabama biology professor accused of gunning down three colleagues in an apparent tenure dispute was known as a bright woman who some students said struggled to explain complicated topics.

Three others were wounded during the faculty meeting at the Huntsville campus on Friday - a rare instance of a woman being accused in a mass shooting. Amy Bishop, 42, a Harvard-educated neurobiologist who became an assistant professor at the school in 2003, has been charged with capital murder. A "person of interest" also was being interviewed.

She was taken Friday night in handcuffs to the county jail, and said as she got into a police car: "It didn't happen. There's no way. ... They are still alive."

LAX Police Want OK For More Cops To Carry Guns In-Flight

Feb

defense
against
terrorists

An added line of defense against terrorists - by Dennis Romero - February 8, 2010 - LA Weekly

As the United States goes through a critical wave of terror threats -- Obama administration officials have expressed their certainty that an Al-Qaeda attack would be attempted within the next six months -- the organization representing LAX police is urging federal authorities to allow off-duty cops to carry weapons onboard commercial flights.

"We believe that additional armed, trained law enforcement personnel aboard aircraft is a prudent measure to be taken at this time," states Marshall McClain, president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association.

Father of Natalee Holloway Suspect Reportedly Dies in Aruba

Feb

No trace of her has ever been found - Associated Press - February 12, 2010

ORANJESTAD, Aruba — The father of the only remaining suspect in the 2005 disappearance of U.S. teenager Natalee Holloway has died in Aruba.

The Aruban newspaper Diario reported Thursday that Paul van der Sloot, 57, died of a heart attack on the Dutch island in the Caribbean. The paper's Web site says he collapsed late Wednesday after playing tennis and was declared dead at a hospital.

Van der Sloot's son Joran has been characterized by Aruban prosecutors as the only suspect in the case. No charges have been filed.

Study finds lack of civic learning in college

Feb

civic knowledge
broadens a
person's frame
of mind

Concludes that civic knowledge broadens a person's frame of mind
by Casey Curlin - The Washington Times - February 10, 2010

College fails to teach civic knowledge - including American history and national institutions - and has an influence on liberal leanings among students, a new study says.

The study, conducted by the conservative Intercollegiate Studies Institute, specifically cited typically liberal positions on gay marriage and school prayer.

Richard Brake, the director of ISI's Culture of Enterprise Initiative, said high schools could be partly to blame for a lack of civic knowledge but college courses should provide more concentrated study.

True Angels in Los Angeles - nominate one

Feb

True Angels
in Los Angeles
-----------------
nominate one

Nominate those who make a difference - from Mayor Villaraigosa - Frbruary 12, 2010

There are True Angels in this city.

They are the people who devote untold hours each day to building their communities and contributing to the common good.

Whether painting a mural, planting a tree, or serving food to seniors, True Angels realize we are all in this together, and that social change only comes with active, committed engagement. These True Angels come together from all different backgrounds and from all across Los Angeles to lay the foundations of stronger communities for future generations.

Drunken driving suspect released from prison 60 years early

Feb

the suspect ran
over a deputy

Suspect shot and captured after running over a deputy
by Kirk Mitchell - The Denver Post - February 10, 2010

Details finally emerged Tuesday on how a drunken driving suspect shot in Castle Rock after allegedly running over a deputy was released from prison 60 years earlier than his original sentence called for.

Reese Slade, 43, was sentenced to 64 years in prison in 2002 on charges including possession of machine guns, and dealing methamphetamines and cocaine, but was released in 2006 after an appellate judge agreed that he should have been allowed to fire his attorney and sent the case back to district court for reconsideration.

U.S. Marine Walks Away From Shot to Helmet in Afghanistan

Feb

Lance Cpl. Andrew
Koenig survived
being shot in the
helmet between
the eyes.

Proof that miracles do happen.. - February 15, 2010 - by Michael M. Phillips

SLIDE SHOW

MARJAH, Afghanistan—It is hard to know whether Monday was a very bad day or a very good day for Lance Cpl. Andrew Koenig.

On the one hand, he was shot in the head. On the other, the bullet bounced off him.

In one of those rare battlefield miracles, an insurgent sniper hit Lance Cpl. Koenig dead on in the front of his helmet, and he walked away from it with a smile on his face.

"I don't think I could be any luckier than this," Lance Cpl. Koenig said two hours after the shooting.

Officials decide to eliminate costly office supplies for LA employees

Feb

Mini-Jeweleria
brown resin
fountain pen
__________

Guess - worth
$40 or 5 cents?

Are officials really "shocked" at $40 Mini-Jeweleria brown resin fountain pens?
by Troy Anderson, Staff Writer - LA Daily News - 02/14/2010

Los Angeles County may be drowning in red ink, but at least it won't be coming from $40 fountain pens anymore.

And county bureaucrats will no longer be able to sweep costly mistakes under $131 floor mats.

Shocked to learn public employees have been able to choose between fancy fountain pens and 24-cent ballpoints, county officials are eliminating thousands of high-ticket items from the official office supplies catalog.

"I wasn't aware (they had such choices), but with our new program in place if someone wants to buy a pen that is not on the approved list they will have to go down to the store and purchase it themselves," Chief Executive Officer Bill Fujioka said.

Man Training to Be 911 Operator Saves Son's Life When Wife Calls for Help

Feb

911 saves lives

February 13, 2010 - Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. — An Iraq war veteran training to be an emergency operator in Thurston County saved his own son's life when his wife called 911 in a panic as the boy choked on a small piece of plastic.

Janna Scott says she was "freaking out" on Feb. 4 when she called 911 from her Lacey home last week to ask for help because her baby Jacob was choking and not breathing. A familiar voice answered the phone. Coolly and calmly, Chris Scott talked his wife through the proper procedure.

Vancouver Police Shut Down Parts of City After Suspicious Object Found

Feb

Waterfront activities halted and downtown closed - News CORE - February 12, 2010

Police in Vancouver, host city of the Winter Olympics, shut down part of the town Thursday afternoon after a "suspicious object" was found in the area, The Vancouver Sun reported.

People were warned to stay away as Lonsdale Quay, across the Burrard Inlet from downtown Vancouver, was closed down.

The SeaBus ferry, which connects the two with a 12-minute ride, was also halted.

"Everyone should stay away from the area," said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Const. Marlene Morton. "Everything's closed down until we can ensure public safety."

Andre Birotte confirmed by Senate as next U.S. attorney

Feb

Andre Birotte
good friend and
fan of LACP

Good friend and fan of LA Community Policing - Associated Press - February 11, 2010

LOS ANGELES—The Senate has confirmed Andre Birotte Jr. as the next U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

Birotte, currently inspector general for the Los Angeles Police Commission, was confirmed by the Senate Thursday. He was nominated to the post by President Barack Obama.

The 43-year-old Birotte will oversee an office of about 275 prosecutors responsible for a seven-county jurisdiction covering Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The office is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Florida Corrections Officers Arrested in Prison Drug Sting

Feb

Miami to West Palm Beach cocaine connection - Associated Press - February 12, 2010

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Eighteen corrections officers and a drug counselor are accused of trying to run a drug ring in two South Florida prisons.

The arrests announced Thursday by state and federal prosecutors were the result of a 2-year sting involving undercover FBI agents.

The officers allegedly agreed to protect and transport nine shipments of what they believed to contain multiple kilograms of cocaine from Miami to West Palm Beach. Three of the accused weren't corrections officers, but represented themselves to be.

Arrest made in killing of anti-gang worker

Feb

Trusted LA gang
interventionist
Ronald Barron
-- killed when he
confronted a tagger

Ronald Barron shot trying to stop tagging / graffiti - by Christina Hoag, Associated Press Writer
02/09/2010 - LA Daily News

A suspect was arrested Tuesday in the killing of a well-known anti-gang counselor who was shot to death when he confronted a tagger writing graffiti in Los Angeles, police said.

Los Angeles police Officer Bruce Borihanh said further information will be released Tuesday afternoon at a news conference.

Police say the former gangster, Ronald "Looney" Barron, was killed Sunday night when he left a bar in central Los Angeles and noticed a tagger defacing a wall. Police say when confronted, the tagger pulled out a gun and shot the 40-year-old Barron multiple times. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

iWatchLA - an anti-terrorist community awareness program

Feb

iREPORT
-----------------
i KEEP US
SAFE
-----------------
the iWATCH program is about
behaviors and activities, not individuals

iWatch, iReport, i Keep Us Safe (iWATCH) - from the LAPD

iWATCH, iREPORT, i KEEP US SAFE (iWATCH) is a community awareness program created to educate the public about behaviors and activities that may have a connection to terrorism.

This program is a community program to help your neighborhood stay safe from terrorist activities. It is a partnership between your community and the Los Angeles Police Department. We can and must work together to prevent terrorist attacks.

To learn about the iWATCH program and about the behaviors and activities that you should report, view the videos and review the list of examples. You can also read and download a brochure that explains the program.

New report says illegal immigration population plummeted last year

Feb

we're a nation
of immigrants

Dropped by 1 million people in two years - by Matt O'Brien - Contra Costa Times - 02/09/2010

The number of illegal immigrants living in the United States dropped by 1 million people in two years, according to new estimates by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The government believes 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007. If the official estimates are correct, not since 2005 has the population of illegal immigrants been as low as it was last year.

Some private researchers, however, are questioning the magnitude of the drop.

Jack Rushton - an amazing man -- 20 years later, paralysis still can't stop him

Feb

Jack Rushton
- quadriplegic -

Be sure to watch the amazing VIDEO inside ! - by Emily Schmuhl - Deseret News, Salt Lake City

When 70-year-old Jack Rushton writes an observation of his life, his intended audience is his children and grandchildren. After all, each observation is lovingly signed "Dad/Grandpa/Jack."

But thanks to the Internet, e-mail forwards and word of mouth, Jack's astute, witty observations reach a readership as diverse as Ghana, Australia and Belgium.

It's an impressive achievement for anyone, but especially for a man who, after a debilitating accident 20 years ago, was left a quadriplegic and completely reliant on a wheelchair and respirator.

He was not even expected to speak again, let alone live life so fully.

Lawyers Back Creating New Immigration Court

Feb

Judges
overwhelmed

Judges often feel overwhelmed - by JULIA PRESTON - The New York Times - February 8, 2010

Responding to pleas from immigration judges and lawyers who say the nation's immigration courts are faltering under a crushing caseload, the American Bar Association called Monday for Congress to scrap the current system and create a new, independent court for immigration cases.

In a vote at its semiannual meeting in Orlando, Fla., the lawyers' organization endorsed a recommendation for a separate immigration court system that would be similar to federal courts that decide tax cases.

Behind the seemingly arcane proposal was a portrait of the nation's immigration courts besieged with new cases arising from an intensified federal crackdown on illegal immigration, and challenged by critics who doubt the courts' impartiality. The lawyers described the courts' condition in a report of more than 1,500 pages released last week.

Teen Dating Violence Month - in California and across the country

Feb

Teen Dating
Violence

February 2010 Declared First-Ever National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

Assembly Concurrent Resolution No. 100 (Jones) recognizes February 2010 as "National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month," and encourages all governmental organizations, private organizations, public officials and California families to work together to raise awareness of teen dating violence. The resolution is sponsored by the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV), the statewide domestic violence coalition.

The California Healthy Kids Survey shows that 7 percent of 11th grade students in California said they were victims of teen dating violence in the past 12 months.

Duel Over Gun Safety in Texas Capitol

Feb

Texas Trooper
guards Capitol

Get rid of guns or encourage even more? - by Ana Campoy - February 8, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

Lawmakers in firearm-friendly Texas are embroiled in a debate over how to make the state Capitol safer: get rid of guns or encourage even more.

The discussion comes after a man last month fired several shots on the steps of the towering Capitol in Austin. State troopers tackled him and no one was wounded, but the incident spotlighted a predicament for lawmakers in a state where carrying handguns is not only legal but largely cherished.

Lawmakers, some of whom regularly show up armed to the job, have to sort through an array of safety options. They range from prohibiting guns in the Capitol, making everyone who steps into the building go through a metal detector, to exempting those who have a license to carry a concealed weapon.

LA Police Union Alarmed By Attempted Rape Suspect Who Got Early Release

Feb

LAPPL president
Paul M. Weber

Suspect claims innocence - by Dennis Romero - LA Weekly - February 5, 2020

The union representing Los Angeles Police Department officers issued an I-told-ya-so this week as a state inmate who received an early release, apparently under the governor's budget-enhancing parole reform plan, was almost immediately arrested on suspicion of trying to rape his female counselor.

Kevin Eugene Peterson, 22, had been released in Sacramento Monday -- two months into a four-month sentence for a probation violation -- and was arrested 13 hours later on suspicion of assault to commit rape, sodomy and oral copulation, sexual battery, false imprisonment and again violating probation.

"Neighborhoods and communities throughout California are less safe today because of this irresponsible early release program," states the Los Angeles Police Protective League's board of directors.

Helping Small Business Create Jobs

Feb

Senator
Barbara Boxer

from Senator Barbara Boxer - February 5, 2010

Dear Friend: I am pleased to let you know of President Obama's decision to create a $30 billion Small Business Lending Fund to assist community banks in extending credit to small businesses so they can create jobs and expand. I introduced a similar proposal last October with Senator Jeff Merkley to provide capital to community banks, with requirements that they lend to small business owners and individuals.

Small businesses generated 64 percent of the jobs created over the last 15 years, but many of our small businesses can't get the loans they need to expand and create new jobs. The best way to help our small businesses is to increase lending through community banks. I applaud President Obama for building on the legislation that Senator Merkley and I introduced to restart lending to small businesses.

LAPD's Jim McDonnell named next chief of Long Beach Police Department

Feb

Chief Jim
McDonnell
------------------
a very big fan
of community
based policing

EDITOR'S NOTE: Chief Jim McDonnell is one of LA Community Policing's closest friends and allies. Ever since our inception, Jim has opened his arms to us and the community we serve, leading the way during the Bratton era toward community based policing. We congratulate him and wish him all the best.

February 3, 2010

Jim McDonnell, who served for most of the decade as one of former Chief William J. Bratton's top assistants at the Los Angeles Police Department and was among the short list of finalists to be his successor, was named Wednesday as the next chief of the Long Beach Police Department.

McDonnell, 50, who currently oversees the detective bureau at the LAPD, will become the 25th police chief of Long Beach, a 52-square-mile city of about 463,000 people, when he is sworn in next month. He succeeds Anthony Batts, who commanded the force of more than 1,000 officers for seven years before leaving late last year to become chief of the Oakland Police Department.

Cancer survivor provides free health care for the uninsured

Feb

Faith Coleman's
ordeal as an
uninsured cancer
patient drove
her to help others

BUNNELL, Florida (CNN) -- Faith Coleman had no health insurance when she learned she had cancer, but she describes her battle with the illness as "one of the absolute greatest blessings" of her life.

"Having kidney cancer was one of the best things that ever happened to me ... because I can truly empathize with patients," said Coleman, 54. That compassion inspired Coleman to open a free clinic in her Florida community to help other uninsured people in need of medical care.

In July 2003, Coleman, a nurse practitioner, learned she had a malignant tumor growing on her right kidney. But as a contract worker for several doctors, she did not receive health insurance. Coleman's treatment totaled about $35,000, and she was forced to take out a mortgage on her house to help pay for it.

"I [fell] through the crack ... and I [had] a great job and a good education," said Coleman, a mother of six.

A Call to Arms for America's Parents

Feb

Janine Turner
says it's time for
a revolution

Janine Turner - OPINION - by Janine Turner - February 5, 2010

We are in charge of our children's futures and it's time for a revolution.

In 1775 Israel Putnam was farming in Brooklyn, Connecticut when he heard the British had fired on the American Militia in Lexington, Massachusetts. He immediately dropped his plow and rode 100 miles in 18 hours to Cambridge, Massachusetts to join the colonial soldiers.

On the way he spread the call for "every man who is fit and willing" to come to his countrymen's aid.

Israel was resolute when revolution beckoned. He was fit and willing. Are we? Are our children? Or is it time for a 2010 resolution for a revolution?

Police: More Calls Involve Mental Illness

Feb

Police Chief
William Lansdowne

San Diego facing a growing problem - February 4, 2010 - by KEEGAN KYLE - Voice Of San Diego

As one of San Diego's newest police officers, David Ramirez said he didn't know the signs of schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorders. He knew their names, not the symptoms. He's a police officer, not a doctor.

In the department's academy, new officers get trained for a few hours about how to address people suffering from mental health problems. After all, they can be callers, victims, suspects or witnesses like anyone else.

After graduation, Ramirez started his patrol training in southern San Diego and realized, for the first time, how often police actually come in contact with these issues.

"We see it every day," he said. "I haven't dealt with that outside of being a police officer."

Our greatest fears realized

Feb

Nearly 6,000
inmates are
predicted to head
to LA County

Our greatest fears realized - OPINION - by LAPPL Board of Directors - 02/04/2010

The Los Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL) is the union for the rank and file officers at the Los Angeles Police Department. LAPD's commanding officers have their own separate union.

Only one week into California's inmate early release program, our greatest fears are already being realized.

Despite assurances from state legislators that violent prisoners wouldn't be getting out early, several glaring examples prove that this isn't true.

A prime case in point from Sacramento County: It took a mere 12 hours for one inmate released under the program to be arrested on charges of attempted rape, sexual battery, false imprisonment and violating the terms of his probation.

LAPD's Monthly Message From The Chief

Feb

LAPD's
Chief of Police
Charlie Beck

Chief's Message - February 4, 2010 - Year End Crime Stats

As we begin a new decade we can be proud of our past. Thanks to the hard work of all of you, sworn and civilian, we have set a historic and unprecedented standard of eight years of crime decline. As the country and the City of Los Angeles is faced with a difficult economic recovery and the many challenges and tough choices in balancing the City budget, we have been able to drive crime down, particularly gang crime.

The result of your strategic work is reflected in the 2009 year end crime numbers. Again last year, you made a difference and saved lives. There were 314 homicides, an 18.01% decrease from the 2008 total of 383. Last year, violent crime was down 10.8%, property crimes decreased 8.0% and Part I Crimes fell 8.6%. That's 10,864 fewer victims of crime. In addition, there were 323 fewer shooting victims this year in comparison to the same time period a year ago.

PEPSI Refresh Everything - making the world a better place

Feb

In 2010, Pepsi
will give millions
of dollars to fund
good ideas, big
and mall, that
make the world
a better place

PEPSI - making the world a better place - from Bill Murray, LACP - February 1, 2010

Here's a terrific opportunity for community people to participate and make a difference in America and the world. Pepsi is providing a way for folks to submit their ideas, get them promoted and sometimes supported, too!

In 2010, Pepsi will give millions of dollars to fund good ideas, big and small, that make the world a better place. What’s a good idea? Who gets a Refresh Grant? You decide.

• Anyone can submit an idea online at: www.refresheverything.com
• 6 categories help you figure out where yours fits in.
• When it’s time to vote, use the categories to find the ideas you care about most.
• Pepsi has up to $1.3 million in Refresh Grants to give out every month.

Every time you vote, you help decide which 32 ideas receive a Refresh Grant that month.

Is she a victim of the U.S. or is she 'Terror Mom'?

Feb

Dr. Aafia Siddiqui
- a victim of the
U.S. or is she
'Terror Mom'?

Aafia Siddiqui is awaiting a verdict after her trial in the U.S. on attempted murder charges. Many in Pakistan consider her a hero and a victim of persecution.
by Alex Rodriguez - Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan - February 3, 2010

Depending on which side of the globe you call home, she's either Lady Al Qaeda or the incarnation of America's persecution of Muslims.

Aafia Siddiqui, 37, a neuroscientist and mother of three, was once branded by the U.S. as the most wanted woman in the world, an Al Qaeda facilitator who posed a "clear and present danger to the U.S.," then-U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft told reporters in 2004.

SEC workers investigated for porn-surfing

Feb

More than two
dozen SEC
workers cheating
the public by
stealing time

More than 2 dozen found cheating the public
by Jim McElhatton - The Washington Times - 02/02/2010

The work computer of one regional supervisor for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission showed more than 1,800 attempts to look up pornography in a 17-day span: "It was kind of distraction per se," he later told investigators.

But he wasn't alone. More than two dozen SEC employees and contractors over roughly the past two years have faced internal investigations after they were caught viewing pornography on their government computers, according to records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act and other public documents.

The activities of porn-surfing SEC workers, a small fraction of the overall work force, have been serious enough to warrant a mention in each of the past four semiannual reports sent to Congress by the SEC's office of inspector general.

$11 million lost to in-home care cheats

Feb

In-home care
cheating thought
to be the tip
of the iceburg

FRAUD: Lax oversight cited in program meant to help elderly and disabled
by Troy Anderson, Staff Writer - LA Daily News - 02/01/2010

Citing lax oversight, California Controller John Chiang said Monday the state paid $11 million to in-home caretakers to assist people who were dead. The overpayments included $4.3 million to in-home providers in Los Angeles County. "What the controller is doing is pointing out that there needs to be more state and county oversight of In-Home Supportive Services payments," said Garin Casaleggio, a spokesman for the State Controller's Office.

The report came on the heels of a vote by Los Angeles County supervisors to use technology to detect IHSS and other types of welfare fraud. In the last three years, the county's Department of Public Social Services has referred nearly 900 IHSS fraud cases to the state for investigation.

In 2007, the county's civil grand jury found scam artists were "embedded" in the department's IHSS program, which provides in-home care to the elderly and disabled.

Abuses spur call for funeral-service reforms

Feb

Hundreds of
bodies dirsupted
and discarded
& burial plots
re-sold

Hundreds of bodies dirsupted and discarded - by Casey Curlin - The Washington Times - 02/02/2010

The cement liners of the grave sites were smashed open and their contents moved and dumped into holes in empty areas of Illinois' Burr Oak Cemetery. Empty grave sites were then resold to new customers, until 2009 when workers discovered what was going on.

In Georgia, hundreds of bodies thought to have been cremated were found discarded on the property of Tri County Crematorium back in 2002. Some families found that they had actually been given cement dust instead of ashes.
Allegations of other misconduct also have surfaced recently in other areas of Georgia, such as at Melwood Cemetery, as well as in California at Eden Memorial Park.

The ramifications of these cases have extended beyond the families of those buried, with politicians seeking legislation on Capitol Hill to prevent future violations and, in the Burr Oak case, becoming an issue in the Illinois gubernatorial race.

Memorials pay tribute to fallen Gilbert, AZ, officer

Feb

AZ officer shot
at traffic stop

Two in custody after high speed 60 mile chase - by Parker Leavitt - 01/31/2010 - The Arizona Republic

Nestled among bouquets and flickering candles, a handwritten note expressed the sympathetic feelings shared by many after Thursday's fatal shooting of Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler.

"My father is a police officer in California," the note read. "I cannot imagine your pain. My prayers are with you!"

Two memorials for Shuhandler - one at Gilbert police headquarters and another near the site of the slaying - continued to grow Saturday as more people came to pay tribute, pray, lay flowers or light candles.

Shuhandler, 42, was shot and killed Thursday night during a traffic stop in Gilbert.

Obama: Outsource outer space - privatized the space industry

Feb

Man on the Moon
----------------------
American astronaut
Buzz Aldrin

Privatize the space industry - by Seth Borenstein & Alicia Chang - The Associated Press - 01/31/2010

WASHINGTON - Getting to space is about to be outsourced.

The Obama administration today will propose in its new budget spending billions of dollars to encourage private companies to build, launch and operate spacecraft for NASA and others. Uncle Sam would buy its astronauts a ride into space just like hopping in a taxi.

The idea is that getting astronauts into orbit, which NASA has been doing for 49 years, is getting to be so old hat that someone other than the government can do it. It's no longer really the Right Stuff. Going private would free the space agency to do other things, such as explore beyond Earth's orbit, do more research and study the Earth with better satellites. And it would spur a new generation of private companies - even some with Internet roots - to innovate.

US Coast Guard patrols 6 million miles of ocean to find cocaine smugglers

Feb

water water
everywhere
and entire
oceans to
sweep

Stopping Drugs At Sea - Parade Magazine - by Bob Reiss - 01/31/2010

Every day, a high-stakes battle affecting the security and well-being of millions of Americans is played out far off our shores. The conflict occurs across more than 6 million square miles of ocean--an area larger than the size of the contiguous United States--where smugglers transport cocaine and other illegal drugs from South America. Their cargo is ultimately intended for sale in our cities and towns---but not if the U.S. Coast Guard stops it first.

"Cocaine trafficking is the leading drug threat to the U.S.," said Michael Walther, director of the National Drug Intelligence Center. Half the police departments surveyed in the country identify cocaine as the drug most contributing to violent crimes, according to Walther. After marijuana, cocaine is the second-most-used illegal drug in our country--more than 36 million people have tried it at least once. Its sales help support the activities of criminal gangs throughout the Americas; Mexican drug cartels; and terrorist organizations like FARC, a revolutionary group in Colombia.

A request from heaven to the president

Feb

Judge A. Leon
Higginbotham
----------------------
America's longest
serving black
federal judge

On the state of race relations in America today

by Michael Higginbotham

Michael Higginbotham ia a nephew of Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, and is the Wilson Elkins Professor of Law at the University of Baltimore and the author of "Race Law," a book dedicated to Judge Higginbotham.

01/31/2010

Since the passing of A. Leon Higginbotham Jr. in 1998, many have wondered what the award-winning author, longest-serving black federal judge, first black to head a federal regulatory agency, recipient of the Spingarn Medal and the Congressional Medal of Freedom, and author of the famous "Open Letter to Clarence Thomas" would think of the state of race relations today.

States Seeking to Ban Mandatory Health Insurance

Feb

$

.
asserting a
state-based
right for people
to pay medical
bills from their
own pockets

Conservative lawmakers in many states are forging ahead with constitutional amendments to ban government health insurance mandates.
ASSOCIATED PRESS - February 1, 2010

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although President Barack Obama's push for a health care overhaul has stalled, conservative lawmakers in about half the states are forging ahead with constitutional amendments to ban government health insurance mandates.The proposals would assert a state-based right for people to pay medical bills from their own pocketbooks and prohibit penalties against those who refuse to carry health insurance.

In many states, the proposals began as a backlash to Democratic health care plans pending in Congress. But instead of backing away after a Massachusetts election gave Senate Republicans the filibuster power to halt the health care legislation, many state lawmakers are ramping up their efforts with a new enthusiasm.

Father Mike McCullough's ministry to LA's 'thin blue line'

Feb

Father Mike
McCullough

The LAPD chaplain and reserve officer says the pressures on today's cops are immense.
The Tidings Online - by R. W. Dellinger - January 29, 2010

In his 37 years of ministry to the law enforcement community here in Southern California - most of that with the Los Angeles Police Department, but also serving simultaneously 13 years with the FBI - Father Michael McCullough has buried 97 police officers. Thirteen were suicides.

"Those statistics are off the chart," says the 63-year-old "Father Mike," who is not only the Los Angeles Police Department's single fulltime chaplain, but also a graduate of the police academy himself and a reserve officer. "For those statistics to be so high says to me that the pressures on our police officers are immense. They tell me that these guys' and gals' emotional backpacks are full."

War on AIDS Hangs in Balance as U.S. Curbs Help for Africa

Jan

The battle against
AIDS in Uganda is
reaching a critical
turning point

Situation critical in Uganda - by MICHAEL ALLEN - Wall Street Journal - January 28, 2010

KAMPALA, Uganda—Ninsiima Agatha, a 20-year-old mother of two, showed up at a medical clinic here last month, weak, coughing, and desperate to save herself and her two children. She had just discovered that her husband was infected with HIV—and now she had the virus too. If she didn't get access to life-saving drugs quickly, she could easily pass the disease to the baby she was breast-feeding.

But the staff at the Joint Clinical Research Centre had to tell her the bad news. Even though her husband, a clothes merchant with a girlfriend on the side, was already receiving the so-called AIDS cocktail of drugs elsewhere, there would be none for her. The clinic had enrolled its full quota of patients under its contract with the U.S. government. Ms. Agatha, sprawled on a hospital bed with a toddler and an infant, could barely move. "I feel desperate," she said.

Terror Trial Likely to Leave New York City

Jan

9/11/01
-------------------------
The World Trade
Towers were
attacked with
hijacked planes

9/11 hijacker trial to move away from Manhattan - by JESS BRAVIN And GARY FIELDS
Wall Street Journal - January 28, 2010

WASHINGTON—The Obama administration is likely to relocate the Sept. 11, 2001 conspiracy trial from a courthouse near the World Trade Center site, officials said, responding to growing criticism from New York City about the expense and inconvenience of having the trial in lower Manhattan.

While the officials said no final decision had been reached, the near-unanimous opposition from New York elected officials and increasingly widespread opposition among congressional Democrats made it nearly impossible for the administration to carry through with its plan.

"It's obvious that they can't have the trials in New York," said Sen. Charles Schumer, the senior Democratic senator from the state, referring to Manhattan. The White House is considering moving the 9/11 hijacker trial from Manhattan, after loud opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and New Yorkers.

Reflecting on National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

Jan

Slavery and
Human Trafficing
HOTLINE:
888-373-7888

From the Department of Justice - January 29th, 2010 - Posted by Tracy Russo

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. If you suspect an act of human trafficking in your area, you can report a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. This national, toll free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

President Barack Obama proclaimed January 2010 as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. During January, the President urged all Americans to, “educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking.”

Drew Peterson Seen Carrying Women's Clothes Night Before Wife Found Dead

Jan

Drew Peterson
- a suspect in the
disappearance
of Stacy Peterson

Forth wife confided in minister about what she'd seen and had been told
ASSOCIATED PRESS - January 29, 2010 - JOLIET, Ill. —

Former Illinois police officer Drew Peterson's fourth wife had told a minister that the night before her husband's ex-wife was found dead, he had disappeared, only to turn up later dressed in black and carrying a bag of women's clothes, the minister testified Friday.

The testimony from the Rev. Neil Schori was the most potentially damaging yet during a pretrial hearing to determine what hearsay evidence a judge will allow jurors to hear when Peterson stands trial in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, whose body was found in a dry bathtub in her home. Schori also said Stacy Peterson had told him that her husband had coached her about what to tell police.

Dramatic radio dispatch tape reveals a lot

Jan

Dep Jeffrey DeGrow
Charleston County, North Carolina
--------------------
survived shooting

Charleston, NC, officer is shot during a pursuit of a robbery suspect - January 29, 2010
Reveals a slice of life about being in law enforcement

Tapes released by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office show how Deputy Jeffery DeGrow radioed for help after he was shot in the head and arm. The tape begins with DeGrow notifying dispatchers, "County, I've got three running, I don't know if it's involved in the burglaries or not."

Hear the dramatic Radio Call inside the article here (Mp3 - runs 2:30)

We hasten to let you know the officer survived his wounds and that three suspects were apprehended in connection with these crimes.

President Obama's State of the Union Address

Jan

State of the Union

January 27, 2010 - after one year in office - from the White House - Office of the Press Secretary

.

Watch a video version of the President's address on this page or download the video in two versions
.

The text of the speech (71 mins long) is available here, too.

THE PRESIDENT: Our Constitution declares that from time to time, the President shall give to Congress information about the state of our union. For 220 years, our leaders have fulfilled this duty. They've done so during periods of prosperity and tranquility. And they've done so in the midst of war and depression; at moments of great strife and great struggle.

Putting Washington at the Service of the Middle Class

Jan

President
Barak Obama

January 27, 2010 - after one year in office - by Mona Sutphen, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

In his State of the Union Address tonight, the President laid out an agenda attempting to attack one problem from every conceivable angle: the terrible squeeze felt by America's middle class.

Fundamentally, that means prying government away from special interests and dedicating it to measures that put Americans to work and lay the foundation for a stronger economy for our country – lowering health care and tuition costs, spurring creation of the next generation of clean energy jobs.

It also means putting a cop on the beat on Wall Street, so major banks can no longer take advantage of families and taxpayers.

VA Gov. McDonnell gives Republican Party Response to State of the Union

Jan

VA Gov McDonnell
gave Republican
Response to Pres'
State of the Union
Address

Was delivered immediately following the President's State of the Union Address

by Anita Kumar - Washington Post - Thursday, January 28, 2010

.

Watch a video version of the Republican Response (runs 12:41)
.

The text of the speech is available here, too.

RICHMOND -- Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell called for a smaller, less intrusive federal government and an end to Democratic health-care reform in the Republican response to the State of the Union.

In a presentation that mimicked many of the trappings of President Obama 's address, McDonnell delivered his speech in front of a packed audience of about 250 family members, friends and donors in the state's historic Capitol.

FACT CHECK: Obama and the 'hatchet' job

Jan

----------------------
checking up on
the President's
plans in the State
of the Union

President skipped over some complex realities - By Calvin Woodward - The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama, who once considered government spending freezes a hatchet job, told Americans on Wednesday it's now part of his solution to the exploding deficit. He didn't explain what had changed. His State of the Union speech skipped over a variety of complex realities in laying out a "common-sense" call to action. A look at some of his claims and how they compare with the facts:

OBAMA: "Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't."

THE FACTS: The anticipated savings from this proposal would amount to less than one percent of the deficit - and that's if the president can persuade Congress to go along.

The Constitution and Freedom

Jan

FOX's
Constitution and
Freedom
---------------
5 part video series

5 videos that explain American government - by Judge Napolitano - Fox News - January, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTES: Here's something we thought you might be interested in seeing on our LACP.org web site. It's a 5 part video series on The Constitution and Freedom, done by Judge Napolitano, a contributor on Fox News. These are high quality videos which go a long way towards explaining the way the Constitutionally established American government is set up and functions.

In them, each of the three branches of our government is explained, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial branches. Gladly, for the most part (but not completely), Judge Napolitano avoids bias language, and delivers a succinct high quality version of these descriptions.

Private prison company finds gold in California

Jan

private-prison
construction and
management the
answer?

31-fold increase in contracts' value over three years - by John Howard - Capitol Weekly - 01/28/10

In the intensifying debate over budget-driven releases of state prison inmates, the state's cash problems are well known. But at least one private correctional company is reaping major rewards.

In three years, a private-prison construction and management company, the Corrections Corporation of America, has seen the value of its contracts with the state soar from nearly $23 million in 2006 to about $700 million three months ago – all without competitive bidding. Even in a state accustomed to high-dollar contracts, the 31-fold increase over three years is dramatic.

During the same period, the company's campaign donations rose exponentially, from $36,750 in 2006, of which $25,000 went to the state Republican Party, to $233,500 in 2007-08 and nearly $139,000 in 2009. The donations have gone to Democrats, Republicans and ballot measures. The company's largest single contribution, $100,000, went to an unsuccessful budget-reform package pushed last year by Gov. Schwarzenegger.

Assembly approves measure that would require rape witnesses to report crime

Jan

The Witness Responsibility Act - by Shelly Meron - Contra Costa Times - 01/27/2010

The state Assembly passed legislation Wednesday that would require anyone who observes a violent crime to report it to authorities. The Witness Responsibility Act now moves to the state Senate. Current law requires that witnesses report a rape, murder or other violent crime against a victim under the age of 14; the new measure removes the age limit.

State Assemblyman Pedro Nava, D-Santa Barbara, proposed the law after the gang rape of a 16-year-old Richmond High School girl outside the homecoming dance Oct. 24. Police say the victim was sexually assaulted, robbed and beaten while others watched, laughed and took pictures. Seven people are charged in the assault.

Obama's Promises - Track the status of the President’s campaign promises

Jan

President
Barak Obama

Track the status of the President's campaign promises - Washington Post - January 26, 2010
Reporting: Juliet Eilperin, Michael A. Fletcher, Anne E. Kornblut, Alec MacGillis, Philip Rucker, Michael D. Shear, Scott Wilson; Design: Wilson Andrews, Jacqueline Kazil, Laura Stanton, Karen Yourish.

Promises were compiled from Blueprint for Change and Agenda for Change, Obama's campaign and transition documents.

President Obama made hundreds of promises as a candidate. Since taking office a year ago, he has completed some, made progress on some, and has made no progress on others. The Post has evaluated key parts of the president's campaign agenda to see how it has fared. On the day of the State of the Union, what follows is a selection of significant promises Obama made to voters in 2008.

ACLU Survey and Report - Obama Administration

Jan

The ACLU
--------------------------- Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself

Obama Administration - How's it doing? - Take the Survey, Read the Report

Tonight, President Obama will address the State of the Union. After one year of his presidency, we have reviewed the progress made on civil liberties . Of a set of 145 detailed recommendations the ACLU made to the new president upon his election, the administration has acted on just over one-third of them.

We'd like to know what you think about the state of civil liberties. Where has our government moved forward? Where have things slipped backwards? And what should be the top priorities now? Your opinion helps strengthen our work when we meet with administration officials and members of Congress, in addition to helping the ACLU shape our agenda.

Strategy for New American Jobs - US Chamber of Commerce

Jan

American Free
Enterprise
---------------------------
Dream Big

US Chamber of Commerce - 20 Million Job Challenge - January 25, 2010
A project of the US Chamber of Commerce

The greatest challenge we face is reviving our economy, restoring the 7 million jobs lost to the current recession, and creating the 13 million new jobs that our growing nation will need in the next 10 years. Only a vibrant American free enterprise system can accomplish this goal.

In every state, city, and town across America, individuals are struggling to maintain and build their businesses, not only for themselves and their employees but for the millions of Americans who can’t find jobs today and the millions more who will need jobs tomorrow. The uncertainty facing American businesses is, in part, due to actions being taken in Washington.

A Roadmap for America's Future - Republican Congressional Budget Plan

Jan

Congressman
Paul Ryan
-----------------------
(R) Wisconsin

Republican Congressional Budget Plan - January 25, 2010
by Congressman Paul Ryan - Ranking Republican member of the House Committee on the Budget

Rarely before have the alternatives facing America been so starkly defined. For the past year, Washington’s leaders have taken an already unsustainable budget outlook and made it far worse.

They have exploited Americans’ genuine economic anxieties to justify an unrelenting and wide-ranging expansion of government. Their agenda has included, among other things, a failed, debt-financed economic “stimulus”; an attempt to control the Nation’s energy sector; increasing domination of housing and financial markets; the use of taxpayer dollars to seize part ownership of two nearly bankrupt auto makers; and, of course, the planned takeover of Americans’ health care, already heavily burdened, manipulated, and distorted by government spending and regulation. This domineering government brings taxes, rules, and mandates; generates excessive levels of spending, deficits, and debt; leads to economic stagnation and declining standards of living; and fosters a culture in which self-reliance is a vice and dependency a virtue – and as a result, the entire country weakens from within.

President and Vice President Preview Initiatives for Middle Class Families

Jan

THE PROJECT ON

STUDENT DEBT

-----------------------------
Among other things,
President Obama
and VP Biden
propose more
affordable student
loan payments
to help the
middle class

Preview of a theme for State of The Union - from the White House - Office of the Press Secretary
January 25, 2010 -
Discussion Previews a Key Theme for State of the Union Address

Washington, DC – Today, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will hold a meeting of the Middle Class Task Force, where they will lay out key investments for middle class families. Today's discussion will preview one of the key themes of the President's State of the Union address, which include creating good jobs, addressing the deficit, changing Washington, and fighting for middle class families.

President Obama said, “We are fighting every single day to put Americans back to work, create good jobs, and strengthen our economy for the long-term. The additional steps laid out today focus on easing the burdens on middle class families who are struggling in this economy, and providing the help they need to get ahead.”

“Every day, middle class families go to work and help make this country great. For a year, our Task Force has been hearing that they are struggling with soaring costs and squeezed family budgets. These common sense initiatives will help these families cope with these challenges,” said Vice President Biden.

Authorities Seize Weapons, Map of U.S. Military Facility From N.J. Motel Room

Jan

Militarty bases
in Texas

Responded to reports of a suspicious person - January 26, 2010 - Associated Press

BRANCHBURG, N.J. - Authorities in central New Jersey have seized a cache of weapons and ammunition including rifles, a grenade launcher and a night vision scope from the motel room of a Virginia man. Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest says Lloyd R. Woodson, a 43-year-old from Reston, Va., also had maps of a U.S. military facility and a town in another state.

He was arrested in Branchburg early Monday by officers responding to a report of a suspicious person.

Supreme Court eases restrictions on corporate campaign spending

Jan

Court's decision
will have an
immediate effect
on this year's
congressional
midterm elections

Will have an immediate effect on this year's congressional midterm elections
by Bill Mears, Supreme Court Producer - from CNN - January 21, 2010

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court has given big business, unions and nonprofits more power to spend freely in federal elections, a major turnaround that threatens a century of government efforts to regulate the power of corporations to bankroll American politics. A 5-4 conservative majority crafted a narrow overhaul of federal campaign spending Thursday that could have an immediate effect on this year's congressional midterm elections. The justices eased long-standing restrictions on "independent spending" by corporations and unions in political campaigns.

"When government seeks to use its full power, including the criminal law, to command where a person may get his or her information or what distrusted source he or she may not hear, it uses censorship to control thought," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority. "The First Amendment confirms the freedom to think for ourselves."

Founding Fathers Smiling After Supreme Court Campaign Finance Ruling

Jan

OPINION
------------------
Ken Klukowski
Fox Forum

OPINION - FOX News, Fox Forum - by Ken Klukowski - Ken Klukowski is a fellow and senior legal analyst with the American Civil Rights Union. He is a frequent contributor to the Fox Forum.

In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday, every American should be worried when the president of the United States starts threatening the highest court in the land.

The Supreme Court's action in striking down the worst censorship provision of McCain-Feingold restores vital free speech protection in America. The First Amendment does not allow the government to silence its critics, and Thursday's decision would make our Founding Fathers applaud -- they built this country out of a revolution founded upon a critique of oppressive government. But fast forward to 2010, this week, instead of applauding the Supreme Court's ruling, America's current president is responding by issuing an ominous threat against our highest court.

Can You Buy the First Amendment?

Jan

OPINION
------------------
Keith Olbermann Countdown

OPINION - MSNBC, Countdown - by Keith Olbermann - Keith Olbermann frequently delivers Editorials on current event topics during his MSNBC show, Countdown. For more, visit the MSNBC Countdown page.

Finally tonight, as promised, a Special Comment on the Supreme Court's ruling today in the case titled "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission."

On the cold morning of Friday, March 6th, 1857, a very old man who was born just eight months and thirteen days after the Declaration of Independence was adopted; a man who was married to the sister of the man who wrote "The Star Spangled Banner;" a man who was enlightened enough to have freed his own slaves and given pensions to the ones who had become too old to work read aloud, in a reed-thin voice, a very long document.

Troop Surge in Afghanistan Calls for More Working Dogs

Jan

soldier's best friend

A soldier's best friend .. January 23, 2010 - Associated Press - KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan

The U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan has led to a dog surge — and unexpected problems in procuring high-quality dog food with enough protein and nutrients for hundreds of canines used to find explosives and perform other energy-intensive missions.

Along with about 37,000 U.S. and NATO troops, the number of military working dogs being brought into the country to search for mines, explosives and to accompany soldiers on patrol is increasing substantially, according to Nick Guidas, the American K-9 project manager for Afghanistan.

Guidas, a civilian contractor who primarily oversees dog operations in southern Afghanistan, said he has 50 dogs on operational teams and about 20 more awaiting missions. He expects that number to go up to 219 by July.

Ohio Police Chief Defends Driver Who Didn't Intervene in Roadside Rape

Jan

When to make
a 911 call ..

January 23, 2010 - Associated Press - TOLEDO, Ohio

An Ohio police chief is defending a driver who called 911 but didn't do more to stop a woman from being raped along a street in broad daylight. Toledo Police Chief Mike Navarre says the witness did the right thing and could have risked her own safety if she tried to intervene.

In an interview with The Blade published Saturday, the driver said she feels guilty and hasn't been able to sleep well since the Tuesday attack. On the 911 call, the driver describes a man removing the pants from a woman lying on a sidewalk.

'Oral sex' definition prompts school district to pull dictionaries

Jan

Inappropriate?

How far do we go? - by JULISSA McKINNON - The Press-Enterprise - January 24, 2010

After a parent complained about an elementary school student stumbling across "oral sex" in a classroom dictionary, Menifee Union School District officials decided to pull Merriam Webster's 10th edition from all school shelves earlier this week.

School officials will review the dictionary to decide if it should be permanently banned because of the "sexually graphic" entry, said district spokeswoman Betti Cadmus. The dictionaries were initially purchased a few years ago for fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms districtwide, according to a memo to the superintendent.

"It's just not age appropriate," said Cadmus, adding that this is the first time a book has been removed from classrooms throughout the district.

Just Let Malibu Burn

Jan

Just let
Malibu burn?

Maybe malibu shouldn't be saved from the next wildfire - OPINION - by Jonathan Shapiro - January 24, 2010

Jonathan Shapiro, a former federal prosecutor, is an adjunct law professor at the USC Gould School of law. He also writes and produces for television.

SOUTHERN California's topography and climate guarantee that within the next few years, a major fire will threaten to destroy Malibu. Rather than view this as a problem, I suggest we embrace it as a gift from Mother Nature, a wonderful opportunity to protect the environment, safeguard lives, protect consumers, lower taxes and strike a blow for fairness and justice. And the best part is, all we need to do is absolutely nothing.

Next time the fire comes, let Malibu burn to the ground. It's the right thing to do for so many reasons.

Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month

Jan

REMINDER - from Patricia Villasenor - City of LA
All cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222, or simply click on the hyperlink under tha titlwe of this article ( you'll go to: https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx )

It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON. It takes about 20 seconds.

Court Rejects Challenge to LAPD Immigration Policy

Jan

LAPD's procedure is
to note foreign-born
arrestees to the LA
County Sheriff's Dept .. which then
tells the Fed govt

by STEVEN M. ELLIS, Staff Writer - Metropolitan News-Enterprise - January 21, 2010

This district's Court of Appeal has rejected a conservative legal group's request to force the Los Angeles Police Department to comply with state law requiring the Department of Homeland Security to be notified of the arrest of non-citizens for certain drug offenses.

Div. Seven held Tuesday in an unpublished opinion that Judicial Watch failed to show that the LAPD's procedure of noting foreign-born arrestees and sending that information to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, who then transmitted it to the federal government, did not meet statutory obligations.

The group filed a petition for a writ of mandamus in 2007 on behalf of taxpayer Rudy Moreno, arguing that the LAPD's approach violated California Health and Safety Code Section 11369. The statute provides that where there is reason to believe a person arrested for one of 14 enumerated narcotics offenses may not be a citizen, “the arresting agency shall notify the appropriate agency of the United States having charge of deportation matters.”

New law allows California to trim inmate population

Jan

state will stop
its monitoring
of low-level
offenders

Also the state will stop its monitoring of low-level offenders after their release
by By DON THOMPSON - from the Associated Press - January 21, 1010

California will begin to reduce its prison population by about 6,500 inmates over the next year under a state law that takes effect Monday. The bill was signed as part of last year's state budget package. Under it, early release credits for inmates who complete educational and vocational programs will be expanded, letting more inmates leave prison earlier.

At the same time, the state will stop its monitoring of low-level offenders after their release. That is designed to reduce the number of parolees returned to prison, essentially because the state will not know if they are violating the terms of their parole.

Taking acts of kindness on the road

Jan

ready to travel the
country, urging
people to perform
acts of kindness

by Ray F. Jablonski and Mary Jane Skala - Correspondents, Cleveland.com

August 27, 2009

Bob Votruba of Chester has a dream. Starting Monday, he's embarking on a 10-year cross-country odyssey to encourage Americans to perform a million acts of kindness in their lifetimes. With Bogart, his Boston terrier, he'll travel the country in an old white school bus which he has decorated with colorful flowers, symbols and the words "OneMillionActsOfKindness.com"

The back of the bus states his journey began in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in August 2009. Votruba, 54, drove the bus into Chagrin Falls Saturday and parked it across from the Popcorn Shop, where it attracted joggers, families, dog-walkers and others out enjoying the sunny morning on Main Street.

He's disturbed about "the direction our country is going," he said, gripping Bogart's leash and sipping a cup of coffee on the Stairway to the Falls.

Bronx cops beat me, too

Jan

Louis Miranda
----------------
see the video
of his arrest

Exclusive to NY Post - by LARRY CELONA, REUVEN FENTON and PERRY CHIARAMONTE - January 22, 2010

A friend of the Bronx man whose brutal assault at the hands of a rookie cop was caught on videotape said the beating he himself took off camera was even worse. "They threw me into the wall and punched me in the side and threw me on the floor and started kicking and punching me," Louis Miranda told The Post, recalling the Jan. 5 incident outside his Fordham building on Davidson Avenue.

"They put me in handcuffs and started kicking me and punching me in the ribs, back and face on floor. They did the same to my uncle and father." Miranda, whose lawyer plans to file suit against the city, says he was beaten at around the same time as the videotaped attack on his pal, Jonathan Baez.

San Jose Officers Begin Using Head-Mounted Cameras

Jan

getting closer to
RoboCop

Device records video that's uploaded to a Web-based server
by Paul Clinton - Police Magazine - January 14, 2010

The San Jose Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in the country to deploy head-mounted video cameras on officers during a pilot program started late last year. The department implemented the new TASER AXON and Evidence.com system.

The department equipped 18 officers with the AXON devices, which Chief Rob Davis told the San Jose Mercury News are a technological advance comparable to the advent of police cars, two-way radios and the 911 emergency system.

Only time will tell whether Davis' remarks are exaggerated, yet we can understand the chief's enthusiasm for the gadgets and accompanying Evidence.com evidentiary Web portal.

Congressional Testimony from the FBI on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

Jan

National Crime
Information Center
coordinates law
enforcement data
bases nationally

On Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
Stephen L. Morris - Deputy Assistant Director, Criminal Justice Information Services Division - FBI
Statement Before the House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee - January 21, 2010

The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database currently consists of 19 files. There are seven property files containing records of stolen articles, boats, guns, license plates, parts, securities, and vehicles. There are twelve persons files containing the supervised release, convicted sexual offender registry, foreign fugitive, immigration violator, missing person, protection order, unidentified person, U.S. Secret Service protective, gang, known or appropriately suspected terrorist, wanted person, and identity theft files. There are two NCIC files impacted by Billy's Law—(1) the Missing Person file, and (2) the Unidentified Person file. The Missing Person file, created in 1975, contains 98,000 records. The Unidentified Person file was established in 1983 and contains approximately 7,000 records.

LA Fire Dept - Are You Truly Prepared For Pending Rainstorms?

Jan

water, water,
everywhere

by Brian Humphrey - LAFD Spokesman

Dear Friend of the LAFD:

With seasonal rain soon to resume, the Los Angeles Fire Department is encouraging local residents to take the precautions necessary to protect themselves from injury and their property from storm damage. When rainstorms impact the Los Angeles area, flood control channels, rivers, and arroyos can quickly fill with fast-moving water, creating a potentially life-threatening danger to anyone who gets caught or swept away.

LAPD Preparing To Deal With Nearly 6,000 Freed Prisoners In Area

Jan

6500 convicts
will be freed

Law enforcement officials express concern
by Dennis Romero - LA Weekly - January 20, 2010

The Los Angeles Police Department seems to be taking the possibility of a state release of prisoners starting Jan. 25 seriously. California is under a federal order to release 40,000 prisoners, nearly one in four in the state, to relieve overcrowding, and the U.S. Supreme Court this week rejected a state appeal to stop the floodgates from opening. But another appeal is running its way through the system, and it's not clear if any convicts will go free by Jan. 25.

Still, the LAPD is preparing for the worst. Chief Jim McDonnell told the city Police Commission Tuesday that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told the department a release of 18,000 convicts is planed for Jan. 25, with with 5,940 of them headed for Los Angeles County.

D.A. To Urge Legislature To Pass New Body Armor Law

Jan

Need described as urgent
by Dennis Romero - LA Weekly - January 20, 2010

District Attorney Steve Cooley and state Sen. Alex Padilla will hold a news conference Friday to urge the state legislature to pass what they describe as an urgent law that would ban violent felons from wearing body armor.

Cooley, who has indicated his plans to run for state Attorney General, is the bill's sponsor and Padilla, as we stated would be likely to happen , has agreed to carry the legislation as its author.

2 men stand trial in kidnap, extortion plot

Jan

Russian organized
crime cnnection

2 men stand trial in kidnap, extortion plot - a Russian organized crime connection
by THOMAS WATKINS - Associated Press - 01/19/2010

LOS ANGELES—Jurors heard opening statements Tuesday in a brutal kidnapping conspiracy that ended with a SWAT team rescue of the near-death victim, in a case that defense lawyers say is closely connected to organized crime in Russia.

Vagan Adzhemyan and Galvin Gibson are charged with conspiracy and kidnapping in the July 29 abduction of Sandro Karmryan, who was forced into the back of a van and held against his will at various locations around Los Angeles for five days. Prosecutors said the men hatched a plot to kidnap Karmryan because they wanted to extort $1 million in ransom money from his family in the U.S. and Russia.

Politicians Watch Criminals Pack More Heat - EDITORIAL - NY Times

Jan

assault weapoins
in criminal hands

Politicians Watch Criminals Pack More Heat - EDITORIAL - NY Times - January 18, 2010

The nation's police chiefs are finding an alarming increase in criminals' use of assault weapons — the high-powered battlefield rifles that used to be banned, back when the federal government showed greater concern for public safety.

The 10-year ban expired in 2004, despite the vows of presidential nominees from both parties to fight for renewal. Congress hasn't mustered the guts to try, preferring to roll over for the gun lobby.

A survey of more than 130 local police chiefs and officials found 37 percent reporting an increase in assault weapons in street crime. Front-line police find criminals generally packing more powerful heat, with more than half of the chiefs citing increases in large-caliber handguns and high-capacity semiautomatics — the real-life stuff of tough-guy movie fantasies.

Miami police reported that four years after politicians allowed the federl ban to lapse, homicides by assault weapons increased sixfold, including the murder of two police officers.

True sacrifice - taking pay cuts to serve the poor

Jan

Los Angeles
City Hall

True sacrifice - taking pay cuts to serve the poor - LA Daily News - 01/19/2010

And the hard choice for public employees and their unions this year is the one that the staff at two homeless organizations - the Union Rescue Mission downtown and Hope Gardens in Sylmar - made recently. They chose to take pay cuts or give up some retirement benefits rather than cutting services to the poor people they serve. To be sure, it was a hard decision. Social service workers aren't Wall Street bankers; it's modestly paid work, and giving up a 401(k) match from an employer amounts to a serious financial impact.

But it was the right decision. They were faced with a very real dilemma: voluntarily cut back or see people in real need suffer. That choice is one more and more public employees are going to have to face this year in California as the local and state governing agencies try to deal huge budget deficits. Will they give up some of their hard-won benefits to keep the city of Los Angeles out of bankruptcy ore reduce their pay to keep enough sheriff's deputies and police officers on the streets and to keep the state from emptying prisons?

Remarks by the President in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Jan

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
-------------------------
Obama celebrates
an Ameican life

Remarks by the President in Remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Vermont Avenue Baptist Church, Washington, DC - from the Whitehouse - January 17, 2010

THE PRESIDENT: We gather here, on a Sabbath, during a time of profound difficulty for our nation and for our world. In such a time, it soothes the soul to seek out the Divine in a spirit of prayer; to seek solace among a community of believers. But we are not here just to ask the Lord for His blessing. We aren't here just to interpret His Scripture. We're also here to call on the memory of one of His noble servants, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Now, it's fitting that we do so here, within the four walls of Vermont Avenue Baptist Church -- here, in a church that rose like the phoenix from the ashes of the civil war; here in a church formed by freed slaves, whose founding pastor had worn the union blue; here in a church from whose pews congregants set out for marches and from whom choir anthems of freedom were heard; from whose sanctuary King himself would sermonize from time to time.

Woman Claims to Have Infected 500 People With HIV

Jan

HIV

In Michigan its a felony to knowingly transmit HIV - January 15, 2010 - ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — Authorities are trying to determine whether a woman who claims in an online video that she intentionally infected more than 500 people in suburban Detroit with HIV is real or a hoax.

The unidentified woman says in a nearly 11-minute video posted on mediatakeout.com that since contracting HIV in 1998, she has been "pretty upset" about having to "suffer," and has "set out to "destroy the world" because a cure for the virus that causes AIDS has not been found.

The High Price of Jury Trials

Jan

justice needs help

Parade Magazine - by Sharon Male - January 17, 2010

Serving on a jury is a civic duty, but it can also impose financial hardship. A Minnesota plumber was jailed recently after telling a judge he couldn't miss more than one day of work for jury duty. Judges in many jurisdictions report a recent increase in the number of people who say they can't afford to serve or who simply don't show up, causing cases to be delayed or even dismissed.

Matt Fullenbaum of the American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) notes that even before the recession, it was tough to fill jury boxes. “In some jurisdictions, you have no-show rates of up to 50%,” he says.

ATRA wants more states to follow Arizona's lead, where jurors are paid up to $300 per day for trials lasting longer than five days.

Thousands Protest Arizona Sheriff's Immigration Efforts

Jan

Sheriff standing
his ground

Sheriff Joe Arpaio's practices come under fire - ASSOCIATED PRESS - January 16, 2010

PHOENIX — Ten thousand immigrant rights advocates marched in front of a county jail in Phoenix Saturday in a protest that was aimed at Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio's immigration efforts and was marked by a clash between a small group of protesters and police officers.

Organizers say the protest was meant to show officials in Washington that Arpaio shouldn't handle immigration enforcement, and that Congress and the Obama administration need to come up with a way for immigrant workers to come to the country legally.

For his part, Arpaio said he wasn't bothered by the protesters and that they should be directing their frustrations at Congress because it has the power to change America's immigration laws.

Are pilots flying beyond their limits?

Jan

Are America's
skys safe?
----------------------
Are our pilots
overworked?

Long shifts and multiple flights can take their toll, a pilot for a regional airline says. In recent years, fatigue has been cited as a likely factor in four crashes.
by Dan Weikel - LA Times - January 17, 2010

Halfway through his 13-hour shift, the Pinnacle Airlines pilot was already tired. After landing in Indianapolis, he headed to the terminal to catch a quick nap during a three-hour layover.

Once there, he discovered that the waiting areas were jammed with passengers and there was no lounge for airline crews. So the pilot found a remote corner of the building and curled up on the floor, using his black uniform jacket as a pillow.

Although airline officials generally frown on the practice, the pilot said naps in terminals were one way to fight fatigue -- something that's important when you're at the controls of a $25-million aircraft with 50 passengers aboard.

LA prosecutor says Polanski cannot be sentenced in absentia

Jan

Roman Polanski
is in Europe but
faces child abuse
sentencing in CA

Says sentencing in absentia "absolutely inappropriate - LA Times - January 15, 2010

A Los Angeles prosecutor urged a judge today to deny Roman Polanski’s request to be sentenced in a three-decade-old child sex case without surrendering to U.S. authorities.

In papers filed in Superior Court, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren wrote that sentencing in absentia was “absolutely inappropriate” given Polanski’s continued refusal to return to the U.S. Polanski “as a fugitive and convicted child rapist, must not be permitted to instruct this court how to proceed."

"Mr. Polanski must surrender,” the prosecutor wrote in the filing submitted to Judge Peter Espinoza in advance of a Jan. 22 hearing.

'911 immunity laws' for underage drinkers

Jan

"..it might be better if teenagers didn't drink, but they do, and that isn't likely to change.."

OPINION of a High School Junior - The ideal approach to dealing with the problem is a combination of educating kids, and decriminalizing calls for help.

by Caroline Cook - Caroline Cook is a junior at Miramonte High School in Orinda, where she writes for her school paper, the Mirador. - January 18, 2010

My town, the sleepy Bay Area suburb of Orinda, isn't in the news often. But it made headlines around the state last year after Joe Loudon, a well-loved high school sophomore, died at a party on Memorial Day weekend.

I don't know if it's because I had known Joe since kindergarten, or because I write opinion pieces for my school newspaper, or because my mom, a lawyer, is representing the teenage host of the party, who is facing criminal charges, but I can't stop thinking about how to prevent another death like Joe's.

‘Horrific' devastation from Haiti quake

Jan

A woman cries after finding the body of a loved one after the earthquake in Port-au-Prince

PM fears death toll above 100,000; food, water needed, aid worker says
NBC, msnbc.com and news services - January 13, 2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Death was everywhere Wednesday in this devastated city of 2 million. Bodies of tiny children were piled next to schools. Corpses of women lay on the street with stunned expressions frozen on their faces as flies began to gather. Bodies of men were covered with plastic tarps or cotton sheets. Moreover, untold numbers were still trapped after a powerful earthquake Tuesday crushed thousands of structures — from schools and shacks to the National Palace and the local U.N. headquarters.

As nations around the world mobilized to send help, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told Reuters that he believed the casualties would be "in the range of thousands of dead." Soon after, however, Bellerive told CNN that "I believe we are well over 100,000" dead, while Haitian Sen. Youri Latortue said it could be 500,000. President Rene Preval, for his part, told CNN that "up to now, I heard 50,000 ... 30,000" dead.

Haiti: Resources and how to help

Jan

HELP
for Haiti
------------------
make a
donation

Relief organizations requesting donations
LA Times - from Staff and Wire reports - January 14, 2010

The U.S. State Department Operations Center set up a hotline for Americans seeking information about relatives in Haiti: (888) 407-4747. The department cautioned that because of heavy volume, some callers may hear a recording. Here's a list of relief organizations requesting donations.

Utah Truck Driver Helps to Capture Wisconsin Murder Suspect

Jan

community based
policing in action

Community based policing in action - LACP congratulates a citizen - January 16, 2010

A Utah man is being hailed as a hero for his role in capturing a Wisconsin murder suspect, Fox13now.com reported. Justin Welch, a man accused of murdering a woman from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, escaped police custody in Arkansas earlier in the week, the site reported.

Welch hitched a ride with truck driver T.J. Lyon, from Spanish Fork, Utah. A convenience store clerk in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, informed Lyon that the man accompanying him, Welch, resembled a man whose picture was in the newspaper as an escaped murder suspect. Knowing this, Lyon allowed Welch to continue riding with him.

L.A. Gang Tours: Just ghettotainment? (NOTE: also see UPDATE inside)

Jan

A nonprofit company's plan to conduct tours of South Central may be well intended, but will it offer insight or titillation? - OPNION - by Erin Aubry Kaplan January 7, 2010 (NOTE: also see UPDATE inside)

I'm not against taking bold action where gangs are concerned. They're a hardened local institution, one that's gotten more intractable the last 15 years. More than anything, gangs have battered the L.A. mythos as the last big American city where anyone can live out his or her dreams undisturbed. There's value in providing a visual education about gangs and the social ills and inequality that produced them. There's value in showing urban voyeurs the stark difference between reality and a movie or gangsta-rap soundtrack. But I'm not at all sure that L.A. Gang Tours will make those things clear. For all his enthusiasm, Lomas himself doesn't seem quite sure of what to expect when his project gets under way.

Health Care Mandate Applies to All -- Except the Amish

Jan

Health Care Mandate Applies to All -- Except the Amish - by Molly Henneberg -- FOXNews - January 16, 2010

OPINION by SANDY NAZEMI: I think its about time that Congress realized they cannot totally control everyone. The Health Care Reform bill in its current state violates the Constitution in my opinion and there will be challenges in the Supreme Court. Apparently, Congress knows this too and is starting to take steps to cover their "behinds." I personally agree with some of those opinions in this article that the mandate is illegal and unconsitutional.

While most Americans will have to prove they have insurance or face a fine under the health reform legislation that is now nearing the finish line in Congress, at least one group won't have to worry.

L.A. intersection named for city's first black officer killed in line of duty

Jan

Officer Williams

Charles P. Williams was fatally shot downtown in 1923, but until 1998 it was believed that he was a white officer. Now, 87 years after his death, the city has corrected the oversight.
by Bob Pool - January 16, 2010

His widow was too poor to buy a headstone for his grave. So Los Angeles' first black police officer to be killed in the line of duty was buried in an unmarked grave when he was laid to rest 87 years ago.

This week, city leaders took steps to remedy that oversight by designating the downtown intersection of Central Avenue and 6th Street as "Officer Charles P. Williams Square."

Man Sought In Pa. Trooper's Death, Wife Found Dead

Jan

Trooper
Paul G. Richey

Massive Search Ends In Rural Cranberry Township After Shooting
January 14, 2010 - Channel 4 KTAE - ThePittsburghChannel.com

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The search for a man sought in the fatal shooting of a Pennsylvania State Police trooper Wednesday has ended after he and his wife were found dead inside the house where the trooper was shot.

A bulletproof vest remained lying in the snow where state police said Trooper Paul G. Richey, 40, was shot after arriving at a house on Bredinsburg Road just outside Oil City in Cranberry Township, Venango County.

Venango County Deputy Coroner Chris Hile said the trooper -- a 16-year veteran, husband and father of two young children -- was taken to UPMC Northwest Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Deadly Shooting in Maine Sex Dungeon Leads to Trial

Jan

playing
with guns

Playing with guns - ASSOCIATED PRESS - Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - PORTLAND, Maine

A gun collector who introduced several weapons into sexual play with two other men contends the weapons were intended to fulfill a sexual fantasy. Instead, a lethal combination of drugs, extreme sex and Russian roulette has put him on trial for manslaughter.

Both the defense and prosecutors say there was no intention to kill. But prosecutors say defendant Bruce Lavallee-Davidson, a farmer from Skowhegan, was responsible for ensuring his gun wasn't loaded when it was being handled.

LACP gives away FREE trips .. to every reader here .. Around the World !!

Jan

As The World Turns
FREE TRIPS !

Free Trip .. Around the World !! (virtually, anyhow) - by Bill Murray - January 3, 2010

We've found a way to give away a FREE trip around the world, compliments of our friends (and their followers) at FOXNews.com. Okay, so it's a virtual trip, but, hey you can visit all these places as often as you like .. and in your underwear!

Please note that making up this list of available webcams from around the globe is a communal effort, and FOX is asking you, the readership, to help them keep the list accurate, current, and ever-expanding. There's an email link below where you can write them. Maybe you can suggest another webcam they don't already know about !!!

Family files multimillion-dollar claim against L.A. County

Jan

Mitrice Richardson
- victim of negligence?

Says Sheriff's Department personnel acted negligently - by Carla Hall - January 13, 2010 - LA Times

The family of Mitrice Richardson, who has been missing since she was released from the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station at 12:30 a.m. Sept. 17, has filed a multimillion-dollar claim against Los Angeles County, alleging that Sheriff's Department personnel acted negligently. The claim mentions a number of officers who interacted with Richardson, 24, from the time she was arrested at Geoffrey's, a Malibu restaurant, for not paying her $89 dinner bill, until her release into the night without her car, cellphone or purse.

Staff at the restaurant said she was behaving bizarrely and speaking gibberish. The restaurant staffer who called the Sheriff's Department said she was “acting crazy.” In the months since her disappearance, homicide investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department say, they have found evidence in her diaries and text messages that she was suffering from severe bipolar disorder.

Specter: Threatening witness should be federal crime

Jan

Senator Arlen
Specter
of Pennsylvania

calls witness intimidation "a gigantic problem" - by Nancy Phillips, Craig R. McCoy, and Troy Graham - Inquirer Staff Writers - January 9, 2010

Calling witness intimidation "a gigantic problem" in Philadelphia, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter said yesterday that he would support legislation to make it a federal crime when threats are made in cases prosecuted in local court.

When serious crimes go unpunished because of the loss of a witness, "that's a total breakdown of the rule of law, and it's appropriate for the federal government to come and help out," said Specter, who convened a Senate subcommittee hearing on the subject at the National Constitution Center.

Schwarzenegger suggests handing illegal prisoners to U.S.

Jan

Feds should take
illegals off States'
hands

Says Federal government should handle them - by Kevin Yamamura - from The Sacramento Bee -
January 11, 2010

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested one more "trigger" alternative Monday if the federal government does not provide California with additional federal funds -- transferring undocumented immigrant prisoners to the federal government.

The Republican governor last week relied on getting $880 million in federal funds for undocumented inmates to help bridge the state's $19.9 billion deficit through June 2011. President Barack Obama proposed eliminating that funding altogether last year, and Congress plans to allocate not even half that amount for all 50 states.

Letting crooks & illegals vote

Jan

Letting crooks & illegals vote - do Dems have a political death wish?
EDITORIAL - THE WASHINGTON TIMES - January 7, 2010

Democrats have a political death wish. At least that's how it looks. There's no other explanation for their feverish push to take over the health care system when a huge majority of Americans are opposed to the plan. But facing an angry public, Democrats are scheming to find ways to manipulate the electoral process so they can cling to power even when voters want to kick the bums out.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, and Rep. Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat, have plans to ram through legislation that will produce universal voter registration. No matter what they claim, the rule changes will make it possible for illegal aliens to register to vote and for others to register multiple times.

InfraGard; an FBI / community program

Jan

An FBI program
using the
community
------------------
Conspiracy or volunteerism?

Conspiracy or volunteerism? - by Bill Murray - January 11, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTE: A community member sent me an email alerting me to this FBI program. She said if boils down to "citizens who spy on you and me to gain favor with the FBI .. that is what InfraGard is." She went on to note that the scary thing was that InfraGard seemed to be a conspiracy, writing, "these people are volunteers .. not deputized .." and went on, saying, "there was a meeting held that the FBI told business people and members of InfraGard (this is big brother) that when marshall law is imposed (not if but when) that lethal force can be used by those that are members of InfraGard."

Here's what I've found out about InfraGard, which has about 35,000 members, including FBI. What do you think? Conspiracy or volunteerism?

“Community Day 2010” - Show Your Love

Jan

Sponsored by
Sheriff Lee Baca's
Clergy Council

FREE ANNUAL EVENT - January 16, 2010 - by Bill Murray, founder of LACP and host of "Communiry Matters"

For several years I have been privileged to serve as a member of the LA County Sheriff Lee Baca's Clergy Council. No, I'm not a minister, although all my fellow community members are. I was approached with the invitation to participate because of the work I do through LA Community Policing.

Among the many worthy efforts the Sheriff Baca supports is the one described below, "Community Day," an annual event coordinated by Bishop Turner and his fellow Clergy Council members. Year after year, thousands and thousands of people come to these well known events, to take advantage of the community spirit and all kinds of free stuff (we have many corporate partners, too) on a day that's basically dedicated to the principals we promote here .. those of community based policing.

The Pervasiveness of Racism in America

Jan

Senator Harry Reid

Reid apologises for racial remarks - Deccan Chronicle - January 10, 2010

Veteran US senator Harry Reid has apologised to President Barack Obama for referring to him in racially insensitive language in private conversations during the 2008 presidential campaign as “light-skinned” and as having “no Negro dialect.”

“I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words,” the Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans, for my improper comments.”

Immigration reform and the healthcare debate

Jan

caution

OPINION - in Los Angeles - by Tim Rutten - January 9, 2010

The healthcare reform being negotiated in Congress could leave Los Angeles County far worse off than it is today, because of the Senate version's treatment of immigrants.

Whatever their final shape, the healthcare reforms being negotiated by Democratic members of the House and Senate represent the most consequential piece of social legislation Congress has considered in half a century.

Californians, however, have a bigger stake in the outcome than other Americans -- and residents of Los Angeles County perhaps the biggest stake of all. In fact, if the final bill most closely resembles the one passed by the Senate, the county will be left far worse off than it is today.

Rick J. Caruso: A work in progress

Jan

Rick J. Caruso
-------------------
A work in progress

L.A.'s premier developer talks about his projects, his views on the city and his possible political future. - by Patt Morrison - January 9, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTE: With a nod of thanks to Patt Morrison for this candid interview, I want to make a few opening remarks. I have known Mr. Caruso (he graciously lets me call him Rick) for many years, because I became closely involved with the LAPD Police Commission he led during the time I founded LA Community Policing, following the events of 9-11. It was his commision which selected (and eventually worked with) Bill Bratton, the recently departed Chief of LAPD. He's a no-nonsese pragmatist, yet easy to be around and obviouly comfortable with himself. Rick's a charming man, is always impecaibly dressed, and has a good sense of humor. One feels important in his presence, because you sense he is genuinly interested in listening your perspective, and to the public.

Missing Baby's Mom Reveals Details - UPDATES

Jan

missing baby

Gave 8-Month-Old Son To Couple She Met In A Park, Mom Says
by Jason Barry - Reporter, KPHO.com - January 5, 2010

PHOENIX -- The mystery surrounding the disappearance of 8-month old Gabriel Johnson is no closer to being solved, according to police.

In an exclusive interview with CBS 5 News from her jail cell, Elizabeth Johnson, 23, said she has no idea where her little boy is. Johnson said she gave her baby to a couple she met in San Antonio while running away from Arizona.

“They approached me and came up to me,” she said. “I was alone with the baby at the park.”

Mind-reading systems could change air security

Jan

being screened
at the airpot
------------
new tech coming

New tech, new ideas - by MICHAEL TARM, Associated Press Writer - Friday, January 8, 2010

CHICAGO – A would-be terrorist tries to board a plane, bent on mass murder. As he walks through a security checkpoint, fidgeting and glancing around, a network of high-tech machines analyzes his body language and reads his mind.

Screeners pull him aside. Tragedy is averted.

As far-fetched as that sounds, systems that aim to get inside an evildoer's head are among the proposals floated by security experts thinking beyond the X-ray machines and metal detectors used on millions of passengers and bags each year.

Arizona Sheriff Investigated by Federal Grand Jury

Jan

Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Maricopa County
Arizona

"Toughest Sheriff in America" - Fox News - Associated Press - Friday, January 8, 2010

PHOENIX — Two officials said Thursday night they have been subpoenaed to answer questions next week before a federal grand jury about a high-profile Arizona sheriff who gained attention for aggressively cracking down on illegal immigration.

In statements read by a county spokesman, Maricopa County Manager David Smith and Deputy County Manager Sandi Wilson said they met with a federal prosecutor to discuss the case and will testify Wednesday.

Wilson said the general subject of the inquiry was abuses by Sheriff Joe Arpaio's office. Neither Wilson nor Smith offered specifics, said county spokesman Richard de Uriarte, who spoke with the two officials Thursday night.

Two more CA Counties begin immigration screening of arrestees

Jan

Two more CA Counties begin immigration screening program for arrestees

Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo - from SanLuisObispo.com - by The Associated Press - January 5, 2010

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Two more California counties have hooked up to a Homeland Security database that screens the immigration status of arrestees. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties started using the program Tuesday. Under the program, ICE says arrestees' fingerprints will be checked against a Homeland Security database. The agency will be notified if someone has an immigration history.

ICE says it will focus on arrestees who have prior convictions for violent crimes and major drug offenses. The program, which is known as Secure Communities, has already been implemented in four other California counties. ICE says it plans to roll out the program nationwide by 2013.

Court tosses out Washington voting ban for felons

Jan

who gets to vote?

Court tosses out Washington voting ban for felons
from the San Francisco Chronicle - Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer - Wednesday, January 6, 2010

A federal appeals court overturned Washington state's ban on voting by convicted felons Tuesday in a ruling that could extend ballots to prisoners in other states where studies showed racial bias in the criminal justice system.

In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said the Washington law violates the federal Voting Rights Act because evidence showed discrimination against minorities at every level of the state's legal system: arrest, bail, prosecution and sentencing.

If the ruling survives, it will be binding in the circuit's other eight states, including California, which denies voting rights to 283,000 convicted felons in prison or on parole, according to a report from the nonprofit Sentencing Project.

About 114,000 are African Americans, who are disenfranchised at seven times the rate of the general population, the report said.

Schwarzenegger: Privatize the prisons

Jan

California's
Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger
on prisons

Says it's wrong to spend more on prisons than higher education
from the Central Valley Business Times - SACRAMENTO - January 6, 2010

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says it's time the state privatized its vast prison system, which is larger than that of many nations.

“Spending 45 percent more on prisons than universities is no way to proceed into the future,” the governor says in his State of the State address Monday. “What does it say about a state that focuses more on prison uniforms than caps and gowns?”

He says he will ask the Legislature to approve a constitutional amendment so the state never spends a greater percentage of its money on prisons than on higher education.

Las Vegas shooting prompts nationwide review of courthouse security

Jan

a gunman killed a
courthouse officer
and wounded a
deputy marshal
in Las Vegas

Agency will scrutinize safety measures at more than 400 federal facilities

by DEVLIN BARRETT - Associated Press - January 6, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities will conduct a nationwide review of courthouse security after a gunman killed a courthouse officer and wounded a deputy marshal in Las Vegas, a senior official said Wednesday.

Michael Prout, a security official with the U.S. Marshals Service, told The Associated Press his agency will scrutinize safety measures at more than 400 federal facilities around the country. Prout said many federal courthouses and other buildings do not have the kind of modern security checkpoints in place at the Las Vegas building.

Authorities say Johnny Lee Wicks, who was angry over losing a lawsuit protesting a cut to his Social Security benefits, opened fire with a shotgun Monday after walking up to the security checkpoint at the courthouse entrance.

L.A. chooses group to run anti-gang academy

Jan

in LA about 40,000
gang members

City-sponsored school to train and license intervention workers
by Phil Willon, LA Times - January 8, 2010

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Thursday the creation of a city anti-gang academy to train and license intervention workers.

The crucial component of L.A.'s anti-gang strategy was delayed for months because of conflicting visions for the school. The academy will be run by the Advancement Project, a legal advocacy, civil rights and public policy group, and funded in its inaugural year with $200,000 in federal grants.

The city-sponsored academy will train all anti-gang workers involved with Villaraigosa's Office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, which oversees $20 million in annual intervention and prevention contracts.

Civil Rights Hero to Begin Serving Prison Sentence

Jan

Civil rights hero
Bobby DeLaughter goes off to prison

A fall from grace - by Wayne Drash - CNN - January 4, 2010

Bobby DeLaughter, the prosecutor who secured the conviction in the infamous Medgar Evers Mississippi murder case, is himself now headed to prison. It was DeLaughter's dogged 1994 prosecution and the subsequent conviction of Ku Klux Klan member Byron De La Beckwith that helped trigger the reopening of dozens of civil rights cold cases.

DeLaughter became an instant hero of the civil rights movement. Alec Baldwin portrayed him in the 1996 movie, "Ghosts of Mississippi," and his closing statement was once dubbed one of the greatest closing arguments in modern law.

Profiling? Heavens, Not Us!

Jan

bodies scanned
by TSA

Profiling? Heavens, Not Us! - OPINION - by Jack Dunphy - an officer with the LAPD
first appeared at: PajamasMedia.com - January 5, 2010

A few years ago, my wife and I traveled on the Eurostar train from Paris to London. When the train arrived at Waterloo Station (today Eurostar operates from St. Pancras), we disembarked with the other passengers and filed down a long walkway toward the terminal exit. A line of pillars ran down the center of the walkway, and standing with his back to the last of these pillars and inspecting the passing crowd was a gray-haired man in his mid-fifties. Our eyes met for the briefest of moments, and as I passed him I gave a little nod of recognition, a gesture he returned before turning his attention to those who followed me.

Will Bin Laden Be Caught? US Officials Disagree

Jan

Osama Bin Laden - still on the run

How much does it matter? - by Russell Berman - January 5, 2010

Nearly a year into the presidency of Barack Obama, the world's most wanted man remains at large. Is the U.S. any closer to finding Osama bin Laden? Will he ever be captured? The questions seem simple, but the answers depend on whom in the Obama administration you ask.

The issue of bin Laden's whereabouts has come up repeatedly in recent weeks, as the American military escalates its war in Afghanistan and the White House scrambles to respond to what the president called a "systemic" security failure. Yet the bin Laden questions have flummoxed the Obama administration, which, like its predecessor, has teetered between downplaying both the likelihood and importance of capturing bin Laden on one hand and vowing to kill him on the other.

Utah Deputy Fatally Shot - Suspect Caught - UPDATE

Jan

female deputy
killed in UTAH

Utah Deputy Fatally Shot - Suspect Caught - from Officer.com
by STEPHEN HUNT and SCOTT SHERMAN - The Salt Lake Tribune, McClatchy-Tribune News Service

As Millard County Sheriff Robert Dekker described the loss of Deputy Josie Fox, the words flowed almost as freely as the tears. "We lost a real good lady today, and a great cop," he said. "Everybody feels a great sense of loss. We don't just work together, we become law-enforcement family, and we've lost a great member of that family who enjoyed what she did."

ACTION ALERT: Support New Immigration Reform Bill ( or not? )

Jan

CAIR-CA

Support New Immigration Reform Bill - ( or not? ) - from CAIR-CA - January 5, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTE: This "Action Alert" came to me from CAIR-CA. According to their web site: " CAIR uses action alerts to call on YOU to to take action. Typically, action alerts are in reference to a timely issue, where prompt action is needed."

While LACP has consistently called for Immigration Reform, we're not yet satisfied that this particular legislation has the right mixture of actions to deal with one of America's biggest problems. What do YOU think?

Tightening up at the border - strict new travel restrictions, more arrests

Jan

checking an ID
at the border

Tightening up at the border - strict new travel restrictions leading to more arrests at border entries

by Leslie Berestein , UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER - Saturday, January 2, 2010

In the months following the implementation of new travel-document requirements at U.S. land and sea port of entries last June, there was a spike in the number of people arrested along the southern border posing as U.S. citizens, customs officials say.

Between June 1 and the end of August, the latest period for which information is available, there was a 30 percent increase compared with the same period a year earlier ..

Cops Say Missing Girl Case Solved After 24 Years

Jan

missing 24 years

Mother doesn't believe it - January 2, 2010 - Associated Press

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Jan. 2) -- Authorities in northeast Florida say they've closed the 24-year-old case of a missing seventh-grader, but the girl's mother says she doesn't believe it.

Martha Jean Lambert vanished near her St. Augustine home on Nov. 27, 1985. Her mother, Margaret Pichon, says she remains convinced that the 12-year-old girl was kidnapped.

However, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said Friday that Pichon's son David Lambert has confessed to accidentally killing his sister in an argument.

Kenya slum electrician puts his life on the line

Jan

Life in Kenya isn't
easy - in fact,
its dangerous

Maybe we in America should have a little gratitude - A 'freelance' electrician risks getting jolted each time he's called out to fix problems in the area he services. His best friend died on the job.
by Robyn Dixon, LA Times - January 3, 2010 - Reporting from Nairobi, Kenya

In a year as a "freelance" slum electrician, Francis Otieno has been shocked five times. Three of the accidents were "not so bad," just enough to throw him across the room. Two nearly killed him. "I just cried out. I didn't know what was going on. I passed out," he says. "For two days, I didn't know where I was."

But he was luckier than his best friend, who had the job before him: He was killed when he jumped on a roof to fix a short, unaware that the roof was live because a rat had nibbled at a wire.

Irshad Manji - The (new) 10 Commandments

Jan

do we need a new 10 Commandments?
------------------------
some think we're
over due!

from Dana Gallagher

Hello, Moses and Jesus? Hope y'all threw a great New Year's Eve party in heaven Thursday night.

May I take just a minute of your eternal lives? I'm a professor of leadership at New York University's school of public service. In summer 2009, my program, the Moral Courage Project, launched a blogging campaign to stop the stoning of women.

One of the bloggers was Dana Gallagher. Something she posted about the sanctity of human rights caught my eye. I asked her to expand on it and, upon learning that she's a Christian, I suggested she turn her initial post into an updated version of the Ten Commandments.

Dave Barry's 2009 Review

Jan

some GOOD,
some BAD,
and some ???

perspectives on the GOOD and BAD - ( and some "we'll just have to see" )

by Dave Barry ( biography included ) - first appeared in the LA Times

It was a year of Hope -- at first in the sense of ``I feel hopeful!'' and later in the sense of ``I hope this year ends soon!''

It was also a year of Change, especially in Washington, where the tired old hacks of yesteryear finally yielded the reins of power to a group of fresh, young, idealistic, new-idea outsiders such as Nancy Pelosi.

As a result Washington, rejecting ``business as usual,'' finally stopped trying to solve every problem by throwing billions of taxpayer dollars at it and instead started trying to solve every problem by throwing trillions of taxpayer dollars at it.

Can We Succeed? - OPINION

Jan

Larry Huss
with some food
for thought

some food for thought - EDITORIAL - by Larry Huss - from OregonCatalyst.com - December 30. 2009

We were at a dinner party just prior to Christmas. One of the guests was a retired Canadian military officer who had spent a considerable amount of his career as a military attaché to the Canadian foreign service in a variety of European countries including Russia. As often happens the conversation turned to current events including politics.

After listening to the rest of us prattle on for a bit, our Canadian friend announced that he just could not understand American politics. He said that we are just too hard on ourselves. He went on to describe our politics as plumbing the depths of our minor shortcomings while ignoring the successes of what makes America great.

Obama's can't-do style - OPINION

Jan

He -- and thus, America -- may mean well, but it's going to take more than that to address the world's issues.
by Robert J. Lieber - OPINION - LA Times - January 4, 2010

For a president with a daunting domestic agenda and limited experience in foreign policy, Barack Obama has taken on an unusually active world role. He has made important policy overtures to America's adversaries, delivered major addresses in Cairo, Prague, Moscow and at the United Nations, and set a White House record with visits to more than 20 countries in his first year in office. And with his December speech on Afghanistan, he now owns that war.

Yet it will be at least a year before we know whether the Afghan surge is bringing the hoped-for results. Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela and Cuba have failed to accept Obama's outstretched hand. Russia has been grudging in its support for more effective policy toward Iran's nuclear program, as has China, which also shows no sign of allowing its undervalued currency to rise against the dollar.

News of the Century - fun facts, year by year

Jan

1900 - 2000

look up the year you were born

News of the Century - fun facts, year by year

EDITOR'S NOTE: We thought you could have some fun with this. Sorry, we can't help you look anything up if you were born 1900 or after 2006. (I'll take those letters .. )

WE THINK THIS IS JUST PLAIN INTERESTING . . . Click on the year you were born and read the news for that period of time (or check a year out for any reason at all)

L.A. City Council to consider a city film commission to market Los Angeles

Jan

the American
home of
Show Biz
needs to be
promoted as
such

An LA Film Commission? Its about time !!! - January 3, 2010

EDITOR'S NOTE: I became an LACP activist at the end of a 30 year career in various aspects of show business and testified several times in front of City Council about the obvious need for a LA City Film Commission during the Public Comment period. My words and those of fellow like-minded community members fell on deaf ears .. until now. To be sure the film / TV / music business has needed such support for years, as we've seen a steady loss of projects to Toronto, Vancouver, Australia, Mexico and many other of our 50 states .. locales that DO court and seek to serve the very industry that's driven Los Angeles for generations. With the area doing so poorly economically it stands to reason that LA should be doing all it can to attract back the show biz businesses its lost, and hold onto those it has somehow managed to keep.

Digest of New Years 2010 News - HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!

Jan

HAPPY
NEW
YEAR
~~~~~~~~~
2010
~~~~~~~~~

Some New Year's issues of interest to the community policing activist across the country
- by Bill Murray, LACP & "Community Matters".

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following group of articles from local newspapers and other sources constitutes but a small percentage of the information available to the community policing and neighborhood activist public. It is by no means meant to cover every possible issue of interest, nor is it meant to convey any particular point of view ...

We present this simply as a convenience to our readership ...

Jennifer Aniston gets credit for new paparazzi crackdown

Jan

Jennifer Aniston
-----------------
focus on privacy

Says 'there have to be some boundaries' - December 30, 2009

Jennifer Aniston is getting credit for new legislation in California that cracks down on the practices of the paparazzi.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) said Aniston's activism was instrumental in the success of Assembly Bill 524, which takes effect Jan. 1. The law allows for civil penalties of up to $50,000 against members of the paparazzi and media outlets that sell and buy "unlawfully obtained" photos and video of people, including celebrities and their families.

The law focuses on photos and video taken in a way that violates privacy laws, featuring people "engaging in a personal or familial activity" where they have "a reasonable expectation of privacy." This includes photographing people in their backyards or on other private property.

L.A. County prosecutors won't pursue charges against officers

Jan

Richard Rodziguez
-----------------
in custody
following a
"distraction blow"

L.A. County prosecutors won't pursue charges against officers who were caught on TV kicking, hitting suspect
December 30, 2009

Prosecutors have decided not to charge two El Monte Police Department officers who kicked a car-chase suspect in the head and hit his arm with a flashlight as he was lying on the ground at the end of a televised high-speed pursuit, saying the officers had used “reasonable” force. The Los Angeles County district attorney's office noted in its decision that Officers George Fierro, 41, and James Singleterry, 40, were confronting a “highly dangerous and unpredictable” gang member who had evaded parole supervision and demonstrated no regard for human life during the 34-minute pursuit May 13.

Prosecutors said Fierro had reason to fear that the suspect, Richard Rodriguez, was positioning himself to attack or attempt to escape when he turned his head to face the officer while lying on the ground with his arms outstretched. Under such circumstances, they said, El Monte officers are trained to deliver a “distraction blow” – in this case, a kick to the head – to give them time to apply some form of physical restraint.

Defense Wants Information on Tipsters in N.C. Coed Murder Trial

Jan

Eve Carson,
co-ed at
University of NC
Chapel Hill

"Crime Stoppers" related issue - December 30, 2009 - ASSOCIATED PRESS

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article discusses a case which could have a big effect on the popular "Crime Stoppers" efforts, seriously damaging one of their principle promises .. that of keeping informants (ie Tipsters) anonymous. In addition to this, "Crime Stoppers" frequently offers rewards which may be claimed at a future date thru the use of a secret ID issued at the time a tip is offered. We promote "Crime Stoppers" at LA Community Policing, agreeing with many law enforcement and prosecutors that many criminals have been brought to justice thru the non-profit, which is now found in over 300 locales across out country and internationally too.

ALSO: Please see our recent LACP article, "Crime Stoppers program launches in LA County"