The Horseback Riders

2006-05-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

Kings X

2006-03-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

I am not saying that I am retiring, because I am addicted to the World of Blogs. I am going to take sometime out to get some much-needed rest. So till then the keys will be left under the floor-matt.

(Buy rest I mean work on everything that needs to get done.)

Everyone have a great summer.

Retiring

2006-02-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

Well people, that time has come. I'm going to be hanging my hat and retiring from the world of blogging. The Glorified Jailer will be the new captain of this vessel.

It's been fun, and it's been real. It's been real fun. Take care, ya'll.

2006-02-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Scandals and Stereotypes

2006-02-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Jack Dunphy’s latest National Review Online column, “Target: Los Angeles,” discusses President Bush’s recent remarks about terrorists targeting L.A. and, separately, what Dunphy calls “The Real Rampart Scandal.” It’s a great read, as usual, and his assessment of how the city, the department and the community is still mired in its repercussions is right on.

I am married to an LAPD officer. In his 17 years on the job, I have clearly seen the personal effect these incidents have on him and his colleagues. Work is harder to face – many officers feel like they, too, are standing in the harsh glare of the media spotlight while investigations are ongoing. It’s hard to watch the news and hear various personalities talk about how awful their tactics are, how the whole department is corrupt and then tell them how to do their job better.

At my own job I have to train myself not to react as I listen to colleagues quip about "cops on the take" and "those flashlight-wielding maniacs." Ha. Ha.

The Rampart scandal was legitimate, yes. Officers who grossly abuse their positions of authority should be held accountable and punished appropriately. But what I hate to see as a result of these scandals are the endless stereotyping of officers in general. Or how some find it necessary to form opinions of law enforcement from quick sound bites and little research of their own and then jump on the nearest soap box to spout off.

There are a great majority of officers out there who don’t deserve these stereotypes and are honestly doing the best they can in a daily battle against crime, under-staffing, under-funding and negative public perceptions. They deserve instead respect and the right to be held accountable for their own sins – and not for the sins of others.

Eating Sharks

2006-01-23T22:58:00.000-08:00

Fun Fact for the Day: Did you know that a giant octopus can eat a shark like there's nothing to it?

Yeah, me neither.

Dunphy on Handguns

2006-01-22T12:19:00.000-08:00

The master, the teacher, the poet, the preacher himself --- Jack Dunphy --- has a new column on handguns. Here's a sneak peek:

But let's take a look at the experience of one such state, the one so roundly reviled on both coasts for having given us George W. Bush. In 1996, the state of Texas enacted Senate Bill 60, known as the Concealed Handgun Law, which restored the rights of law-abiding citizens who obtain the proper license to carry concealed handguns. When the bill was being debated, the antigun Cassandras predicted bloodbaths, envisioning pistol-packing Texans settling their disputes in roadside shootouts.

The exact opposite has come to pass. Writing on the Dallas Blog, Jerry Patterson, author of S.B. 60, says that rather than turning into the Wild West, Texas is now the Mild West, with falling crime rates and streets safer than ever. Since the bill's passage, handgun murders have fallen 18 percent, and the handgun murder-per capita rate has fallen 13 percent. As of December 2005, there were 247,345 active handgun licenses in Texas, and a study by the National Center for Policy Analysis has shown that the licensees are 5.7 times less likely than the average Texan to be arrested for a violent offense and 14 times less likely for a nonviolent one.

Van Nuys: 16-Year Old Girl Shot

2006-01-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ah man, this sucks.

A 16-year-old Van Nuys girl shot in the face Saturday while playing with a gun was hospitalized and will likely recover, but the teen who was showing off the gun is now in custody, according to police.

The shooting happened about 2:20 p.m. in the 16000 block of Vanowen Street, Los Angeles police Officer Mike Lopez said.

The girl’s 20-year-old sister told detectives two 16-year-old boys from school had brought the gun to the residence. She believed the shooting was accidental, as the boys were showing off the weapon.

The name of the boy was withheld. He was being held at LAPD's Van Nuys Station and expected to be booked at a Sylmar juvenile hall on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon. The gun was not immediately recovered.

It really makes you wonder what is going through the heads of teenagers these days. Wait a second --- isn't 16 years of age an immediate bump to adult status in California when committing a violent crime?

DemocraticUnderground.com Holds The Torch In Hate Speech

2006-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

By now, we've all heard the story about the police chief in Georgia who had his house burned down, an act of arson, after an inmate died in custody. Leave it up to the goofballs and weirdos at DemocraticUnderground.com to not only condone, but support the actions of those who committed this felony. Here's some of their posts:

High Plains (865 posts) Sat Jan-21-06 02:09 PM
Now there's a response to police brutality! On the one hand, one can't condone arson.
On the other hand, I bet the cops in north Georgia think twice before they pepper spray someone to death again. Too bad it's almost impossible to indict, let alone convict, brutal cops.
alcibiades_mystery (1000+ posts) Sat Jan-21-06 02:33 PM
Roscoe P. Coltraine finally got one of those Duke boys good
James Jackson, oldest brother of Clarence Walker, said that his brother angered the police because he often ran away from them.What the hell is going on down there???

High Plains (865 posts) Sat Jan-21-06 02:31 PM
Yes, he did, and a pregnant wife, too. That's why I said one couldn't condone it. But one can sure as hell understand it. And to be honest, I really hope a lot of cops hear about this. Might make 'em pause before they beat somebody to death.

There's a big difference between free speech and hate speech. This, my friends, is the latter.

The LAPD Tax Hike

2006-01-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

I could have sworn that I was just talking about this.

A survey of Los Angeles neighborhood council members found that most support raising taxes to expand the police force, although a substantial number also believe money might be saved by eliminating waste, representatives of the mayor's office said Saturday.

The survey, conducted by the city Department of Neighborhood Empowerment as well as the mayor's office, found that 39% support expanding the police force by 1,000 officers with a half-cent increase in sales tax, and an additional 28% support paying for it with a combination of taxes and efficiencies.

However, a sales-tax measure would require a two-thirds popular vote for approval, and the 67% favorable response in the survey appears to leave little margin for error.

Indeed, those surveyed were the most active and knowledgeable residents, elected by their neighborhoods to serve on the councils, so the results do not necessarily reflect how the average voter will respond.

I think we have a rather simple equation that could keep everyone happy: Spend less, and apply part of that extra savings to the police department. The LAPD was, and always has been, one of the greatest forces in the world. I think it's worth examining areas that a bit of pork can be cut in order to recruit and train more officers.

More Officers, Please

2006-01-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

The LAPD has been on a hiring and recruiting binge for over a year now. I believe this was needed, as the vast majority of LAPD areas experienced a rise in crime due to the lack of officers available to patrol and investigate high-crime areas. Well, it looks like the extra feet on the street are starting to pay off.

In the toughest part of Los Angeles, that stretch of neighborhoods that fan out from the southern border of the USC campus, more homicides are committed than in any other area of the city. Gangs still roam the streets. And yet there is reason for hope, a sense that things have gotten better.

Swaths of South Los Angeles communities are posting improving crime statistics. In the southwest area of Los Angeles, for instance, police say homicides are down by 21% from 2004 and aggravated assaults have been reduced by almost half, from 2,208 in 2004 to 1,277 as 2005 came to an end. Even shootings are down, by 31%.

And it is not just there.

Take Pacoima, nestled at the base of the mountains in the northern reaches of the city. This once was serious gang country. Its streets remain grimy and most of the buildings could use fresh paint. But here in this working-class suburb, life is looking up, if only by degrees.

"It's not Beverly Hills, but it's a lot nicer," said Edwin Ramirez, the president of Pacoima's neighborhood council.

<...>
Although the area has never looked so good, or had so much art and music or so many restaurants and clothing stores, patrons vanish by nightfall. Then the soaring sounds of a saxophone and floating aroma of coffee waft over lonely sidewalks.

Twins Richard and Ron Harris, who opened the popular Lucy Florence Coffee House in 2000, say they measure success by foot traffic, not statistics.

"I don't believe crime is down in this area because there are not enough people walking," Richard Harris said.

While praising the individual officers who work the neighborhood, merchants said the overall relationship with police still needs improvement if crime is to drop in a way that creates a broader sense of security.

"It is our hope that people begin to work more closely with the police, cooperating more with them because there is crime here," Ron Harris said. "I think the community needs to stop looking at LAPD as the enemy."

And the police, he said, need to create the impression they are patrolling to prevent crime, not seeking it out.

Up the street at Gallery Plus, Laura Hendrix, outgoing president of the Leimert Park Merchants' Assn., said she was recently robbed by a customer who gave her a $100 bill, then grabbed both the bill and the change and fled. She used the incident to underline her positive experience with LAPD and pulled a sheaf of business cards with the names and cellphone numbers of police officers from her wallet.

"They were excellent in responding, and I think the relationship with the police is better now than it has been in the past," Hendrix said. What happened to her, however, illustrates the petty crimes that require constant vigilance.

"It's not people breaking in and taking things; it's that you have to always be cautious. You can't slip," Hendrix said.

At the nearby Gwen Bolden Youth Foundation, founder Bolden said a recent breakthrough came when parents of the 150 youths who receive tutoring and other services at the center spent an evening meeting with police.

"The parents could actually see some of the officers and know their names instead of saying 'Who is that cop?' Now it's 'Oh, that's Officer Morales.'

I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's a start. All of us here at The Horseback Riders hate tax hikes, and I that common sense tells us that if we can cut spending in one area to equal the proposed half-cent tax hike to hire more officers, then we should be looking at a winning situation. If the mayor can fix all the potholes for $20 bucks a pop, then finding money for officers should be the last thing we're worried about. The Chief accredited it to better plans of action, but the fact of the matter is that there's more feet on the street. The City of Los Angeles is growing, and it's hard to deny the fact that the police department has to grown to keep up with the needs of the city.

A Young Man On A Spiritual Quest

2006-01-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

The father of American Taliban John Walker Lindh swore to President Bush that his son was a nice guy who merely went on a spiritual quest. If spritual quests involve taking up arms against the United States, joining a group that blows themselves up in the name of God, and advocates the death of all non-Muslims, then I guess he did alright.

After years of silence, the father of American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh said Thursday he has asked President Bush to grant his son clemency, adding that the then teenager never raised arms against the United States.
"In simple terms, this is the story of a decent and honorable young man embarked on a spiritual quest," said Frank Lindh, swallowing back tears at times during a speech at the Commonwealth Club, a nonprofit organization.
John Walker Lindh, now 24, was captured by American forces on Nov. 21, alongside the Taliban. Frank Lindh said his son thought he had been rescued by U.S. soldiers until he was taken into custody and tortured.
Charged with conspiring to kill Americans and supporting terrorists, the younger Lindh avoided a potential life sentence in 2002 by pleading guilty to lesser charges of supplying services to the Taliban in violation of U.S. economic sanctions and of carrying weapons against U.S. forces.

Oh well.

Bang, Bang: Armed Eighth Grader Shot

2006-01-13T15:24:00.000-08:00

I can say that 100% of the time, if you point a pellet gun at SWAT officers who believe you have a loaded firearm in your hands, you're going to get shot. Even if you're an 8th grader who went berzerk and flew off the handle.

A nearly hourlong attempt to apprehend a student thought to be carrying a gun at Milwee Middle School near Longwood ended this morning when a member of the Seminole County Sheriff's SWAT team shot the 15-year-old boy.

The weapon turned out to be a pellet gun.

The boy was rushed by ambulance to Orlando Regional Medical Center. The Sheriff's Office identified the boy as Christopher David Penley of Winter Springs.Penley was on Advanced Life Support, Sheriff Don Eslinger said. An armed SWAT team member rode in the ambulance with the child and walked alongside the stretcher, his rifle strapped across his back, as the boy was wheeled into the hospital.

The victim's condition has not been released. Just after 1 p.m., he was moved to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women & Children, according to a Seminole County deputy at the hospital.

The pellet gun looked so much like a 9mm semi-automatic handgun that SWAT team member Lt Mike Weippert opened fire on the boy when he pointed the gun in the direction of the officer, Eslinger said.

Pellet guns normally have a red or pink barrel, but the barrel of the gun in the hands of the student had been painted black, making it almost impossible to tell the difference between it and a real gun, Eslinger said.

I feel for the family of the kid. No one deserves to lose a child. But I can't say much for the kid, who apparently knew exactly what he was doing. Hindsight is 20/20, so anyone who takes a stab at the SWAT team member for shooting doesn't understand what it's like to be in a situation like that. They were doing their best to keep other kids at the school from getting hurt, and they did a darned good job of it.

Unavailable

2006-01-11T23:07:00.000-08:00

Places to Donate

2006-01-10T18:42:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have any idea of where I can donate a bunch of old clothes to? I have bags and bags of stuff, and I'm looking for a charity that will come and pick it up at my house. If possible, I would like the charity to be law enforcement or military related, although it doesn't have to be.

Please leave your suggestions in the comments section.

What We Live For

2006-01-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that the search term "charger smuggling rectum" not only gets us an amazing amount of hits, but it puts us at number two in a Google search.

Okay, so I'm not really pleased, but it does make me wonder who in the heck enters those search terms.

Border Patrol: Refusing to Back Down

2006-01-09T19:34:00.000-08:00

Think the job of a border patrol agent is boring? Think again.

Border Patrol agents say they have dodged bullets fired at them from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande in two shootings within the past week.
Federal authorities were investigating the shootings and say they signal an increase from last year. Authorities believe the shooters were likely drug or people smugglers whose operations were interrupted by agents.
A spokesman for the Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley sector says about ten shots were fired at agents near the Veteran's International Bridge at Los Tomates last night. One Border Patrol vehicle was hit, but none of the agents was injured. Officials say four agents patrolling upriver from the bridge on boats reported up to 25 shots were fired at them.
None of the four agents was hurt in the shooting Friday, but one boat was hit five times.

If I remember correctly, taking shots at an agent of the United States means that the agent can shoot at will and take the appropriate action. The fact that these agents are using such restraints demostrates exactly how much they put up with on a daily basis, and the thought that goes into patrolling the border on a daily basis.

Overreaction of the Day

2006-01-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

From Beaver County, Pennsylvania (With Video)

A Beaver County woman hopes her home video can catch the culprit who slashed her inflatable Christmas bear. “The way he raised his hand above his head, it just sends a chill up your spine,” says Carol Tomalski of West Mayfield.Tomalski says she and her husband installed security cameras after someone drove through their lawn two weeks before they moved in. Now their inflatable bear lies lifeless with a stab wound right between his eyes. Tomalski doesn’t know who would kill the Christmas bear, but she doesn’t think it was just a spur of the moment prank.“You can tell it was planned because you have to know this area at night, you have to know where you're going,” Tomalski explained.She hopes someone might recognize the person from the video and turn him in so she can have peace.

So the was the plastic inflatable bear alive before it was stabbed? Is she really that attached to this inflatable bear that she needs closure so she can live in peace? This lady is acting like this kid is going to grow up to be John Wayne Gasey. Make sure you watch the video the media keeps showing the brutal attack over and over.

From The WTF File

2006-01-06T22:55:00.000-08:00

From Burlington, Vermont

There was outrage Wednesday when a Vermont judge handed out a 60-day jail sentence to a man who raped a little girl many,many times over a four-year span starting when she was seven. The judge said he no longer believes in punishment and is more concerned about rehabilitation. "The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul," said Judge Edward Cashman speaking to a packed Burlington courtroom. Most of the on-lookers were related to a young girl who was repeatedly raped by Mark Hulett who was in court to be sentenced.

"I discovered it accomplishes nothing of value;it doesn't make anything better;it costs us a lot of money; we create a lot of expectation, and we feed on anger,"Cashman explained to the people in the court.

I was going to write my tourette syndrome attack down, (my tic is uncontrollable cussing after hearing or reading really stupid @!*#) but I will leave you all to read the story and have one of your own.

Just one tic, “It’s not about anger you dumb ass it’s about justice for a child who was raped.” Someone get me my blowtorch.

To grow on you

2006-01-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

From Ames,Iowa

Story County sheriff's deputies said they believe methamphetamine is now being produced as a liquid that can be applied to paper. Authorities discovered the meth after it was sent through the mail. Investigators said the drug is typically made so that it can be smoked or injected, but now sheriff's deputies are seeing it in a liquid form. "We were notified that a package had been sent in the mail. We obtained that package and found what appeared to be a liquid methamphetamine that was applied to the paper," said Capt. Gary Foster, of the Story County Sheriff's Department. Initial lab tests showed that images printed on a piece of paper contain meth. "Then all the person has to do is take one of the pieces, tear it out, put it in their mouth and the drug can be ingested in their system in that fashion," Foster said. The person who wrote the letter makes a direct reference to the handmade stationery on which the letter was written. The letter's author also comments on how the stationery starts "To grow on you" and how she now likes it.

I guess its better than burning down deodorant and drinking it for the alcohol content, or stuffing oranges full of bread then letting it sit out on the windowsill to rot. Meth-Heads what will the come up with next?

Honoring Officers Killed in the Year 2005

2006-01-01T00:26:00.000-08:00

Lord I ask for courage Courage to face and Conquer my own fears...
Courage to take me Where others will not go...
I ask for strength Strength of body to protect others And strength of spirit to lead others...
I ask for dedication Dedication to my job, to do it well Dedication to my community To keep it safe...
Give me Lord, concern For others who trust me And compassion for those who need me...
And please Lord Through it all Be at my side...

One Hundred and Fifty

2005 Statistics of Fallen Officers

This is a compilation of statistics based on fallen officers posted on
this web site. www.copadorer.com.

CAUSE OF DEATH

Shootings-

12 officers died during domestic violence calls
7 officers died answering robbery calls
3 officers died in an ambush
3 officers died serving warrants
14 officers died during a traffic stop
6 officers were shot accidentally
6 officers were shot by suspect with their own gun
2 officers died of accidental self inflicted
64 officers in total died by gunfire

Motor Vehicle-

15 officers died when they lost control of vehicle
19 officers died in auto accidents involving someone else
4 officers died due to road conditions
11 officers died being ran over by a vehicle
4 officers died while laying stop sticks
4 officers died because of a drunk driver
4 officers died in motorcycle accidents
66 officers in total died from motor vehicle accidents

Heart Attack-

3 officers died of heart attacks during training
3 officers died of heart attacks during an assault
4 officers died of heart attacks assisting another officer
4 officers died of heart attac ks during a foot pursuit
14 officers in total died of heart attacks

Other-

1 officer died of drowning
4 officers died in helicopter accidents
1 officer died in an airplane accident
1 officer died in an atv accident
1 officer died being struck by a train
3 officers died falling off bridges
1 officer died of a stabbing
1 officer died of hepatitis C
2 officers died from cancer
1 officer died from drinking too much water
3 officers died of mortar attack in war in Iraq

STATES WITH MOST LOSSES

California 22
Texas 13
Georgia 10
Virginia 9
Missouri 7

LENGTH OF TIME ON THE JOB

3 years on average - 13 officers died within 3 years of duty Shortest
time on the job - 6 days - Heart Attack during training in Alabama
Longest time on the job - 37 years - Lake Ranger in Oklahoma Under 1
year on the job - 9 officers Under 5 years on the job - 48 officers
6 to 10 years on the job - 25 officers
11 to 20 years on the job - 40 officers
21 to 30 years on the job - 21 officers
31 to 40 years on the job - 4 officers
17 officers time on the job unknown

AGES OF LOST OFFICERS

Average age of a fallen officer - 34 years old Youngest 21 years old
from Michigan Oldest 72 years old from Oklahoma Under Age 25 - 7
officers Age 25 to 30 - 24 officers Age 31 to 35 - 39 officers Age 36
to 40 - 27 officers Age 41 to 50 - 36 officers Age 51 to 60 - 23
officers Age 61 to 65 - none Over 65 - 1 officer Ages Unknown - 8
officers

GENDER OF LOST OFFICERS

Female Officers - 7
Male Officers - 158
*Total Officers listed on copadorer memorial page 2005 - 165 Total
Officers lost in 2005 - 149 *This total will always be greater then
the number of officers deaths in
2005 -
Some of the names listed on the web site were retired or disabled
officers that did not die in the Line of Duty.

CHILDREN OF LOST OFFICERS

236 children lost parents
2 wives are expecting births
59 known to be daughters
70 known to be sons
30 grandchildren lost grandparents
This does not include listings where children's gender were not known
and its not specific, only information I have from postings.

RANKINGS OF LOST OFFICERS

Police Officer - 65
Deputy Sheriff - 33
Captain of Chief of Police - 2
Sheriff - 2
Sergeant - 14
Lieutenant - 1
Corporal - 2
Dispatcher - 1
Detective - 7
Trooper - 4
State Police - 2
Highway Patrol - 1
Corrections Officer - 5
Ranger/Forestry - 3
Motorcycle Officer - 2
Special Agent - 7
Federal Agent - 2
Constable - 1
Mounted Police - 4
K9 Officer - 1
Narcotics - 1
Parole Officer - 1
Reserve Officer - 1
Retired Officer - 1

Notes of Interest:

No officers of the age of 25 or 30 are listed.
Three officers were engaged, 110 were married, 52 marital status unknown.
Eight officers listed were Off Duty when they were killed.
Two officers were killed when suspects went to the officers homes.
One officer died from drinking too much water during training.
March was the worst month for deaths - 21 deaths.
Eight officers have family that work on the job also.
Rookie of the Year 2004 was killed in Washington.
One officer had his father with him on ride along, both were killed.
One officer also had a brother in law killed this year.
One officer was killed when his best friend played a joke on him.
One officer was killed by her spouse.
One officer was killed by a 12 year old girl.
Alaska has no deaths listed for 2005.

Sex Offender Watch: New Orleans Evacuees

2005-12-30T14:21:00.000-08:00

Outside of exposing widespread corruption and a horrible levee system, it seems that we now have the job of locating 2,000+ escaped sex offenders who slithered out of New Orleans after the water began to rise.

Governors in states that accepted Katrina evacuees are being urged to locate about 2,000 registered sex offenders who fled the Gulf region during the hurricane's mayhem and may have vanished from legally required tracking.

"When sex offenders know they're being watched, when they know they're being monitored, they are less likely to offend again," said Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the Department of Health and Human Services. "When they no longer believe they are being monitored or watched, they can be tempted to offend again."

The Administration for Children and Families estimated that about 30 states are affected. In November, agency officials matched the names of sex offender registries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama with the names of evacuees who applied for disaster assistance.

If you ask me, the US Marshals Service should hire about 1,000 more Deputies and setup an entire division to go after the escapees. Sex offenders being on the run isn't anything new, and if I remember correctly, there's a 93% chance that a sex offender will reoffend if given the slightest chance.

The Double Life

2005-12-30T09:35:00.000-08:00

You know that you're headed for dark days when your own son, who happens to be a police officers, realizes that he see's his dad on a surveillance cam video robbing a bank.

A judge on Thursday sentenced a bank robber turned in to authorities by his sons to 40 years in prison.

Alfred "Al" Ginglen, 64, pleaded guilty in July to seven counts of armed bank robbery and two counts of carrying and using a firearm during a crime of violence. He was accused of stealing nearly $60,000 (â‚¬50,000) from five small banks during a a nine-month robbery spree between November 2003 and July 2004.

Judge Jeanne Scott doled out the minimum sentence allowed.

"It's very, very sad but it's where we are," Scott said.

Ginglen's double life - which authorities allege included a girlfriend, drugs and prostitutes - started to unravel in August 2004, when one of his sons, Peoria police Officer Jared Ginglen, recognized his father on surveillance videos posted on a law enforcement Web site.

"There are no winners here today, the whole thing has been a tragedy for my family," Jared Ginglen said after his father's sentencing.

Alfred Ginglen's three sons have said they have no regrets about turning in their father.

Ginglen's attorney, Ron Hamm, has said Ginglen was a devoted family man and a good employee with a strong history of community service and no prior criminal record.

Sure - a devoted "family man" with a "strong history of community service." Would that be under moniker one, two, or three ... maybe even four? As far as I'm concerned, he's getting what he deserved. The real victims here, outside of the bank corporation and employees who had to stand there with a gun pointed at their collective heads, are his family members. This guy successfully sold-out his family be turning to a life of crime and tearing the entire structure apart.

Back to Work

2005-12-28T16:45:00.000-08:00

Well, after my longest break from the workforce since I was 13 (when my father put me to work as a slave-laborer for his company), it's time for me to shave and get back to work.

Sorry, for the lack of posting during my break, but for some reason I had no great desire to write about work.

Happy New Year!

Dealing With The public

2005-12-15T08:28:00.000-08:00

Video

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 7 of a series)

2005-12-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

Tonight, the founder of the Crips, and four-time murderer, Stanley "Tookie" Williams will meet his maker.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger refused to block the execution of Stanley Tookie Williams, rejecting the notion that the founder of the murderous Crips gang had atoned for his crimes and found redemption on death row.

With the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting his final appeal, Williams, 51, was set to die by injection at San Quentin Prison early Tuesday for murdering four people during two 1979 holdups.

Williams' case became one of the nation's biggest death-row cause celebres in decades. It set off a nationwide debate over the possibility of redemption on death row, with Hollywood stars and capital punishment foes arguing that Williams had made amends by writing children's books about the dangers of gangs.

But Schwarzenegger suggested Monday that Williams' supposed change of heart was not genuine, noting that the inmate had not owned up to his crimes or shown any real remorse for the countless killings committed by the Crips.

"Is Williams' redemption complete and sincere, or is it just a hollow promise?" Schwarzenegger wrote less than 12 hours before the execution. "Without an apology and atonement for these senseless and brutal killings, there can be no redemption."

Finally, the families and friends of the victims will have a tad bit of redemption coming their way. KFI 640 AM will be broadcasting live from San Quentin, so tune-in on your radio or online around the world for up to the minute details.

Steve Lopez: Wrong, Again

2005-12-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

Steve Lopez believes that putting mentally-ill offenders in jail is a crime against humanity. As usual, following his logic is like navigating a cavern with a tea candle.

"I run the biggest mental hospital in the country," Sheriff Lee Baca often says.

That's a bit misleading, since only a small percentage of inmates actually need inpatient hospital services. But with roughly 2,000 inmates who've been identified by the jail as having mental issues, about two-thirds of whom are in for nonviolent crimes, Baca has a point.

People are locked up for being mentally ill, essentially, because there's nowhere else to put them. The jail is a dumping bin, teeming with inmates the jailers are ill-equipped and too understaffed to help, and sometimes can't even protect.

On Nov. 16, 35-year-old Chadwick Shane Cochran's mental problems cost him his life.

A drifter whose friends said he suffered from paranoia and delusions, Cochran was brought in out of the rain in October by an elderly Covina woman who let him stay in a trailer behind her house. When he said he was afraid that people were out to get him, she gave him a revolver, in the misguided belief that it would make him feel safe. Instead, it got him arrested for being a felon in possession of a gun.

Cochran's mental history landed him in the Twin Towers, along with other sick inmates. But he wasn't as sick as some of the others, and since there's just not room to segregate every mentally ill prisoner, Cochran got transferred over to the hard-core Men's Central facility, which resembles a dungeon.

There, deputies had the bright idea of stashing Cochran in a windowless holding room with 30 other prisoners and no supervision. Apparently thinking Cochran was a snitch, two gang members tortured him for up to 30 minutes, then stomped and beat him to death. One of the alleged killers was awaiting trial on murder charges and the other on kidnap and carjacking charges.

Cochran was the eighth person killed in Los Angeles County jails over the last two years.

The reason we have jails is to keep offenders from hurting anyone else before their court date, or while en route to a state or Federal prison. As you can read in the above text, Cochran was arrested on valid grounds. However, that isn't good enough for Lopez, who has been under the belief for as long as he's been writing that society owes a debt to any and all criminals. There is no difference, as there should not be, as to whether an offender is mentally-ill or not. It's common knowledge in jail that if you can fake a mental illness and get sent to Patton for four years, you'll be let off the hook because there's a good chance that the DA will not be able to file charges against you if you're a 5150. The irony of this entire situation with Lopez makes itself apparent with the article that is set right across from it in the LA Times, describing the problems at Patton, and how they worry about not being able to pass a Federal inspection due to the problem with homicides at the facility.

On the eve of a long-scheduled federal inspection, the state's largest mental hospital is contending with a recent surge in violence — two patient homicides in the last three months.

Dwight Wenholz, a 43-year-old long-term patient at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino was found dead on a bathroom floor late Wednesday, just days before the inspectors' visit, which is set to begin Monday. He had been choked and slammed to the floor, police said.

Samuel Gomez Galindo, 33, a paranoid schizophrenic patient, was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder. He later tried to commit suicide in jail, his family said.

In September, Robert Lucas, 50, was choked and stabbed in the neck. Two patients, 32-year-old Jason Porter and 43-year-old Tom Smith, have been charged with his murder.

Quick! Someone better tell Steve Lopez to write a letter to the inspectors about how these guys are merely victims of society and the evil jailer, Lee Baca.

Federal Air Marshals: Questioned By Naysayers

2005-12-08T12:03:00.000-08:00

Leave it up to the 20/20 hindsight crowd to question that training of the Air Marshals, who demonstrated yesterday that they are amongst the best in the world in handling emergency situations.

Few security experts question the actions of the air marshals who fired on Rigoberto Alpizar after he behaved erratically and reportedly said he had a bomb in his backpack. Within the context of their training, they say, the marshals acted appropriately.

But many question the training itself - as well as the way the federal government has handled the Federal Air Marshals Service (FAMS) since 9/11, when the small security agency with fewer than three dozen marshals was ramped up to several thousand in a matter of months.

"All of this was created under tremendous pressure, as fast as they could, and the fact is that there are holes all over it," says Rich Gritta, an aviation expert at the University of Portland in Oregon. "There's a lot of stuff that they really never had the time to think through, so they're always trying to tweak it. When you do that, it can cause confusion, morale problems, and some people to lose faith in the system."

That's just stupid. The job of an Air Marshals is to keep a low profile and handle a situation quickly and effectively. In the shooting yesterday, the Air Marshal responded to the situation and acted in accordance with what the training dictates. In as few words possible, here's what an Air Marshal --- as well as virtually anyone in law enforcement who would be placed in the same situation --- would do:

1. Recognize whether there is a possible threat;
2. Take the proper action to reduce the threat;
3. Invoke life-saving means which could result in taking the life of the assailant.

The job of an Air Marshal is to prevent terrorists from overtaking an airplane. Now, we first must establish the fact that airplanes cruise at a comfortable height of 30,000 - 35,000 feet. Many of the people in the crowd who are blaming the Air Marshals believe that he/she should have invoked psychological means to calm the passenger who was running around and finally claimed that he had a bomb, which resulted in his demise after he reached into his backpack. On the ground when using a SWAT team (or whatever your agency calls them), the threat assessment will examine and establish how many people are within a certain perimeter to the suspected bomber, how powerful and large the blast could and would be, and what means can be taken to take the bomber into custody without resulting to violence. In the case of Air Marshals, a single bomb blast would result in the deaths of hundreds of people, as dropping out of the sky from an airplane that is miles-high would surely result in your death. An Air Marshal is required to fire, and the case is presented very nicely in the situation that formed yesterday.

Now, we're going to cover the fact that the situation yesterday involved a plane that was already grounded, and that a suspect that ran off the plane. The Air Marshal took action and shot the suspect when he reached into his backpack. The naysayers are once again arguing that the Air Marshal could have used psychological methods to dissuade the bomber from detonating, but we once again have to ask the question: How close was the Air Marshal; who else was in the vicinity; what else was in the vicinity; how large could the explosion have been; and why should a bomb be allowed to explode when an Air Marshal has a clean shot and could prevent a explosion from a ballistic and/or biological bomb from occurring?

I believe the case has been made for the effectiveness of the Air Marshal program, as well as a case for armed agents on airplanes. As far as the training, I also believe that the proof of effectiveness in terms of Federal Air Marshal training has been established by a rehash of yesterdays events. All in all, it was a job well done.

UPDATE: I've seen a lot of reports referring to the Air Marshals as Air Marshalls with two L's. The correct spelling is with a single L.

UPDATE: The Federal Air Marshals have no relation to the US Marshals Service, which is a Federal version of County Sheriffs agencies. They also happen to be the oldest Federal law enforcement agency in the United States.

UPDATE: Time Magazine, who believed Yasser Arafat was one of the greatest men who ever lived, is under the impression that the Air Marshal's actions "were a little too quick on the draw[.]"

At least one passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 924 maintains the federal air marshals were a little too quick on the draw when they shot and killed Rigoberto Alpizar as he frantically attempted to run off the airplane shortly before take-off.

"I don't think they needed to use deadly force with the guy," says John McAlhany, a 44-year-old construction worker from Sebastian, Fla. "He was getting off the plane." McAlhany also maintains that Alpizar never mentioned having a bomb.

"I never heard the word 'bomb' on the plane," McAlhany told TIME in a telephone interview. "I never heard the word bomb until the FBI asked me did you hear the word bomb. That is ridiculous." Even the authorities didn't come out and say bomb, McAlhany says. "They asked, 'Did you hear anything about the b-word?'" he says. "That's what they called it."

Typical. The media spin to blame law enforcement has already begun.

UPDATE: I'm going to add these cites I happen to have sitting around. They are US Supreme Court decisions that should do enough to quiet the naysayers.

In Graham v. Connor (1989) 490 U.S. 386, the United States Supreme Court held that the reasonableness of the force used “requires careful attention to the facts and circumstances” of the particular incident “including the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight.” (Id., at 396) Further the Court stated, “[t]he “reasonableness” of a particular use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable officer on the scene rather than with the 20/20 vision of hindsight.” (Id., at 397) Moreover, “[t]he calculus of reasonableness must embody allowance for the fact that police officers areoften forced to make split-second judgments – in circumstances that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving – about the amount of force that is necessary in a particular situation.” (Id., at 397-398)
“…Thus, under Graham, we must avoid substituting our personal notions of proper police procedure for the instantaneous decision of the officer at the scene. We must never allow the theoretical, sanitized world of our imagination to replace the dangerous and complex world that policemen face every day. What constitutes “reasonable” action may seem quite different to someone facing a possible assailant than to someone analyzing the question at leisure.” Smith v. Freland (6th Cir. 1992) 954 F.2d 343, 347
Graham’s definition of reasonableness has been described as “comparatively generous to police in cases where potential danger, emergency conditions or other exigent circumstances are present” (Roy v. Inhabitants of the City of Lewiston (1st Cir. 1994) 42 F.3d 691) and also as giving police “… a fairly wide zone of protection in close cases …” Martinez v. County of Los Angeles (1996) 47 Cal.App.4th 334

You can pull the cases from Lexis or WestLaw. I can't link to them unless you have an account.

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 6 of a series)

2005-12-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting comment that was left in the original post that started this series.

TOOKIE WAS NOMINATED BY ACTIVISTS WHO SAID THEY WANTED TO RAISE THE AWARENESS OF THE DEATH PENALTY TO A NEW LEVEL.

EVERY NOMINATION HAS BEEN BY AN ACTIVIST. HE HAS NOT WON. THE NOMINATIONS ARE TO REMAIN SECRET SO THE AWARD IS NOT A POPULARITY CONTEST BUT WILLIAMS GAINS PUBLICITY EACH TIME HE IS NOMINATED.

DURING THE APPEALS, WILLIAMS WAS CLAIMING TO BE BRAIN DAMAGED BUT WHEN ALL THE APPEALS WERE DENIED, HE DECIDED TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE BOOKS THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND BARBARA BECNEL HAD BEEN WRITING TO SEE IF THAT WOULD GET HIM OFF THE PUNISHMENT THAT THE COURTS HAD GIVEN HIM.

HE CLAIMS TO HAVE RENOUNCED THE GANGS BUT YET, HE HAS BEEN RECEIVING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS REGULARLY INTO HIS PRISON ACCOUNT FROM HIS OUTSIDE INTERESTS.

HE HAS RENOUNCED THE GANGS YET THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE "GREEN LIGHT" TO WRECK HAVOC AND KILL AS MANY WHITES AS THEY CAN, ESPECIALLY PRISON GUARDS, IF HE IS EXECUTED.

SEE HOW THE TRUTH DOES NOT LINE UP WITH WHAT WILLIAMS AND HIS SUPPORTORS ARE SAYING?

LORA OWENS, STEPMOTHER OF VICTIM

I'm not sure if Lora Owens really left this comment, but whoever left it did their research and provided indisputable facts. One thing the pro-Tookie crowd fails to realize is that even if Tookie gave up the life of gangbanging, it's not going to bring back the lives of those he murdered. Writing childrens books shouldn't automatically mean that a four-time killer is let of the hook and allowed to live. If that were the case, then I'd suggest that everyone on death row loads up Microsoft Word and starts churning out the tear-jerkers.

GO NAVY BEAT ARMY

2005-12-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 5 of a series)

2005-12-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

The "Save Tookie" crowd is jumping for joy because the governor has granted a clemency hearing for the convicted felon, hoping there will be an decision to overturn the death penalty and spare his life. What they don't realize is that even though the governor made a horrible decision in even granting the decision to hold a hearing, sheer emotional arguments cannot replace hard fact, those of which point to Stanley "Tookie" Williams brutally murdering four people.

Crips co-founder, Stanley "Tookie" Williams, has been granted a private clemency hearing by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, just weeks after Snoop Dogg and hundreds of others rallied in support of Williams outside the San Quentin State Prison (see "Snoop Dogg, Hundreds Rally For 'Tookie' At San Quentin").

According to published reports, Schwarzenegger agreed on Friday (November 25) that he would meet for a private hearing on December 8th in his office with Williams' lawyers, Los Angeles County prosecutors and others involved.

The governor holds the final decision in Williams' clemency hearing, and has the authority to change Williams' death sentence to life without parole. Although he is not legally obligated to hold a public or private hearing, he can decide on clemency requests on a "case-by-case basis," said his spokeswoman, Margita Thompson to USA Today.

Williams' faces the death sentence for killing four people in 1979 during two separate robberies. He has maintained his innocence throughout his prison sentence and has even asked the California Supreme Court to reopen his case, alleging "shoddy forensics" helped convict him, according to USA Today.

But guess what? On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of California refused to reopen the case, confirming the decision made in Superior Court.

Crips co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams moved one step closer to the death chamber Wednesday when the California Supreme Court refused to reopen his case and halt the state’s highest profile execution since the death penalty was reinstated.

Williams, in a last-ditch legal move, alleged that shoddy forensic testing and other errors may have wrongly sent him to San Quentin State Prison, where he is scheduled die by lethal injection Dec. 13.

His lawyers asked that justices allow the re-examination of evidence that showed a shotgun registered to Williams was used to kill three people during a Pico Rivera motel robbery in 1979. They said the ballistics evidence was based on “junk science.”

State prosecutors argued there was no legal basis to reopen the case. Allegations about the sloppy forensic shotgun evidence were “based upon innuendo, supposition and the patent bias of his purported expert, not upon allegations of fact,” prosecutors said.

The court voted 4-2 without comment to deny Williams’ petition to reopen the case.

Unless Governor Schwarzenegger loses his mind and decides to spare Tookie's life, I see this going no other way that for Tookie to get the big jab. The anti-death penalty activists have grabbed this case and run with it, due to the fact that they believe this could be their big shot to overturn all death penalty cases throughout the nation. What they fail to realize is that their actions are only bringing more pain and frustration to those who lost family members and friends to Tookie and his crew. That doesn't even cover the countless murders brought upon the world by the creation of the Crips gang.

You Missed

2005-12-02T16:58:00.000-08:00

On July 1st 2005, I was assigned to work the 5F Module from 0800 to 1600 hours, in the Kaw County Adult Detention Center. As I was conducting a welfare check of the module cell, Inmate Macias began to yell profanities at me from his cell. Inmate Mac stated that I was a fucking asshole and wanted to speak with me about the tickets I issued him earlier that today.

I opened Inmate Mac’s cell door to speak with the Inmate. Inmate Mac became very argumentative and belligerent about the tickets he received. Inmate Mac then demanded an Inmate Communication Form, and that I replace items taken during the search of his cell.

I told Inmate Mac that he needed to quiet down and that I would speak with him later. Inmate Mac continued to yell stating he wanted to press battery charges against Deputy Clarkson and me. Inmate Mac’s conduct was disturbing the orderly running of the 5F Module. Several Inmates in the dayroom started to yell at Inmate Mac to quiet down, stating, “Put up or shut the fuck up.”

Inmate Mac then attempted to humiliate and demean me in front of other inmates in the module by yelling, “You’re a pig,” and attempting to strike me in the face. I was able to dodge Inmate Mac’s closed right fist by stepping back. Inmate Mac’s fist made conduct with the cell door jam. Inmate make then clutched his right hand with his left and fell to the cell floor. Inmate Mac began to cry in agony over his hand and began to scream, “Police Brutality.” I then activated an Emergency Medical Code. Inmate Mac was then transported to the hospital due with several broken fingers. Due to Inmate Mac’s action he was issued several more Disciplinary tickets and will be moved to Administrative Segregation upon his return from the hospital.

My favorite Season

2005-12-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

Winter.

Sunday Morning Frost

2005-11-27T01:02:00.000-08:00

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

-- Robert Frost

California Highway Patrol: CHP officer shot, fugitive on the run, investigation underway

2005-11-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

Never let it be said that criminals won't keep doing the stupidest acts known to man. Another great example of that is this genius who decided that it would be a good idea to pull a gun on a CHP officer.

ONTARIO - During what appeared to be a routine traffic stop, a California Highway Patrol officer was shot and wounded after he pulled over a speeding car on the 15 Freeway on Friday afternoon, causing traffic to back up for several miles.

The CHP officer pulled the car over on the southbound 15 just north of the Jurupa Street exit at 2:40 p.m., said Ontario police Officer Craig Ansman.

For whatever reason, the driver fired on the officer a short time later, Ansman said.

"He makes a traffic stop," Ansman explained. "He starts talking to the driver, he starts issuing a traffic violation. Gunfire ensues, and he's hit. He was hit in the lower extremities."

"The officer was struck several times, but was able to return fire," said Ontario police Officer Bill Russell during a press conference Friday evening.

The officer was then able to get back to his patrol car and radio for help, Russell said.

The officer, whose name was not released, was transported to an undisclosed local hospital for treatment of his wounds. He was listed in stable condition, Ansman said.

There isn't a single law enforcement agency within 1,000 miles that isn't on the lookout for this guy right now. I'll post updates as they're made available.

UPDATE: Looks like we have a name:

Police have released the name of a suspect they say shot and wounded a California Highway Patrol officer on Interstate 15 near Ontario yesterday afternoon.

A manhunt is under way for 37-year-old Jaime Zavala Garcia of Mira Loma.

It figures that he would be a local, but I'm still interested to know why he pulled a gun on the CHP officer. Warrants? Expired tags? Recent divorce? You make the call.

UPDATE: It appears that the US Marshals have picked him up in Kansas with the assistance of local agencies.

A man suspected of shooting and wounding a California Highway Patrol officer on Friday was arrested in a small city in Kansas Sunday afternoon.

Jaime Zavala Garcia, 37, of Mira Loma was arrested along with his brother, 43-year-old Antonio Garcia Zavala of Hesperia, during a traffic stop in Liberal, Kan., Ontario police Detective Dave McBride said.

As of late Sunday evening, Ontario police were still awaiting official confirmation of Garcia's identity, but, McBride said, they are "sure" they have the right men.

Kansas police were given investigative leads by the United States Marshals, McBride said, leading them to begin surveillance on the home of an acquaintance.

Shortly after the surveillance began, the two men were seen getting into a vehicle outside the home, he said.

Garcia and Zavala were arrested without incident during a traffic stop a short distance from the home, McBride said.

Excellent.

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 4 of a series)

2005-11-23T16:18:00.000-08:00

As I predicted, the "Save Tookie" crowd is going overboard, now screaming about how those of us who hope that Stanley "Tookie" Williams will meet his maker on December 13th are racist, and racially motivated in our desire to see justice carried out. Jasmyne Cannick, an activist who supports Tookie and claims that anyone who doesn't support him is a savage racist, has decided to levy a complaint to the FCC about John and Ken. As I mentioned in the first post, John and Ken started their "Tookie Must Die" campaign in order to provide information to those who want to know why Tookie is on death row, that might otherwise be drowned in the screams and yells of those who support Tookie. To demonstrate the sheer idiocy of Cannick, here's what the Reuters report has:

Supporters of Stanley "Tookie" Williams, the street gang leader and convicted killer facing execution in three weeks, have filed a federal complaint against a Los Angeles radio station for a "Tookie Must Die" campaign by two talk-show hosts.
The Federal Communications Commission complaint, dated Tuesday, charges "racist and inflammatory statements" by KFI AM talk-show hosts John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou and comes amid an escalating political battle over Williams, who has been embraced by death-penalty activists and some celebrities.
Williams, 51, the Crips gang founder, is scheduled to die on December 13 unless granted clemency by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Williams was convicted of shooting Albert Lewis Owens to death during a February 27, 1979, convenience store holdup and of killing three members of Asian-American family while robbing their motel.
"If any other radio station set aside an hour as 'President Bush Must Die' and set forth in that hour to incite a riot among people and to call for the death of the president, that station would be in trouble," Williams supporter Jasmyne Cannick wrote to the FCC. "There is no difference with the 'Tookie Must Die/ Kill Tookie' hour on KFI 640 AM."
Cannick said Kobylt and Chiampou were being racially insensitive by calling for the execution of Williams, who is black, in a city that saw more than 50 people die in race riots after the 1992 acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers in the racially charged Rodney King case.

I don't know why a major news organization such as Reuter would give Cannick the time of day, but I'm guessing it's because the words "racist" and "riot" appear in her press release. There's nothing racist about John and Ken's "Tookie Must Die" campaign. Cannick is trying to draw some comparison by saying that if a radio station ran a campaign calling for the assassination of President Bush, then the station would be in trouble. You better believe they would be, and I can't think of a single reason why they shouldn't be. However, we're not talking about killing the President of the free world --- we're talking about a fully legal, voted on (by a jury of twelve) execution for a criminal who not only created one of the worst street gangs in history, but a killer who murdered four people in cold blood. If Cannick can't figure this out on her own, I don't even know what to tell you.

"The gate's broken and the door on the trailer's open"

2005-11-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Guess who's a bit angry about the fact that their land is being used by Mexican nationals to run drugs and bodies across the border? You guessed it, guys on horseback who have guns. Big guns, to be exact, such as M-16 A2's with wooden grips and full-sized clips. Roger McCaslin is one of those guys, and he's one of the many who are taking matters into their own hands to stop the flow of illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

As he careered along the rock-strewn gulley towards his silver mine deep in the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona, Roger McCaslin first checked his bowie knife, then his pistol, and finally his Kalashnikov. From the road, he had already noticed that something was wrong.

"The gate's broken and the door on the trailer's open. They've been here, I know it," he said ominously. "I just hope they've moved on - for their sake."

Under the harsh sun, Mr McCaslin's black cowboy hat cast a shadow over his droopy moustache and a face so deeply creased that it resembled cracked saddle leather.

Welcome to the Wild West 2005, where modern-day cowboys still guard their land from interlopers - but using AK47s and four-wheel drives instead of Winchester rifles and horses.
Mr McCaslin's small mine sits on a knoll of red earth and scrub near the Mexican border. Like his 19th-century predecessors, he is sure there is money in "them thar hills" after a geological survey indicated there may be rich veins of silver.

Today, however, he has other priorities. For the mine also sits in the middle of a network of trails used by heavily-armed Mexican trafficking gangs to smuggle people and drugs into America.

Notoriously porous, the border has reached new levels of lawlessness this year as smugglers, known as "coyotes", have become increasingly brazen, willing to fire on anyone - from border patrols to the likes of Mr McCaslin - who gets in their way.

I think I'd be a little bit mad if my property was being used for illegal activities, too. As you can see, horseback riders save the day again.

GPS: Saving lives left, right, and center

2005-11-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

GPS has done a wonderful job of saving the lives of people who are lost and have no idea of what direction to turn. You can go on the web and read the stories of people who were stuck in deserts, mountains, ravines, and even major metropolitan areas who relied on GPS to get them home safely. However, another aspect I like about GPS is the fact that it can track people, specifically convicted sexual offenders who might decide that it's a good idea to wander into playground every now and then.

A global position monitoring program that tracks sexual offenders has resulted in an arrest.

The arrest is the first in Orange County attributed to the system, which was introduced last month as part of a pilot program.

Robert Dobucki was taken into custody Tuesday for an alleged parole violation after he was tracked via an electronic ankle bracelet to a grade school parking lot, a doll shop and a small amusement park for children, officials said. Dobucki had been ordered to stay out of areas frequented by children, according to parole officials.

The ACLU and all the civic rights groups can yell all they want about how sticking a GPS device on a sexual offender takes away his rights to be a human all they want. I'll just keep reminding them that the same people they are defending are the one's that took away the lives and fond memories of countless men, women, and children with their inability to perform as normal members of society.

Tip: Kevin Roderick

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 3 of a series)

2005-11-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

I've always said that you can judge a person by the company that he or she keeps. In part three of our ongoing series, we see that Stanley "Tookie" Williams doesn't exactly have the most reputable people going to bat for him. I told you in previous posts that celebrities from all over the globe are coming to the defense of Tookie, in an attempt to prove to the world that the governor should grant clemency to him and either push forward his date of death or remove it completely. That's a hard thing to consider, especially when ex-felons such as Snoop Dogg are leading the fight for your rights.

Snoop Dogg's requests to visit Williams in prison have so far been denied.

"We were unable to provide him with a security clearance because of his arrest history," said San Quentin spokesman Vernell Crittendon.

The musician, real name Calvin Broadus, was once associated with the Crips, the notorious Los Angeles-area street gang that Williams co-founded.

The rapper has been arrested several times for weapons and drug-related offences, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

In 1990 he was sentenced to four years in prison, but the sentence was suspended, said corrections spokeswoman Terry Thornton.

In 1993, Snoop Dogg faced charges in connection with a drive-by shooting, but was later cleared.

Tookie would have a better chance of proving that he is a nice guy if he would renounce his membership in the Crips and become as anti-Crip and anti-gang as possible. Instead, he remains on the fence and has ex-cons holding down the fort for him. The decision to keep him on that slow boat downstream still sounds like the right one to me.

Previous posts:

- December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die
- December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 2 of a series)

Dunphy uncovers the mysteries of James Ellroy

2005-11-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

The one and only Jack Dunphy decided to sit down with James Ellroy, the writer of LA Confidential, to talk law, order, and politics in policing. Even I have to admit that some parts made me do a double-take.

Dunphy: Do you think the same contract between cops and criminals is still observed?

Ellroy: No. Since Rodney King, which was an event blown grossly out of proportion by a biased media, police are afraid to conduct business as usual in Los Angeles for fear of censure within the LAPD, censure in the media, and fear of a lawsuit. If you look at the entire Rodney King incident in context and in real time, you see that Rodney King had two companions in the car, both of them black. They submitted willingly and were led out of the frame. Rodney King charged several times and was thrown down and got up again and again, took a Taser from Sergeant Stacy Koon, kept on coming and finally took the 56 blows from batons that, absent context and in slow motion, look terrible. In full-blown context it looks like nothing but a justified response to a suspect who would not submit. I think most people not schooled in the street and the realities of police work think the cops are supposed to engage dangerous suspects in something like one-on-one fights like you might see on television, and of course it doesn't work that way.

It's hard to believe that someone who is pro-cop is working in Hollywood. What's even more surprising is that he hasn't been blacklisted. Ellroy has a film adaptation of his book The Black Dahlia coming out in 2006, so make sure to stay tuned. I'm a huge fan, and I've been mighty pleased with his work, so naturally I'm eagerly anticipating it.

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die (part 2 of a series)

2005-11-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

I told you the loonies would be coming out in full-force to save Stanley "Tookie" Williams, the founder of the Crips, which is proven in this editorial by Tom Kerr:

Whether Stanley "Tookie" Williams is innocent, as he claims, or guilty, as determined at his original trial by (an imperfect) jury, or whether he deserves all the attention, awards and honors-including a 2005 Presidential Call to Service Award by merciless George W. Bush-- bestowed on him for his Herculean efforts over the past two decades to dissuade kids from joining gangs and embracing violence-these question are beside the point.

The first mistake, if not blatant lie in this paragraph --- which is taken from a long piece that you can read if you choose --- is that the jury was imperfect. A common call by those who look for ways to excuse those who do bad while persecuting those who do good is to claim that juries are "imperfect," or as many in the Save Tookie crowd cry, racist.

There was nothing racist about the jury. They based the fact that Stanley "Tookie" Williams should get the death penalty on what can be seen in the DA report that I linked to in the previous post. Tookie decided that it was a good idea to commit armed robbery multiple times, taking the lives of four people as he did it. The weapon that was used was a shotgun that was registered to him, and he has yet to prove otherwise. In fact, the criminologists have yet to be proven otherwise, as science speaks louder than emotion.

Logoblogging

2005-11-18T20:30:00.000-08:00

How do you like the new HBR logo?

December 13, 2005: Stanley "Tookie" Williams will die

2005-11-17T05:47:00.000-08:00

The media groups are going nuts taking the side of Tony Muhammed and the rest of the nutballs, but we at The Horseback Riders are counting the days until Stanley "Tookie" Williams is fried. In the event you don't know, Tookie was the founder of the Crips, a gang that not only plagues Los Angeles to this day, but has spread into groups and factions across the globe. The Los Angeles County District Attorney has released a report to rebutt the claims that Tookie is a hero to the community, and has made it available to the public here. But that doesn't matter to the groups that are calling for clemency by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who still believe Tookie, who won a Nobel Peace Prize, is one of the most light-hearted, sweetest people in the world. In fact, celebrities from across the nation have come together to stand for Tookie, including Snoop Dogg and Danny Glover.

As a Dec. 13 execution date nears for former gang leader Stanley Tookie Williams, the condemned inmate has challenges pending in two branches of state government, and his supporters are planning a series of rallies and vigils around the state.

The events include a youth rally led by rap artist Snoop Dogg outside San Quentin State Prison on Saturday morning.

Stefanie Faucher, program director of San Francisco-based Death Penalty Focus, a group opposed to capital punishment, said she expects "at least hundreds" of people to attend the rally Saturday.

Other upcoming events include anti-death penalty rallies at San Francisco and Santa Cruz city halls on Nov. 30; a screening hosted by actor Danny Glover of "Redemption," a movie about Williams, in San Francisco on Dec. 4; a continuous vigil at San Quentin beginning Dec. 4; and several rallies in Los Angeles, San Diego and Sacramento.

Faucher said she thinks death penalty protests are intense in Williams's case because "he has touched so many lives."

Ask the families of those who lost loved ones about this piece of trash, and they'll tell you how they really feel. In fact, ask the correctional officers who have come forward and released information about how Tookie is still calling the shots from prison, and refuses to renounce his membership as a Crip.

Before a celebrity-led effort begins to save him from a Dec. 13 execution, the people who have watched over Williams for two dozen years have questioned whether he's truly redeemed, claiming he's still calling the shots from death row for the Crips, one of the nation's most notorious gangs.

The Corrections Department earlier this month posted a press release at its Web site about the upcoming execution. It gave biographical information about Williams, as well as a narrative about his crimes. In 1979, Williams shot and killed four people during two robberies in Los Angeles.

"By 1994, having firmly entrenched himself as the leader of the Crips at San Quentin, he wielded his power as his lieutenants and other minions were dispatched to carry out his objectives," according to the release.

John and Ken have also started a counter-offensive with their "Tookie Must Die" campaign on KFI 640 in Los Angeles. Where you stand is up to you. Please leave messages in the comments and make sure you state a position, not just an emotional argument.

Update: Right-Thinking.com

2005-11-16T06:03:00.000-08:00

Oh, the wonders of the blogosphere. For the past few days, Right-Thinking.com has been loading very slowly --- or not loading at all. I just spoke to Lee via e-mail, and this is what he told me:

We're under a MASSIVE denial of service attack, and it was taking down the whole box, which was also killing Moorewatch and all the other servers on the same machine, so we shut my domain down so it wouldn't kill everything. Hopefully everything will be back up to normal later on today. If you could spread the world that would be great, thanks.

Both Right-Thinking.com and Moorewatch.com are hosted on the same server, and Lee writes for both sites. If you're familiar with Lee, you'll know that he's not a political hack who goes off on a limb and writes for the sake of writing. However, the vast majority of his posts are guaranteed to call a pig a pig, which makes a lot of people in the liberal blogosphere very mad. Because of that, the websites are often his with Denial of Service (DOS) attacks that prevent them from loading.

UPDATE: Lee is back, and he's operating here on Blogspot to keep the hackers from interfering. As JimK said, "Anyway…let’s see someone try to do a denial of service on Google…they own Blogspot." Right on.

The 1st of Many

2005-11-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

On July 1st 2005, I was assigned to work the 2F Module from 0800 hours to 1600 hours, in the Kaw County Adult Detention Center. At 0845 hours, Sergeant Ices and several other Deputies entered the 2F Module to conduct cell inspections.

Deputy Peary and I were assigned to search cell 2F-6 which housed Inmate Jones. Deputy Peary entered Inmate Jones’ cell to begin to inspect for contraband. I instructed Inmate Jones to exit the cell, stand still, and place his arms out to the side. As I searched Inmate Jones’ person, I felt an item in his groin area. When I grabbed the item, Inmate Jones pulled away from my grasp. I grabbed Inmate Jones by the collar of his uniform shirt, and placed him on the ground to secure him on the module floor. Inmate Jones would not remove his hands from his groin area to be placed into handcuffs. Deputy Peary performed several knee strikes to Jones’ common peroneal. Inmate Jones released his grasp from the item in his groin and placed his hands behind is back. I place handcuffs on Inmate Jones, checked their fit, and double locked them.

Inmate Jones was placed in a standing position and instructed to stand still. As I attempted to approach Inmate Jones’ to check his waistband, he once again attempted to pull away from my grasp. Sergeant Ices then grabbed Inmate Jones by the arm and instructed him to stand still. Inmate Jones became argumentative with Sergeant Ices. Inmate Jones attempted to kick Sergeant Ices in the chest. I was able to place my arm underneath Inmate Jones’s right leg while he attempted to kick Sergeant Ices. I drove back Inmate Jones’ right leg while Deputy Peary delivered a knee strike to Inmate Jones left leg causing it to buckle. Inmate Jones fell backwards and was unable to catch himself due to the handcuffs. Inmate Jones struck his head on the module floor causing him to blackout. A Code 211 (Medical Emergency) was called. The nursing staff responded to the module and was able to revive Inmate Jones. I pulled the item from Inmate Jones’ groin which was a plastic bag containing pictures of a nude eleven-year-old daughter who was the victim in his case. I found nothing else on his person. Inmate Jones was transported to the local hospital for observation.

Discovered: A living moonbat

2005-11-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

I'm pleased to announce that I have taken-in my very own moonbat. Anyone know what I should feed this thing?

Garden of the Gods

2005-11-13T07:55:00.000-08:00

In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.

I said: "Is it good, friend?"

"It is bitter-bitter," he answered;

"But I like it
Because it is bitter,
And because it is my heart."

-- Stephen Crane

Riverside school board election winner: Randy Logan Hale

2005-11-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

Randy Logan Hale won the election for the prestigious Romoland school board out in Riverside, California. But there's one problem --- good ol' Randy is a convicted felon, who happens to be serving time in jail for an unrelated matter. But that sure didn't stop him from getting the most votes.

The winner of a school board election didn't campaign, attend forums or even go to any school board meetings before the vote - because he was in jail.

Randy Logan Hale won 831 votes in Tuesday's election, securing one of three open seats on the Romoland School District Board in a community about 70 miles north of San Diego.

"This is wild, he'll be glad," said his wife, Penny.

Hale, 40, was returned to prison in September for violating his parole on 1998 convictions for spousal abuse and drug possession, the California Institution for Men in Chino said, and is due to be released Feb. 15. He declared his candidacy in August.

His wife and a district trustee confirmed he was imprisoned.

The election of an inmate to the school board is a conundrum for the district, and Superintendent Roland Skumawitz said he's consulting lawyers to figure out how to handle the situation.

Shaun Bowler, a political science professor at the University of California, Riverside, said Hale may have gotten votes because he was at the top of the ballot.

I was wondering why Arnold's propositions failed in the election, but seeing that people voted for someone who was in jail, and also considering the fact that felons can't hold public office, let alone be on a ballot, that answers a lot of my questions. Only in California, folks.

Cellrobbing

2005-11-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Here's a new way to rob a bank that I have yet to see detailed in the FBI UCR reports, nor the quarterly training manuals.

The woman has held up four branches of Wachovia bank branches in the Washington suburbs of northern Virginia, police said Friday, though it is unclear whether the cell-phone bandit was actually talking to anyone on the other end of the line.

In the most recent robbery, in Ashburn on November 4, surveillance video footage shows the 20-something woman talking on the phone as a teller hands her a pile of cash. She continued talking as she walked out of the bank.

The gabbing bandit had displayed a gun in her purse to the teller, Loudoun County sheriff's spokesman Kraig Troxell said.

Common sense tells me that as long as we have criminals, they're going to keep coming up with dumb ways to pull heists. What they don't realize is that doing something like this creates a profile for them, and immediately puts everyone on a heightened state of alert for some gal walking into a bank talking on her cell phone as she keeps her purse close to her person.

Proof once again that criminals might be the dumbest form of life on the planet.

UPDATE: I just added a picture of this gal. Yes, that's right, a picture. Of her entire face. A picture of her entire face as she robs a bank, which is also known to us who work in law enforcement as a Federal offense.

UPDATE: A friend just e-mailed and said, "Hey, at least she's not ugly!" I've never acquired a fondness for criminals, so you're in your own world, buddy.

Sex Crime: Mother offered her child for sex on the internet

2005-11-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

The lows that people will dip to never cease to amaze me, as we see another reason to keep our children off the internet. This mom decided it would be a good idea to make a few extra dollars by prostituting her four year old child on the net for $500 a session. There aren't prisons dirty enough, raunchy enough, or just downright bad enough on the planet to house people like this.

The Martinez Police Department reports that a 22-year-old resident was arrested Tuesday for allegedly offering her four-year-old child for sex.

Police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding a posting on Craigslist that was soliciting for prostitution.

Authorities contacted Shannon Nicole Woods via the computer and learned that she had a four-year-old child and was also pregnant.

During these electronic conversations, an inquiry for sex and one regarding the child were made, police report.

Woods allegedly offered the child for sex for $500, according to police.

Authorities then served a search warrant at a residence in the 200 block of Thistle Circle and placed her into custody.

Woods was booked into the Contra Costa County Main Detention Facility and charged with offering a minor under 16 for lewd and lascivious acts. She is being held on a $50,000 warrant.

50 Cent Movie: Man shot, thigh and chest, DOA

2005-11-11T12:24:00.000-08:00

Who would have guessed that there would be a shooting at self-proclaimed street gang member 50 Cent's movie? Not me, say's I.

Gunfire in the Loews Waterfront movie theater killed a man Wednesday night, West Homestead police said.

The victim, identified as Shelton Flowers, 30, of Wilkinsburg, was hit in the thigh and chest. He died later at UPMC Presbyterian.

Allegheny County police said a confrontation broke out between Flowers and three other men in a bathroom. Employees at the concession stand reported hearing shots, and Flowers was then found near some video game machines.

Two men were seen running out of the main entrance after the shooting, witnesses told police. Another man left through the rear doors.

Armistice Day

2005-11-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

"Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month."

"Five little minutes only. Five silent minutes of national remembrance. A very sacred intercession. Communion with the Glorious Dead who won us peace, and from the communion new strength, hope and faith in the morrow. Church services, too, if you will, but in the street, the home, the theatre, anywhere, indeed, where Englishmen and their women chance to be, surely in this five minutes of bitter-sweet silence there will be service enough."

-Warren Foster

Gang members on trial for the death of LAPD Explorer

2005-11-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

A few months ago an LAPD Explorer who was going through the process to become a full-time LAPD officer was gunned-down on his way to pick-up some stuff for a BBQ at his house. The shooters were gang members who thought it would be a good idea to shoot the Explorer, not knowing that doing so would result in a nice 25-to-life sentence.

Two admitted gang members were ordered Friday to stand trial in the July 28 shooting death of a former LAPD Explorer in a supermarket parking lot.

After a preliminary hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Jose Sandoval ruled there was enough evidence for Joshua Mansion, 18, and Dwayne Wheeler, 20, to stand trial on charges of murder and attempted murder.

Loli Castaneda, 25, was shot about 11:45 p.m. in the parking lot of the Ralphs store at Vermont Avenue and Adams Boulevard. His companion, Carlos Avalos, 25, was slightly wounded.

This kid is exactly what the LAPD needs --- someone who wants to do the job, and is excited about becoming an officer. Those are two traits the vast majority the new LAPD recruits are seriously lacking. It's a darned shame that he didn't even get to see one day in the academy, because he would have been a great officer.

Two Hundred and Thirty

2005-11-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

Holly Ashcraft: Bail reduced to $200,000

2005-11-10T05:33:00.000-08:00

In a move that I have yet to understand, the Superior Court has lowered Holly Ashcraft's bail from $2 million dollars to $200,000 dollars. After that happened, she proceeded to walk out of court, as you can see here:

A USC student accused of killing her newborn by dumping the infant in a trash dumpster was released from jail late Wednesday afternoon after a magistrate reduced her bond from $2 million to $200,000.
The bail reduction came as 21-year-old Holly Ashcraft, dressed in a business suit, entered a not guilty plea to murder and child abuse charges.

Many of the more than two dozen family members and friends who gathered for the college junior's hearing tearfully embraced in the hallway of the downtown criminal courts building after Commissioner James N. Bianco ruled that the Montana native was not enough of a public danger — or flight risk — to justify the multimillion-dollar bond.

Chief Bratton: Overruled

2005-11-03T23:00:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, the LAPD is never let off the hook, and never seems to get a day of rest when it comes to sorting out their own internal struggles. As we approach 2006, it seems that nothing has changed.

Before the vast majority of us stepped into law enforcement, each and every major department had an internal affairs bureau. The investigators from internal affairs, all sworn law enforcement officers, spent their time weeding through cases that involved a use of force and/or an officer involved shooting. Despite what you might want to believe, cops are good people, and 99% percent of the time their use of force is justified. Many people get the wrong idea about internal affairs because of what they see on TV, but internal affairs does more to help cops than they do to harm them. If anything, you want them on your side when a shooting happens, because they'll be the ones to clear you and justify your use of force.

Enter John Mack, the new president of the Police Commission within the City of Los Angeles. Mayor Villaraigosa appointed John Mack to head the Police Commission, who oversees every use of force case by officers. Despite what the Internal Affairs Bureau does to clear an officer, there's a good chance that Mack's commission will recommending that the officer is given his walking papers. Today, a detective learned that lesson first hand.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's newly appointed Police Commission has overruled Police Chief William J. Bratton and concluded that a detective with the Special Investigation Section acted improperly in shooting an unarmed burglary suspect last year.

The commission, which the mayor promised would be "vigorous in their oversight" of the LAPD, declined to accept Bratton's recommendation that the detective used proper force as allowed by department policy when he wounded the man last year in Van Nuys.

"This decision was not bound by personalities," commission President John Mack said. "We went where the facts took us. It is nothing personal."It is unusual for the commission to reject the chief's findings. In the vast majority of LAPD shootings, commissioners follow the recommendations of the chief when it comes to determining whether officers acted within the department's use-of-force policy, a Times review found. This track record has prompted LAPD critics to accuse the commission of being a rubber stamp for the chief and for not acting vigorously against police misconduct.

The new panel is expected to deal with several high-profile police misconduct cases in the months ahead, including the killing of 13-year-old Devin Brown at the end of a police chase and the shooting death of 19-month-old Suzie Peña during a hostage standoff.

If you remember, the Suzie Pena case involved a crazy illegal immigrant who was hooped-up on meth and decided to take a shotgun to SWAT team members while using his daughter as a human shield. We're going to be waiting on pins and needles to see what happens to the officers who had no choice but to shoot the man who was using the child as a shield, and in turn, shot the child as well.

Crime Against Peace Officer: SFPD officer attacked with Molotov cocktail

2005-11-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

When I was young and naive, I believed that protestors had the right to assemble in order to make their ideas heard. I still believe that under the Constitution of the United States, the right to assemble is one of the things that makes our country the best place in the world, but it really irks me that a bunch of criminals use it as an excuse to cause havoc and attempt to harm peace officers in any way possible. Case in point:

The uniform of a San Francisco police officer caught fire after a Molotov cocktail was hurled at an anti-Bush protest Wednesday afternoon in downtown San Francisco.

A large crowd made its way from the Civic Center down Market Street, blocking traffic during the afternoon commute. Nine people were arrested for blocking traffic, said San Francisco police Commander David Shinn.

Shinn said the march was mostly peaceful except for the person who threw the Molotov cocktail.

"My partner and I are standing here monitoring the crowd and all of a sudden I heard glass breaking, and the bottle apparently hit right there and gasoline spilled and the next thing I know my shoulder is on fire," police officer Gary Constantine told television station KRON.

Police arrested a person who was found with Molotov cocktails, but were uncertain whether that person was the one who threw the explosive, Shinn said. Constantine was not injured.

Just when it looked like the protest was wrapping up in the evening, some protesters sat down in the middle of a busy intersection to block more traffic. The group refused police requests to disperse so they were arrested at the scene, according to police.

These people weren't there to protest and spead knowledge and ideas in the so-called peaceful fashion that has become their battle cry. They were there to hurt and intimidate people. That's the bottom line of this whole incident. The officer who was hurt should receive an apology, and this group should be banned from public demostrations.

Orange Line: 13 injured

2005-11-02T16:51:00.000-08:00

About a week ago I posted a story about how someone decided that the rules of the road didn't apply to them, which resulted into them crashing into a bus that wasn't even open to the public yet. Now that the bus line has opened, we see that people are still driving as bad as ever.

An accident on the Orange Line today in which 13 people were injured has raised concerns about the safety of the newly inaugurated bus line.

In the wake of the crash, Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky called on the Metropolitan Transportation Agency to slow down the speed of the buses.

Critics have expressed concerns about the buses and cars navigating around each other on the new busway.

The busway — which is only for use by the buses — crosses 36 roads throughout the San Fernando Valley. During test runs, some motorists had trouble navigating the crossings.

The collision between a 60-foot-long bus carrying 40 passengers and a car occurred on Woodman Avenue, near Oxnard Avenue.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said the driver of the car apparently ran a red light and collided with the bus. The driver of the car was reported in critical condition, according to Rick Jager, an MTA spokesman.

HBR Guide to the November 8, 2005 California Special Election

2005-11-02T05:17:00.000-08:00

Here's our voting guide:

YES - Proposition 73: Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy. Waiting Period and Parental Notification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Amends California Constitution to bar abortion on unemancipated minor until 48 hours after physician notifies minor’s parent/legal guardian, except in medical emergency or with parental waiver. Permits judicial waiver of notice based on clear and convincing evidence of minor’s maturity or minor’s best interests. Physician must report abortions performed on minors and State shall compile statistics. Authorizes monetary damages for violation. Minor must consent to abortion unless mentally incapable or in medical emergency. Permits judicial relief if minor’s consent to abortion is coerced.

Simple description of Prop 73: Parents receive notification if a minor decides to terminate a pregnancy.

YES - Proposition 74: Public School Teachers. Waiting Period for Permanent Status. Dismissal. Initiative Statute.

Increases length of time required before a teacher may become a permanent employee from two complete consecutive school years to five complete consecutive school years; measure applies to teachers whose probationary period commenced during or after the 2003-2004 fiscal year. Authorizes school boards to dismiss a permanent teaching employee who receives two consecutive unsatisfactory performance evaluations.

Simple description of Prop 74: Teachers who are not performing will be fired, and a new, better teacher will be hired in their place.

YES - Proposition 75: Public Employee Union Dues. Required Employee Consent for Political Contributions. Initiative Statute.

Prohibits public employee labor organizations from using dues or fees for political contributions unless the employee provides prior consent each year on a specified written form. Prohibition does not apply to dues or fees collected for charitable organizations, health care insurance, or other purposes directly benefiting the public employee. Requires labor organizations to maintain and submit to the Fair Political Practices Commission records concerning individual employees’ and organizations’ political contributions; those records are not subject to public disclosure.

Simple desciption of Prop 75: Public employee unions take member dues to support political campaigns without the approval of the member. As it stands right now, for a member to opt-out, it is extremely difficult and takes more time than people are willing to put in. This would prevent them from spending millions of members dues on campaigns they do not agree with without asking their permission first.

YES - Proposition 76: School Funding. State Spending. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Changes state minimum school funding requirements (Proposition 98), permitting suspension of minimum funding, but terminating repayment requirement, and eliminating authority to reduce funding when state revenues decrease. Excludes above-minimum appropriations from schools’ funding base. Limits state spending to prior year total plus revenue growth. Shifts excess revenues from schools/tax relief to budget reserve, specified construction, debt repayment. Requires Governor to reduce state appropriations, under specified circumstances, including employee compensation, state contracts. Continues prior year appropriations if new state budget delayed. Prohibits state special funds borrowing. Requires payment of local government mandates.

Simple description of Prop 76: Despite the confusing wording of the proposition, this makes sure schools are funded with at least as much money as they received the previous year, with the addition of whatever revenue growth is accured.

YES - Proposition 77: Reapportionment. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.

Amends state Constitution’s process for redistricting California’s Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization districts. Requires three-member panel of retired judges, selected by legislative leaders, to adopt new redistricting plan if measure passes and again after each national census. Panel must consider legislative, public proposals/comments and hold public hearings. Redistricting plan becomes effective immediately when adopted by judges’ panel and filed with Secretary of State. If voters subsequently reject redistricting plan, process repeats. Specifies time for judicial review of adopted redistricting plan; if plan fails to conform to requirements, court may order new plan.

Simple description of Prop 77: A panel of judges will re-map the state voting districts so new representatives can be voted into office.

NO - Proposition 78: Prescription Drugs. Discounts. Initiative Statute.

Establishes discount prescription drug program, overseen by the Department of Health Services. Enables certain low- and moderate- income California residents to purchase prescription drugs at reduced prices. Imposes $15 application fee, renewable annually. Requires Department’s prompt determination of residents’ eligibility, based on listed qualifications. Authorizes Department to contract with pharmacies to sell prescription drugs at agreed-upon discounts negotiated in advance, and to negotiate rebate agreements with drug manufacturers. Permits outreach programs to increase public awareness. Creates state fund for deposit of rebate payments from drug manufacturers. Allows program to be terminated under specified conditions.

Simple description of Prop 78: Creates a big-government prescription drug program.

NO - Proposition 79: Prescription Drug Discounts. State-Negotiated Rebates. Initiative Statute.

Provides for prescription drug discounts to Californians who qualify based on income-related standards, to be funded through rebates from participating drug manufacturers negotiated by California Department of Health Services. Rebates must be deposited in State Treasury fund, used only to reimburse pharmacies for discounts and to offset administration costs. At least 95% of rebates must go to fund discounts. Prohibits new Medi-Cal contracts with manufacturers not providing the Medicaid best price to this program, except for drugs without therapeutic equivalent. Establishes oversight board. Makes prescription drug profiteering, as defined, unlawful.

Simple description of Prop 79: Coupled with Prop 78, this also creates a big-government prescription drug program.

NO - Proposition 80: Electric Service Providers. Regulation. Initiative Statute

Subjects electric service providers, as defined, to control and regulation by California Public Utilities Commission. Imposes restrictions on electricity customers’ ability to switch from private utilities to other electric providers. Provides that registration by electric service providers with Commission constitutes providers’ consent to regulation. Requires all retail electric sellers, instead of just private utilities, to increase renewable energy resource procurement by at least 1% each year, with 20% of retail sales procured from renewable energy by 2010, instead of current requirement of 2017. Imposes duties on Commission, Legislature and electrical providers. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Annual state costs of up to $4 million for regulatory activities of the California Public Utilities Commission. These costs would be fully offset by fee revenues. Unknown impact on state and local costs and revenues, as the measure’s impact on retail electricity rates is uncertain.

Simple description of Prop 80: This creates a system similar to the one that was created under Grey Davis, in which the public utilities of the state are regulated through a big-government commission. This would mean less control and input by consumers, resulting in higher prices and less competition.

Road Rage: Car v. MTA Orange Line bus

2005-10-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

I'm willing to bet that LASD's Metro division will be citing people like there's no tomorrow, given that some driver who had an apparent case of "speedy Gonzalesness" rammed into an Orange Line bus that was making a test run on the new expressway.

Two days before the Orange Line's opening, a car ran a red light Thursday and crashed into a bus making a test run on the San Fernando Valley transitway, authorities said.

No one was injured, but the accident stoked fears that more crashes could occur along the Orange Line, an express bus-only corridor that intersects with 36 streets.

The collision occurred about 3:40 p.m. at Vesper Avenue in Van Nuys. The driver of the car did not have a valid license and his vehicle was impounded, said Marc Littman, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. There was minor damage to the bus. "It just underscores the need for drivers to pay attention," Littman said.

But critics and some nearby residents say the busway is dangerous because of its unusual intersections, some of which resemble rail crossings. Though the MTA and the city have added traffic lights and warning signs along the corridor, some motorists say the intersections are still confusing.

I believe this case does a great job of revealing LA's ongoing traffic and road-rage problem, both of which I believe are one in the same.

Spam WTF Spam

2005-10-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

I have been receiving a lot of spam over last couple of months. This one I thought I would post to see if anyone can make sense of this E-Mail.

"Mckenzie Maren" Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 15:42:38 -0600

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Anyone Want To Buy Me Out?

2005-10-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

My blog is worth $58,147.62.
How much is your blog worth?

Holly Ashcraft / Official Charges from LA County DA

2005-10-26T06:32:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post the official charges for Holly Ashcraft, the USC student who decided to dump her new baby in the trash. Here's the info from the LA County DA:

A 21-year-old USC student suspected of giving birth and then dumping her newborn boy near a dumpster in an alley was charged today with murder, the District Attorney’s office announced.

Holly Ashcraft, (dob 10-2-84), is scheduled to be arraigned today at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center, Division 30. She is charged in case No. BA291641 with one count of murder and one count of child abuse, said Deputy District Attorney Efrain Aceves with the Family Violence Division. The D.A.’s office is requesting $2 million bail.

LAPD detectives developed the case after releasing a tape of a 911 call in which a man reported finding a baby’s body about 12:30 a.m. Monday behind a restaurant-bar in the 2800 block of South Hoover Street. The bar-restaurant was closed at the time. A woman who heard the tape recognized the caller's voice, contacted him and got him to cooperate with police. Ashcraft was arrested Tuesday by LAPD detectives. If convicted, she faces 25 years to life in prison.

Officials said a coroner’s preliminary finding determined the child was born alive.

Under the state’s Safe Haven law, an unwanted newborn can be turned over to someone in authority at a hospital emergency room or a firestation within 72 hours of delivery with no questions asked.

It's pretty much the same thing that I covered before, only it's good to hear it in official terms versus the less-the-reliable MSM.

Trespassing: General Zod

2005-10-26T05:14:00.000-07:00

Apparently General Zod has made Los Angeles his new home, and is running for office in 2008. I believe he parked his spaceship is a red zone in front of the Downtown Los Angeles Criminal Courts Building, which is reserved for peace officers and the like. At the same time, I do not believe he filed for permanent status as a resident, so we might have to put together a team before his plan comes to light:

When I first came to your planet and demanded your homes, property and very lives, I didn't know you were already doing so, willingly, with your own government. I can win no tribute from a bankrupted nation populated by feeble flag-waving plebians. In 2008 I shall restore your dignity and make you servants worthy of my rule. This new government shall become a tool of my oppression. Instead of hidden agendas and waffling policies, I offer you direct candor and brutal certainty. I only ask for your tribute, your lives, and your vote.

I'll discuss this with Kevin Roderick and see if there's a possible "liveblogging" arrest of an illegal alien to be had here so you can read a play-by-play.

Don't get your hopes up.

Hey, Chicken Little

2005-10-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

Some Numbers:

16,137 Is the number of murders in the United States in 2004. The Murder rate-5.5 per 100,000 people is at its lowest in 40 years.

I bet you wouldn’t know that by watching the scare you all the time media. Yes, I know that is still a lot of deaths; but hell we aren’t Canadians.

Hide and Seek

2005-10-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

A United States Customs Primary Inspector at a border crossing asked the driver of a Suburban for vehicle registration. Suddenly, a hand came out of the glove compartment, producing the requested document which the driver showed the inspector. The Inspector became suspicious, thus leading to a full search were they found a 135 Lbs. woman hidden behind the dashboard of the car.

I have no idea if this is true or not. The date is July 5th 2001, but I have never seen these pictures and decided to post them for your enjoyment.

Update: I did a little checking on Snopes it seems that this story is True.

Concealed and carrying

2005-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm glad Drumwaster dug-up this article, because it's one of the few that I've read that says exactly what I've been saying for years --- that criminals don't care if guns are illegal or not, because they're going to get their hands on them any way they can.

I wanted to know why the laws weren’t working, so I asked the experts. “I’m not going in the store to buy no gun,” said one maximum-security inmate in New Jersey. “So, I could care less if they had a background check or not.”

“There’s guns everywhere,” said another inmate. “If you got money, you can get a gun.”
Talking to prisoners about guns emphasizes a few key lessons. First, criminals don’t obey the law. (That’s why we call them “criminals.") Second, no law can repeal the law of supply and demand. If there’s money to be made selling something, someone will sell it.

A study funded by the Department of Justice confirmed what the prisoners said. Criminals buy their guns illegally and easily. The study found that what felons fear most is not the police or the prison system, but their fellow citizens, who might be armed. One inmate told me, “When you gonna rob somebody you don’t know, it makes it harder because you don’t know what to expect out of them."

The process of gun ownership, not to mention the ability to carry a gun, is one messy glob of bureaucratic nonsense. I believe that one of the only ways to feel safe while walking in the vast majority of Los Angeles County is to have a gun on your hip. While I do believe that a certain amount of training is needed before you can sling a six-shooter into a holster and take a walk down Hill Street, there is no doubt in my mind that California is far behind the times in terms of the everyday citizen being able to legally purchase a firearm and become licensed to carry one if they feel the need.

As you can see in the excerpt above, the fact that background checks are needed combined with a rather tedious process to purchase a firearm might be part of the solution in preventing criminals from legally acquiring a weapon. Please take note of the fact that I said legally. A criminal is a criminal, and even they are smart enough to know that if they want to carry a firearm, and most likely use it, the lack of a papertrail leading back to them is probably the best way to go. Therefore, sliding $800 bucks to their local arms dealer for a Tech-Nine from who knows where is undoubtely the way they will go.

Sunday Morning Frost

2005-10-16T04:55:00.000-07:00

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Holly Ashcraft / USC dead baby case - Arrested and charged

2005-10-13T05:56:00.000-07:00

Working in law enforcement, we become accustomed to seeing the worst side of human beings on a daily basis. After a while, you begin to accept that people who do bad things exist, and that finding and arresting them --- hopefully before they have a chance to kill someone --- is one of the most important tasks you undertake. However, there are some things that make you shake your head and wonder what in the world is running through people's minds when they commit a crime. This is one of those cases.

The 21-year-old USC student who allegedly abandoned her newborn child in a dumpster was charged this morning with murder and child abuse.

Coroner investigators also reported that preliminary findings indicate the child was born alive.

The alleged mother, Holly Ashcraft, was arrested Tuesday night and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

The infant's body was found Tuesday next to a trash bin behind a popular student bar, authorities said.

Proseuctors will seek to double Ashcraft's $1 million bail to $2 million, Deputy Dist. Atty. Efrain Aceves said this morning. Ashcraft reportedly had been suspended from USC because of academic problems, LAPD Capt. Anita Ortega said.

The baby, with his umbilical cord still attached, was uncovered in a cardboard box behind a bar called The 29 at 29th and South Hoover streets just after midnight Monday. Paramedics pronounced the infant dead at the scene.

Police were alerted to the discovery when an anonymous caller dialed 911 from a nearby Ralphs grocery store and reported what he had found.

On Wednesday, authorities said it was the 911 call that led to a break in the case. A woman who heard the 911 tape played on television recognized the caller's voice and persuaded him to cooperate with police, Ortega said. That cooperation led to Ashcraft's arrest.

Ortega thanked the caller for coming forward to police and assisting them with their investigation. "Had it not been for him, I believe the case would have gone unsolved," she said.

An autopsy was performed on the infant's body Tuesday, but the official cause of death will not be determined until toxicology tests are completed.

The infant did not appear to be injured or abused and was thought to be full term.

The bar was closed at the time the body was discovered.

Under state law, a mother who does want to keep her baby can relinquish a newborn to any hospital or fire station with no questions asked.

I emphasized that final line to demonstrate how easy it is to give a baby a chance to live if you believe you cannot take care of it. Dumping it and hoping it dies is not an option.

UPDATE: For those who used a search engine to find this post, please visit this post regarding the charges filed by the LA County DA, as well as the post about the reduction in bail that has everyone bewildered. This portion will be updated as information is made available.

October 12th, 2000

2005-10-12T09:02:00.000-07:00

Mississippi FUBAR Part I

2005-10-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

What I should have said is that I will write up something later this week. The wife and I are expecting our second child around the fourth of November, and I have procrastinated for way to long. I will be blogging very little until the child is born and things have settled down a bit.

Now on to the Great state of Mississippi. I will be typing Mississippi a lot in because Mississippi has become my new favorite word to type. Mississippi has quite a flow on the keyboard.

Our group left for Mississippi on the evening of September 18th. In all we had 65 officers that were assigned to assist local Harrison County, Mississippi, law enforcement. We drove down in a caravan of 40 police cruisers. It was like a parade heading to Mississippi – we had several looks from passing motorist. The parade arrived in Mississippi on the 19th of September, where we were briefed about what or tasks were and then received our shots. I decided I would go with the Hepatitis A and the Tetanus shots only, since I have already been through the Hepatitis B shot series.

I was impressed with the briefing of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. He told it like it was, the brief started of with: “We have failed the citizens of the gulf coast region.” The meeting consisted of mainly biohazard warnings – “do not touch anything” was the jest of the briefing. As we drove from the briefing to the elementary school where we would be staying for a few days, it was obvious why they harped on the biohazards. The area looked like the Gulf of Mexico had thrown up on everything. There was raw sewage bubbling up from the storm drain and forming into huge pools on the road. There were craters where trees once stood. There was the smell of rot from all the animals and people that had yet to be uncovered. At the time of my visit, approximately eight hundred people were missing or unaccounted for in the Gulf Coast region of Mississippi. Most were swept out into the gulf as the storm surge receded. Over two hundred bodies had been found by the time we arrived in Mississippi.

On my first day of work, I was assigned to assist Harrison County Sheriff’s office in the northern portions of the county. Mainly, I drove around assisting Harrison County with day-to-day law enforcement calls. I did a lot of community policing, meaning… if I saw someone I would stop and talk with them. People would tell their stories. For instance, there was the grizzled former-Marine who did Island hopping in World War II, and as he told me the story I could see him holding back tears. He told me he had never been through anything like this, and that he road-out Hurricane Camille in 69’ but that storm was a pussy compared to Hurricane Katrina. He told me that with the next hurricane he is going to head North – no more riding out hurricanes. I also spoke with another grizzled Mississippian who told me his home made noise that no home should. And that if the storm had lasted another half hour his house would have been gone. He said the rattling doors really got to him, because he never knew if the next gust of wind would tear his house up and end it all. He was sheltering fourteen people in his house – neighbors and friends. During the storm he tied them all together with a rope and said that if the house blew apart he was going to tie them to his well and hope for the best.

After a few days, I was assigned to Henderson Point, which is the county land off the Bay of St. Louis. This is the area where the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over.

More to come later. (Hey I have to keep you coming back)

Nice Boat

2005-10-11T14:13:00.000-07:00

Bay Liner placed into trees by storm surge.
Cutting trees down to crane out 40ft Bay Liner at Henderson Point.
40ft Bay Liner sitting on Ponce De Leon St.

Some More Boat Pictures

2005-10-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Bow and Arrow

2005-10-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is how you do not perform a heist.

Police shot and wounded a man who took over a freight train with a bow and arrow in Montclair.

Police say Juventino Vallejo-Camerena boarded the Union Pacific train last night as it was stopped for a signal and threatened the only people on board, the engineer and conductor. They escaped and called police.

Officers arrived to find the suspect on board. He cocked the bow and pointed the arrow at officers, who opened fire.

I'd say this guy was attempting a suicide-by-cop, but something tells me he wasn't smart enough to think that one through.

Where I Spent My Summer Vacation

2005-10-06T07:16:00.000-07:00

I am back. Where did I go you might ask since I didn’t post anything on the Blog? I was supposed to go to Mississippi to help out with the relief effort. I didn’t post anything because I didn’t thing we were going due to the E-Mails I was receiving. Then on September 18th I was getting ready for work when work called and said we are leaving today get ready. I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off, so I didn’t have time to write anything. It was a classic hurry up and wait scenario. I got back yesterday and have a million things to do today. I plan on writing up something latter on to day. I will post the pictures I took with my entry. An officer that was able to get a helicopter ride gave these aerial pictures to me. I was not able to get one. The only thing I have to say right now is how great the people of Mississippi are. People would be standing on the slaps of their home and would thank us for coming down and if we needed anything. They were great and I can’t tell people that enough.

Some More Mississippi Photos

2005-10-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

Some of My Mississippi Photos

2005-10-06T05:41:00.000-07:00

Long Beach PD: Officer shot

2005-10-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have absolutely no problem with someone getting killed after they decide that it's their turn to shoot a police dog.

Los Angeles police allegedly shot and killed a gang member after he killed a police dog that had been ordered to subdue him, The Los Angeles Times reports.

Ranger, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois was attempting to subdue the suspected gang member who had allegedly fired on Long Beach officers hours earlier, the report said.

The report said Officer Mike Parcells, ordered the dog to subdue the man who was hiding underneath a porch. Ranger died from a gunshot to the chest.

The suspect, Agustin Murguia Jr., had allegedly fired a single shot, and SWAT officers responded with a volley. The 22-year-old parolee was dead when officers reached him, the report said.

"The last thing you tell your dog is to go do its job, and he gets killed for doing it," said a former K-9 officer. Parcells had purchased Ranger with his own money from a breeder in Holland two years ago.

Ask anyone who has worked a K-9 unit, and they'll tell you the best partner they ever had was their police dog. Not only are they a part of the force, but they're like a member of the family as well.

Quotes from The Art of War

2005-09-27T23:18:00.000-07:00

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained, you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."

Sun Tzu, 500 BC

City Hall in the 50's

2005-09-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

They're shooting a movie at Los Angeles City Hall that has a bunch of 50's-era LAPD cars, as well as actors dressed like officers from that period. When I was walking to lunch, I saw the filming in progress and asked one of the people that I was with to grab a digital picture (seen above) of the filming. Undoubtedly, the police cars from that era epitomize the "cops and robbers" generation, and I think it would be hard to have a police car as memorable as the one seen above.

I have no idea what they're shooting, but I'm willing to bet that Kevin Roderick has the inside scoop. With the exception of LA Confidential, it's been hard to find a major motion picture that depicts the old-school Los Angeles law enforcement officers and the trials and tribulations they dealt with on a daily basis. I have Dragnet on DVD, but it still doesn't capture the raw essense of revolvers and dirty interrogation rooms.

As always, I'm up for whatever suggestions you guys have for good cop movies. Also, if you happen to know what they're filming at City Hall, leave that in the comments and I'll post an update.

We're still here

2005-09-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

Despite what you might have heard, we're still alive and kicking. In what could be described as good news for society as a whole, there hasn't been an outbreak of crime in the Los Angeles area, so blogging has been light. But never fear: we'll be posting some new stories very soon.

For your homework, I'm assigning each of you the duty of scrolling down to the archives section to click and read at least two old posts. Have fun!

The CSI effect

2005-09-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

It seems that Federal prosecutors are feeling the same pain that we're forced to put up with on a daily basis, as jurors seem to think that everything portrayed on television actually happens in real life.

Jurors schooled in crime investigations through watching TV dramas expect prosecutors to show them sophisticated forensic evidence -- even in white-collar trials -- making it tough for the government to prove cases, two federal prosecutors said on Friday.

Alice Martin, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, said that the so-called "CSI effect" -- a reference to the hit CBS television show about gruesome crime scene investigations -- hurt her case against HealthSouth Corp. founder Richard Scrushy.

Scrushy was acquitted of securities fraud and other charges by an Alabama federal jury in June -- a blow to prosecutors seeking to punish alleged corporate wrongdoing.

Jurors in post-verdict interviews "said, 'we needed a fingerprint on one of the documents or we needed him (Scrushy) to say the word 'fraud' on the audiotape"' that was secretly recorded by a former HealthSouth finance chief, Martin said at a white-collar crime conference at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington.

"They said, 'they always do fingerprints on TV," she said.

David Anders, an assistant U.S. attorney in Manhattan who prosecuted ex-WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers and former investment banker Frank Quattrone, also told the conference that jurors expect forensic-type evidence in white-collar cases.

"The 'CSI effect' is not something that we're happy about," Anders said.

These aren't tears of joy on my face, either.

Security Cameras: Jordan Downs

2005-09-23T05:06:00.000-07:00

Remember how I was talking about how the private sector in Downtown Los Angeles created their own crime task force, that included the use of video cameras to watch over the sector? The idea sprouted legs, because the LAPD is posting cameras in the amazingly dangerous housing project of Jordan Downs. Naturally, the ACLU is throwing a fit, because as far as they're concerned, gangsters should be able to shoot anyone they like, but I fully support the idea because whether the civil libertarians like it or not, the plan will reduce crime and end up costing less in the long run.

The Jordan Downs housing project is one of Los Angeles' most dangerous and blighted communities, with a high crime rate and residents too poor to purchase computers, let alone Internet service.

Los Angeles police have a plan to attack both the digital divide and the violence. By year's end, the Los Angeles Police Department intends to place at least a dozen surveillance cameras inside the 700-unit, World War II-era complex and along connecting streets to Jordan High School.

In a carrot-and-stick twist, the cameras will provide the projects' 2,400 residents and some of its Watts neighbors with free wireless Internet access.

Flight 292

2005-09-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

It's well worth the time to point out how quickly and professionally both JetBlue and local police and fire agencies across Los Angeles County handled the Flight 292 incident.

As the plane came to rest, scores of fire and rescue vehicles sped toward it across the tarmac. But the passengers and crew emerged unhurt, some walking down the stairs waving to cameras and giving one another high-fives.

Burke had delivered what experts said was a "perfect" touchdown of a crippled aircraft.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who spoke to the pilot at the airport, praised him.

"He walked off the plane with a big smile on his face, just cool as a cucumber. He joked that he was sorry he put the plane down 6 inches off the center line," Villaraigosa said.

Patterico joins.

Newsday has complete details about the event. "It was a very, very safe landing," Los Angeles Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Lou Roupoli said. "The pilot did an outstanding job. He kept the plane on its rear tires as long as he could before he brought it."

Dunphy on New Orleans

2005-09-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

The infamous Jack Dunphy has a few words about the mayhem, looting, and perceived attitude of unaccountability in regard to New Orleans law enforcement officers in the days following Hurricane Katrina.

It's been my experience in more than two decades as a cop that Pareto's Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is just as applicable in law enforcement as it is in business. Put simply, 80 percent of the heavy lifting in police work is performed by 20 percent of the cops. When the danger is greatest, these are the ones who will be closest to it, while the others are directing traffic safely away from the action. The cops you saw risking their lives on television last week were New Orleans's 20 percent. As for the ones who stayed home, the others were better off without them.

Hurricane, part 2

2005-09-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

It appears as if our fellow countrymen and women are about to be hit by another storm that has the potential to ruin what is left of the devastated south. I'd like to make everyone aware of the fact that The Glorified Jailer and I have added a direct link to the Red Cross at the top of the page, and it will remain there for as long as it takes. Please take the time to click on the link and toss in a few dollars for victim of these current tragedies, as well as the ones we will undoubtedly experience in the future.

While I know that we can not guarantee complete safety from tragedies, I do know that we can prepare by making groups such as the Red Cross as strong as possible so they can take care of those in need. At the same time, it's important for everyone to create an emergency preparedness kit at home. The Los Angeles Department of Human Services has complete details of what you can do to build a kit of your own easily and affordable.

Freeway Shooting: Fontana

2005-09-20T05:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a little bit of info about the reason the Interstate 10 Freeway was shutdown for a number of hours yesterday morning.

A shooting on the San Bernardino Freeway near Fontana early Monday morning left two Rialto men hospitalized and led to the closure of all westbound lanes for several hours during the morning rush hour, authorities said.

A black Ford Taurus approached the victims' car on Interstate 10 near Sierra Avenue about 2:40 a.m., and shots were fired, hitting the driver in the jaw and the passenger in the buttocks, said San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jodi Miller.

Sunday Evening Zen

2005-09-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

23-17

Sunday Morning Zen

2005-09-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here I am safely returned over peaks
from a journey far more beautiful, and strange
than anything I had hoped for or imagined.
How is it that this safe return brings such regret?

-T.S. Ellot

Reassessing the Posse Comitatus act

2005-09-17T16:06:00.000-07:00

I posted this over at Right Thinking, and The Glorified Jailer thought it would be a good idea to link it here as well. I agree.

This looks like a bad idea to me.

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, Sen. John Warner, R-Va., chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said, “I believe the time has come that we reflect on the Posse Comitatus Act.” He advocated giving the president and the secretary of defense “correct standby authorities” to manage disasters.

Presidents have long been reluctant to deploy U.S. troops domestically, leery of the image of federal troops patrolling in their own country or of embarrassing state and local officials.

The active-duty elements that Bush did send to Louisiana and Mississippi included some Army and Marine Corps helicopters and their crews, plus Navy ships. The main federal ground forces, led by troops of the 82nd Airborne Division from Fort Bragg, N.C., arrived late Saturday, five days after Katrina struck.

They helped with evacuations and performed search-and-rescue missions in flooded portions of New Orleans but did not join in law enforcement operations.

The federal troops were led by Lt. Gen. Russel Honore. The governors commanded their National Guard soldiers, sent from dozens of states.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is reviewing a wide range of possible changes in the way the military could be used in domestic emergencies, spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said Friday. He said these included possible changes in the relationship between federal and state military authorities.

The Posse Comitatus act works fine, and there’s absolutely no need for federal troops to be deployed on national soil. At all. That’s what the National Guard is for, and God willing, one lesson we learn from Hurricane Katrina is that the National Guard is ready to deploy on a moments notice.

When we had the (second edition) of riots here in Los Angeles County, every law enforcement agency in their respective city held down the fort. The National Guard and California State Military Reserve assisted the LA County Sheriffs in street detail in areas such as Compton and Watts and assigned a unit outside of the Hall of Justice jail, but outside of that, our local agencies --- some of whom had only 25 - 50 officers --- held back thousands of people who were rioting, looting, burning down buildings, and making Los Angeles look like Fallujah. The last riot caused Los Angeles to reassess the need for emergency preparedness, resulting in an entire command post and sets of special officers to run it (I blogged about it on my site, which you can read about at this link).

If politicians weren’t so worried about pulling the trigger on calling for assistance by the National Guard, then the issue of amending the restrictions set forth by the Posse Comitatus Act wouldn’t even be worthy of discussion.

You know who has federal troops patrolling the streets? Communist China, and the former USSR. Personally, I think we have way too many people who would love to be local, state, or Federal law enforcement officers, and even more who would enjoy some weekend stints as National Guard troops. Issuing orders to Federal troops at the drop of a hat is completely unnecessary, given the fact that we have a cadre of agencies and state troops who can do the job.

Downtown Los Angeles: Security cameras

2005-09-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of the county, city, and virtually every other part of Los Angeles. I love the history of the city, as well as the idea of what the city can become. About a week ago, cameras went up along the downtown corridor, in an effort to protect those who are spending major dollars for the lofts that overlook some shotty parts of the city.

The Historic Core last week became the latest Downtown district to receive street-level surveillance cameras. Police, developers and business owners hope the new technology, which will ultimately cover 23 Downtown blocks, will help improve the quality of life and increase safety in an area experiencing an upsurge in residential projects.

"They will enhance services and reduce crime," said Pierre Toulakany, president of the Historic Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) board of directors, which voted in June to fund the network of cameras. "We have full coverage."

Toulakany said the 17 cameras, which cost about $275,000, will be installed on various buildings in an area bounded by Broadway and Los Angeles Street and Third and Ninth streets. The entire system is expected to be in place within three months, he said.

The cameras are funded by the BID, a group of business and property owners who elect to tax themselves to pay for additional security, cleaning and marketing services.

I'm not much for big-brother watching over me at all times, but I can't say I blame the people who feel safer knowing that they will make it from their car to their front door without something happening to them. Plus, when it comes down to it, the LAPD is only watching the footage, they're not paying for the setup. Instead, the BID (the group mentioned above, comprised of residential and business owners) footed for the costs associated with the equipment.

I really can't say that this is a bad idea.

Religion = Unconstitutional

2005-09-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

As I’ve said many times, I will always do my best to avoid mixing religion and politics. The combination of the two can get very messy, as we’ve seen when Lee takes on the Christian-Conservative faction of the party. Beliefs in both of the sectors can easily cross lines and provide for a difficult situation to deal with. However, it looks like we won’t have to worry about that in California anytime soon, since the Pledge of Allegiance has been declared unconstitutional

Reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools is unconstitutional, a federal court judge ruled today, saying that the pledge’s reference to “under God” violated school children’s right to be “free from a coercive requirement to affirm God.”

The suit is the second by Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow, who has been trying for five years to remove the pledge from public classrooms.

You know what I think about this? If you don’t want to say “under God” while reciting the Pledge, then don’t. There doesn’t have to be a legal ruling in order for this to be declared. The article continues with a history of the Pledge, and where the line that made the entire thing unconstitutional came from.

The original pledge, which did not include the words “under God,” was written by Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister’s son, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ arrival in America. Congress enacted the pledge in 1942.

The phrase was added in 1954 by legislation that recognized a belief that “from the time of our earliest history our peoples and our institutions have reflected the traditional concept that our nation was founded on a fundamental belief in God,” according to the House Report accompanying its passage.

California law requires that public elementary schools conduct “appropriate patriotic exercises” at the beginning of the school day.

And that’s it. In no way is the Pledge stating that you must believe in God, or else you’re going to burn in hell and face thousands of years of fire and brimstone being shoved up your rectum. That’s not the case. If you want, you can simply avoid saying those words if you don’t feel like it. And for that matter, I can name a ton of religions that believe in God, from Christianity to Buddhism, and Islam to Zoroastrianism. The title of God is not defined in the Pledge, and I don’t believe it’s stated anywhere that the God being referred to is the Christian God that the left seems to have a problem with lately.

The biggest problem I see with this is that another crazy, fringe minority has won a battle, thus forcing the rest of us to abide by their ways. This is the same as the people who support illegal immigration, which is just a small, if not almost unrecordable percentage of people in the United States. Unless you read blogs and are politically active, you wouldn’t realize that these people exist. The same goes for the pro-communists - unless you actively search for them, you’re not going to find them. However, what we’re seeing is a small group of people who get their way almost constantly, while the rest of us are left spinning our wheels and tossing mud.

Posted By Nick

About On the Same Page

2005-09-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

I found a Blog today that is really worth checking out The Jawa Report An interesting article on the main page, that is quoted below. I am pretty much in line with this view and with the view of the Governments responsibilities with the Citizens of the United States

And someone certainly needs to take a look at a police force who can't stand their ground during an emergency. This is what you were trained for, folks! That's why you became cops! You've given a promise and you can't simply bug out during a time of crisis. Maybe they need a change from the head down. But whatever it takes MUST be done to prevent something like this looting and wholescale lawlessness again.

This is really worth the read. Go Now

Guest Writing: Right Thinking

2005-09-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

If you feel like stopping by, I'll be one of the guest writers on Right Thinking, filling in for Lee while he's vacationing in Australia.

In other news, I'm still petitioning to get The Glorified Jailer on the Starkcast.

Los Angeles: Dark

2005-09-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

We're on a full tactical alert down here right now because of the strange power incident. More to come soon.

UPDATE: It's definitely nothing criminal nor terrorist in nature. It was nothing more than a screw-up at the DWP.

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said the outage was linked to human error at a receiving station near Burbank. Workers connected the wrong wires, causing a surge of power that led to shutdowns at three power generating stations, according to officials.

Sunday Fun: Guess the quote

2005-09-11T18:09:00.000-07:00

Can you guess where this quote came from?

Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth.

Sunday Morning on September 11th, 2005

2005-09-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

America stands for liberty, for the pursuit of happiness and for the unalienable right for life. This right to life cannot be granted or denied by government because it does not come from government, it comes from the creator of life.

-President G.W. Bush

Look at that destruction, that massive, senseless, cruel loss of human life ... and then I ask you to look in your hearts and recognize that there is no room for neutrality on the issue of terrorism. You're either with civilization or with terrorists.
On one side is democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human life; on the other is tyranny, arbitrary executions, and mass murder.
We're right and they're wrong. It's as simple as that.

- Rudy Giulani, October 1, 2001

Responsibility

2005-09-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

Chris Muir from Day by Day always nails it. Given everything that has happened in New Orleans, and considering the fact that they are in that infamous part of the United States that counts the day until they are hit by a hurricane on a yearly basis, I find it hard to believe that the relief efforts on a local and state level were so poor that FEMA had to be considered first responders.

Here in Los Angeles, you will find officers who look like U.S. Marines and have badges that say "Office of Public Safety." Most people write them off, because they think they're glorified security guards, but they provide the diplomatic security to virtually every politician in Los Angeles County. In fact, when there's a disaster, they hold down the fort and run the entire Office of Emergency Management for Los Angeles County.

The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) was established by Chapter 2.68 of the County Code with responsibility for organizing and directing the preparedness efforts of the Emergency Management Organization of Los Angeles County. OEM is the day-to-day Los Angeles County Operational Area coordinator for the entire geographic area of the county.

I'd be willing to bet that three people in the Los Angeles County OEM could have handled the entire New Orleans tragedy while munching on a bagel and tossing back some Aquafina. We have a lot to worry about here in Los Angeles; we have earthquakes that tear-down buildings and wreck freeways, riots that hold entire cities hostage, and various other disturbances that are written about in history books worldwide. I have absolutely no problem believing that our Office of Public Safety could handle it all, and do so with an expertise that would leave those who saw the events in the south breathless.

The good news? The Office of Public Safety is hiring officers.

Future Correctional Officer

2005-09-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

I can’t figure out what is coming out of that kids nose. I think it is his hand, but I can’t make it out.

Now On to Las Vegas

2005-09-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

I finally found the video I had a post written about the video, but I deleted it when I couldn’t find the video. So now I am just going to link to the video and just let it speak for its self.