CRIME REPORT

CAUGHT WITH PANTS DOWN

When you get caught committing a sex act with your best friend's wife while wearing your uniform do you (a) get fired (b) get written up and fired (c) get fired and beat for wrecking a marriage or two or (d) allowed to take administrative leave until your birthday so you can retire ? If you picked D you might win a prize.

This is the third time in a couple of months that an valued employee with the New Hanover County Sheriff has been caught in either criminal behavior of damn near criminal behavior and been allowed to resign rather than fired.

Doesn't it make sense to fire someone for assault, fire someone for conduct unbecoming or fire someone for being caught with their pants down in a compromising position?

 

ON THE RADAR

The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office is back on the radar. Remnants of Sid Causey stench has found it's way once again into the lap of Ed McMahon. As if the scandal of the helicopter fiasco wasn't enough, a new whale of a scandal has washed up on shore.

The County used grant money from the State to purchase 4 new radar units in May 2008. They installed this new equipment into new cars also purchased with a grant. They then used these radar units for at least 9 months illegally issuing speeding citations and other criminal charges stemming from the initial stop for speeding.

The units, the Golden Eagle II, were not even approved for use by the State until August 2009.

What does this mean? It means every citation issued because of the illegal use of this equipment could be tossed out. It means defense attorneys will have new  business to seek dismissal of charges for anything from speeding to drunk driving to drug possession. It is even possible that someone had their vehicle seized and sold for gas money for the helicopter. It means the District Attorney will have to work overtime or hire extra people to answer all the inquiries. It means if New Hanover County did it it stands to reason other Counties did the same thing.

How did it happen? The Sheriff's Office did not do their job properly. They can say whatever they want but the fact is that they should have known better. It's their job.

Eventually Sheriff McMahon became aware of this problem. Supposedly he said something to the District  Attorney's Office. The average traffic officer has at least 100 cases in their case file at any given time, many have more than 200. So for the sake of argument let's just say that at the moment of discovery 4 deputies in the SAFE unit had 100 cases each on file, not yet been presented in court. 400 cases awaiting trial. Were each of these cases dismissed? Were the defendants at least told the truth in court?

We are seeking the answer to that question. What happened to those cases when it became clear that these deputies were not certified to use the equipment?

When we get some answers we'll let you know.

NATIONAL GUARD?

State reps want to fight violence with National Guard's help - Chicago Breaking News.

State reps want to fight violence with National Guard's help

April 25, 2010 4:48 PM 

State Representatives John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford along with Willie Williams ((from left), who lost his son to gun violence, call for help in Chicago from the Illinois National Guard during a press conference today at the Thompson Center. (Nancy Stone/ Chicago Tribune)

Two state representatives called on Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday to deploy the Illinois National Guard to safeguard Chicago's streets.

Chicago Democrats John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford said they want Quinn, Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis to allow guardsmen to patrol streets and help quell violence. Weis said he did not support the idea because the military and police operate under different rules.

"Is this a drastic call to action? Of course it is," Fritchey said. "Is it warranted when we are losing residents to gun violence at such an alarming rate? Without question. We are not talking about rolling tanks down the street or having armed guards on each corner."

What he envisions, Fritchey said, is a "heightened presence on the streets," particularly on the roughly 9 percent of city blocks where most of the city's violent crimes occur.

Weis previously identified those "hot spots" and said he plans to create a 100-person team made up of selected and volunteer police personnel to respond to crime there. If guardsmen were to assist police, they could comprise or contribute to that force, Fritchey said.

So far this year, 113 people have been killed across Chicago, the same number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined in the same period, Fritchey said.

"As we speak, National Guard members are working side-by-side with our troops to fight a war halfway around the world," Fritchey said. "The unfortunate reality is that we have another war that is just as deadly taking place right in our backyard." While the National Guard has been deployed in other states to prevent violence related to specific events and protests, the Chicago legislators said they are unaware of guardsmen being deployed to assist with general urban unrest.

Weis countered that the only scenario in which the National Guard would be helpful is in the situation of a tornado, earthquake or flood. If the military were brought in to help with city violence, they wouldn't answer to police command -- creating a "major disconnect" in mission and strategy.

Alluding to the 1970 Kent State University incident where the National Guard was called in and protestors and students were shot, Weis said having guardsmen handle crime could be "disastrous." But he said if the Daley suggested it, he would consider the option.

"I'm open to anything that reduces violence. But I have concerns when you mix law enforcement and the military," Weis said.

But Fritchey and Ford said prompt action is needed because summer is right around the corner and with the warm weather comes an increase in violence.

Fritchey and Ford serve two different constituencies, representing the North Side and the West Side respectively. "One half of this city views this as a part of daily life," Fritchey said. "Another part of the city doesn't care because it doesn't affect them." Yet the lawmakers said they are coming together because gun violence should be a priority to all Chicagoans.

"No help is too much help" Ford said. "This is not just about the murders. It's about the crime. It's about people being stabbed, robbed and in the hospital on life support."

Fritchey said he spoke to representatives from Quinn's office about deploying guardsmen and they "seemed open to the idea." The lawmakers had yet to speak to Weis or the mayor's office.

"I don't anticipate the governor implementing it over the objection of the mayor," Fritchey said.

"I hope this doesn't become a territorial issue. I hope this doesn't become an ego issue. This isn't about public relations or politics. This is about reclaiming our communities."

-- Kristen Mack and Daarel Burnette II

LOOKS LIKE WE WILL NOT BE LOCKING CRIMINALS UP INTHE FUTURE

Image via Wikipedia

N.C. joins effort to cut crime costs - Politics - NewsObserver.com.

Facing a tight budget and surging prison population, Gov. Bev Perdue announced a move Wednesday that is aimed at cutting costs while keeping the public safe.

North Carolina will work with the U.S. Justice Department, the national Council of State Governments Justice Center and the nonprofit Pew Center on the States to study why so many young people end up in prison and to invest in new programs aimed at addressing the root causes of crime and recidivism.

North Carolina must remain tough on crime, the governor said, but the state must also be smart on crime.

Perdue cited figures showing that the state prison population grew by one quarter between 2000 and 2008, while North Carolina's spending on corrections nearly doubled. If that rate of growth continues over the next decade, the state will need to build 8,500 more prison beds, costing about $2 billion.

"You can't build prisons fast enough," the governor said. "The question I ask, as amama and a grandmama, is do I want to spend all our new money on prisons, or do I want to spend our new money on education and jobs."

By participating with the national groups in the justice reinvestment program, the state expects to benefit from research expertise gained from similar programs in states such as Texas and Michigan. Perdue said any recommendations at the end of the process would be data-driven solutions that would require bipartisan support.

As she spoke in the state House chamber at the Old State Capitol, Perdue, a Democrat, was flanked by legislators from both parties, as well as criminal justice officials.

Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, the Republican leader in the House, said he supports the data-driven approach set out by the reinvestment plan.

"We all agree that the first, indispensable role of state government is to protect people from danger, and not lose sight of that," said Stam, a lawyer from Apex. "I'm happy to join this effort because we do agree that the solutions we come to ought to be driven by facts and policy, and not just be preconceived notions."

Perdue predicted that the recommendations that come at the end of the research could be controversial and present difficult choices, but she reiterated that public safety would be the priority.

"There will be those who say, 'What in the world is going on?'" Perdue said. "There will be those who question the data we mine. ... But doing nothing will only force the state to do more of the same."

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/22/448680/nc-joins-effort-to-cut-crime-costs.html#ixzz0lpiI7EyU

THIS IS A DOCTOR'S FAMILY?

Jefferson County Sheriff

Denver teen Zachariah Santaguida is accused of murdering his sister.

Denver Teenager Zachariah Santaguida Accused of Murdering Sister - AOL News.

(April 15) -- Authorities in Colorado are investigating the murder of an Evergreen woman who they say was killed by her younger brother. A motive in the case remains unclear, but the details surrounding her death are bizarre.

A Jefferson County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit indicates that deputies were dispatched to the 30000 block of Hilltop Drive on April 8 in response to a report of a female who was not breathing. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies were greeted by 17-year-old Rebecca Santaguida who directed them to the bottom of a basement staircase, where her sister, Elizabeth Santaguida, 24, lay sprawled on the floor.

Rigor mortis had already set in, suggesting that Elizabeth had been dead for several hours. Initial observations of her body showed a ligature mark around her neck; however, investigators were unable to determine what caused the injury. The affidavit also states that Elizabeth's pants were pulled down, exposing her panties.

When questioned by police, Rebecca said that she had called her father, Richard Santaguida, at about 10:30 p.m. to find out when her sister would be home. Richard is a doctor who evaluates patients to determine whether they qualify for medical marijuana. Elizabeth worked with her father, assisting him in his work.

During investigator conversations with the family, Elizabeth's 18-year-old brother, Zachariah, sat at a table cutting his fingernails with nail clippers. He told police that he had been home the entire day, but had slept through most it. He said he considered himself a "shut in."

When investigators searched the Santaguida home, which they described to be "in complete disarray," with "clutter and trash" scattered throughout, they found numerous prescription medications, beer cans and a Jagermeister bottle in the basement.

Richard told police that Elizabeth was on numerous "psych" meds, but that she was not capable of hurting herself.

Zachariah admitted to police that he had gone downstairs on the afternoon of his sister's death to retrieve some "DVDs" and "beef raviolis." He said that, while he was down there, his sister had surprised him and told him to put the items down, so he did. He also admitted to watching pornographic films and said that, on occasion, he had taken those types of movies from his sister.

The second interview with Rebecca was more revealing.

She said that she believed her brother had recently stolen a bottle of Jagermeister from her sister. When she told Elizabeth of her suspicion, she said that her sister noticed that a vibrator she had stored next to the bottle was also missing. Elizabeth told her that the sex toy, which she had received as a "gag gift," was unused and still in the original packaging. The vibrator was later found hidden beneath the cushions in a couch. The affidavit states that it was not in the original packaging.

Rebecca told police that she did not know whether Elizabeth had confronted Zachariah about the stolen items.

ccording to cbs4denver.com, Zachariah recently dropped out of Evergreen High School, where he was a senior. Former classmates have given mixed opinions of him. Some say he was a loner, whereas others describe him as jubilant.

"Whenever I like, see him, he seems to be all fun and joy and stuff like that. But when he's with other kids, he seems to be out of control," a classmate, Josh Rivera, told the Web site.

JUST WANTED TO SHARE THIS

Doctor: Nadia Bloom doing ‘remarkably well’.

WINTER SPRINGS — Nadia Bloom is being treated for insect bites and dehydration in a Longwood hospital after being rescued this morning from the woods where she spent four days in alligator-infested woods and swampland near Lake Jesup.

Rescuers and other law-enforcement officials carried the 11-year-old girl out of the woods in a black sling shortly before noon, more than three hours after rescuer James King called 911 to report he had found her.

King, 44, of Orlando, was a volunteer searcher and a member of Metro Church, where the Blooms worship.

"I didn't all of a sudden see her," King said. "I was yelling, ‘Nadia! Nadia!' and she said, ‘What?'"

Nadia's father, Jeff Bloom, thanked the rescuers.

"It all came so fast and it just shows the compassion of the human spirit. It should give everybody encouragement," Jeff Bloom told reporters after rescue crews lifted his daughter into an ambulance.

When asked how he felt, Nadia's father said: "I can't even describe it. Let's give the glory to God."

Nadia, who has an autism-related disorder called Asperger's syndrome, was covered in bug bites, her feet were waterlogged and she was dehydrated, officials said. She was not wearing shoes when she was found, and she was described in good condition.

Tony Rand said to have used political pressure in attempt to buy company

Company's owner claims pressure by Tony Rand to sell - Politics - NewsObserver.com.

Buy Photo

TAKAAKI IWABU - [email protected]

Monitech has the contract to provide ignition interlock devices to stop drunken drivers. The company in based in Morrisville.

MORRISVILLE -- The owner of a company that sells devices to thwart drunken drivers says former Sen. Tony Rand tried to use political muscle to buy the business in 2004 for Law Enforcement Associates, a firm whose stockholders included Rand and several other high-ranking North Carolina politicians.

Rand, then the Senate majority leader, also served as co-chairman of the Governor's Highway Safety Program at the time. The Fayetteville Democrat was in a strong position to draft legislation governing the use of ignition interlocks and directly influence who got the lucrative state contract to sell the devices, which detect alcohol on a driver's breath and prevent the car from starting.

"He wanted my company," said Larry "Jerry" Mobley, the founder and sole owner of Monitech, based in Morrisville. "He's the guy in charge of writing the laws that deal with drunk driving. You couldn't ask for a clearer conflict of interest, and yet he assumed I'd be cool with that because we could make money."

Rand said last week that he has no memory of meeting with Mobley or making an offer to buy Monitech.

Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/04/11/431945/owner-claims-pressure-to-sell.html#ixzz0koyXci6j

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

MURDER SUSPECT MISTAKENLY RELEASED BY DOC

Modified Tue, Apr 06, 2010 02:24 PM

Man arrested for murder mistakenly released

RALEIGH On April 2, the state department of correction released William Otis "Jabo" Bryant from custody after he had served a little less than a year in prison for multiple felony violations.

But before authorities at the Bertie County Correctional Center set Bryant free, they should have checked with the Wake County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's reported today that Bryant should have never walked out of prison unescorted. Instead, he should have been placed in the custody of Wake sheriff's deputies who had charged him and his brother in February with first-degree murder, authorities reported today.

Wake Sheriff Donnie Harrison said his office expected to receive Bryant on April 2. "We filed the paperwork," Harrison said today. "Somehow or another, it slipped through the crack." Officials with the N.C. Department of Correction were unavailable for comment this afternoon.

Bryant, 40, is wanted on charges of first-degree murder and possession of a convicted felon, Stephens stated in a press statement today.

The charges stem from the 1999 shooting of a taxi driver in the parking lot of West Lake Elementary School in southern Wake County, authorities reported.

The sheriff's office charged Bryant and his brother Eric Reney Bryant in February with the slaying of Anthony Jaboin, 24, who died of a shotgun wound to the face.

Bryant was behind bars at the time of his arrest for murder, serving a sentence for narcotics after he was convicted in Wake County, Harrison said.

The Wake sheriff's office did not realize there had been a mistake with Bryant's unescorted release until yesterday at 8 a.m."He's got family here. Maybe he will come back here and try to find his relatives. Maybe he will turn himself in."

Anyone with information about Bryant's whereabouts should call the Wake County Sheriff's Office at 919-856-6911.

> [email protected] or (919) 673-5036

Arpaio gets inmates moving on electricity-generating cycles - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com

Arpaio gets inmates moving on electricity-generating cycles - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com.

Arpaio gets inmates moving on electricity-generating cycles

Reported by: Courtney Craig Email: [email protected] Last Update: 2:15 pm

(Eric English)

PHOENIX -- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is implementing a new inmate program at Tent City Jail called “Pedal Vision.”

The program uses inmate-powered cycles to generate electricity for televisions.

Reports say Arpaio’s recent visit to Tent City inspired the idea, when he saw that many of the inmates were overweight.

The stationary bikes are customized so that as an inmate pedals, a connected television is powered once the cycle generates 12 volts of electricity.

One hour of pedaling equals one hour of television viewing for the inmates, according to Arpaio.

Arpaio said the inmates will only be able to watch television in the television room if they choose to pedal.

"I started with the females because they seemed more receptive to the idea," Arpaio said. "The only exercise the females get right now is speed-walking around the tents yard and few are doing that. This gives them a reason to get moving and a way to burn up to 500 calories an hour. They won't be charged a monthly gym fee but they will have to sign a contract."

Sheriff Arpaio debuted the pilot program on April 1.