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Obama stripping CIA of drone powers

“President Barack Obama is putting the finishing touches on a deal to strip the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of its control over the nation’s drone aircraft, putting that offensive military capability in the hands of the Department of Defense, The Daily Beast reported Wednesday. Citing three unnamed senior officials as his source, reporter Daniel Klaidman explained that the transition would take place over the course of a year, during which time the CIA would still be involved in marking targets for drone strikes and working alongside their Department of Defense counterparts.” Continue reading →

Bipartisan bill would require a warrant for police to search emails

“A bill introduced Tuesday by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Lee (R-UT) would require police obtain a warrant before scouring a suspect’s email accounts. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act Amendments Act (PDF), which was also introduced in the last Congress, returns right as the Obama administration has signaled readiness to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 by applying the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure to some emails stored on cloud services. Good news for Leahy and Lee: It appears the Obama administration agrees, at least in principle.” Continue reading →

U.K. police hope to sniff out pot growers with marijuana-scented cards

“Thousand of houses in the UK are being sent marijuana-scented ‘scratch and sniff’ cards in a new bid to track down marijuana growers. The charity group Crimestoppers explained the cards were designed to educate residents about the smell of marijuana. They hope once people can recognize the smell of cannabis plants, they will be able to help law enforcement officials identify illegal growing operations. The green-and-black cards also provide other signs to look out for, including homes that have ‘visitors at unsociable hours’ or buildings that generate an excessive amount of heat. Homes with closed blinds should be under suspicion as well.” Continue reading →

Second New York cop confirms illegal arrest and ticket ‘quota’ system

“A second New York Police Department officer confirmed Wednesday that the department’s management continued using a system of quotas for arrests and citations even after the legislature explicitly banned the practice. Officer Pedro Serrano, 43, said he was labeled a ‘rat’ for refusing to bring in the 20 citations and one arrest per month required of him. Serrano also confirmed that the police union had accepted the quota system. Audio published Tuesday features another witness, officer Adhyl Polanco, speaking to a representative of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, who says the union trustees are okay with the requirement.” Continue reading →

Washington cops working to ‘desensitize’ drug dogs to marijuana smell

“Police in Washington state are working to retrain their drug-sniffing dogs so that they’re less likely to alert when they smell marijuana. The retraining is part of the state’s law enforcement reforms following November’s voter-backed legalization measure, which will ultimately require police to notify judges as to whether a drug dog used to obtain probable cause for a search has been trained to comply with state law. While most departments are going along with the change, including the Washington State Patrol, the Tacoma Police Department is refusing to comply.” Continue reading →

Maryland lawmakers ban death penalty

“The Maryland General Assembly approved a ban of the death penalty on Friday, CNN reported. The bill, which passed in an 82-56 voted, now goes to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) for approval. According to WUSA-TV, he is expected to sign the bill into effect and make Maryland the 18th state to abolish the death penalty. O’Malley will also have the option of commuting the sentences of the state’s five inmates currently on death row to life in prison.” Continue reading →

Colorado corrections department chief killed at his home

“Authorities in Colorado are looking for suspects in the shooting death of the director of the state department of corrections, Tom Clements, at his home Tuesday night. KCNC-TV reported Wednesday morning that Clements was shot while answering the front door of his home in Monument, Colorado, around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. Though emergency reponders were called in, Clements was pronounced dead at the scene. According to The Associated Press, Clements was appointed by Hickenlooper to head the department in 2011 after working in the Missouri Department of Corrections for more than 30 years.” Continue reading →

Man’s Home Raided After Son’s Facebook Picture Shows Gun

“After seeing a photo of an 11-year-old boy holding a rifle on Facebook (photo shown cropped at right), New Jersey police and Department of Children and Families officials raided the home of the boy’s father, Shawn Moore, a firearms instructor. Moore was not arrested or charged, but immediately sought the counsel of his lawyer. Moore is a certified firearms instructor for the National Rifle Association, an NRA range safety officer, and a New Jersey hunter education instructor. He posted a photograph of his son wearing camouflage and holding his .22 rifle. The boy has a New Jersey hunting license and has passed the state’s hunter safety course.” Continue reading →