"The GEO Group (GEO) is a for-profit prison company based in Boca Raton, Fla., that calls itself 'the world's leading provider of correctional and detention management and community reentry services to federal, state and local government agencies.' It can also call itself the world's leading provider of Florida Atlantic University Owls football, having paid $6 million to put its name on the school's stadium." Continue reading →
"The nascent drone industry is coming under threat from lawmakers on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures who are weighing restrictions on their use in the United States. Manufacturers of unmanned aerial systems say there is vast potential for police departments and law enforcement officials to use drones in their work. But eighteen states have considered bills that would limit the use of unmanned aerial systems, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, and more are likely to follow suit. Several court cases have upheld law enforcement agencies’ rights to aerially surveil citizens, but privacy advocates say drone flights will reopen the debate." Continue reading →
"Lucy, who suffers from Spina bifida and is confined to a wheelchair was on her way to Disney World when she was stopped after going through security at her home airport. She, along with her parents and siblings made it through the security checkpoint without a problem until the TSA stopped them on their way to their gate. TSA promptly took away Lucy's favorite toy which led her to weep uncontrollably. TSA demanded that her parents stop recording. Lucy's father, a lawyer, told them that he was legally allowed to record them and her mother said repeatedly 'you're not touching my daughter' without a camera documenting their actions." Continue reading →
"Rep. Brett Hildabrand wants to stop what he sees as over-the-top searches at the airport gate that distress innocent passengers by acting as if even the most unlikely pose a threat to air safety. 'Air travelers are subjected to aggressive, humiliating pat-downs, many of which would land the average stranger off the street in jail,' the Shawnee Republican said. 'But because the federal government has given someone a blue uniform and a badge, we are told that person has authority over our bodies and we must endure.'" Continue reading →
"The NYPD is taking a more proactive approach to trying to prevent future crimes by people who are not receiving court-ordered mental health treatment. The city has come up with a list of 25 such individuals and, if found, they will be forced to receive treatment. Judge Andrew Napolitano weighed in on the city’s plan this morning on Fox and Friends, arguing that it is not the job of police to try to predict who might commit a crime based on how they are acting." Continue reading →
"On the back of Jonas-Boggioni’s car was a Buckeye leaf decal, similar to the one players’ have on their helmets, and cops mistakenly thought it was marijuana leaf. After trying to explain that the sticker was not a marijuana leaf and that she and her husband were not trafficking drugs cross-country, the police advised Jonas-Boggioni to remove the sticker as to not cause any more confusion. You know, just in case there were any other moronic drug cops out there that didn’t actually know what a marijuana leaf looked like." Continue reading →
"A Broward Sheriff’s deputy caught on camera unloading a torrent of obscenities and threats — including death at the hands of alligators — at a man being investigated for causing a disturbance was issued a written reprimand and allowed back on the force. The video from a patrol car of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper captures Deputy Alan Dubinski speaking to Jessie Merchant, a man with whom Dubinski has a law-enforcement related history, as Merchant was being investigated for causing a disturbance." Continue reading →
"Roadside sobriety tests can be used only to gather evidence to convict a driver, not to exonerate him, according to the Kansas Supreme Court. The decision came down in the case of Bruno Edgar, who was stopped at a driver's license roadblock on July 29, 2007. The officer decided to conduct three of the standard field sobriety tests. Edgar passed the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, passed the one-leg stand and 'did fine' on the nine-step walk-and-turn test. The officer then told Edgar he had no choice but to submit to a preliminary breath test (PBT) and that he had no right to consult an attorney regarding the test. Edgar failed and was convicted of DUI." Continue reading →
"Two Los Angeles Police Department officers are under investigation for allegedly preying on women over a period of five years, luring them into an unmarked car and forcing them to perform sex acts, according to court records. The pair repeatedly used the threat of jail to get women into their car and drove them to secluded areas where one of the officers demanded sex while the other kept watch, the warrant alleges. Valenzuela and Nichols worked together until recently as narcotics officers in the Hollywood Division. Investigators have identified four women who encountered the pair and made similar independent accusations against them." Continue reading →
"What if I told you police in your town could desensitize themselves to the idea of shooting a (armed) child, pregnant woman, or young mother, for just a couple of bucks? The 'No More Hesitation' series from Law Enforcement Targets Inc. offers exactly that. For less than 99 cents per target, police can shoot at real-life images 'designed to give officers the experience of dealing with deadly force shooting scenarios with subjects that are not the norm during training.' The series contains seven targets in all, titled Pregnant Woman, Older Man 1, Older Man 2, Older Woman, Young Mother, Young Girl, and Little Brother. Each of the depicted subjects is armed." Continue reading →