Who Watches The Watchers

House Democrat Wants States To Get Paid To Seize Guns

"Rep. Mike Thompson, a Democratic congressman from California, has introduced a bill that would call for the federal government to pay states to take guns away from criminals and the 'dangerously mentally ill' who are prohibited from owning them. The Armed Prohibited Persons Act of 2013 would create a program within the Justice Department to give money to states that track down people who are barred from having firearms but own them anyway." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHouse Democrat Wants States To Get Paid To Seize Guns

Officer Claims Cops Sell LAPD Guns to Civilians and Dealers

"Los Angeles police officers bought and sold guns from the police armory for profit, and told the lieutenant in charge of the armory to 'watch his back' after he reported it, the 25-year LAPD veteran claims in court. Armando Perez sued the City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Police Department in Superior Court. Perez, who joined the LAPD in 1987, claims he was retaliated against, suspended and threatened after he discovered, through his job as 'Officer in Charge of the Armory,' that officers in the Metropolitan Division were buying and reselling guns to other officers, civilians and gun dealers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficer Claims Cops Sell LAPD Guns to Civilians and Dealers

Apparently, Perjury Isn’t a Crime When Police Commit It

"Last October third, a Salt Lake City SWAT team, working with a federal Drug Task Force, kicked in the door of a 76-year-old woman. It turned out that the raiders had attacked the wrong home; the target was the house next door. An internal review learned that officer responsible for the raid, Detective Cooper Landvatter, falsified information in the affidavit filed to obtain the warrant. Police Chief Chris Burbank imposed a 20-hour suspension on Detective Landvatter. However, the officer faces no further disciplinary action or criminal charges for committing perjury and abetting a home invasion that terrorized an elderly woman." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingApparently, Perjury Isn’t a Crime When Police Commit It

Former Denver cop Hector Paez gets 8 years for assault, kidnapping

"Former Denver Police officer Hector Paez has been sentenced to eight years in prison for sexual assault and kidnapping, the Denver District Attorney's Office announced Friday. Paez, now 33, was in uniform May 16, 2010, when he came in contact with the victim, a 36-year-old woman, and ran a background check on her, finding an outstanding arrest warrant out of Jefferson County. Paez then took the woman to an isolated area and coerced her into 'performing a sexual act to avoid being taken to jail,' the DA's office said when charges were filed." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFormer Denver cop Hector Paez gets 8 years for assault, kidnapping

Ex-sheriff charged with drug distribution, selling guns from evidence

"A former sheriff is due in court Monday for a pre-trial hearing. Former Carter County Sheriff Tommy Adams is charged with two felonies of distribution of a controlled substance, for methamphetamine and cocaine. He's also charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Adams pleaded guilty in April 2012 to federal charges for stealing firearms that had been seized as evidence, then selling some of them. Adams' former deputy, former Carter County Deputy Steffanie Kearbey, pleaded guilty to the same federal charges." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEx-sheriff charged with drug distribution, selling guns from evidence

US DOT Blasts Mississippi For Diverting DUI Funds To Speeding Tickets

"Mississippi police agencies have been diverting federal grant funds intended to combat drunk driving into an expansion of the use of speed traps. The US Department of Transportation's inspector general chided the NHTSA for its lax administration of the 'Section 154' grant program that failed to prevent the misuse of taxpayer money. 2926 citations were issued by 127 state and local police officers using the DUI grant money. The analysis found 73 percent of the officers issued no drunk-driving related citations at all. There were only 147 DUI arrests or citations, and the rest were for speeding, seat belt use or other minor infractions." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUS DOT Blasts Mississippi For Diverting DUI Funds To Speeding Tickets

Texas proposes one of nation’s “most sweeping” mobile privacy laws

"Privacy experts say that a pair of new mobile privacy bills recently introduced in Texas are among the 'most sweeping' ever seen. If passed, the new bills would establish a well-defined, probable-cause-driven warrant requirement for all location information. That's not just data from GPS, but potentially pen register, tap and trace, and tower location data as well. Such data would be disclosed to law enforcement 'if there is probable cause to believe the records disclosing location information will provide evidence in a criminal investigation.' Further, the bills would require an annual transparency report from mobile carriers to the public and to the state government." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTexas proposes one of nation’s “most sweeping” mobile privacy laws

2 Miami police officers arrested on ID- theft, tax-refund charges

"Malinsky Bazile, a young Miami police officer, pocketed about $140,000 over the past two years — but not in salary for his patrol duties, authorities say. While on duty, Bazile ran the names of more than 1,000 people in the state driver’s license database, according to a criminal complaint. Then he took their personal information and filed bogus federal income-tax returns, all to score stolen refunds. Bazile and fellow officer Vital Frederick, separately accused of tapping into the same database, were both arrested Thursday." Continue reading →

Continue Reading2 Miami police officers arrested on ID- theft, tax-refund charges

Man spends 2 years forgotten about in solitary after DWI arrest

"A New Mexico man who said he was forced to pull his own tooth while in solitary confinement because he was denied access to a dentist has been awarded $22 million due to inhumane treatment by New Mexico's Dona Ana County Jail. Stephen Slevin was arrested in August of 2005 for driving while intoxicated, then thrown in jail for two years. He was in solitary at Dona Ana County Jail for his entire sentence and basically forgotten about and never given a trial, he told NBC station KOB.com Tuesday night." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan spends 2 years forgotten about in solitary after DWI arrest