Lucy’s back. Board of Supervisors Questions police action and demands less secrecy.

Fairfax County police spokes “woman” Lucy Caldwell. …. you remember Lucy…she was the one who threw a fit with a local reporter when the reporter dared to question citizens reaction to yet another murder by the Fairfax County Police……well, Lucy and her hair trigger temper and contempt for a free press  are back on the job as the police information officer.  Here’s the information Lucy gave out to the media concerning this week’s questionable shooting of a Mount Vernon area citizen.

What is the dead man’s name?

I’m not releasing that information

How many cops were at the scene of the shooting? 

I’m not sure.

How many were inside the residence when the shooting occurred?

I’m not sure.

How many shots were fired?

I can’t say.

What is the victim name?

I’m not going to reveal that information.

Members of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors expressed deep concerns of a second questionable shooting of a citizen by the Fairfax County Police in less than a month and over the lack of transparency by the cops in releasing even the most mundane information about the killing.

Naw…the last part didn’t happen.  Pretty much our elected officials are far too intimidated by the police to actually stand up to them.

We’re on our own. 

At what point do you think we should have a police oversight board?

By Fredrick Kunkle, Published: May 21, The Washington Post

Some of Fairfax County’s most vulnerable people, and the nonprofit organizations and charities that serve them, fear that a key social services agency’s $8 million budget deficit could jeopardize programs for at-risk children and people with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse problems.

….but what really matters is the almost

$400,000,000

the police get to underwrite a navy and air force.

At what point do you think we should have a police oversight board?When the cops pull off another bank robbery? (One of them robbed a bank once, no kidding) A mass murder? Wholesale looting? What’s the starting point to spark the Board of Supervisors into stopping police misconduct in Fairfax County?

Now you can't say you didn't or you were just following orders. Aside from this, the dark history of the Fairfax County Police working against our community is found on the blog "Fairfax County Police greatest Hits" ....now you can't say you didn't know.

Do something.

In the past 12 months…………………

October 24, 2011 Fairfax Cop arrested for drunk driving

November 14, 2011, two Fairfax cops accused of beating an unarmed man walking home from work. The man has entered suit against the county, so we'll pay for what the cops do wrong. The cops? Doesn't cost them a dime.

September 2011, Fairfax cop charged with domestic assault

Feb 2012, several Fairfax County cops accused of beating up teenager in a McDonalds.

March 2012 Police Captain gets a five figure pay out due to interoffice pissing match

March 2012, a cop who “Resigned from the force for reasons that can not be released” two years ago, killed himself and teenage daughter with a pistol.

May 2012: Fairfax cop arrested for sexual assault.



And those only the incidents the cops HAD to explain to the public…

Sharon, we'll show the money if you read this article, you could learn something

Bristol Councilman: Don't Reward Police Misconduct

They couldn't block a disability pension for troubled Police Officer Marc Blazejowski, but council Republicans want to keep him from getting a ceremonial retirement badge.

"I don't think he has earned the right to this," member Ken Cockayne said at a council meeting Tuesday night.

Blazejowski, whose 12-year career was marred by erratic behavior and a long series of disciplinary actions, was awarded a disability pension by the police board last month. It will pay him 70 percent of his salary.

Several council Republicans were outraged that the police board approved the payments, saying the city should have fired him and then fought any resulting lawsuit in court. Cockayne and Councilman Henri Martin have estimated that Blazejowski, 34, will cost the pension fund $2 million or more over the course of his lifetime.

But the council has no standing to overturn the police board's decision. However, Cockayne said the city should skip its usual custom of giving a ceremonial badge. The council agreed Tuesday night to put off the decision for a month, but also voted to direct city officials not to give him the badge in the meantime.

Cockayne pressed Personnel Director Diane Ferguson to explain publicly how the city will prevent future cases like Blazejowski's.

"I'm sure these matters going forward will be handled more aggressively," she said.

Despite internal affairs reports that showed an extensive pattern of deeply troubling behavior in 2006, then-Chief John DiVenere didn't fire Blazejowski. DiVenere also let him stay on the job after police in Florida charged him with a felony in 2010. Ferguson, DiVenere and Mayor Art Ward have all offered varying explanations for why that happened.

Cockayne was the only council member who ever publicly challenged DiVenere during years of scandals, misconduct and coverups in the police department. After DiVenere retired under pressure, the city promoted Eric Osanitsch, a widely respected commander who is credited with rebuilding morale and restoring discipline in the department.

Show Sharon the money and get her to read this

County police review panel pushed

May 7, 2012 12:18 am

Allegheny County Councilman Bill Robinson says he will push for creation of a countywide citizens police review board similar to the agency already operating in Pittsburgh.

His proposal would be one element of what he describes as a multi-pronged effort to hold law enforcement officials more accountable to the people they serve.

"I want to make sure that everybody is playing by the same rules," he told his council colleagues last week. "Nobody, including police officers, should be above the law."

He made those remarks at a council meeting where he introduced and then withdrew an advisory motion calling for a special state prosecutor to look into police misconduct anywhere in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Robinson, D-Hill District, said he planned to resubmit his proposal as a resolution, which would require two votes by council to take effect. Both the withdrawn motion and planned resolution would call on the state Legislature to require the appointment of a special prosecutor to look at all claims of police abuse.

The impetus behind Mr. Robinson's recommendation is the case of Jordan Miles. Supporters of Mr. Miles say three white Pittsburgh police officers used excessive force in their efforts to subdue the young black man in January 2010. Mr. Miles, who had just turned 18 and was an honor student at Pittsburgh School for the Creative and Performing Arts, was walking to his grandmother's house in Homewood. They describe his case as an example of racial profiling.

Police said Mr. Miles appeared to be carrying a weapon, although none was found, and had fled from the plainclothes officers, who tackled him.

While an organization called The Alliance for Police Accountability has held a series of rallies around the city to demand that policemen involved in the case be criminally charged, the U.S. attorney's office investigated the confrontation and declined to prosecute the officers for civil rights violations.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. said Friday his office is continuing its active investigation into the case.

Mr. Robinson's proposal to establish a citizens police review board would create an investigative and advisory agency similar to the one created by Pittsburgh voters in a 1997 referendum.

There are more than 100 police departments and agencies across the county, Mr. Robinson said. The county review board would be empowered to look into complaints from the public about any of those departments, including city police, he said. The board would then report its findings to county council, the county executive, individual municipal leaders and the district attorney.

Mr. Robinson's call for independent investigations of police conduct drew support from four speakers at council's Tuesday meeting. They included Tim Stevens, former president of the Pittsburgh NAACP and chairman of the Black Political Empowerment Project, or B-PEP.

Mr. Zappala's investigation of the Jordan Miles incident has gone on too long without a resolution, Mr. Stevens said. "There are too many cases of alleged police abuse where no action is taken," he said.

Mr. Zappala defended his office's record on allegations of police misconduct.

Mr. Robinson's claim that Mr. Zappala "had no history of prosecuting white police officers accused of mistreating people of color" was flat-out wrong, the district attorney said, citing two high-profile cases.

His office charged a Pittsburgh Housing Authority police officer, John Charmo, in the 1995 shooting death of a black man in the Armstrong Tunnel. Charmo pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in 2001.

In 1999, Mr. Zappala's office charged city police officer Jeffrey Cooperstein with homicide in the shooting death of a black man at a police checkpoint on Second Avenue. Mr. Cooperstein was acquitted.

Both Charmo and Mr. Cooperstein are white.

Elizabeth Pittinger, executive director of Pittsburgh's Citizens Police Review Board, said a county version of her agency was worth pursuing.

Her agency is restricted to reviewing the actions of city police.

"We do receive complaints from outlying areas about police conduct where people don't have any recourse," she said. "A new county board could allow for an independent, objective review of civilian complaints."

Had enough?  Write to the Speaker of the House, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515 and demand federal hearings into the police problem in America.  Demand mandatory body cameras for cops, one strike rule on abuse, and a permanent  DOJ office on Police Misconduct.

We're taking up a fund to get Sharon the money to read this

Supporters Pack Council Chambers for Chamberlain, Hannon

Family and members of the police, military, clergy and White Plains Community packed the White Plains Common Council chambers Monday night asking for accountability and oversight in the White Plains Police Bureau.
“We are appalled and horrified with what appears to be no action taken on behalf of the White Plains Common Council and Police Commissioner David Chong to seek justice,” said Rev. Odinga Lawrence Maddox of Mt. Hope A.M.E. Zion Church, at the meeting on behalf of the Ministers Fellowship Council of White Plains.
Most who attended the “Citizens to be Heard” portion of meeting were there supporting the family of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr.—who was shot and killed by White Plains Police on Nov. 19—and White Plains Officer Michael Hannon—who alleges that Assistant Police Chief Anne FitzSimmons assaulted and impaired him.
Kenneth Chamberlain Jr. is asking that all of the officers who responded to his 68-year-old father’s apartment at 135 S. Lexington that night be suspended pending the outcome of a federal investigation.
The Chamberlain family and lawyers said that Chamberlain, a heart patient, accidently set off his medical alert device and was harassed and taunted by police who responded to the call. They said police had no right to force their way into his apartment, since Chamberlain repeatedly told police that he was fine and didn’t need assistance.
They said the actions of the police is what caused Chamberlain to become upset, and lead to his eventual death.
Police said that they’ve visited Chamberlain’s apartment before and knew he was emotionally disturbed and had a criminal background. They said they weren’t sure if there was anyone else in the apartment, and had to make sure that all was well in the apartment before they left.
Once police attempted to break into the apartment, officers reported that Chamberlain threatened them verbally and with various knives causing police to use a Taser on him, then fire four bean bag rounds on him, which they said had no effect on him. According to police reports, Carelli was forced to fatally shot Chamberlain because he was coming at another officer with a knife.
Commissioner David Chong said Tuesday that all of the officers’ actions are being investigated administratively.
Officer Anthony Carelli—who fatally shot Chamberlain—and Officer Steven Hart—who is accused of calling Chamberlain the n-word—are on modified desk assignment duty for the time being. Both officers are involved in separate pending lawsuits, where they are accused of police brutality in incidents that allegedly also involve race.
Some have alleged that there is a pattern of abuse and racial discrimination in White Plains, to which Chong responded, “This department has a very good history of having a good relationship with the community and that has proved through our crime statistics and the low crime quality of life.”
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced last week that there was no reason to indict city police in the shooting.
“The grand jury has spoken and we thank them for their due diligence,” said Chong. “Now it’s on me to do an administrative investigation.”
Chong has said the administrative investigation will include a review of the officers and their actions, as well as a look at police policies and procedures—including how they deal with mentally disturbed individuals.
The U.S. District Attorney’s Office will review the case, as is customary. The Chamberlain family said they also plan to file a federal civil rights wrongful death suit against the City of White Plains.
“The use of offensive terms by the neighborhood conditions unit, strongly suggest the existence of a bias mentality,” said Chamberlain Jr., at the meeting. “The lack of a criminal indictment also sends a message to the minorities of this city that their lives are worthless.”
DiFiore confirmed that officers used a racial slur during their encounter with Chamberlain—and according to The Daily News, said it was used as a tactic to distract Chamberlain.
Damon Jones, a New York representative for Blacks in Law Enforcement of America, said that the police department was in violation of its own policy in both the Chamberlain and Hannon incidents with the use of racial slurs, and lack of an internal investigation into FitzSimmons’ alleged actions and the use of violent behavior (see the attached PDF provided by Jones).
“You can’t expect the officers to act professionally with citizens and taxpayers in White Plains if the management of the police department is not setting a good example,” said Jones “They’re not following their own policy on how an officer should behave in the White Plains Police Department, so what do we expect if there is no accountability.”
Click on the video to hear Hannon’s account of the incident. He currently has a pending lawsuit against the city. Chong said the incident with FitzSimmons is a personell mater that the department is investigating, and will make a decision in that incident.
Jones, a correctional officer, also mentioned that in his 23 years of law enforcement he has disarmed many individuals who were in better health than Chamberlain and who had weapons, without having to take their lives.
The director for Occupy Marines, which represents 30,000 former and current U.S. Marines, Hairo Gonzalez, a.k.a. HyDro the People’s Hero, also spoke at the meeting saying, “Myself and the rest of the Marines, we demand justice—and we ain’t playin’.”
Others said they would like to see justice so that White Plains can heal from this tragic ordeal.
“We’re concerned about the soul of our city,” said Pastor Edward Williamson of Bethel Baptist Church. “We are being known as the place where the police shooting took place—and that’s not the image I would like for us to have as a city. That’s not the image we would like for our children to have, our youth who we want to cooperate and not fear police officers—but work with them as partners in the community.”
The White Plains Common Council approved the commissioning of an independent review panel of experts to study the White Plains Police Department, the incident, police actions, procedures and policies.
“We want a conclusion here of what happened, not just for the family involved, not for the police officers involved—but for the whole community,” said Roach. “And I can tell you now, the type of language you are talking about is unacceptable to be said by anybody who works for this city, but it’s got to go through its process.”

Sharon....what would you charge to read this?

 Fight crime with oversight

With pensions, Medicaid and an end-of-the-month adjournment on their minds, Illinois senators may not have much interest in establishing yet another oversight panel for the East St. Louis area.

But it's important that they enact House Bill 1404, which would create a nonpaid oversight commission for the police departments in East St. Louis, Brooklyn, Alorton and Washington Park. The public's safety, in these communities and throughout the metro-east, should improve because of it.

These communites have some of the highest crime rates but are the least equipped to respond to it. In addition to a lack of personnel and equipment they have histories of spotty leadership, political interference and ethical issues. In the past year 18 felony charges have been filed against law enforcers from these communities.

The result is that many criminals are never caught or prosecuted. And since criminals are mobile, that can lead to crime throughout the metro-east.

The commission would stress law enforcement best practices and accountability in exchange for helping get more resources for departments. If the communities want additional funds they will have to follow the commission rules. For East St. Louis, one of the strings attached to any money should be that bars and clubs close at a reasonable hour.

Even better than the oversight plan are the people behind it. St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelly and U.S. Attorney Steve Wigginton think this can be a way to improve the quality of law enforcement and lower the crime rates. They have a stellar record of creative solutions to longstanding problems, so this idea deserves a try. We urge the state Senate to approve the bill

We're taking up a collection to pay Sharon to read this, we can probably at least match what the police union is paying not to read this

Aerial drones are law-enforcement tools that need formal oversight

The Seattle Police Department needs to work through the Seattle City Council to put the potential of aerial drones and their privacy issues into regulated perspective.

 USE of aerial drones by the Seattle Police Department needs formal oversight to establish operating procedures and periodic performance reviews by the Seattle City Council.

 Encourage Seattle police to learn about and put the technology to limited, defined uses, but do not leave the door open for what is called mission creep in other settings.

Do it by ordinance, not by policy nods, promises and good intentions.

 The council already knows how that works. A contrite assistant Seattle police chief appeared before the council to apologize for not keeping the council better informed on the department's plans for using drones.

These unmanned aircraft systems are hot in law enforcement for lots of reasons, some even related to crime fighting. Money is available from the feds to pay for them, manufacturers are looking for new markets, and, gee, the police and sheriffs in other states have them.

 The drones can be equipped with high-resolution cameras, heat sensors and radar that can be employed in search and rescue, fighting wildfires and tactical police operations.

How the gear is used and evolves over time is the issue that raises fundamental privacy concerns. Safety issues with the drones, either aloft in airspace or over populated areas, is also a worry.

Sorting out the legalities of aerial surveillance is a concern. Anyone out in the open does not get much protection from privacy laws. Step outside, and airborne law enforcement trolling for lawbreakers does not need warrants, the courts have said.

 Start piling on zoom lens, night vision, see-through imaging and video analytics, and the imperatives for defining privacy, requiring warrants and oversight climb as high as the drones.

 The American Civil Liberties Union of Washington raises good points and questions about usage restrictions, image-retention limits, and regular audits and reviews of drones as a law-enforcement tool.

 Give Seattle police the latitude to use drones, but define their limitations via city ordinance.

My response to spending money on cop cameras

When the police tell me what to do, we'll do it, end of story




Spend $90,000 on cameras to rope in the cops and save the people of Fairfax County several million paid out in law suits caused by the punks within the police ranks....cameras cost is less than the Fairfax County Police Royal Entitlement Navy and AirForce...but unlike the Fairfax County Police Royal Entitlement Navy, the cameras actually do something.

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — Albuquerque police are going to require officers to use cameras to record all encounters with the public.

The Albuquerque Journal reports (http://bit.ly/KO6kVn) that the department is slated to put the new requirement, an expansion of a current policy, into effect Sunday.

Presently, officers are required to use small, digital lapel-mounted cameras to record searches and disorderly conduct arrests. But under the new requirement, the small cameras will be on every time an officer interacts with a member of the public.

Police Chief Ray Schultz said the change was recommended by the Police Oversight Commission. He said the department has purchased about 200 of the newer pen cameras for about $60 apiece.

"Hopefully, this will help to resolve some of the issues that have been ongoing," Schultz said, referring to officers' versions of events, particularly in use of force cases, being called into question by community groups.

The new cameras also come as the department faces heat from civil rights groups for 24 officer-involved shootings — 17 fatal — since 2010. They have been pressing for a U.S. Justice Department investigation into the shootings, but federal officials have not said if they would probe the department.

Meanwhile, the Albuquerque Police Department has instituted a number of reforms, including raising the requirements for incoming officers and having an independent

review panel look into all officer-involved shootings.

By last summer, each of the more than 650 uniformed officers had been issued a lapel camera, Schultz said. The department has bought more than 1,200 of the easily breakable cameras for about $100 each since the department began ordering them in 2010.

Schultz said the new pen cameras will help with investigations. "We continue to see good results where the officers are exonerated after having false complaints made against them," he said.

Schultz said the policy change is likely to create a "logistical nightmare" for APD administrative staff. The department's officers respond to more than 1,500 calls for service per day on average.

"The technology still continues to emerge, and it is not yet perfect," he said. "We're trying to work through the bugs, and the biggest problem for us is going to be how to copy and retain the video from the cameras."

Officers can be reprimanded for not turning on their recorders, Schultz said. An officer could be fired if he or she repeatedly fails to record encounters.

Lapel cameras hold about six hours of video. The pen cameras hold less than two hours.