Sheriff @ MindSay 
My neighbor (one of them) down the road to the west was out grading his lane and mowing the side of his lane. Nothing unusual about that right? Wrong! He was wearing his County Sheriff's badge on the outside of his workshirt and had a red light (those flashing kind that vol. folks use in rural areas for their pick up trucks and cars) down by his feet!
I burst out laughing my ass off and about sideswipped the guard rail right before I got to the top of his lane where he was waiting for me to go by so he could turn around! What made this so funny was the fact the tractor he was using to grade his lane and mow the side of his lane is such an antique thing that there was NO WAY in this wide universe he was going to catch me or anyone else with his tractor if he was going to try it! But he just had to have that red light ready to put on top of the tractor engine cover!
What was he going to do, slap that red light up top, slap that tractor in high (maybe 10 mph) and go after Thumpers brother for munching on his grass clippings!
My Gods we have a true blue Redneck for our County Sheriff and he is one of my neighbor's to boot! Goddess help me!
Sheriff's deputies are drawing blood on individuals suspected of DUI in the field. EVEN if there is a hospital within a mile and the time it would take to get a suspect there would be less than that which would be necessary for the deputy to draw the blood...The blood is often drawn with the suspect sitting in the back of the deputy's car, or, worse, with the suspect standing up! This is so awful in my opinion, because the law enforcement officer does not have the health and safety of the suspect in mind, as the health professional would. Not to mention, I would not hesitate to put it past a cop, if they were convinced that the person was intoxicated but were unable to prove this with the initial breath test if they did do that first, to somehow taint the sample, which he or she could readily do without anyone observing, as the car provides all of the privacy necessary.
In a medical center, there are constantly people around who would question a medical professional if they were doing something that appeared odd with a blood sample (ie. pouring a contaminant into it, etc...), as well, if they weren't using proper technique when drawing a sample, others would see this and likely intervene. However, while in a car or on the side of the road, the deputy is not monitored while drawing blood and stopped if it is being done improperly.
Recently, a test pilot for the a branch of the armed forces was pulled over during a random DUI checkpoint stop and forced (he refused and apparently, the sheriff deputy simply tased him in the back of the neck and took the blood by force, even though the man had agreed to the breathalyser immediately, that wasn't what the cop had chosen to do) to submit to the blood draw right then and there...He subsequently developed a severe and unrelenting infection at the site of the needle entry and had to undergo five months of treatment for this infective process, as well as relinquishing his full-time job due to repeated illness secondary to the infections. He sued the Pima County Sheriff Department and won $500,000.00 in damages and they were forced to stop the practice of legally tasering people to force them to submit to these blood draws. As I already stated above, now they can "only" threaten you with the loss of your driver's license for one year. How shitty!
Let me know what you think about this or if you have any additional information about the situation. I would love to hear other's opinions!
Texas Senator Seeks Limits on 'Untraceable' Prepaid Cellphones
The Dallas Morning News, (01/31/08), Steve Thompson
A proposal by Texas Sen. John Carona that will require customers purchasing disposable cellphones to provide ID and limit their purchase to only three cellphones is likely to make the phones less appealing to criminal and possibly terrorists. Carona's plan also includes a provision that would require prepaid cellphone service providers to maintain phone records and make them available to police.
www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/politics/state/
stories/020108dnmetcellphones.3156e7f.html
Federal Grant to Help Launch Police Data-Sharing System
The Joplin Globe, (01/31/08), Susan Redden
Federal funding in the amount of $850,000 in addition to $700,000 in funds received in 2001 will be used to finalize a wireless information sharing system for three Missouri counties. The system will allow local law enforcement to collaborate and share information, and when the system is completed it will connect to a statewide system. Officials hope to have the system up and running later this summer. www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_031231944.html
Licence Scans Tilt Odds in Our Favour
The Ottawa Citizen, (02/04/08), Dave Brown
In Canada, license plate scanning is being used not only to identify stolen cars, but also cars that are uninsured or linked to a suspended or unlicensed driver. Officials hope this effort will reflect in lower costs to insured drivers. The Insurance Bureau of Canada fully funded tests of the license plate scanning systems in Southern Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Cameras mounted on police cars scan as many as 3,000 plates an hour. Images of the plates are run through the on-board computer, which is updated constantly with information from the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and the insurance industry. If there is a match, the system alerts the officer. In British Columbia, the tests were so positive they have added a police helicopter to the program.
www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/columnists/story.html?id=c6bce478-8aae-4694-83d6-4f967892bce4
New Device Could Help Rescuers Locate Missing Hikers, Skiers, Snowmobilers
7News, (01/30/08), Russell Haythorn
A new device serves to keep outdoor enthusiasts in touch, and in the event of an emergency will also help emergency services and rescuers locate the person in trouble. Spot Satellite Messenger has a simple four-button function-an on/off switch and an additional three buttons that provide status updates on the customer. The "okay" button transmits an okay e-mail/text message to family and friends; the "help" button alerts family and friends and transmits the user's coordinates, closest city information, and provides a Google map that pinpoints exact location; and finally a "911" button to be used for those instances of serious distress. Customers use their home computer to set up the messages for each of the status buttons ahead of time, as well as designate who they want to receive the messages.
www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15181175/detail.html
Traffic Scofflaws in for Rude Awakening: Technology to Leave Ticket Collectors No Place to Hide
Chicago Tribune, (02/05/08), Eric Zorn
Chicago's Department of Revenue will use automatic license plate recognition as part of a new program that includes 26 vans roaming city streets identifying vehicles with multiple unpaid parking or red-light violations. The AutoVu system allows these crews to perform their task nine times faster than the previous manual method. The slowest part is post system identification, when the crew double checks the information and applies the boot to the vehicles. This more streamlined process has provided the city a chance to redeploy 17 employees to write tickets and it is hoped to generate an increase in ticket revenue, which was estimated at $165 million last year.
www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-zorn_05feb05,1,7581666.column?ctrack=1&cset=true
Police Go Live Monitoring D.C. Crime Cameras
Washington Post, (02/11/08), Allison Klein
In an effort to fight crime, District of Columbia police will begin to monitor 10 to 15 of the city's 73 cameras for about 40 hours a week. Prior to the implementation of Chief C. Lanier's plan, the cameras were used as part of the investigation of a crime after the fact. The 10 to 15 cameras will be chosen based on statistics and trends for the various areas of the city. The city adopted camera surveillance almost 10 years ago to help with inaugurations and demonstrations.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/10/AR2008021002726.html
Speed Camera Catches Vehicles Going 100 MPH
NBC 4, (01/31/08)
The Montgomery County Police Department has implemented the use of fixed speed-enforcement cameras in an effort to slow drivers in residential and school zones. The police were aware that they would catch some drivers going fast, but they didn't anticipate capturing images of someone going over 100 mph through a school zone. During the early morning hours of November 14, 2007, a fixed speed-enforcement camera took images of a car doing 110 mph in front of Wheaton High School, where the posted speed is 35 mph. On December 20, 2007, another camera captured a driver going 76 mph in a 35 mph zone. The use of these cameras has freed up officers to handle other issues and has earned the department $2.8 million in ticket revenue since the program began.
www.nbc4.com/news/15181421/detail.html
New ID Checks Begin
Cleburne Times-Review, (01/31/08), Lisa Magers
New procedures will be implemented by the Cleburne ISD schools in Texas in an effort to provide a safe learning environment for students and staff. The check-in procedures will have visitors present a valid driver's license or State-issued ID that office personnel will scan and check against multiple nationwide sex offender databases. If there is an issue the system will alert the office staff. Otherwise, the system uses the scanned information from the ID to produce a nametag for the visitor that includs an image of the individual's ID, a time stamp, and a reason for the visit. Another alert option available on the system relates to private alerts that are specific to individuals and to restraining orders, custody, or visitors that have been banned.
www.cleburnetimesreview.com/local/local_story_031190012.html
Essex Hopes $438K Grant Will Heat Up Cold Cases
The Star-Ledger, (02/03/08), William Kleinknecht
Funding in the amount of $438,000 from the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), will help Essex County (New Jersey) establish a cold-case team to re-examine evidence from unsolved crimes and, where possible, apply any new, cutting-edge DNA tools that may help solve the crime. Under the President's DNA Initiative, NIJ has awarded funding for cold-case investigations in 29 States. Forgotten clues-rope, gum, cigarette butts, or a hat-may still contain some usable biological material that may be analyzed and matched to evidence found at other crime scenes or DNA obtained from a convicted criminal. It is hoped that this funding can be used to close some of Essex County's unsolved crimes.
www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1202017039159760.xml&coll=1
High-Tech Goggles Mean Police Won't Be in the Dark
Citizen.com, (01/31/08), Cutter Mitchell
A program used to put phased-out military equipment in the hands of law enforcement has helped the Alton (NH) Police Department acquire PVS-7B night vision goggles. Understanding the need for such goggles in assisting in situations like burglaries or missing hikers, Police Chief Philip Smith Jr. worked with the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office of the U.S. Central Command Air Forces to attain the equipment. The value of a pair of the night vision goggles is between $3,500 to $4,000; however, through the program the goggles were donated at no cost. With that in mind the department is exploring the possibility of obtaining an infrared device that is larger than the one the department presently uses, which could be used with the night vision goggles during a missing person search.
www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/GJNEWS02/263570658/-1/CITNEWS
Binoculars Will Aid City Police at Night
StatesmanJournal, (02/01/08), Dennis Camire
The Salem Police Department will be receiving $13,000 in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant funding toward the purchase of night-vision binoculars for the investigations department. The grant is part of 22 awards made to 22 Oregon counties at a total amount of $350,000. The DHS funding is hoped to help first responders with the management of operations and prevent or respond to terrorist events.
www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006802010305
Courts Look to Improve Availability and Reduce Paper
St. Cloud Times, (02/01/08), David Unze
At the end of February, a test will be conducted in a small courtroom in Stearns County (MN) concerning how information is shared within the courthouse. The transition will be from a system that is mostly dependant on paper to a system that will use electronic files and records to help reach a point where those involved in a case would leave with judge's orders in hand and not have to wait several weeks for those orders to be distributed. Stearns County presently has one wired courtroom that would provide lawyers the chance to leave hardcopy files at their office and rely on electronic documents during juvenile court proceedings. The county attorney transferred civil case files to electronic, and is in the process of doing the same with criminal and juvenile records. Though a conversion to a system that is completely paperless may not be possible, the conversion could save money in staff time spent entering data, and in storage costs at the county and State levels.
www.sctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/NEWS01/102010027/1009
Grant to Help County Offices Go 'Paperless'
News-Leader, (02/06/08), Dirk VanderHart
The amount of $940,000 was awarded to Green County (MO) to help the county sheriff and prosecuting attorney offices become paperless. The money is hoped to help the prosecuting attorney handle new cases digitally by early summer and the sheriff anticipates scanning warrants and records into a central database. Because all records will be electronic, deputies and local police officers will be able to have quick access to information. To further this immediate access the funding will also be used to purchase terminals for police and sheriff vehicles and to establish a Mobile Data Terminal Network.www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080206/NEWS01/802060406/1007/NEWS01
Okay I had a CRAZY ASS night last night! A storm rolled through first. Not a big deal. Then I was attacked by that Bull Snake! Fucker! And then about the time it is now maybe latter, I hear this massive amount of crashing and bangs outside! I live down in a hallow folks with two small wooded areas that keep my house from being known by most folks that travel the hiway. My aunt and uncle live up on the hill near the hiway.
All of a sudden, Spud the new dog who is predominatly inside goes ballistic and trying to get out my bedroom window which is two stories up and Dooley my Great Dane Puppy is out on his chain just whinning and howling! I go running out side to investigate. I know I know! The first mistake of ANY horror movie. And I HATE and do NOT watch horror movies because of the blante stupidity in them! Okay and i get all girly girl and get scared! I am still hearing this crashign and banging and it is coming from the bigger set of woods on the northeast of the house that blocks us from the hiway. I run up and get my puppy off the chain and follow him racing back into the house. All the while checking for snakes mind you!
I have one dog going ballistic aggressive trying to get towards the trees and another dog so scared he is huddled under my feet while I am in the chat room. The whole time I am thinking Big Foot is in my woods and I pist him off! Yes, I am a firm believer in Big Foot! I get the kids into the comp room with me, sniffing the whole time when I can to see if I can smell Rotten Eggs (older folks and the tribal elders say big foot stinks like rotten eggs) and smell nothing! While still in chat cause I am NOT about to let a Big Furrie chase me out of my house; I call my auntie knowing she would still be up and hoping she was even home since it is harvest time. Randy is still gone and my folks down in OK! I am all by myself here!
Thankfully she was home. She was hearing the noises also and it spooked her. I told her exactly how the dogs were acting and how bad the noises were. She radioed my uncle and cousins and told them to get here ASAP! She called back and said your uncle and cousins are coming via the work truck on the hiway and they are sending Nick, Alex, Brian, and Mike via the fourwheelers through the fields from the farm to your house. So don't shoot any lights coming out of the field! BEcause by that time I busted out the Marlin 30/30 repeatin rifle and had it loaded and my dad's 12 gage winchestor shot gun of course loaded. The noises were continuing! All of a sudden i see an occasional light bobbing out of the south window and realize that the hiredmen were blazing over (actually not that far if you go through the fields and country roads like 3-4 miles at the most) and the noises stop! Completely!
Then I hear a truck come blazing down the lane but it stops on my drive next to the woods and the fields. My auntie calls back down says Uncle told her to call county and our neighbor (one of the county deputeis that usually protals the far east side) is on his way and that she is not sticking around for nothing and is heading to her daughter's house. I was free to come along. I stayed cause everythign I needed to do this mornign was down here for the most part and she lives near the city. My Uncle leaves Nick on my front porch and Brian outside my front door and the rest of the hired men, my cousins and uncle and the county deputry go into the woods. AGain they aren't very big woods but very very dense. They find nobody or no creature but my uncle did find some very healthy walnut, oak, and cottonwoods downed. Trees that Randy trimmed and left because they were healthy. Randy had cleaned out the rotton and leaning ones this spring due to the kids being in the woods.
County deputy radioed back and the sheriff was called in because yay we just don't call the cops that often and he knows the family also. Both sheriff and deputy along with my uncle and cousins decieded that one of the hiredmen they really trusted would be using my two man tent and campign otu in my yard under my window near the front porch, closetst to the woods. Someone or somebody was out in those woods. The rest of the hiredmen and my cousins and uncle had to get back to the farm to finish up the nights harvesting. So I got Nick. The one with the hot butt I took a picture of. I went out and helped Nick set up the tent and rounded him up pillows and blankets. After everyone left, Nick came in and asked if it was okay if he invited his g/f over. I had no problem with that. Someone might as well get laid right?
Not more then maybe a half horu passes and a massive storm comes through again and Nick and his woman Shannon are knocking on the door with the blankets. I wasn't about to let them stay out in that storm so they bunked on oen of my hidabeds. Shannon headed out this moring before I was even awake and Nick was filling his thermos with coffee when I wondered downstairs. We all were still freaked out at this time. After I took the kids to school, I came back to the house and meet with county and my uncle. We walked through the woods to see if maybe some of the lil punks from tribal housing wondered up and took a handsaw to these trees (big leap here, the trees were big) or to see if maybe one of them got hit by lightening from the earlier storm and started a chain effect of dominos.
So we go in and all of us are walking the woods looking for any sign of somebody in there. Nothing. No foot prints, not even Big Foots! A lot of OLD deer tracks and a few old rabbit tracks but nothing out of the ordinary. We come upon the first of 3 trees it was like they were pushed over! Roots showing and everythign! Nothing remotely sick or wrong with the roots or the tree! A little ways away no where really near the first tree is the 2nd tree. This one looked like someone tried pushing it over but it busted at the bottom! Again a healthy tree. No scorch marks whats so ever on this tree or the last one. We get to the 3rd tree and it was the same as the first tree! They all landed on some other trees bu those trees were all saplings or young trees. We have a complete mystery here! My auntie is scared out of her mind and is again staying at my cousin's house and I have county showing up every hour or so to do a sweep of the woods for the next few nights.
The guns are staying loaded and near me at all times. The kids have been briefed that they are to stay out of my room due to that fact and thankfully my dad and mom are home. Thank GODS my kids aren't sleep walkers and already have basic gun knowledge. They slept through the entire thing minus me waking them up to move them into the computer room and then moving them back to their rooms about 2 am when I finally got so tired to lay down. I stayed up reading after I left chat!
Let me tell ya, I think I rather have whatever is going on be Big Foot! Then I can at least say the storms aggitated him and he got a bit squirly! No I can't even say that!
I hate complaining but GOOD BLOODY GRIEF!
We have already complained to the sheriff about this dude who keeps blaring his stupid bass and music every morning. He lives right behind us and we have both yelled at him to turn the music down. He does for like 30 minutes but ALWAYS turns it back up. Finally, it was so loud that vibrated the ENTIRE trailer so we called the Sheriff on him and he has kept it down till this morning. He's been really immature about the whole thing because he keeps revving his stupid engine and drive by our place and blare his stupid bass then speed off. This morning he wasn't loud but loud enough to keep Mom and I from going back to sleep. So we put in our ear plugs and while I was trying to sleep the music was so loud I could hear it with the dang freaking earplugs on! If this continues and we don't get enough sleep we'll probably complain to the management. The stupid yahoos who are now managing this stupid trailer park, though won't do anything about it so I don't know what the crap we should do. I have half a mind to slug him and tell him to knock it off. The dumb thing is that he's not even in his early twenties! He's like 30! And he feels the need to blare his stupid bass!
Some men are so dumb.....
Rebekah
Showing 1 - 5. [ Next ]