ValleyPolice

2009-05-23T21:20:00.002-04:00

2009-05-23T21:19:00.001-04:00

Listen to this

2008-08-24T00:14:00.002-04:00

An Ad from the Portsmouth FOP
Scott's Morning Brew has the link

Back Again.........

2008-08-24T00:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry I was gone so long.

SCOUTS AGAIN

2008-08-07T17:16:00.001-04:00

I was off to Camp Shenandoah with the Scouts for a few days.
Sorry, to my regular readers. I am leaving again Saturday until the 16th.
I am sure I will have a post or two today and tomorrow.
Full operation will return as of August 17th.

Be Careful

2008-07-20T17:52:00.000-04:00

Worried about a Sex Offender in your neighborhood?

2008-07-19T12:43:00.003-04:00

Try looking at Family Watchdog
It gives you info on registered sexoffenders in your neighborhood.
You can also find information on product recalls.

Virginia has a total of 16484 registered offenders state wide
We have a population of about 7,324,000
That works out to about 2.250 per thousand

Baggy Pants: Outlawed ?

2008-07-19T12:24:00.005-04:00

Mr. State Trooper-Welcome back to the Valley

2008-07-19T12:09:00.001-04:00

For more than two years, Mount Crawford native Jonathan Pine combed through charred brush as an investigator with the Virginia Department of Forestry.
In October, Pine left his job in Fauquier County and joined 58 other cadets at the Virginia State Police Academy in Richmond.
Now, Pine, 24, is out on the roads patrolling Shenandoah County.
"I investigated how wildfires started," Pine said. "I enjoyed the law enforcement part of my forestry department job and wanted to do it full time."................
Patrolling The Valley
On July 3, Pine graduated from the academy with a class of nearly 60 cadets. The following Monday, Pine, along with Trooper D.A. Dean, hit the Shenandoah County roads.
Dean, who has been with the state police for about seven years, is serving as Pine's field training officer.
"He's been showing me the county, the different roads and some of the trouble areas," said Pine..................
See the full DNR story here

U.S. Is Alone in Rejecting All Evidence if Police Err

2008-07-19T12:07:00.001-04:00

You know it as "Fruits of the poisonous tree"
The United States is the only country to take the position that some police misconduct must automatically result in the suppression of physical evidence. The rule applies whether the misconduct is slight or serious, and without regard to the gravity of the crime or the power of the evidence.

“Foreign countries have flatly rejected our approach,” said Craig M. Bradley, an expert in comparative criminal law at Indiana University. “In every other country, it’s up to the trial judge to decide whether police misconduct has risen to the level of requiring the exclusion of evidence.”

But there are signs that some justices on the United States Supreme Court may be ready to reconsider the American version of the exclusionary rule. Writing for the majority two years ago, Justice Antonin Scalia said that at least some unconstitutional conduct ought not require “resort to the massive remedy of suppressing evidence of guilt.”

The court will soon have an opportunity to clarify matters. The justices will hear arguments on Oct. 7 about whether methamphetamines and a gun belonging to Bennie Dean Herring, of Brundidge, Ala., should be suppressed because the officers who conducted the search mistakenly believed he was subject to an outstanding arrest warrant as a result of careless record-keeping by another police department.
See the full NY Times story here

Suspicious Package Detonated Outside Store South Of City

2008-07-17T17:17:00.000-04:00

The discovery of a suspicious-looking package, which turned out to be harmless, shut down the main entrance to the Wal-Mart just south of Harrisonburg for several hours Wednesday.
Around 11 a.m., a contractor hired to mow the shopping center's grass found what appeared to be a piece of pipe with two caps on each end, said Capt. John Huddle, an assistant fire marshal with Rockingham County Fire and Rescue.
The landscaper then called 911 to report the incident............
"We agreed, it appeared it could be a pipe bomb," he said.
At that point, Huddle requested assistance from the Virginia State Police Bomb Squad based in Culpeper, which arrived around 12:30 p.m.
"They examined it and felt it had the potential that it could be an actual device," he said.
Around 1 p.m., the bomb squad detonated the pipe. After inspecting the device, Huddle said investigators found no explosives inside.
See the DNR story here

D.C. Residents Applying for Permits, Heller denied

2008-07-17T17:12:00.000-04:00

The plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that overturned Washington's strict 32-year-old handgun ban was among the first people to arrive at police headquarters to try to register his firearm.
Dick Heller showed up early Thursday, the first day that the city began registering residents for handguns. He remains upset with the city's unusual restriction that bans weapons that carry more than 12 rounds of ammunition. Heller, who owns about half a dozen guns, also is frustrated that you can register only one for the first 90 days.

BUT ! ! ! !WUSA9.com followed up with this..........
But at least one very high profile application was already rejected.Dick Heller is the man who brought the lawsuit against the District's 32-year-old ban on handguns. He was among the first in line Thursday morning to apply for a handgun permit.But when he tried to register his semi-automatic weapon, he says he was rejected. He says his gun has seven bullet clip. Heller says the City Council legislation allows weapons with fewer than eleven bullets in the clip. A spokesman for the DC Police says the gun was a bottom-loading weapon, and according to their interpretation, all bottom-loading guns are outlawed because they are grouped with machine guns.

Trial Set for retired Front Royal police officer James Striker

2008-07-17T17:09:00.001-04:00

A trial date has been set for a retired Front Royal police officer charged with shooting at his son.
Fifty-one-year-old James Striker appeared for a bond hearing in Warren County Wednesday afternoon.
Striker faces charges of discharging a firearm within a dwelling as well as misdemeanor charges of brandishing and reckless handling of a firearm.
The charges stem from an incident on Tuesday when investigators say Striker shot at his son from his bedroom window.
See the full WHSV story here

Back from Boy Scout Camp

2008-07-14T23:18:00.001-04:00

Busy summer here in the Valley. Not crime wise, but family responsibility and vacation wise.

Ky. woman accused of trading sex for fuel

2008-07-03T15:42:00.000-04:00

Police in northern Kentucky arrested a woman who officers say traded sex for gasoline.
Police in Fort Wright set up a prostitution sting and said one of the suspects they arrested engaged in sex for a $100 gasoline card and other gifts.
Thirty-four-year-old Angela Eversole of Fort Wright is charged with prostitution and doing business without an occupational license. She pleaded not guilty at a Tuesday arraignment.
Police also arrested a man they said paid Eversole. He is 50-year-old Kenneth Nowak of Avon, Indiana.
Kenton County prosecutor Ken Easterling said it's sad when people are selling their bodies for gas.
See the story here

Do you think he needs a little retraining?

2008-07-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

Foot chase leads to arrest for Waynesboro man

2008-07-03T15:39:00.000-04:00

A Waynesboro man wanted on a firearms possession charge was caught in a gas station bathroom after a foot chase in the city Wednesday morning. Police received a tip that William Feck, 21, was in the area of Hardee’s on West Main Street around 11 a.m., according to Sgt. Kelly Walker. Officers arrived and Feck ran behind the adjacent Long John Silver’s.
See the full NewsVirginian story here

Police Say Hide Your Valuables

2008-07-03T15:10:00.000-04:00

Charlottesville police say you need to lock up your car and hide your valuables. The city's police chief says the crime numbers show a big jump in car break-ins compared to last year.
These numbers are for the first half of the year. Police say violent crimes such as murders, rapes and robberies are down 11 percent. But property crimes, specifically car break-ins are up more than 40 percent in Charlottesville.
Police say thieves are making off with iPods, computers and anything else in sight. "It's an attractive crime obviously for a thief because it's a very target rich environment in commercial areas, particularly around the university as well and frankly people aren't as conscientious as they should be about the items they leave in their car," said Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo.
See the full Channel 29 news story here

A Vote To Do Nothing At Harrisonburg High School

2008-07-03T14:56:00.002-04:00

A Daily News Record Editorial

Something’s just a little too pat about the investigation into the football drug scandal at Harrisonburg High School, which can be summarized thusly: Despite at least one and perhaps several crimes being committed under the not-so-watchful eyes of football coaches, the school board, as Wednesday’s News-Record reported, voted not to punish anyone.
If this result seems reasonable and “fair,” take another look at the facts. Three HHS athletes, an affidavit for the case’s search warrant shows, robbed a friend from another school. Investigating this crime led police to execute a search warrant at HHS to probe possible drug use by student athletes. That search, the affidavit says, exposed a player’s selling and distributing pain pills to teammates. The players also say, according to the affidavit, that one HHS coach knew about the robbery and others knew about the drug sales.
The revelations prompted the school board to hire an outside investigator, who determined that coaches kind of knew something, but not really. The report, or at least the sanitized version the school board deigned to release, cleared the coaches and concluded thusly:
“Some members of the coaching staff were aware of rumors and suspicions of drug activity by at least one of the team players.” While coaches “took some steps to investigate … a more sustained and thorough investigation may have led to detection of drug activity” and “it is likely the school division would have learned of the use of pain pills by some other members of the team. …”
“This lack of a coordinated response and failure to use all investigative techniques available to uncover illegal student activity highlights the need for more intensive and comprehensive training of staff.”
The school board added that no coach had “direct knowledge” or witnessed drug activity and that administrators knew zilch.
The report’s prolix locution means coaches knew something was up and fumbled it, and it created the excuse for what the school board did Tuesday night: nothing.
The school board voted 5-1 to keep the coaches, who won’t receive even the mildest reprimand. Only school board member Sallie Strickler had the courage to vote against retaining them because she has “real concerns about the leadership of the football program.”

Polite Parkway Driving

2008-07-03T14:52:00.002-04:00

Officials are asking visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway to be polite on the narrow and curving mountain roadway during the summer tourist season.
Parkway officials said cyclists, recreational vehicles and anyone driving slowly should move over for regular traffic along the roadway in North Carolina and Virginia. Parkway officials said Wednesday that slower traffic can move into overlooks as needed.

See full story here

Since I have retired

2008-07-02T14:47:00.001-04:00

I have been searching for great donuts.

I decided to try and grow my own

Wish me luck.

Road Trip:Extreme DUI Suspect Retrieved From S.C.

2008-07-02T14:43:00.000-04:00

Most prosecutors won't extradite someone charged with a misdemeanor. But in the case of one South Carolina resident, Rockingham County prosecutors wasted little time asking deputies to go get her after she failed to appear on a DUI charge.
Police say Jane Ellen Plikaytis, 48, of Tega Cay, S.C., registered a 0.33 when her blood-alcohol content was tested following a traffic stop on Interstate 81 on May 8. Virginia's limit for being legally intoxicated is 0.08.
Plikaytis was contacted after she missed her original court date of June 12, but she told the court that she would not return to Virginia willingly, according to prosecutors. And while it's not common for someone to be extradited for a misdemeanor, prosecutors say they made an exception in this case, citing the aggravating circumstances.
"She was driving 25 mph in the middle of the highway, causing more than a 3-mile backup," said Alycia Eldridge. "We extradited her because of the severity of the DUI and the hardship it caused to the community."
See the story here

One In Custody, Another Sought In Robbery

2008-07-02T14:42:00.000-04:00

Harrisonburg police have one suspect in custody and are searching for another in the armed robbery of a woman early Saturday morning on Hill Street, according to a statement from HPD..........
Police say the two suspects approached the victim on the 400 block of Hill Street and took her cell phone at gunpoint, according to the statement.
Authorities say the suspects were "recently acquainted" with the woman, but the statement did not specify the nature of the relationship or when, exactly, the suspects had first met the victim.
See the story here

Wset Virginia Woman Takes Kids on Robbery

2008-07-02T14:35:00.001-04:00

A woman faces child neglect as well as armed robbery charges after police say she took her kids along to hold up a video gambling parlor.
St. Albans police arrested 28-year-old Melissa Ann Spencer after she allegedly robbed Lewie's in St. Albans Tuesday night.
According to the criminal complaint, the St. Albans woman allegedly entered the business with her two small children, held a pellet pistol to the clerk's head, and demanded money.
Spencer was arrested a short time later at a nearby house. According to the complaint, she told police she was sorry and just wanted a better life for her children.
She was being held Wednesday at the South Central Regional Jail on $100,000 bond. An officer at the jail said he didn't know whether Spencer has a lawyer.
See the WHSV story here

City Man To Do Time On Child Porn Charges

2008-07-02T01:04:00.000-04:00

A Harrisonburg man who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography will spend more than a year in prison following his sentencing in Rockingham County Circuit Court Monday.
Judge James Lane sentenced Mark Paulson, 48, to 16 years in prison but suspended all but one year and seven months.
On April 24, Paulson avoided trial when he agreed to a plea deal with the commonwealth's attorney's office. Under the agreement, he entered an Alford plea on four counts of possessing child pornography, and two additional counts of possession were dismissed.
In an Alford plea, a defendant doesn't admit guilt but concedes that there is sufficient evidence in the case for a conviction.
Since Lane determined that at least three of the children were younger than 13, the sentencing guidelines prepared by the court recommended a sentence between one year and seven months and four years and three months. Lane sentenced Paulson to four years on each of the counts before suspending the majority of the prison term.
See the Daily News Record story here

Attempted Murder Charges in Shooting Case

2008-07-02T00:51:00.001-04:00

Two men charged with trying to kill another in a shooting must prepare to face those charges.
An Augusta County grand jury certified the charges against Nathaniel Stinnet and Kyle Stullenburg Tuesday.
Authorities say the two men opened fire on another man in November over $6,500 they say they were owed.
They reportedly chased the victim and then shot at him from their car as they were traveling through Stuarts Draft.
The victim escaped unharmed.
Among other charges, both are charged with attempted first degree murder.
See the WHSV story here

Drag Racing DWI Charge

2008-07-02T00:48:00.000-04:00

A man accused of drag racing in Augusta County now faces an additional charge of driving while intoxicated.
Twenty-two-year-old Cory Beasley was charged Monday in Augusta County District Court.
Brittany Engleman was a passenger in Beasley's car in October during an incident police say involved a race with another vehicle on Route 42 in Buffalo Gap.
Engleman died as a result of a car crash from the alleged race. Beasley, along with Robert Gaylor and Torrence Mack, were indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges for Engleman's death.
Beasley's hearing is set for September 23.
See they story here

Post 9/11 Police Training

2008-07-02T00:41:00.000-04:00

Law enforcement officers from across the Valley took part in training exercises as part of a federal mandate preparing them for critical incidents such as hostage situations and school shootings...........
The program stems from the 9/11 tragedy and recent incidents such as the Virginia Tech shootings have ignited this type of training.
"Being professionals, we would be remiss if we didn't take opportunities to learn from some things just like that, and they did a lot of things really, really well. And that's what we are trying to make sure that we can do," says Brown.
It's training they hope not to use, but to be prepared. It is part of the job.
Dodd concludes, "With the changing world that we have going on right now, you got to do everything you can do to be up to speed and keep ahead of trends."
See the Whsv story here

Huh,Huh,Huh, Yeah,Huh

2008-06-30T17:01:00.002-04:00

Do you know this guy?

Known associate:Butthead

'Manure-Bomb' Thieves Fall Into Dung, Flee Crime Scene Naked

2008-06-30T16:53:00.000-04:00

A woman trying to make "manure bombs" using stockings, slipped into a slurry tank and fled the scene naked, German police said on Friday.
Two women entered a farm in the northern village of Eberholzen on Wednesday evening and started to fill the stockings with manure.
"One of them slipped into the manure tank, right into the cow muck," said a spokesman for local police. "The other one helped her out. We found their clothes in a field. One seems to have run off completely naked, the other in her underwear."
Police said it was unclear what the women had intended to do with the "manure bombs," but added the incident could be linked to victory celebrations surrounding the Euro 2008 semi-finals on Wednesday evening, when Germany beat Turkey 3-2.
"The women can get their clothes back from the local police station — unwashed," the spokesman added.
See the Fox-News story here

Fishersville man arrested in second robbery try of store

2008-06-30T16:40:00.000-04:00

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
That may have been the motto of armed robbery suspect Jeremy K. Hamilton, 27, a Fishersville man arrested Friday by Augusta County authorities in connection with the June 17 knifepoint robbery of the Eastside Grocery on U.S. 340 that netted $980.At the time of his arrest, Hamilton already had been charged with a previous attempted robbery at the same store involving the same employee.The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office said a man armed with a knife walked into the store around 2 p.m. June 17. After demanding cash from employee Amanda Lotts, the suspect fled on foot. Several customers gave chase but the suspect managed to escape, according to earlier reports.Read the full NewsLeader story here

NewsLeader Editorial on the Death Penalty

2008-06-30T16:39:00.002-04:00

The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a blow last week to six states that have made the rape of a child a capital crime. The court said that when emotion and political posturing are put aside, the punishment didn't fit the crime. The punishment, they said, must be proportional to the act committed, not to the outrage it created.
It was a courageous decision, albeit on a 5-4 vote, to recognize that if we as a society must cling to the death penalty for a while longer, then we must make certain that the only thing which earns one death at the hands of "we the people" is the killing of an innocent among us. To kill someone for anything other than murder starts us down a slippery slope toward more and more executions, even as our society becomes less and less convinced that capital punishment is ever the right thing to do.
It is illustrative of our culture of death that we somehow feel justified in staining our hands with the blood of people who could be more easily locked away for the rest of their natural lives. Somehow, in this one area, we're more comfortable with the Old Testament than the New.
Read the full editorial here

Judge to mull law prohibiting republishing public information

2008-06-30T16:23:00.001-04:00

A federal judge is set to hear a lawsuit challenging a new Virginia law prohibiting citizens from disseminating Social Security numbers that anyone can legally obtain from government Web sites. Judge Robert Payne will consider the case Monday, a day before the law is scheduled to take effect. ........
She claims that if the government puts a record on the Internet for the public to view, it can’t prevent the public from disseminating that information.
The legislation was intended to prevent identity theft.
See the Daily Progress story here

The New Breed

2008-06-29T23:34:00.000-04:00

Nelson Crime Log - June 25, 2008

2008-06-29T23:27:00.001-04:00

Below is a list of crimes being investigated by the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office. Larceny, Birch Lane, Howardsville, June 4. A number of tools were taken.
Breaking and Entering, Laural Road, Shipman, June 5. A door was broken.
Breaking and Entering, Thomas Nelson Highway, Arrington, June 5. Cigarettes were taken.
Breaking and Entering, Thomas Nelson Highway, Arrington, June 6. A computer was taken.
Burglary, Duncan Hollow Loop, Faber, June 6. A tool box, weedeater and television were taken.
Larceny, Tye River Road, Amherst, June 6. A gold and diamond ring, a diamond pendant, a necklace, cufflinks, rosary beads and makeup were taken.
Burglary, Thomas Nelson Highway, Arrington, June 9. A 42-inch LCD monitor was taken.
Burglary, Thomas Nelson Highway, Arrington, June 10. A monitor and a computer were taken.
Larceny, Lobo Lane, Arrington, June 15. Two power saws were taken.
Motor Vehicle Theft, Falling Rock Road, June 12. A Yamaha motorcycle was taken.
Breaking and Entering, Peoni Place, Schuyler, June 12. Credit cards and medication were taken.
Vandalism, James River Road and Craigtown, June 20. A Chevrolet Suburban was vandalized.
Breaking and Entering, Crawfords View Lane, Afton, June 21. An exterior door was damaged.
Petit Larceny, River Road, Faber, June 22. CDs were taken.
See the list at the Nelson County Times here

Waynesboro Police Introduce New K9 Officer

2008-06-29T23:25:00.002-04:00

Waynesboro police paid tribute to a beloved colleague and welcomed a new one Friday.
The department presented a memorial in honor of Kizmet, a K9 officer who served with the force from December 1999 until his death from cancer this past September. Police also introduced their newest officer, Xareta.
"The only difference is Kizmet was aggressive alert on narcotics, meaning that he clawed and scratched when he found it. She's passive alert which means her final response will be a sit down," said Jesse Shaver, a K9 handler with the department.
Xareta hails from Czechoslovakia by way of Louisa County, where she was trained.
See the NBC Video here

Some of Virginia's Laws Removed from the Books

2008-06-29T23:17:00.000-04:00

Beginning Tuesday, some of Virginia's obscure laws will no longer be on the books. Legislators did away with one that prohibited restaurants from serving drinks that mix wine or beer with liquor. Beginning Tuesday, restaurants can serve sangria, which usually includes red wine, fruits, brandy and triple sec, without fear of prosecution.
Another law, referred to by Governor Timothy Kaine as "archaic", protected men who sexually attack girls 14 to 16 from criminal charges as long as they offer to marry the victim. Legislators closed the "marriage offer" loophole.
They also voided laws that required sexual assault victims to take a lie detector test and to agree to prosecute the attacker before the state pays for a forensic medical examination, which can cost up to $800.
See the NBC story here

Smuggler

2008-06-28T14:06:00.001-04:00

Kelvin comes up to the Mexican border on his bicycle.
He's got two large bags over his shoulders.
The U.S. border patrol officer stops him and says, "What's in the bags?"
"Sand," answered Kelvin.
The officer says, "We'll just see about that. Get off the bike."
The agent takes the bags and rips them apart; he empties them out and finds nothing in them but sand.
He detains Kelvin overnight and has the sand analyzed, only to discover that there is nothing but pure sand in the bags.
The officer releases Kelvin, puts the sand into new bags, hefts them onto the man's shoulders, and lets him cross the border.
A week later, the same thing happens.
The officer asks, "What have you got?"
"Sand," says Kelvin. The officer does his thorough examination and discovers that the bags contain nothing but sand.
He gives the sand back to Kelvin, and Kelvin crosses the border on his bicycle.
This sequence of events is repeated every day for three years.
Finally, Kelvin doesn't show up one day and the officer meets him in a Cantina in Mexico.
"Hey, Buddy," says the border patrol officer, "I know you are smuggling something.
It's driving me crazy. It's all I think about..... I can't sleep.
Just between you and me, what are you smuggling?"
Kelvin sips his beer and says, "Bicycles."

Job Application

2008-06-28T13:49:00.000-04:00

An applicant was filling out a job application. When he came to the question, "Have you ever been arrested?" he wrote,
"No."
The next question, intended for people who had answered in the affirmative to the previous question, was "Why?"
The applicant answered it anyway: "Never got caught."

New Drug Laws To Hit The Books

2008-06-28T13:47:00.001-04:00

Salvia Banned; Meth Penalties Increased
Starting Tuesday, the herb salvia, which has psychoactive properties, will no longer be legal in Virginia.
The ban on salvia sailed through the General Assembly last session, receiving no opposing votes in either chamber.
The new law, which made salvia a Schedule I drug, made Virginia the 13th state to ban the substance, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. Other Schedule I drugs include marijuana and heroin.
"It's a step in the right direction," said Special Agent Tom Murphy, who oversees the RUSH Drug Task Force. "It's a drug that teenagers are turning to, especially over the Internet."
An online search yielded several sites that offered salvia as low as $30 and others that showed video clips of users "tripping" after consuming the drugs.
Salvia divinorum, also referred to on the streets as Magic Mint, originally came from areas of the Sierra Mazateca region of Oaxaca, Mexico, according to the DEA.
The plant can grow to more than 3 feet tall.
Police say the most popular ways to ingest the drug is by smoking or chewing it.
Murphy said he hasn't dealt with any cases of salvia in the Valley and has only heard of one reported case.
In March, however, investigators with the CHARGE Gang Task Force found salvia while searching a suspected gang leader's apartment in Harrisonburg.
Meth Sentences Increase
In addition to the law banning salvia, police and prosecutors are also gearing up for stiffer sentences for methamphetamine distributors.
Under the revised statutes, anyone convicted of selling or manufacturing 28 grams or more of meth is guilty of a felony punishable by a jail sentence of not less than five or more than 40 years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of three years.
"We think it's a tremendous change," Murphy said. "So much of what we do is methamphetamine investigations."
In 2007, RUSH seized 3,688.8 grams of methamphetamine compared with 6,171.5 grams the year before, the task force data show.
See the Daily News Record here

Operation Air, Land and Speed

2008-06-28T13:44:00.001-04:00

If you plan on traveling on Interstate 81 this weekend, you may want to watch how fast you're going. State police will be patrolling in full force as part of the latest Operation Air, Land and Speed.........
State Police 1st Sgt. Scott Van Lear says, "It has been proven that visibility of a police officer makes the highways a lot safer. It makes people drive more courteously, not necessarily just obeying the law, but they just seem to be more courteous."...........
He explains, "Police service you really can't limit. There’s a need you have to fulfill it. So no, we have not cut back the number of people we have patrolling. We have not limited them in the miles they drive."
Interstate 95 is also being patrolled this weekend as part of Operation Air, Land and Speed, which runs through Saturday.
State police say another Operation Air, Land and Speed will take place at the end of July.
See the full WHSV story here

Fireworks Ban

2008-06-28T13:42:00.000-04:00

July forth is right around the corner, and that means you may be thinking of getting some fireworks.But some localities in the valley have banned the use of all fireworks, even sparklers.It's the city of Harrisonburg, in which police say, if they catch you with fireworks you could face jail time.Police and fire say they aren't doing this to spoil your fun, they just want to keep everyone safeThis week, the consumer product safety commission revealed disturbing demonstrations, using mannequins, showing the dangers of fireworks."Some of these (fireworks) they say get as hot as hot as 12-hundred degrees, so you want to make sure your hands aren't near where the flames are," says Jeremy Poling, who is the pastor of Christ Tabernacle Church in Harrisonburg, which has been selling fireworks as a fundraiser for 8 years.He says to avoid these firework mishaps, always follow the manufacturer's directions, have parental supervision, and make sure to keep water nearby.
See the full WHSV story here

Serious Problems Found in Recruits' Past

2008-06-28T13:36:00.001-04:00

One was arrested as a teenager for armed robbery. Another was allegedly involved in an arson. A third admitted having sold marijuana.

The 15 recruits dismissed by the U.S. Capitol Police this week had some serious problems in their backgrounds, according to new details provided by police and congressional sources. The fact that the recruits were hired anyway, and only removed after they had completed several weeks of training, has roiled the force and led to congressional inquiries.

The recruits are contesting their dismissals, a congressional source said. Some are maintaining they only committed minor offenses, such as stealing a street sign while attending college. Officials have said they will fire recruits who do not resign or appeal.

Capitol Police have yet to explain how the recruits could have been hired and sent to a training academy in Georgia despite failing employment criteria such as background checks and psychological exams. The reasons for the lapse are under investigation.

The U.S. Capitol Police labor committee was so upset by the revelations that it debated holding a no-confidence vote Thursday night on Chief Phillip D. Morse. The committee, part of the Fraternal Order of Police, decided to hold off and instead conduct a poll during the next week on officers' opinions of the chief. The recruits are not union members.
Story by Mary Beth Sheridan in the Washington Post

It must have been warm in uniform

2008-06-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

British police officers on a mission stop in Waynesboro

2008-06-26T00:26:00.000-04:00

A group of bike-riding British bobbies spent one of the final evenings of a 28-day charity tour across the United States as guests of their counterparts at the Waynesboro Police Department on Wednesday. Four British police officers from the Suffolk Constabulary, accompanied by one West Coast cop, an American friend familiar with the route, and a driver for the team’s rented recreational vehicle began their cross-country odyssey in Coos Bay, Oregon on May 31, according to the “Bobby on a Bike” Web site. Split into two shifts, each participant has ridden about 100 miles a day since the start, with the team as a whole covering about 200 miles per day, said Neil Smith, the group’s founder. Proceeds from this year’s ride benefit The Prostate Cancer Charity, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices and Break the Pattern, an organization dedicated to stopping domestic violence. Donations are accepted at http://www.bobbyonabike.com.
See the NewsVirginian story here

Supreme Court rejects death penalty for raping children

2008-06-26T00:17:00.000-04:00

The Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a law that allows the execution of people convicted of a raping a child.
In a 5-4 vote, the court said the Louisiana law allowing the death penalty to be imposed in such cases violates the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
“The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion. His four liberal colleagues joined him, while the four more conservative justices dissented.
There has not been an execution in the United States for a crime that did not also involve the death of the victim in 44 years.
See the full story here

Battlefield Ford salesman knifed while on the job

2008-06-26T00:15:00.000-04:00

A longtime salesman at Battlefield Ford on U.S. 250 in the Pantops area suffered numerous cuts in a knife attack Wednesday morning, allegedly at the hands of a former co-worker.
The 59-year-old victim, whose name was not available, was sitting in his office at about 9:30 a.m. when the attacker entered, according to dealership General Manager Shawn Fanan, who was told what happened by employees who witnessed the attack.
The attacker “brought a bag and said, ‘Here, I’ve got something for you,” then pulled a knife and started slashing the victim, Fanan said. He said the assailant cut the 35-year veteran salesman in the neck, head and arms before co-workers overpowered him.
See the full story here

City Police Hunt Trio For Heist

2008-06-26T00:12:00.001-04:00

Robbers Targeted Truck Delivering Medicines
Three robbers attacked a delivery driver early Tuesday morning as he delivered prescription drugs to the Harrisonburg Health and Rehabilitation Center on Reservoir Street.
Around 3:15 a.m., a woman distracted the man as he exited his vehicle and was attacked by two men, said Lt. Kurt Boshart of the Harrisonburg Police Department.
"While speaking with a female, two individuals came up from behind and hit him over the head with a flashlight," Boshart said.
The victim sustained minor injuries, Boshart said.
He said the victim told police that one of the men who attacked him was wearing a dress and a blond wig.
The trio were last seen driving away on Reservoir Street toward Neff Avenue in a silver Chrysler with a black top. Boshart said the car was possibly a Sebring convertible.
See the full story here

2008-06-26T00:04:00.000-04:00

Women Are Domestic Abusers, Too
Posted 2008-06-26By Kathleen Parker
From a Daily News Record Op-Ed
One of the primary myths — and the one that meets with the most resistance — is that only men are violent. As I point out in my own book, “Save the Males,” women and children indeed suffer the worst injuries and more often die as a result of those injuries. But women initiate violence as often as men.
Ignoring or downplaying that fact both obscures the real problem of intimate violence and makes solutions less likely. Yet even people who know better are afraid of speaking up lest they be accused of undermining feminist efforts to help women and children in danger.
Feminism deserves credit for putting domestic violence on the radar back when what happened in a “man’s castle” was considered no one else’s business. But we now know a great deal more about what happens behind closed doors, and progressive feminists such as Mills are trying to open America’s mind to new ideas and innovative approaches.
According to Mills, studies now confirm that women initiate violence in 24 percent of cases in which the husbands don’t fight back, while men initiate violence in 27 percent of cases in which women don’t fight back.
Read the full piece here

Do you think he still does?

2008-06-24T23:59:00.000-04:00

False advertising???

Woman pushes fire button by error at gas station

2008-06-24T23:48:00.001-04:00

WHOOPS ! ! !

Crime report released

2008-06-24T09:32:00.001-04:00

Total crime in 2007 was up 15 percent in Augusta County over the previous year, including spikes in some violent crimes, such as assault and sex offenses, according a report released Friday by the Virginia State Police......

A faulty computer program at the Augusta County Sheriff’s Department misreported statistics to state police throughout most of 2007, skewing data for the county, Sheriff Randy Fisher said. But crime has indeed risen – in some cases, by more than the report indicates, Fisher said. Aggravated assaults – up by 17 incidents, or 49 percent, between 2006 and 2007, according to the report – and simple assaults – which the report says are down slightly – both actually increased, Fisher said. The rise was mostly driven by domestic confrontations, he said. According to the report, there were five more rapes and 26 more “forcible sex offenses” in 2007 than the previous year. Those numbers are probably fairly accurate, Fisher said. “There has been an increase in sex-related crime, absolutely,” Fisher said................

Fisher attributed the trend to a persistent methamphetamine problem in the county combined with tight economic conditions. A spike in gas drive-offs has driven up the total number of larcenies considerably, he said.........

Drug offenses in the county were up by 41 incidents, or 24 percent, according to the report. Overall crime in Waynesboro dropped 12 percent during the same period, according to the report, with a 9-percent drop in violent crime and a 34-percent drop in drug offenses. Crime in Staunton also dropped slightly. However, the disparity between crime statistics for the two cities and the county might be misleading, Deputy Chief William Maki of the Waynesboro Police Department said. Since the formation of the Verona-based Waynesboro, Augusta County, Staunton, State Police Task Force a few years ago, gang and drug enforcement have primarily been focused on the county level, Maki said. “When you centralize, like in Verona, the emphasis on Waynesboro tends to diminish because it becomes a regional as opposed to a Waynesboro effort … ,” Maki said. “My expectation would be that, overall, in Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County, it’s probably running about the same, but the numbers have just moved around based on where the cases are developed.”

The most alarming current Waynesboro crime trend, Maki said, is a sharp increase in robberies. According to the report, there were 17 robberies in 2007, an increase of four robberies over 2006. But in 2008 that threshold has already been reached, with 17 robberies so far this year. “If the trend continues, that would mean 34 or more for the entire year, which would in effect double the number of robberies we’ve had since 2007,” Maki said. “That’s significant.”
See the News Virginian story here

Obbery on 250 nearby Tastee Freez

2008-06-24T09:30:00.001-04:00

Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred on U.S. 250 on Monday night.

The victim, a Churchville resident, was traveling west on U.S. 250 and approaching the intersection of Va. 42, when the car behind him began flashing its headlights for him to stop, said Sgt. G.A. Taylor of the Augusta County Sheriff's Office.
The victim pulled over and the suspect got out of his vehicle and came up to the victim's car, he said.
The suspect then asked for the victim's money at knifepoint, Taylor said. After the victim gave the suspect money, the suspect fled north on Va. 42, he said.
The victim then drove to a nearby Tastee Freez, where he called the police at about 9:45 p.m.
Taylor said the victim was unharmed, but declined to release his name because the robbery is still under investigation.
The suspect is described as a white male wearing a dark short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans and driving a black sport utility vehicle, possibly a Ford Explorer, Taylor said.

Armed Robbery at Tastee Freez

2008-06-24T09:13:00.002-04:00

The Augusta County Sheriff's Office is reporting an armed robbery in the parking lot of the Tastee Freez Monday night.
Police say a man was driving on Churchville Avenue, when he noticed an SUV behind him flashing its lights.
The man pulled over into the parking lot of the Tastee Freez.
Then, police say the man in the SUV came up to the victim's window, pulled out a knife, and demanded money. The robber took some cash from the victim.
Then, police say the robber drove away north on Route 42 in a black SUV, possibly a Ford Explorer.
Police are still searching for the suspect, who is described only as a white man.
See the WHSV story and video here

Disguised Robbers Steal Prescription Drugs

2008-06-24T09:11:00.001-04:00

Harrisonburg Police are searching for three people this morning after what they call an unusual incident.
Harrisonburg Police say three disguised people attacked someone delivering medications to the Harrisonburg Health and Rehabilitation Center.
Police say one woman and two men attacked from behind, hitting the person on the head with a flashlight. With the victim on the ground, they stole two bags of drugs. Police scanned the scene this morning and found fingerprints and empty prescription drug bags nearby.
Police say this type of robbery is uncommon but this particular case is unusual for another reason...
"It was two white males one white female, college aged, one white male was wearing a dress and a blonde wig and the female had multiple piercings nose, possibly an eyebrow or lip, another male was just wearing a dark hoodie," says Corp. Ben Alvis with the Harrisonburg Police Department.
They were last seen driving east on Resivoir St., possibly driving a light colored Seabring convertible.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call police at 434.4436.

An Officer Answer's FAQ

2008-06-23T18:54:00.000-04:00

Waynesboro car dealer pleads guilty to fraud

2008-06-23T18:49:00.000-04:00

A Waynesboro car dealer who bilked several banks and more than three dozen customers out of $142,626 pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor charges Monday in a plea deal with the Waynesboro prosecutor’s office that saw him spared prison time.
Authorities arrested Rodney J. Price in April after the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles uncovered discrepancies in paperwork filed by RSD Motors on Apple Tree Lane. Price was initially charged with more than 40 counts of fraud, obtaining money by false pretenses and embezzlement. The car dealership, owned by Price, has since closed.
The DMV initiated the investigation in March after it received complaints that Price failed to provide certificate of titles for vehicles he sold.
See the Newleader story here

Man Arrested for Arson

2008-06-23T18:43:00.000-04:00

Waynesboro Police have arrested a city man for setting a van on fire while it was parked next to an apartment building in the 800 block of King Avenue.
Willie Junior Walker, 49, of Waynesboro was arrested on June 19 for Arson involving personal property. He was taken into custody without incident.
The incident was reported on June 18 around 4:20 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they found a 1996 Ford Mini-Van fully engulfed in fire. A 2005 Dodge Stratus and the vinyl siding of the apartment building were also damaged. Total damage was estimated to be in excess of $8,000.
See the story at WHSV here

Harrisonburg Armed Robbery Tied to Others

2008-06-23T18:38:00.000-04:00

The Greene County District Court Clerk confirms a suspect arrested Saturday for a robbery in Harrisonburg is also the suspect in a pair of robberies in the county last week.
Harrisonburg Police say Brian Eugene Brubaker of Crimora entered the Tractor Supply Company on East Market Street Saturday morning. He held a knife to a female store clerk from whom he demanded money and then left.
Brubaker was caught after police received a phone call from a citizen moments after the robbery. The tip led officers to a nearby parking lot where Brubaker was located, arrested and charged with armed robbery.
The Greene County District Court Clerk says three warrants were issued and served on Brubaker, charging him with the robberies at Boot'Vil in Ruckersville, Crawford Saddlery and the Forest Lakes Food Lion.
Two of the warrants were served late Saturday evening and the third was served Monday.
Brubaker is expected at a bond hearing Wednesday on the Greene County charges. A hearing scheduled for Monday in Harrisonburg for the Tractor Supply robbery was continued until July 1.
Officials are not yet saying if Brubaker may be tied to other robberies that occurred in Augusta County and Harrisonburg.
See the story at WHSV here

Locals 'ave a wee laff at the cops expense

2008-06-23T02:13:00.001-04:00

Maybe they missed the class on using vehicles as part-time submarines?

I guess she missed the motorcycle training class???

2008-06-23T02:10:00.001-04:00

And that whole class on "driving indoors"

Suspect In Tractor Supply Robbery Apprehended

2008-06-23T02:07:00.000-04:00

City police responded to a report of an armed robbery at about 9:30 Saturday morning at the Tractor Supply store at 2385 E. Market St.
According to a press release from the Harrisonburg Police Department, residents helped officers locate the individual believed responsible for the robbery. He was taken into custody, according to police.
Police have not yet determined whether the suspect is connected to other recent robberies in the area, according to the release, which added that the investigation is continuing.

2007 Crime in Virginia

2008-06-23T02:04:00.001-04:00

2007 Crime in Virginia
Compiled By Uniform Crime Reporting Section,Department of State Police

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is a system of collecting and analyzing crime and arrest statistics gathered on selected types of crime by participating law enforcement agencies throughout the State. In accordance with the Code of Virginia, the Department of State Police serves as the central repository. We acknowledge the efforts made by these agencies in making this report accurate and concise.

See the Stats here

Crime Solvers Need More Calls

2008-06-23T02:01:00.000-04:00

Police in Valley are asking for your help to solve some of those crimes. However, police are receiving fewer and fewer tips from residents every month. Police say they can't be everywhere at once, that's why tips from residents are so important... any one of them, could help close a case.Lately, Officer Lynette Brown with the Harrisonburg P.D. says tips to Crime Solvers are decreasing, "I would say it's certainly not near enough and very few a lot of times."Mayor Ronald Eagle says, "Keep your eyes and your ears open, know what's going on around you, and if it's something we should know about, pick up the phone and call us."Mayor Eagle serves as Chairman on the Crime Solvers Board. He says police can't be everywhere, "We've been probably too quiet for too long and I think now we need to go more public, let people know who we are, and what we do, and the service that we provide for the community."Officer Brown says, "I don't think you could ever receive too many calls, we always like to see more calls coming in."She says there are many unsolved cases where they don't receive any tips from the community. On average in Harrisonburg, Lieutenant Kurt Boshart says they receive only 5 to 20 calls a month, which is surprising, especially considering a possible thousand dollar reward for any tip that leads to an arrest.Officer Brown says, "Then again, it depends on the severity of the crime as to the amount that they would be eligible for, but it is up to a thousand dollars."Mayor Eagle says, "The way I look at it is neighbors are helping neighbors and businesses are helping businesses. We have a lot of crime in the city as well as the county and of course the more information we have the better we can combat it."Police up and down the Valley say that every call they receive is handled carefully and confidentially. You have the option of remaining anonymous.If you have a tip for police in Rockingham County or Harrisonburg, you can call Crime Solvers at 540-574-5050. If you're in Augusta County, Staunton, or Waynesboro, you submit a tip to Crime Stoppers at 540-322-2017.Both programs offer rewards up to one thousand dollars.
See the WHSV story here

Staunton man charged with selling crack cocaine

2008-06-19T17:13:00.000-04:00

A Staunton man was jailed Tuesday after being arrested for selling crack cocaine, according to the Staunton Police Department.
James Crawford Jr., 54, is charged with six counts of drug distribution.
Police said Crawford has been under investigation since February. He is being held at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona.
See the full Newsleader story here

Some Va. Tech offices got first warning on gunman

2008-06-19T17:11:00.000-04:00

Last year’s lockdown of some Virginia Tech offices before all students and faculty were alerted about a rampaging gunman did not surprise the chairman of a state panel that investigated the mass shootings, he said Wednesday.
E-mails warning some university employees about Seung-Hui Cho’s fatal shootings of two students in a dormitory were revealed Tuesday following a court hearing to approve compensation for families of slain and injured victims.
After leaving the dorm April 16, 2007, Cho went on to kill 30 more students and faculty in a classroom building more than two hours later.Gerald Massengill said the panel was unaware of the e-mails that were revealed by attorneys for families of some of the victims.The e-mails showed that the school’s Department of Environmental Health and Security was locked down about 15 minutes before Cho’s killing spree in the classroom building.
See the full Newsleader story here

Teacher Bomb Threat Case Goes On

2008-06-19T17:06:00.001-04:00

A Staunton teacher accused of making bomb threats is fit to stand trial. But the schools argue she's not fit to return to the classroom.
The charges against Heidi Marie Dorn are moving forward despite some early doubts about her mental state. A Staunton judge ordered a psychological exam to determine whether she was competent to stand trial, and aid in her own defense.
See the full NBC 29 story here

No charges for man shot during sniper raid

2008-06-19T16:13:00.001-04:00

There will be no charges in connection with the March 28 shooting of a Crozet-area man during an Interstate 64 sniper raid, Albemarle Commonwealth’s Attorney Denise Lunsford announced today.
Neither the man who was shot nor the officer who shot him will face charges in the incident, Lunsford said in a release.
Albemarle Officer M.J. Easton shot Edgar W. Dawson during an early-morning raid of Dawson’s home on Yonder Hill Farm Road in connection with the sniper shootings.
Police were searching for Dawson’s 16-year-old son and 19-year-old Slade Allen Woodson. Both teens were arrested at Dawson’s farm and were charged with numerous felonies in con-nection with the shootings.
During the search, police encountered Edgar Dawson, who was holding a large silver revolver, according to county spokeswoman Lee Catlin, who provided in-formation on the decision by Lunsford.
Despite being told to lower or drop the gun, Dawson did not, according to Catlin. Easton — a school resource officer and a six-year veteran of the police department — shot Dawson twice. Dawson’s gun also discharged.
See the full Daily progress story here

Orders to Go

2008-06-18T17:21:00.000-04:00

Newsleader Police Briefs

2008-06-18T17:17:00.001-04:00

Jewelry worth over $8,000 taken
GREENVILLE — More than $8,000 in jewelry was stolen from a home in the 200 block of Pine Chapel Lane, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office said.
The theft occurred between June 1 and Monday, according to the sheriff's office. There were no signs of forced entry.

Antique coins stolen in Stuarts Draft
STUARTS DRAFT — Antique coins valued at $5,000 were stolen during a break-in on Schages Lane, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office said.
The break-in took place Monday between 8 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. The sheriff's office said a screen door on the front porch was cut open to gain access to the home. The break-in occurred in the 100 block. An estimated $500 in jewelry also was taken.
The case remains under investigation.

Deputy recovers skid loader
STUARTS DRAFT — A sheriff's deputy on a routine patrol Monday afternoon recovered a CAT skid loader that was recently stolen from a farm on Libscomb Road, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office said.
The $15,000 skid loader was last seen May 28. It was found off Wayne Avenue.
No arrests were made.

Waynesboro woman charged in attack
WAYNESBORO — Police charged a Waynesboro woman with malicious wounding after she attacked her boyfriend with a kitchen knife early Saturday morning, according to the Waynesboro Police Department.
Tabitha Sodano, 22, is free on bond.
Police said the attack took place at a home in the 700 block of Chestnut Avenue. The 21-year-old victim was injured in the chest. Police said the injury was not serious.

Tire changer stolen in Churchville
CHURCHVILLE — A $2,000 tire changer was stolen Sunday night from a garage under renovation in the 3000 block of Churchville Avenue, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office said.
There were no signs of forced entry. The garage was protected only by construction webbing, the sheriff's office said.

Waynesboro Country Club reports break-in
WAYNESBORO — Criminal charges are expected against a group of juveniles and two adults in connection with a Sunday morning break-in at the Waynesboro Country Club on Meadowbrook Road, police said.
A concession stand near the 10th hole was damaged during the break-in. Snacks and beer were stolen and consumed, police said. A groundskeeper discovered the damage around 6 a.m.
Police said charges are pending against four juveniles and two adults.

Authorities hunt for armed robber
WAYNESBORO — A man armed with a knife is being sought in the robbery of the Eastside Grocery on U.S. 340, the Augusta County Emergency Operations Center reported.
The robbery occurred shortly before 2 p.m. Tuesday afternoon.
The male suspect was described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall with a dark complexion. He was wearing a green T-shirt, long pants and carrying a blue sweatshirt when the robbery took place. The suspect fled on foot. Details on the robbery were limited.
The Augusta County Sheriff's Office is investigating.
It is the second such incident at Eastside Grocery in 10 days. On June 8, authorities arrested a Fishersville man after he entered the store with his hand under his shirt and demanded money, according to the sheriff's office.
See the Newsleader here

Wanted: Lawyers to help locate felons from old Va. cases

2008-06-18T17:09:00.000-04:00

Virginia’s Forensic Science Board is searching for lawyers to volunteer to help locate about 900 felons, some of whom may have been wrongly convicted between 1973 and 1988.
It’s part of a review of old cases former Gov. Mark R. Warner ordered in 2006 after a sample test of 31 cleared two convicted rapists who’d already served their sentences.
Since then, officials have examined the case files of nearly 500,000 murders, rapes and other serious crimes. They found 941 with biological evidence that could now be tested for DNA.
Twenty years ago, DNA testing was in its infancy.
Attorney and board member Steven D. Benjamin says the State Police, Department of Corrections and Chief Medical Examiner’s office will help the lawyers locate the felons.
See the Daily Progree story here

Does poverty cause crime?

2008-06-18T17:05:00.001-04:00

Not According to this editorial
Daily News Record Editorial
On Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times proved yet again that poverty does not cause crime:
A young hero named Jose Luis Munoz collected $2.5 million from the City of Angels because a police cruiser hit him while he was surrendering after a chase. But having collected his money, he just couldn’t stay away from his gang friends, and he is now back in the slammer.
As one gang expert said, “People who don’t have money transform their lives all the time.”
Maybe this story will give pause to the liberal sociology eggheads who think poverty causes crime, and maybe they’ll finally figure out that the association runs the other away: criminals are usually poor, and that’s because they don’t work.
But don’t expect any miracles. Common sense has never been a strong suit of the chattering class.

$12 surcharge for officer's fuel

2008-06-18T17:00:00.000-04:00

Speeders to pay extra for police fuel In an Atlanta suburb, offenders will face $12 'surcharge' on top of ticket
By Larry Copeland – Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 ‘USA Today’

HOLLY SPRINGS, Ga. — The surging price of gasoline has come to this: a "fuel surcharge" on your next speeding ticket.

Drivers caught speeding in this north Atlanta suburb soon will have to pay an extra $12 — to cover $4-a-gallon gas costs for the police officers who stop them.

The City Council passed the fee hike, effective July 1, to offset fuel prices that have eaten up nearly 60% of the police department's 2008 fuel budget, Police Chief Ken Ball says.

He expects the fee increase, which applies to all moving violations and can be rescinded if gas prices fall below $3 a gallon, to generate $19,500 to $26,000 a year for the town of 7,700.

Ball says he was seeking ways to maintain patrols despite record high gas prices. "I was hearing that Delta (Air Lines), pizza deliverers, florists were adding fuel charges to their services, and I thought, why not police departments?" he says.

Atlanta might be next. Monday, the City Council approved by a 13-0 vote Councilman C.T. Martin's proposal to add a $10-$15 surcharge for motorists convicted of speeding and other moving violations, Martin says. "I want to recover the cost of the extra gas … without raising property taxes," he says. The legislation awaits Mayor Shirley Franklin's approval.

Other cities could follow. Ball says he's being "inundated" by calls from police chiefs and city managers. "I've heard from at least a dozen police chiefs and half a dozen city managers," he says of the measure passed Monday night. "They want to know how we did it, and could we send them a copy of the ordinance."

Wendy Balazik, spokeswoman for the International Association of Chiefs of Police, says she's not aware of any other cities adding such a surcharge. "But it makes sense," she says. "Law enforcement agencies are already facing a number of financial pressures, and rising fuel costs can't help the situation at all."

The National League of Cities says it is unaware of other cities adding such fees.

What code did he violate?

2008-06-17T13:44:00.000-04:00

Disorganized Crime

2008-06-17T13:39:00.000-04:00

Sorry Charlie

2008-06-17T13:28:00.001-04:00

It turns out the fate of Charlie the Tuna of Charleston, Ore., was sorry indeed. The 8-foot Monterey cypress sculpture that used to greet visitors to the coastal fishing town was filleted by two young men who stole it as a prank and then, panicked they would be found out, took chain saws to it.
Not that Charlie would have lasted much longer anyway, the town learned, what with the way bugs and rot had hollowed out his innards.
The statue stood beside the South Slough Bridge into Charleston until Mark Santos and Marvin Terry Jr. swiped it last month.
"We had planned to wait a little while and then leave Charlie in a random place in town where he could be returned unharmed," they said in an apology letter published in The World of Coos Bay.

See the full story here
But someone tipped off sheriff's deputies, who started nosing around. Santos and Terry rushed to their hiding place and tried to move Charlie. But the statue wouldn't fit in their truck.

Police Logs

2008-06-17T13:27:00.001-04:00

What: Larceny — from motor vehicle
When: Between 4 and 4:50 a.m. Monday
Where: Draft Avenue, Stuarts Draft
Reported: Monday
Details: Stolen property: U.S. currency, coin money

What: Larceny — from building
When: Between 6 p.m. Sunday and 7:15 a.m. Monday
Where: Churchville Avenue, Churchville
Reported: Monday
Details: Stolen property: Tools

What: Burglary— residential
When: Between 9 a.m. June 1 and 7:20 a.m. Monday
Where: Pine Chapel Lane, Greenville
Reported: Monday
Details: Stolen property: 1/2 carat diamond ring with 1 million on side, gold ring with dime in center, white gold wedding band set size 6 1/2, gold herring bone necklace 22 inch, gold pendant with gold dine center, white gold dinner ring with diamond flower cluster, white gold engagement ring with diamond cluster, white gold marquis diamondique, mens gold wedding band

What: Larceny — all others
When: Between 5 p.m. June 8 and 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Arrowhead Lane, Stuarts Draft
Reported: Monday
Details: Stolen property: Two-seat Go-cart

What: Burglary — residential
When: Between 8 a.m. and 1:14 p.m. Monday
Where: Schages Lane, Stuarts Draft
Reported: Monday
Details: Stolen property: Money/bills or coins, jewelry/precious metals, other

What: Larceny — from building
When: Between 8:45 a.m. May 28 and 8:45 a.m. Monday
Where: Lipscomb Road, Stuarts Draft
Reported: Monday
Details: Stolen property: Farm equipment
View the Newsleader Police logs here

Arrests made at Waynesboro Salvation Army

2008-06-17T13:21:00.001-04:00

Police made good on their promise to start cracking down on violators who are dumping garbage and stealing donated items left outside of the Salvation Army on Arch Avenue, with two people charged last weekend with felonies.
Waynesboro police spokesman Sgt. Kelly Walker said Jose Valero-Montalvo, 47, of Waynesboro was arrested for grand larceny Saturday night after police observed him stealing an air-conditioning unit, a table and miscellaneous household items that were placed outside the business. Valero-Montalvo also had a child in tow and was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Walker said, as well as trespassing.
See the NL story here

Knife-Wielding Man Robs Cracker Barrel

2008-06-17T13:15:00.000-04:00

Police say a man armed with a knife robbed the Cracker Barrel restaurant on Pleasant Valley Road on Monday.
According to a press release from the Harrisonburg Police Department, a white man, about 6 feet tall, entered the restaurant at about 10 a.m., brandished a knife and demanded money. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash, and there were no injuries.
The man was further described as heavyset, with long "mullet-style" hair, a baseball cap and large aviator sunglasses.
Police Lt. Kurt Boshart said Monday evening that there was no new information and the case was still under investigation.
See the DNR story here

I AM BACK ! ! !

2008-06-17T13:14:00.000-04:00

Had a nice trip to see Dad in Florida.

ON VACATION

2008-06-07T16:38:00.002-04:00

I won't have a post until after Father's day.
Have a nice vacation. I will.

Waylon Jennings

2008-06-03T16:00:00.001-04:00

Funding to Hunt Sexual Predators

2008-06-03T15:57:00.000-04:00

Across the country, investigators are stalking Internet predators, from those who lure children they meet online into a sexual relationship, to those who assault toddlers and post images of their crimes.
Authorities are making strides, but investigators and organizations that work with them say the task forces are underfunded and vastly outnumbered. They've identified more than half a million U.S. computers that have traded child porn.
They're getting some help, though. A handful of states have pitched in funding. That includes Virginia, where the legislature approved $1.5 million for the state's two Internet child-crime task forces. The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children task force will use its $750,000 to double its staff of three investigators.
The U.S. Justice Department created the task force program in 1998 to support state and local law enforcement. Task force investigations led to more than 2,400 arrests in fiscal 2007.
While some states provide additional funding, many task forces rely solely on about $250,000 in annual federal grants. They say it's just not enough.
From Channel 3

Man Arrested for Assaulting Fiancee

2008-06-03T15:55:00.000-04:00

Police in Charlottesville say a 23-year-old city man has been arrested and charged with sexually assaulting his incapacitated fiancee and videotaping it.
Timothy James Hoffman is being held at the Albermarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail on a charge of forcible object sexual penetration.
According to Charlottesville police detective Nicholas Rudman, Hoffman's alleged victim told police she found the videotape among Hoffman's belongings.
Rudman said in a court filing that the woman watched the videotape and saw herself pass out and then be sexually assaulted.
The detective said the woman appears "completely helpless" in the video.
Hoffman was arrested last week.
From Channel 3

Sixth Grader Found Dead

2008-06-03T15:54:00.001-04:00

An 11-year-old Charlottesville boy was found slain in what police are calling a botched robbery.
Sixth-grade pupil Aziz Damar Booth's body was found in the kitchen of a home early Tuesday, and a neighbor was arrested and charged hours later.
Police say they have charged 27-year-old Waverly "Eddie" Whitlock with murder, robbery, malicious wounding and other charges.
Police said they found the 11-year-old slaying victim after a man suffering from a gunshot wound directed them to the house where Aziz was found.
Whitlock is being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail.
The man who led police to the boy's body is being treated for injuries. They are not life-threatening.
From Channel 3

2008-06-02T14:45:00.002-04:00

The regular meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police is the first Monday of each month at 6:30 P.M.
The meetings are at the Waynesboro Elks Lodge.
All certified Law Enforcement personnel are welcome. The lodge is located at 1700 Harvard Rd., Waynesboro.
For directions E-mail exnyerguy@yahoo.com

MTS-The Heart of it all

2008-06-01T23:36:00.002-04:00

Blees me Sergeant, for I have sinned. I have not met my summons quota in two years.

We are so under appreciated

2008-06-01T23:33:00.001-04:00

A man walks into a pet store and is looking around when he spots a chimpanzee in a cage marked, "$1000".
The man looks a little closer and discovers that the chimpanzee is wearing a tie and a hat and is twirling a set of handcuffs around his finger.
Curious, the man summons the shopkeeper and asks him what the deal is with this thousand-dollar monkey.
"Sir, You have discovered our Police Officer Monkeys. This one is our basic Patrol version. It's got a POST Basic certification; can fire 'Expert' with a Glock, Remington 870, or an AR15; knows the Penal Code and Traffic Code by heart and is up-to-date on Cultural Diversity and Active Shooter Response. Very good value for a thousand dollars!"
The man is suitably impressed and moves to the next cage, which is occupied by a gorilla -- also wearing a hat and tie, but is gnawing on a pen instead of the handcuffs.
The price on this one is $5000.
Shopkeeper exclaims, "Ah, sir! You have discovered the Sergeant model! This one has a POST Advanced certification, is capable of training any other monkeys in basic firearms skills, mechanics of arrest, physical training, investigation and small unit tactics! It can even type! Very good value for five thousand, sir!"
Impressed, the man moves to the next cage. Inside, he finds an orangutan, dressed in the same hat and tie as the others, but holding only a coffee cup.
"What does this one do that he's worth $12,000?" asks the man.
The shopkeeper clears his throat, "Ah, sir, well .... we've never actually seen him do anything except drink coffee and play with himself, but he says he's a Lieutenant."

School Bus Driver Arrested

2008-06-01T12:34:00.000-04:00

A Staunton City Schools bus driver has been arrested after police say she had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.
Paula Tomlin faces seven felony charges of indecent liberties with a child in a custodial relationship. Investigators say she and the teen had sexual relations numerous times during the past month.

Staunton Investigator Jeff Hylton says, "Both parties admitted that it was a sexually active relationship although they did maintain that they were in love and considered themselves to be boyfriend and girlfriend."
Dr. Steven Nichols, the superintendent of Staunton schools, says he was tipped off about the relationship.
Once police started investigating, they found sexually-explicit text messages.
Nichols says, although

the teen was a student at Genesis Alternative School,

he took a bus to R.E. Lee High School, where he was to be taken home by Tomlin. However, that didn't always happen.
Nichols says, "They would finish the route, she would park the bus and then they would leave in her vehicle."
Parents of Staunton students say news of the relationship is shocking because they trust the bus drivers to bring the kids home safely.
Parent Thomas Shields says, "I coach kids around here and I can't believe that somebody is responsible for taking care of our kids is doing something like that."
Nichols maintains the students are and will be safe.
He says, "We are going to make every child in this system as safe as we possibly can and when someone does something such as what happens here, they are going to bear the full brunt of responsibility."
Nichols does say Tomlin did pass a background check when she was hired, and she has no other incidents like this on her record. Tomlin resigned from her position with the school district as soon as she heard she was being investigated about the relationship.
From Channel 3

2008-06-01T12:24:00.002-04:00

A Career of Opportunities JoinSJPDBlue

San Jose Police Department is looking for a few good people.

TOP PAY is over $107,000

Click here

Police: Seat Belt Blitz In Full Speed

2008-05-24T11:50:00.000-04:00

NEW MARKET - After noticing a Pontiac G6 speed past him, New Market Police Officer Chris Rinker turned around and pulled over the car near the intersection of South Congress and Confederate streets.
Because it's right in the middle of the annual Click It or Ticket campaign, the first thing Rinker did was check to see if the passengers were wearing their seat belts.
The couple in the Pontiac had theirs on.
"Our goal isn't to write a bunch of tickets," Rinker said. "Our goal is to get people to buckle up. It's about education."
In Virginia, failing to wear a seat belt for adults is a secondary offense, meaning a police officer must make a traffic stop for another violation before issuing a citation for not wearing a seat belt.
See the full story here

Criminal Justice, Not Crime, Threatens Us

2008-05-24T11:39:00.003-04:00

By Walter Williams
EVERY TIME THERE'S a highly publicized shooting, out go the cries for stricter gun control laws, and it was no different with the recent murder of Philadelphia Police Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, in a letter to the state congressional delegation demanding re-enactment of the federal assault weapon ban, said, "Passing this legislation will go a long way to protecting those who put their lives on the line every day for us. ... There is no excuse to do otherwise."
Gun control laws will not protect us from murderers.
We need protection from the criminal justice system politicians have created.
Let's look at it.
According to former Philly cop Michael P. Tremoglie's article "Who freed the cop-killers?" in the Philadelphia Daily News (May 8), all three murder suspects had extensive criminal records. Levon Warner was sentenced in 1997 to seven and a half to 15 years for robbery, one to five years for possessing an instrument of crime and five to 10 for criminal conspiracy.
Howard Cain was convicted in 1996 on four counts of robbery and sentenced to five to 10 years on each count.
Eric Floyd was sentenced to five to 10 years in 1995 for robbery, rearrested in 1999 for parole violation and later convicted in 2001 for two robberies.
If these criminals had not been released from prison, long before they served out their sentences, officer Liczbinski would be alive today.
So what's responsible for his death: guns, or a prison and parole system that released these three criminals?
Tremoglie cites other examples of criminals, with convictions for violent crimes ranging from robbery and assault to murder, who were paroled and later murdered police officers.
A New York Times study published in April, 2006, of the city's 1,662 murders in 2003-2005 found that 90 percent of the murderers had criminal records.
A Massachusetts study reported that on average, homicide offenders had been arraigned for nine prior offenses.
John Lott's book, "More Guns, Less Crime," reports that in 1988 in the 75 largest counties in the U.S., more than 89 percent of adult murderers had a criminal record as an adult.
A few days after the murder of Liczbinski, Gov. Rendell told a news conference, attended by state elected officials and top law enforcement officials, "The time has come for politicians to decide.
You have to decide whether you're on their side — the men and women who wear blue - or whether you're on the side of the gun lobby."
Instead of saying "whether you're on the side of the gun lobby," Rendell should have said "whether you're on the side of the criminal and the courts, prosecutors, prisons and parole boards that cut soft deals with criminals and release them to prey upon police officers and law-abiding citizens."
If there is one clear basic function of government, it's to protect citizens from criminals.
When government failure becomes so apparent, as it is in the murder of a police officer, officials seek scapegoats and very often it's the National Rifle Association and others who seek to protect our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
We hear calls for stricter gun control laws when what is really needed is more control over criminals.
There are many third-party liability laws.
I think they ought to be applied to members of parole boards that release criminals who turn around and commit violent crimes.
As it stands now, people on parole boards who release criminals bear no cost of their decisions.
I bet that if members of parole boards were held liable or forced to serve the balance of the sentence of a parolee who goes out and commits more crime, they would pay more attention to the welfare of the community rather than the welfare of a criminal.
You say, "Williams, under those conditions, who'd serve on a parole board?"
There's something to be said about that.
From the Daily News Record

Woman Charged for Sex with Minor

2008-05-24T11:37:00.000-04:00

An Augusta County woman is facing charges after allegedly having sex with a minor.
Twenty-six-year-old Latasha Rexrode is charged with carnal knowledge of a child after a report that she engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old boy for nearly two months in 2007.
The charge is a class four felony, and if convicted, she could face two to ten years in prison, and up to $100,000 fine.
From Channel 3

I was placing an order

2008-05-24T11:33:00.001-04:00

Psych evaluation ordered for teacher accused in bomb threats case

2008-05-23T01:22:00.000-04:00

A teacher charged Tuesday with making bomb threats at Shelburne Middle School in February was ordered to undergo a psychiatric evaluation prior to having a bond hearing.
Heidi Marie Dorn, 34, of Staunton is being held at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona on three counts of making a bomb threat and four counts of threatening to do bodily harm.
Dorn, who has retained defense attorney Tate Love, appeared briefly Wednesday afternoon in Staunton General District Court via a closed circuit monitor. Love said Western State Hospital most likely will conduct the psychiatric evaluation.
The charges are related to a series of notes found at the middle school on Feb. 21, Feb. 22 and Feb. 25, according to a press release from the Staunton Police Department.
Staunton police spokeswoman Officer Lisa Klein said several notes were found at the school — some in the seventh- and eighth-grade hallways and one that was reportedly found by Dorn herself in a faculty lounge. Klein said the notes "threatened to shoot people and bomb the school."
Students were not evacuated from the school. "The threat was assessed, and it was determined there was no need to evacuate," Klein said.
Asked if Dorn admitted to writing the notes, Klein said, "I can't tell you that."
Dorn is a special education teacher at Shelburne, but she had resigned from the school effective May 30, said Staunton City Schools Superintendent Steven Nichols. Since Dorn's arrest, she is no longer permitted on school grounds, Nichols said.
News of Dorn's arrest triggered a range of emotional reactions at the school, where fellow teachers expressed everything from hurt to anger to embarrassment over the matter, Nichols said. He met with the Shelburne faculty early Wednesday to discuss the arrest.
The discussion ended with faculty deciding to hold a Shelburne pride day as part of an effort to show the school isn't represented by this one incident. Signs reading "We are Shelburne" had been posted in school windows by Wednesday afternoon, and teachers and students were encouraged to wear school T-shirts to class today, said Assistant Superintendent Dori Walk.
"(Teachers are) very proud of Shelburne, and they want people to understand that it was just one person, it wasn't the entire staff," Walk said. "We have great teachers here, and we have great kids."

Thousands in cash stolen from Mount Solon home

2008-05-23T01:20:00.000-04:00

A 69-year-old man reported to the sheriff’s office that $8,300 was stolen from his home Wednesday.
The money was kept in three separate jars and a bank bag, the sheriff’s office said. A door to the home was forced open to gain access.
No arrests were made, but the case remains open.

EMS Memorial Ride

2008-05-23T01:19:00.000-04:00

A memorial ride is taking place in the Valley with about 80 cyclists taking to the road for Emergency Medical Services workers.
A group of EMS workers stopped in Elkton Thursday as part of their journey from New York to Roanoke. These cyclists are one of two groups of riders who will bike through the area Saturday, stopping at the EMS memorial service in Roanoke.
It's their way to memorialize other EMS workers who have died while serving others.
Kieran Henry from Ireland says, "It's been absolutely fantastic. In lots of ways we've seen so many different parts. We've seen New York City. We went through Philadelphia, Washington. We’ve gone through all weather conditions. All types of urban, rural had a lot of emotions."
The total distance of the trip is 600 miles, and it is all being traveled by bicycle.

THANK YOU EMS. I KNOW YOU HAVE SAVED MY LIFE.

Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday

2008-05-23T01:17:00.000-04:00

In preparation of hurricane season, the state of Virginia is holding a hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday starting Sunday and running through May 31.
The holiday was approved by the General Assembly and it will take place every year on the last week of May through the year 2012. This is the first year for the tax holiday, and a store manager at Lowe's says she hasn't had many customers asking about it yet.
However, there is a list of more than 20 items you can save on, including bottled water.
"I think it's great. I mean you never know what's going to happen and you always need to be prepared because something could happen when you least expect it, and then you're not ready," says Chandra Jeppson, a shopper at Lowe's.
Legislators want Virginians to be ready. That's why the first hurricane preparedness sales tax holiday starts Sunday. Certain items under $60 each, such as batteries and flashlights, are exempt from the five-percent sales tax.
"A roll of plastic, you're not going to save as much, and you put together a whole hurricane preparedness package, you could potentially save a whole lot of money," says Sheri Sheetz, the administrative manager at Lowe's in Harrisonburg.
Larger items, such as a generator that's under $1,000, may also be exempt. Other items on the list include crank radios, rope and even smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
"It's a good time. You may not think about a fire in your home about a hurricane but it's a good time to be prepared for any kind of disaster or potential problem that you have in your home," says Sheetz.
Some say they are already stocked up.
"It is a good idea to be prepared but I already own a portable generator, and I'm already prepared already so, it's not going to benefit me," says June Clark, a shopper at Lowe's.
The week long holiday may not bring out everyone, but it is incentive for some shoppers to buy things they've been putting on hold for a while.
"We do have a lot already, but definitely if we can even save $5 or $10 right now with gas price and everything else, it's a big deal," says Jeppson. "And it adds up."
The Lowe's in Harrisonburg has been getting an average of two truckloads a night to make sure they are stocked up for next week. Sheetz says if the item you want is not in the store, you can place an order and still get the tax exemption.

Summertime

2008-05-23T01:12:00.002-04:00

The entries to this blog will be less frequent for the summer. I am going to try to keep it everyday, but............

Kids take preference.

See the one with the glazed look in his eyes? That is the cop.

2008-05-18T00:48:00.003-04:00

I Don't like Krispy Kreme, I am a Dunkin Donuts kinda guy.
I refused to eat donuts in uniform. Now Pizza and Pepsi, different story.