Crime

Brickbat: Persistence Is Key

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Home invasions by criminals seeking to steal automobiles rose 400 percent last year, according to the Toronto Police Service, and one officer said there's an easy way for residents to protect themselves from such a crime. "To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at your front door," said Const. Marco Ricciardi during a community meeting. "They're breaking into your home to steal your car. They don't want anything else." He further warned, "A lot of them that they're arresting have guns on them and they're not toy guns, they're real guns. They're loaded." In a statement, the police service said it is concerned about "an escalation in violence" when weapons are used to steal autos. But it acknowledged there are other ways to reduce the chances of home invasion and auto theft, such as installing a security system and reporting suspicious people and vehicles.

United Kingdom

Brickbat: Pint-Sized Prison

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A girl in the United Kingdom's Wetherby Young Offender Institution twice had her clothes removed while being restrained by an all-male team of prison officers, according to a report by the Inspectorate of Prisons. The girl was reportedly trying to use her clothes to harm herself. Wetherby is a correctional institution for people aged 15–18. The report found 24 children were strip-searched in one 12-month period, half of them forcibly; pain-inducing restraint techniques were used nine times over the same period. The report said that not one use of such techniques was found to be appropriate by an independent review panel. It also discovered that one use of the restraint injured a child, but this was not reported to officials.

California

Brickbat: Perks of the Job

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Former California State Controller's Office employee Miguel Espinosa has pleaded guilty to three counts of grand theft. Espinosa stole $300,000 worth of diamonds, as well as coins and other jewelry, over a seven-year period from the mailroom where he worked. In April, Espinosa is scheduled to be sentenced to three years and four months in prison.

Police

Brickbat: Swift Justice

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King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said she won't file felony charges against Officer Kevin Dave of the Seattle Police Department, who fatally struck Jaahnavi Kandula with his patrol car in January 2023. "Our legal analysis reveals that the PAO (Prosecuting Attorney's Office) lacks sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Officer Kevin Dave was impaired by drugs or alcohol, driving in a reckless manner, or driving with disregard for the safety of others," Manion said in a statement. Dave reached speeds of up to 74 mph while responding to an overdose call, but he used his siren only at intersections instead of running it continuously. He struck Kandula in a crosswalk in an area where the speed limit is 25 mph, applying his brakes less than a second before hitting her. Dave's case has been referred to the city attorney's office which will consider a misdemeanor charge of operating a motor vehicle in a negligent manner.

Law enforcement

Brickbat: Pre-Crime and Punishment

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Canadian Justice Minister Arif Virani, who is also the nation's attorney general, says it is very important that the government have the power to punish someone it believes might commit a hate crime even if that person actually hasn't committed a crime. An online harms bill proposed by the government would give it such powers. Whoever the government contends might commit a hate crime would face a range of punishments, including restrictions on their Internet use, being forced to wear an electronic monitor, and house arrest. But Virani insists the bill would not infringe on free speech, saying speech that is "awful but lawful" would not be punished.

Automobiles

Brickbat: Texas Tag Trouble

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North Richland Hills, Texas, residents Dale and Anne Smith received bills totaling $1,065 for unpaid tolls from the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA). The bills were for 11 different vehicles, none of which are owned by the Smiths. When they tried to clear the matter up, the NTTA told the Smiths it was up to them to prove they didn't own the cars. The Smiths even got the police involved. The cops found all of the license plate numbers on the bills sent to the Smiths were from temporary tags connected to an Arlington car dealership. But that wasn't enough for the NTTA. Finally, when a local newspaper began digging around on the story, the NTTA told the Smiths it was voiding their debt because it had discovered the vehicles belonged to someone else.

Pets

Brickbat: Dog Gone

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When Melissa Evans' dog Spotty got away, she feared she might never see him again. But she got a call from Oklahoma City Animal Welfare saying they had picked up the dog and she could get him back if she got him neutered; she agreed. But when she went to pick up Spotty, staff told her the dog had been mistakenly euthanized.  "There were two dogs in this particular kennel that had come in together," said Animal Welfare Superintendent Jon Gary. "Very similar-looking dogs. Same coloring, same sex, same breed type." The other dog was scheduled to be euthanized instead of Spotty. "We went into the kennel and mistakenly pulled the wrong dog out," Gary said. "And the wrong dog was euthanized."

Government abuse

Brickbat: Free Ride

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The Scottish Ambulance Service fired Christopher Gallacher, a duty manager at West Centre in Glasgow, after finding he had an on-duty emergency dispatcher pick him and his family up at the airport after a vacation. According to a disciplinary tribunal, this happened on an evening when there were a "high number of calls" and patients were waiting for "lengthy periods of time." The dispatcher was away from his post for 45 minutes. Gallacher said he had assumed the man would use his break to pick him up.

Gun Owners

Brickbat: You Can Tell Us

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California state Sen. Anthony Portantino, (D–Burbank) has introduced a bill that would require gun owners to annually register their firearms with the state. The registration information would be available to law enforcement agencies. "SB 1160 will give the state better data and help us understand how many firearms are in private hands and who owns them," said Portantino.

dogs

Brickbat: Taking the Piss

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A man says he was threatened with arrest after his dog urinated on a public street in Bournemouth, England. Steve Schuurman said an "aggressive" female Dorset police officer shouted at him to "clear your fucking dog piss." Schuurman said he would have cleaned up if his dog had defecated but wasn't sure what the officer wanted him to do with urine. He said when he complained, a Bournemouth council community safety patrol officer threatened to have him arrested if he did not move on. The Dorset police department said it is looking into the incident. A Bournemouth Council spokesperson said its "community safety officers were only involved in this incident in an effort to de-escalate the situation and seek a resolution for the gentleman involved."

Alcohol

Brickbat: Pop the Top

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Following public ridicule and the defection of co-sponsors, a Tennessee legislator has withdrawn a bill that would have banned convenience stores and supermarkets from selling refrigerated beer. State Rep. Ron Gant (R–Rossville) said he did not want "to infringe on law-abiding citizens or be unfair to businesses." Gant originally proposed the measure as a way to reduce drunk driving.

Free Speech

Brickbat: Watch What You Say

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In Canada, Charlie Angus, a New Democratic Party member of Parliament, has introduced a bill that would make it illegal "to promote a fossil fuel, a fossil fuel-related brand element or the production of a fossil fuel." Regular citizens who violate the act would face a fine of up to $500,000 ($369,622 U.S.), while oil company executives would face up to two years in jail or a fine of $1,000,000 ($739,245 U.S.). The bill defines promotion as "a representation about a product or service by any means" that is "likely to influence and shape attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about the product or service." It specifically bars people from saying that some types of fossil fuels are less harmful than others and could even punish anyone who claims that the oil and gas sector benefits the economy.

New York City

Brickbat: Passing the Buck

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The New York City government is refusing to reimburse Adam and Elizabeth Rizer for the loss of their car, which was totaled during a police chase. An officer was pursuing a suspected stolen vehicle when the officer's vehicle, with its lights flashing, T-boned a Hertz rental car in an intersection. That car then collided with the Rizers' Jeep, which was parked outside their apartment. The entire incident, including the collision, was caught on video. Police reports note that the police vehicle struck the Rizers' vehicle, but the city comptroller's office insists the vehicle that was T-boned actually struck their car and referred the couple to Hertz for possible compensation.

Airlines

Brickbat: This One Is Just Right

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Italian aviation officials blocked a British Airways flight from leaving Milan for London after a surprise inspection found some of the seat cushions were too thick and too wide. Seat cushions on exit rows over the wings are supposed to be smaller to create more room in case of an evacuation. The air crew called out serial numbers for the correct seats and had passengers see if any of the cushions on their seats matched those numbers. They were able to locate enough cushions to swap out for those over the exit rows, and the flight departed after a delay of an hour.

Plastic Pollution

Brickbat: Hard To Swallow

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New York City Council Member James Gennaro has introduced a bill banning the sale or distribution of laundry or dishwasher detergent pods and laundry sheets that contain polyvinyl alcohol, a petroleum-based plastic film that holds detergents. Those who violate the ban would face a fine of $400 for a first violation. The fine would increase $400 for each additional violation. Supporters say these pods and sheets leave microplastics in the environment and the city water supply. The bill is backed by Blueland, a cleaning products manufacturer whose products compete with pods and sheets.

Grocery stores

Brickbat: Don't Go Yet

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San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Dean Preston has proposed an ordinance that would require supermarkets to provide at least six months' notice before closing any stores. It would also require supermarket executives to meet with community members before closing a store and require them to try to find a replacement supermarket. The Board of Supervisors passed a similar law in 1984, but it was vetoed by then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein after one supermarket executive warned it would discourage new supermarkets from opening in the city. At the time, Feinstein called the ordinance "an unnecessary intrusion of governmental regulatory authority."

Police Abuse

Brickbat: Viewing Party

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A student police officer in England's Thames Valley police said he was shunned by others in the department after he reported a fellow officer for watching bodycam video of a woman having a seizure and making crude remarks about her. The officer said he was later told he was not fit for police work and dismissed from the department. The woman had been arrested when officers believed she was the aggressor in an incident, though she was later found to be the victim. While she was being transported in the back of a police van, she had a seizure that left her breasts and groin exposed. The next day, four officers watched the video and made remarks about her. A Thames Valley Police spokesperson told the media those remarks were "unacceptable" and the department was grateful that the student officer had reported them. The spokesperson said the termination of the student officer's employment was an "entirely separate" issue.

Police

Brickbat: You Can Never Be Too Careful

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Officials in Aurora, Colorado, have agreed to pay $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Brittney Gilliam, her daughter, her sister, and her two nieces. In 2020, the five were pulled out of their SUV at gunpoint and handcuffed. Police said their computer system showed the SUV was stolen, but in fact, it was a motorcycle with the same license plate number from Montana that had been stolen. Local prosecutors called the incident "unacceptable and preventable" but declined to charge the officers.

Airlines

Brickbat: Grounded Already

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United Airlines received its first Airbus A321neo airplanes in December, and it has already had to ground them. But United wants you to know there were no safety issues—rather, it has to do with a 1990 Federal Aviation Administration rule requiring "No Smoking" signs to be operated by the flight crew, even though smoking on airplanes has been banned for decades. The A321neo has software that keeps the "No Smoking" sign turned on continuously during flights. In 2020, United got an exemption to that rule for all of its planes that keep the sign on continuously. But that exemption only applies to the aircraft it listed at the time. United has since applied for an exemption for the Airbus A321neo, and it says the FAA has agreed to let the airline fly those aircraft while it evaluates the application.

Excessive Fines

Brickbat: Late or Early

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Los Angeles station NBC4 reports that the California Department of Motor Vehicles may have improperly charged tens of thousands of drivers late fees for their vehicle registration. It found that the DMV has often rejected electronic checks even when the account had sufficient funds and there were no other issues, then billed the drivers late fees. The DMV told the station it isn't sure exactly how many drivers were affected or how much revenue it collected from those improper late fees.

Maine

Brickbat: Finders, Keepers

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Gov. Janet Mills has appointed former Maine Supreme Judicial Court Justice Donald Alexander to overhear a request by Oxford County commissioners to remove Sheriff Christopher Wainwright. Wainwright sold dozens of firearms from evidence without recording the transactions or notifying commissioners. Wainwright said he used the proceeds from the sales to buy equipment for the sheriff's office. The commissioners said they have seen no proof of that claim. Wainwright apologized for his actions but said they don't warrant his removal.

Automobiles

Brickbat: So Tired

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New tires for automobiles could become more expensive and less safe under legislation proposed by Washington state lawmakers. The proposed bill would give the state Department of Commerce the power to ban the sale of tires it deems bad for the environment. The bill targets heavier and more durable tires, which sponsors say have greater rolling resistance, making them less energy efficient. But critics say the bill would effectively ban cheaper tires and make those that are sold less safe. "The easiest way to reduce rolling resistance is to reduce tread depth which will, in turn, reduce wet traction performance," said Tracey Norberg of the U.S. Tire Manufacturer's Association. "It'll reduce tire life, and it'll increase scrap tire generation."

Prison sentence

Brickbat: Time Gone By

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Glynn Simmons spent 48 years in an Oklahoma prison for the murder of a liquor store clerk killed during a robbery. But a judge ordered him freed last year, and, in a separate proceeding, declared him to be "actually innocent." His lawyers said detectives withheld a report saying that an eyewitness did not identify him as the killer in a lineup. That woman, who was shot in the head during the robbery, did identify at least five other men in different lineups. Simmons has now filed a federal lawsuit against the detectives and the departments they worked for.

Police

Brickbat: There for the Taking

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Columbus, Ohio, police officers John Castillo and Joel Mefford have been charged with possessing with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Mefford has also been charged with money laundering and two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Prosecutors said the men stole cocaine from people they were investigating and gave it to others to sell.

England

Brickbat: Gee Whiz

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In England, the Dacorum borough council has issued fines for littering to at least two men who pulled off the road in a rural area to urinate. "The council has sought legal advice on the use of littering fixed penalty notices for urination and is satisfied that urination would be covered by the relevant legislation," the council said in a statement. The Telegraph reports that at least three other councils treat public urination as littering.

Politics

Brickbats: March 2024

News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world

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Former federal corrections officer Andy Steven Johnson pleaded guilty to theft and wire fraud. While working at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Johnson took an inmate's cellphone, opened Cash App, and sent himself $300. Johnson also applied for and received a Paycheck Protection Program loan of nearly $16,000 for a business that didn't exist.

(Illustration: Peter Bagge)

Karen Celebertti resigned as director of the Miss Nicaragua beauty pageant facing charges of treason and organized crime. Following Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios' victory in the Miss Universe pageant, photos of Palacios attending a 2018 anti-government rally went viral and she became a symbol of the opposition to President Daniel Ortega. When Celebertti and her daughter arrived back at the Managua airport in November, they were placed on a plane to Mexico, and police searched her home and detained her husband and son.

(Illustration: Peter Bagge)

The government of Utrecht, Netherlands, banned ads for meat on bus stops and other government-owned spaces. The city has previously banned ads for fossil fuels, cars, and flying. City officials say the bans could have a positive impact on residents' health and the climate.

Former Hialeah, Florida, police officer Rafael Otano was sentenced to five and a half years in prison after being convicted of kidnapping a homeless man. Prosecutors said that after a shopkeeper at a strip mall called police to complain about the man, Otano and another officer drove him to a wooded area outside of town, beat him, and left him there.

Russia has enacted new laws to punish those who criticize its war in Ukraine, and Russians have been eager to denounce those they feel violate those laws. Sometimes those who report others truly agree with the war effort, but sometimes it's done to settle a personal grudge. "Whenever something real comes up, there's nobody to investigate," one former police officer told the BBC. "Everyone's gone to check on some grandma who saw a curtain that looked like the Ukrainian flag."

Coi Morris, a mail handler at the U.S. Postal Service processing center in New Orleans, pleaded guilty to embezzling. Morris admitted that for months, he opened and stole from greeting cards at the processing center, taking between $500 and $800 plus some gift cards.

(Illustration: Peter Bagge)

Australian authorities fined 77-year-old New Zealander June Armstrong 3,300 Australian dollars ($2,235) for bringing a chicken sandwich into the country. Armstrong bought the sandwich, sealed, at the Christchurch airport. She intended to eat it on her flight but forgot about it until a customs official in Australia searched her backpack. The Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry website says travelers can be fined if they fail to declare goods that pose a "high level of biosecurity risk."

A member of the New York Legislature wants people to be fingerprinted and pass a criminal background check before they can buy a 3D printer. State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar (D–Queens) says such printers can be used to make and sell untraceable guns. The bill doesn't specify what will happen to those who already own 3D printers or to those who buy them from private sellers or from out of state.

A Marion County, Florida, sheriff's deputy received a one-day suspension for using a police database to find the identity of a woman dating her ex-boyfriend. She was suspended an additional two days after a video appeared on Facebook of her attacking another woman at a party. The woman she attacked was reportedly a friend of her ex's new girlfriend.

Police

Brickbat: Quick Action

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Jonathan Marsh, an officer with London's Metropolitan Police, has been found guilty of assault for punching shopkeeper Rasike Attanayake. Attanayake had called emergency dispatch to report a man damaging his shop and threatening to kill people. Upon arriving, Marsh knocked Attanayake to the ground, punched him in the back of the head, handcuffed him, and placed him in the back of a patrol car before figuring out he was not the suspect.

Politics

Brickbat: Sympathy for the Devil

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The Mississippi man who destroyed a statue erected by the Satanic Temple of Iowa in the state Capitol last year faces years in prison after being charged with a hate crime. Navy veteran Michael Cassidy has been charged with felony third-degree criminal mischief. He was originally charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief, but in a statement, prosecutors said, "the defendant made statements to law enforcement and the public indicating he destroyed the property because of the victim's religion." As a result, prosecutors tacked on a hate crime enhancement, increasing the charge from a misdemeanor to a class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and up to $10,245 in fines. The prosecutors' statement said that based on information provided by the Satanists, it would cost between $750 and $1,500 to repair or replace the statue.

Free Speech

Brickbat: Power Mad

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A federal judge has ruled that Trumbull County, Ohio, officials violated the rights of Niki Frenchko, the only Republican member of the county Board of Commissioners, when they had her arrested during a commissioners' meeting. Frenchko was arrested for criticizing the sheriff, Paul Monroe, for a death in the jail. She was charged with trying to "prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting" under a law that prohibits speech that "outrages the sensibilities of the group." The charge was later dropped. The other commissioners, Monroe, and the deputies who arrested Frenchko were found personally liable. A hearing will be held later to determine damages.

Nature

Brickbat: Timber!

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For three years, the Bond family asked the city of Portland, Oregon, for permission to remove two Douglas firs that they believed looked dangerous. But the city's Urban Forestry division denied them a removal permit. "Removal will significantly affect neighborhood character, based on the tree's attributes, visibility of the tree to the public, or past removals of trees in the area," the agency said in a letter to the family. But during a recent storm, one of those trees fell onto their home, forcing them out. A city arborist advised the family that they will have to apply for a permit to remove the remains of the tree, and they will also have to pay to have a tree planted to replace it. The Bonds were also advised to go ahead and remove that second tree from their property and apply for a retroactive permit, but if that permit is denied, they could be fined for removing the tree.

Los Angeles Sheriff's Department

Brickbat: Let's Go for a Ride

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Former Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Deputy Christopher Hernandez has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to violate the civil rights of skateboarder Jesus Alegria. Hernandez and now-former Deputy Miguel Vega kidnapped Alegria after he told them to stop picking on teens in a Compton park. The two drove him around in their patrol car and threatened to beat him up, drop him off in gang-controlled territory, and tell people he was a member of a rival gang. Vega was previously sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Water

Brickbat: All Wet

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When Atlanta developer Jeff Raw had a water meter installed on a vacant lot he owned, he wasn't expecting to get a bill until he put a house on the property. But one month after the water meter was installed, before site prep had even started, he got an $8,899 bill for 305,184 gallons of water. Bills like that kept coming in for five months, totaling almost $30,000, and only fell to a reasonable amount after the house was finished. In the meantime, Raw kept complaining. An inspector sent by the city even verified there were no water lines and no leaks on the site, but officials insisted that Raw pay those bills. At one point the utility sent Raw an email admitting there was a leak in its part of the system. But he soon got a call saying that its legal department had gotten involved and he still had to pay. He then appealed to the Sewer and Water Appeals Board but was denied; FOX5 Atlanta reports that the board denies 80 percent of appeals. Raw must now decide whether to take the city to court.

Prison sentence

Brickbat: The Wrong Man

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The state of Michigan has agreed to pay $1.75 million to Louis Wright, who spent 35 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of the sexual assault of an 11-year-old girl. Wright's conviction was overturned after DNA results ruled him out as the suspect. Police targeted Wright for the crime after an off-duty police officer claimed to have seen him in the area around the time of the attack. They claim he confessed, but the interview was not recorded and he did not sign a confession. The girl was never asked to identify him. Wright pleaded no contest to the assault. He tried to withdraw that plea at sentencing but a judge refused to allow it.

Thailand

Brickbat: Royal Trouble

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An appeals court in Thailand has sentenced democracy activist Mongkol Thirakot to 50 years in prison for Facebook posts he made that were critical of the country's monarchy. A trial court had sentenced him to 28 years, but the appellate court found him guilty on 11 more counts during his appeal and gave him a longer sentence.

Police

Brickbat: Nobody Home

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The owner of a house mistakenly raided by the police, resulting in an injury to a 17-month-old living in the house, said she has told police repeatedly that the man they were looking for did not live there and had never lived there. Shivani Tiwari of Medina, Ohio, said she first heard of the man when police approached her as she prepared the home for a new tenant to move in. She said she let the cops inside to see the place was empty and told them she didn't recognize any of the names they asked about. She later gave them contact information for previous tenants when they asked for it. She said police later returned when she called about threats from a neighbor and when the tenant filed a protective order. "On multiple occasions, police have visited that property. How could you not know who's living there?" she said. "They had the opportunity to verify the identity of people living in the property."

Fraud

Brickbat: Uncharitable Fraud

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A civilian employee of the U.S. Army has been charged with stealing $100 million from the military. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas said Janet Yamanaka Mello, who worked as a civilian financial program manager at Fort Sam Houston, "regularly" submitted fraudulent paperwork for funding for Child Health and Youth Lifelong Development, an organization she controlled which she claimed "provided services to military members and their families." Prosecutors said she actually used that money to buy real estate, vehicles, and jewelry.

Corruption

Brickbat: Kick It Back

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A jury has found former Puerto Rico House of Representatives member María Milagros "Tata" Charbonier and her husband Orlando Montes-Rivera guilty of conspiracy, theft, bribery, kickbacks concerning programs receiving federal funds, wire fraud, and money laundering. While in office, Charbonier increased the pay of her assistant, Frances Acevedo-Ceballos, from $800 to between $2,100 and $2,900 in each biweekly paycheck. But the assistant kicked back between $1,000 and $1,500 of each paycheck to Charbonier, her husband, and their son.

Politics

Brickbats: February 2024

News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.

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Alabama's Jefferson County school system suspended a 6-year-old for pointing his finger like a gun while playing cops and robbers. He initially received a class 3 violation, the same one given to students who bring actual weapons to school, later dropped to a class 2 violation. School officials later told local media that only a "discussion with the student" was needed, and not a suspension, but the boy's father said the class 2 violation remains on his son's record.

Milford, Massachusetts, police charged two people with keeping a disorderly home, gaming or betting, keeping a place for registering bets, and selling liquor without permits. According to police, Luis Loja-Caguana paved over the backyard at his home and installed two full volleyball courts, where police say he not only hosted volleyball games but ran a betting operation on the games. Police served a search warrant on the property and seized around $10,000 in cash.

A Maricopa County, Arizona, prosecutor fired for falsely charging protesters as gang members said before a State Bar disciplinary hearing that she did nothing wrong, even when she charged a bystander who was not part of the protest. April Sponsel said she still believes nurse Ryder Collins is part of a gang, despite video evidence from both police officers and bystanders showing Collins did not take part in the protest.

(Illustration: Peter Bagge)

Police in Valence, France, ordered a Chamas Tacos restaurant franchise to turn off its sign or face an administrative closure order because the C in the sign is not working, so at night it appears to read "Hamas Tacos." The owner of the restaurant told local media that the C has not been working for months, well before the recent attacks on Israel by the terrorist organization Hamas.

(Illustration: Peter Bagge)

Christopher Fujushin of Grantsville, Utah, put up a Halloween decoration of a pole-dancing skeleton outside his house. City officials posted on Facebook that the display, which was attached to a street sign, had to be removed. Fujushin then moved the display to his front yard and added lights, music, and more skeletons. His neighbors donated items to make the display even bigger.

Hachikosela Muchimba, a U.S. Postal Service carrier in Washington, D.C., has been charged with mail theft and bank fraud. Prosecutors said Muchimba stole $1,697,909 in mailed checks, erased the payees' names, and deposited them in his bank account. In a search of his house, authorities allegedly found an ATM receipt in which Muchimba deposited a Treasury check for $415,173. Prosecutors say he tried to flee to Zambia when discovered.

In England, Northumbria Police fired Constable Philip Aiston after a panel found he failed to notify a couple of the death of their son, as he was told to do, then lied about it for two years. Aiston reported going to deliver the news and finding no one home, but GPS data from his patrol car placed him five miles away from the couple's residence. The panel found that not notifying the parents didn't warrant disciplinary action but the multiple lies he told his superiors did.

(Illustrations: Peter Bagge)

A proposed Chinese law would ban wearing clothing or symbols that "undermine the spirit or hurt the feelings of the Chinese nation." Those who violate the law could face up to 15 days in jail and a fine of up to 5,000 yuan ($700). The proposal came after police in Suzhou detained a woman for wearing a Japanese kimono and after people wearing rainbow-print clothing were barred from attending a concert in Beijing.

Surveillance

Brickbat: Casting a Wide Net

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The ACLU of Northern California reports it has uncovered a geofence warrant that stretched nearly two miles across San Francisco. The warrant would have allowed law enforcement to find active cellphones across an area that included numerous private homes as well as several government buildings. The ACLU said it isn't clear what law enforcement agency obtained the warrant or how long it was in effect.

Free Speech

Brickbat: Thought Crime

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Police Scotland has agreed to pay £5,500 ($6,967 U.S.) to settle a lawsuit brought by Angus Cameron, a street preacher who was handcuffed and detained for "homophobic language." The agency will also pay £9,400 ($11,907 U.S.) for Cameron's legal costs. The police also agreed to remove a "non-crime" hate incident report from Cameron's record. Last year, Police Scotland entered more non-crime hate reports into its records than the actual number of hate crimes it responded to.

Government Waste

Brickbat: Expensive Garbage

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The city of San Francisco put almost five years and over half a million dollars into an effort to design and deploy the perfect garbage can. Now, that effort has been put on hold due to an $800 million budget deficit. Mayor London Breed called on all departments to cut at least 10 percent from their budgets. The Department of Public Works said it will not go ahead with plans to purchase the cans, which could each cost thousands of dollars to make.

Military

Brickbat: Supporting the Troops

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Canadian military police are threatening to press charges against Christina Lea Gilchrist, a sex worker who offers a 25 percent discount to customers presenting a valid military ID. Her sex work is legal, but the military objects to ads Gilchrist has posted showing her in uniform, which it claims is illegal. Gilchrist said she has never presented herself as a member of the military. "People in movies dressed up as soldiers aren't impersonating soldiers, so why do (military police) think that I am?" she said. The military has also warned soldiers not to use Gilchrist's services. But she says that has just raised her profile and led soldiers from across the country to ask about her services.

Politics

Brickbat: Miami Vices

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Former Miami-Dade School Board vice chair Lubby Navarro has been charged with organized fraud of $50,000 or more, organized fraud of between $20,000 and $100,000, and two counts of grand theft. Prosecutors say she used her school system credit cards to make $100,000 in illegal purchases, including two fake pregnancy bellies that she used to try to convince her ex-boyfriend she was pregnant with his child.

Police

Brickbat: Don't Touch

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Police in Ontario have dropped charges against a reporter arrested while trying to ask Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland a question, saying "no credible security threat existed." Video showed Freeland was walking down a public sidewalk when David Menzies approached her with a microphone and began walking alongside her, asking about the government's decision to leave the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps off its designated terrorist list. An officer stepped into Menzies's path, and Menzies appeared to bump into him. The officer then grabbed Menzies, shoved him against a wall, and told him he was under arrest for assault.

Crime

Brickbat: Hot Pursuit

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In London, England, retired police officer Norman Brennan faces a £195 fine for his efforts to stop a shoplifter. Brennan confronted the shoplifter outside a supermarket. When the shoplifter fled, Brennan pursued him in his car and helped catch him. Police fined him £130 ($164.20 U.S.) for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. That increased to £195 ($246.31 U.S.) after he refused to pay the fine. Meanwhile, the shoplifter faces no charges after the supermarket refused to pursue the matter.

Immigration

Brickbat: Taking Their Word for It

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Canadian officials said that, on second thought, they aren't going to block Maria Kartasheva from becoming a citizen. Just before she was due to take her oath of citizenship, an official informed her she'd been tried in absentia in Russia, her home country, and found guilty of "public dissemination of deliberately false information about the use of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation" for social media posts she made while living in Canada opposing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to a letter she later received from the Canadian government, that crime "would equate to false information under subsection 372(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada," and Canadian law says those charged with an offense that would be a crime in Canada may be denied citizenship. But after several media outlets picked up Kartsheva's story, the government said it would allow her to become a citizen.

Crime

Brickbat: Package Thief Privacy

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Quebec police are warning residents not to post home security video of porch pirates to the Internet, saying it could violate the thieves' right to privacy. "You cannot post the images yourself because you have to remember, in Canada, we have a presumption of innocence and posting that picture could be a violation of private life," said Sûreté du Québec communications officer Lt. Benoit Richard. "If you get some proof that somebody might have stolen something, call the police, give that proof to the police," he said. "We'll do the investigation, bring that person to justice and file some charges."

France

Brickbat: Parlez-vous français?

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Vincent Lenoir and his wife Martine were born and raised in a French-speaking part of Belgium. Vincent has lived in France for 24 years and Martine for nine. "I am the commercial director of a French company, my wife wrote a book in French," Vincent said. And they thought it was time they became French citizens. There's just one problem: They haven't been able to prove to the French government they speak at least intermediate French as required by law. "You can see that I'm talking to you [in French] in a correct way, but unfortunately a priori that's not enough for our administration," Vincent said. Their degrees from French-language Belgian universities also don't count as proof they speak French. As far as the government is concerned, the only acceptable proof they speak French is to have completed middle school in France or to have passed an official exam in the past two years.

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