Mark Brave, formerly the sheriff of Strafford County, New Hampshire, received a prison sentence of three-and-a-half to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to perjury, theft, and falsifying evidence. Brave spent $19,000 in county funds on travel and accommodations, to conduct extramarital affairs. He will have to pay the money back as part of his sentence.
Brickbat: Tough Guy
Justin Gaither, a former police officer in Venice, Illinois, was sentenced to
Brickbat: Watch What You Post
Ali Khan Mahmudabad, head of the political science department at Ashoka University in India, was arrested for a Facebook post about Operation Sindoor, India's military response against Pakistan to the Pahalgam terrorist attacks, after a complaint by a member of the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party's youth organization. Mahmudabad wrote in his post he was "very happy to see so many right-wing commentators applauding" the effort but added that "perhaps they could also equally loudly demand that the victims of mob lynchings, arbitrary bulldozing and others who are victims of the BJP's hate mongering be protected as Indian citizens." He faces charges of endangering India's sovereignty, promoting enmity between groups, assertions prejudicial to national integration, and insulting religious beliefs.
Brickbats: June 2025
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
According to a federal complaint, New York City bars and nightclubs paid protection money to James Caban, and in return, Caban got police to go easy on them. He did this by impersonating his twin brother—a police commissioner at the time—at the 34th Precinct in Washington Heights to stop raids on those businesses for breaking the law.
Two police officers in England waited outside a woman's house while her husband killed her. The same officers had come to the house the day before and arrested him for assault, but he was let out on bail that night. The next day, when the officers came back to take the woman's statement, they heard an assault taking place inside but spent 35 minutes talking to their supervisor about whether they could go in. By the time they finally entered, the woman was dead. One officer and the supervisor face an investigation for incompetence, while the other officer has left the force.
The Los Angeles Times discovered that the office of Mayor Karen Bass was editing Q&A sessions from news conference videos posted to her Facebook page—specifically, cutting out parts where reporters pressed her about her handling of wildfires earlier in the year. Bass' office did not respond when the paper asked why the videos were being edited.
In England, former West Mercia Police Constable Mark Cranfield received eight months in jail after being convicted of misconduct in public office and accessing computer records without authorization. Cranfield reportedly saved intimate videos and nude photos submitted as evidence in a revenge porn case, which he not only kept on his phone but forwarded to another person. Prosecutors also said he repeatedly contacted the victim in the case, discussing his sex life and seeking a relationship with her.
Police in India questioned Ranveer Allahbadia after a crass joke on his YouTube show sparked a public backlash. Allahbadia asked a guest if he would rather watch his parents have sex every day for the rest of his life or join in once. The Supreme Court of India granted Allahbadia protection from arrest but barred him from leaving the country and ordered him to surrender his passport, saying his conduct was "condemnable" and showed a "lack of responsibility."
Former New Orleans Police Sergeant Todd Morrell pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud and was sentenced to five years of probation, with eight months on home confinement. Morrell admitted he got paid for hours he didn't work by submitting fake time sheets to both the police department and an off-duty job at the local fairgrounds. Sometimes, he billed both places for the same time, and in one case, he was racing cars while claiming to be on duty.
Nakedra Shannon, a former postal employee in Charlotte, North Carolina, received five years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit financial institution fraud and to theft of government property. Prosecutors said that between April and July 2023, Shannon and two accomplices stole $24 million in checks from the mail, which they then sold.
An Alabama grand jury indicted Hanceville Police Chief Jason Marlin and four officers, plus one officer's wife, on charges including tampering with evidence, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, and use of office for personal gain. The report recommended the department be immediately disbanded, calling it "more of a criminal organization than a law enforcement agency."
Brickbat: Struck Gold
Michel Dupont, a farmer from France's Auvergne region, discovered a massive gold deposit worth about £3 billion ($3.41 billion) in a stream on his farm while out for a walk, but he won't receive any money from it because French law says underground resources belong to the state, not the landowner. The gold, found in an area historically known for mining, was reported to authorities, and a state-owned company is now set to mine it, leaving Dupont with nothing—despite the find being on his property.
Brickbat: Group Effort
Steven Nicholas Wimmer, a former corrections officer at Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, received a sentence of nine years in prison followed by three years of probation for his role in the 2022 death of an inmate. Wimmer and fellow officer Andrew Fleshman pleaded guilty in November 2023, admitting they conspired with others to use excessive force against an inmate—identified in court documents only as Q.B.—after he tried to push past another officer. They restrained, handcuffed, and escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where they and other officers struck and injured him, causing his death. Three other officers, Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters, pleaded guilty in November 2024 for using unreasonable force, while two others admitted to failing to intervene.
Brickbat: Parking Violation
A Connecticut judge has dismissed three breach-of-peace charges against Lauren Noble, founder and executive director of Yale University's conservative Buckley Institute, after parking attendant Gerno Allen falsely accused her of using racial slurs against him on three occasions in July 2023 at a New Haven parking lot. Noble endured nearly a year of legal battles, spending tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Prosecutors dropped the charges on March 27, 2025, when video evidence contradicted Allen's claims and revealed inconsistencies in his story. That video was available to police since July 2023 but not reviewed for months. "Video evidence that existed from day one fully exonerated me, just as I said from the very beginning," Noble said in a statement. "The fact that it took nearly a year and exorbitant legal fees to get to this outcome is inexcusable."
Brickbat: They Won't Miss It
Authorities in Illinois have charged former Rock Island County Court Services administrative assistant Leisa Streeter with theft, theft of government property, forgery, money laundering, and three counts of official misconduct. After she retired in June 2024, the county's Probation and Treasurer's Departments noticed financial irregularities in her department. Authorities claim she opened a fraudulent bank account in 2003 under "Rock Island County VIP" to siphon funds, which she spent on food, entertainment, travel, and loan payments, averaging about $43,000 annually. She reportedly stole about $900,000 over 21 years.
Brickbat: Breathe It In
Curtis Doughty, a former corrections officer at Henry County Jail in Indiana, pleaded guilty to deprivation of rights under color of law and received a two-year probation sentence for shooting an inmate in the back with a pepper ball. During a cell pod search, inmates were moved into a holding area in the recreation yard and ordered to sit on the floor facing the wall. Doughty, a member of the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team, was tasked with watching over the inmates. When one inmate turned his head away from the wall, Doughty, without warning, shot his pepper ball gun at point blank range into the inmate's spine, injuring him. "Congratulations, you all inhale that now," Doughty then told the other inmates, referencing the pepper ball gas.
Brickbat: Rack Them Up
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks charged three members of the state National Guard with
Brickbat: Cursing Ain't Allowed in School
Police officer Gerald Richardson has been charged with third-
Brickbat: Prodigal Son
In England, the Sussex Police Department has fired Seren Sriganesh after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and several fraud-related offenses. Sriganesh falsely blamed his parents for three driving offenses he committed and accessed police databases to view details of one of the cases.
Brickbat: Pay per Link
The Oregon Senate Rules Committee voted 3–2 to advance a bill that would require big tech companies like Google and Meta to pay at least $104 million and $18 million annually, respectively, to Oregon newspapers and journalism programs for linking to their content, despite opposition from tech industry groups. Supporters, including some Oregon publishers, argue the bill is a lifeline for struggling local newsrooms, compensating them for content that tech giants profit from. Critics, including tech lobbyists and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, warn that companies might restrict Oregon news on their platforms, reducing traffic to news sites, and claim the bill could face legal challenges for violating constitutional laws. The bill now heads to the full Oregon Senate for a vote, with Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek indicating her support.
Brickbat: Getting Hosed
The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) suspended three top officers of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC), the city fire department's labor union, after an audit revealed $800,000 in undocumented credit card spending. The union's president, Freddy Escobar, was implicated, as were former Secretary Adam Walker and former Treasurer Domingo Albarran Jr. The audit found Escobar alone made 1,957 transactions totaling $311,498 from July 2018 to November 2024, with over 70 percent lacking receipts. Walker and Albarran had over $530,000 in transactions without documentation, and Walker faced additional scrutiny for transferring $83,414 from a union charity to his personal accounts. The IAFF placed UFLAC under conservatorship to restore financial oversight.
Brickbat: Reading Problem
Julian Foulkes, a 71-year-old retired special constable in the U.K., says he is suing the Kent Police Department for wrongful arrest. Foulkes was arrested and handcuffed at his home by six police officers after he tweeted a warning about the rise of antisemitism in a reply to a pro-Palestinian activist. The tweet was flagged by the Metropolitan Police Intelligence Command despite only having 26 views at the time. He was detained for eight hours, booked, fingerprinted, photographed, and swabbed for DNA on suspicion of malicious communication. He accepted a warning out of fear it might affect visits to his daughter in Australia, though Kent Police later admitted it was a mistake and removed the warning from his record.
Brickbat: 940 Days in the Hole
In Mississippi, Sinatra Jordan spent
Brickbat: Cooking the Books
Former U.S. State Department budget analyst Levita Almuete Ferrer has pleaded guilty to
Brickbat: Texas Injustice
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office in Texas charged former deputy Clemente Lopez Jr. with murder after he admitted to allowing inmates to violently assault and kill inmate Francisco Bazan in his cell at the Bexar County Jail. According to an arrest affidavit, Lopez opened Bazan's cell door, allowing three inmates to enter and attack him by kicking his face and smashing his head against the concrete. Lopez reportedly told the inmates, "Don't make it bad," and watched the assault without intervening. Lopez, who resigned after speaking with investigators, reportedly admitted to allowing inmates to assault other inmates on at least three other occasions.
Brickbat: Collegial Atmosphere
Washington State University has terminated a staff member and relieved a graduate student of teaching responsibilities after they were charged with misdemeanor assault. Jay Sani, an engineering student who is also president of the university's chapter of the College Republicans, was wearing a "Trump 2024: Take America Back" hat when grad student Patrick Mahoney grabbed it off his head and tossed it into the street. When Sani fought back, Gerald Hoff, a university staff member, joined Mahoney in taking Sani to the ground, leaving him with scrapes and bruises. Footage from surveillance and body cameras captured the assault. Both men admitted to police they were involved but downplayed it, with Mahoney saying Sani started the fight and "got what was coming to him."
Brickbat: Hide and Seek Champion
In Clayton County, Georgia, the sheriff's office placed the jail on lockdown when deputies couldn't find convicted murderer Julian Brooks Deloach. The next morning, officials found he had been accidentally left overnight in a courthouse holding cell due to a miscommunication between officers. Sheriff Levon Allen explained that the mistake happened because of confusion over who was supposed to transport Deloach back to the jail, and since the courthouse is connected to the jail, he was never at risk of escaping. Allen has proposed two sergeants be demoted and two deputies be suspended. This incident is one of several recent issues at the jail, including another case where a convicted killer was mistakenly released.
Brickbat: Stop and Go
In Auckland, New Zealand, police officer Morne de Lange was convicted for carelessly driving and assaulting a motorcyclist after a chaotic incident at a gas station in April 2024. De Lange, responding to a report of a helmetless rider, approached the motorcyclist without activating his patrol car's lights or siren and didn't indicate he was stopping him until after he
Brickbat: Toxic Trio
In Ohio, three former East Cleveland Police Department officers—Detective Ian McInnes, Sergeant Anthony Holmes, and Commander Larry "Pac Man" McDonald—were sentenced to prison for their roles in five criminal incidents between 2020 and 2023. McInnes received two and a half years for kicking a 16-year-old in the groin during a 2021 arrest after a car chase, while Holmes received one year for hitting the teen's car and lying about it during the same incident. McDonald was sentenced to four years for two separate pursuits that ended in crashes—one fatal—where he failed to notify other officers or fled the scene. All three must permanently give up their police licenses.
Brickbat: License To Break and Enter
Pennsylvania Constable Timothy Moench and his wife Tricia Moench, a Camp Hill police officer, were charged with defiant trespassing for breaking into a Perry County women's shelter in 2024, while trying to serve a warrant. They jimmied the lock with a credit card to enter the building. The property manager confronted them, noting they didn't identify themselves and weren't allowed inside without a key fob. The woman they were looking for had not lived in the shelter for a month. Timothy Moench also reportedly told officers investigating the case, "If you are holding a warrant and the address is on the warrant, you may use any force necessary to enter that property. You could break windows, break doors, enter property, and search for the individual on that warrant."
Brickbat: What'd I Say?
Police in the United Kingdom are arresting about 33 people per day for
Brickbats: May 2025
News of politicians, police, and bureaucrats behaving badly from around the world.
A TikTok video shows a man in Port Arthur, Texas, laughing and smiling as he cleans snow off his car by wiping a child across the windshield and hood. The child, reportedly three months old, is heavily bundled up. Child Protective Services conducted a welfare check and found the child unharmed, but the local police chief says he still plans to pursue child endangerment charges.
Mississippi state Sen. Bradford Blackmon (D–Attala) introduced a bill to make it "unlawful for a person to discharge genetic material without the intent to fertilize an embryo." The bill, which Blackmon calls the "Contraception Begins at Erection Act," would impose fines on violators, including $10,000 for a third offense.
Former Lake County, Florida, Sheriff's Deputy Tristan Macomber resigned after rear-ending another car while on duty. An Internal Affairs investigation found Macomber was looking at something on his phone before the crash happened. Macomber at first said he was scrolling through a group chat with other deputies on his phone before admitting he was looking at pornography.
Former Shreveport Police Officer Christopher McConnell received a suspended prison sentence of three years, followed by two years of probation, after being convicted of malfeasance in office. When he pulled a woman over for a nonworking license plate light, McConnell got out of his car with his weapon drawn and shouted, "License, registration, shut your mouth." He pulled the woman from her vehicle and tried to handcuff her. Two other officers arrived to help him, and when the woman allegedly pulled away from them, another officer used a Taser on her. McConnell later struck her in the face even as she was compliant.
Two St. Louis police officers refused to aid a dying man because their shift was almost over. Officers Austin Fraser and Ty Warren, who have since left the department, found Urayoan Rodriguez-Rivera in a park, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head but still alive. As seen on body camera video, when Warren suggests they bring him somewhere for help, Fraser declines, saying, "I get off in 30 minutes." He then suggests, "Let's cruise around and come back," which they do. They returned 10 minutes later to find other officers on the scene, who called emergency services. Rodriguez-Rivera later died at the hospital.
Federal prosecutors charged Nicholas Kindle and David Cole, two U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents, with felony drug distribution conspiracy. Prosecutors say the two stole thousands of dollars in cash and valuables, plus drugs known as bath salts, from evidence, which they gave to a department "source of information" to sell. The FBI says the scheme netted the pair as much as $300,000.
Under reforms announced by the United Kingdom's Labour Party government, the National Health Service would delay some surgeries for smokers and for obese patients. The reforms would require obese patients to undergo a 12-week weight loss plan before being scheduled for hip and knee replacements, while smokers must stop smoking and be "confirmed…as fit to proceed" before receiving any noncancer surgeries. Those who do not comply will be put on waitlists, with fitter patients getting priority slots for surgery.
Residents and city council members in South Fulton, Georgia, are questioning thousands of dollars in unapproved purchases made with city funds by Mayor Khalid Kamau. From October through December 2024, Kamau made $26,000 in unauthorized purchases with his city-issued credit card, including more than $5,000 on plane tickets and $1,300 for a drone. He has not submitted receipts for 112 purchases. Kamau says the criticism is all political.
Brickbat: True Colors
County Attorney Mary Moriarty of Hennepin County, Minnesota now requires prosecutors to consider a defendant's race when offering plea deals. She says the policy will address racial disparities in the justice system. Critics say the policy is vaguely written—likely to avoid being clearly unconstitutional—but could still be overturned if challenged.
Brickbat: Red Card Penalty
A federal judge in New Hampshire ruled against a group of parents who wanted to wear pink wristbands with "XX" (symbolizing female chromosomes) at Bow High School soccer games to protest a transgender girl playing on an opposing girls' team, denying their request to override the school district's ban on such displays. The parents sued after receiving no-trespass orders for wearing the armbands at a September 2024 game. They claimed the order violated their First Amendment rights and the wristbands were a "passive statement" supporting women's sports. But U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe sided with the school, saying the wristbands could be seen as harassment targeting the transgender student, as they were only worn at the game in which she was playing. The ruling allows parents to attend games but bans the wristbands.
Brickbat: Stealing My Own Stuff
In England, Surrey police arrested Vanessa Brown and held her in a cell for over seven hours on suspicion of theft after she took away her daughters' iPads to help them focus on schoolwork. She took the devices to her mother's house, where police tracked them following a report of concern for safety, treating the situation as a potential crime and even pulling one of Brown's daughters out of school for questioning. Brown described the ordeal as traumatic, criticizing the police for overreacting and treating her and her elderly mother like criminals. The next day, police confirmed the iPads belonged to Brown's daughters, dropped all charges, and lifted her bail conditions, admitting she had the right to take the devices.
Brickbat: Come at the King
Paul Chambers, an American academic, faces up to 15 years in prison for insulting Thailand's monarchy under the country's strict lèse-majesté laws. Chambers was detained and charged under Section 112 of the Thai criminal code and the Computer Crimes Act after a complaint from the Thai army. The complaint stemmed from Chambers' participation in a webinar—"Thailand's 2024 Military and Police Reshuffles: What Do They Mean?"—sponsored by a think tank based in Singapore. Authorities say an invitation to the webinar falsely claimed the king of Thailand has the authority to restructure the military or change its leadership; his attorneys say Chambers did not write the description, which has since been changed. Chambers was originally denied bail; an appeals court later reversed that decision, though his visa was revoked.
Brickbat: Locked in Here With Me
A federal jury has found Ivory Cousins guilty of three counts of depriving an inmate of his civil rights under color of law and one count of filing a false incident report. Cousins worked at Philadelphia's Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. Cousins failed to get medical help for an inmate assaulted by other inmates, used pepper spray on him without reason, and helped another inmate steal from the victim's cell. She also lied in her report, falsely claiming the inmate was combative and had a weapon. Cousins faces up to 41 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for August.
Brickbat: Forget It, Jake…
In Oakland, California's Chinatown neighborhood, business owners are facing thousands of dollars in fines from the city for graffiti on their properties. Shirley Luo, manager of Won Kee Supermarket, owes $3,000—including late fees—for not cleaning up graffiti fast enough. Despite efforts to paint over the tags, taggers keep returning, leaving merchants feeling unfairly penalized as victims of vandalism they can't control. The city requires property owners to remove graffiti quickly, calling it a public nuisance, but offers no financial help. Local leaders, including the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council, are pushing the city to focus on catching taggers instead of fining businesses.
Brickbat: Handholding on Homelessness
U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter sharply criticized Los Angeles city officials for mismanaging billions of dollars spent on homelessness, calling it a "slow train wreck" during a hearing with top leaders like Mayor Karen Bass and City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Carter pointed to a recent audit showing the city couldn't track over $2 billion because the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency failed to collect accurate data or hold contractors accountable, a problem consistently seen in audits of the agency. Carter demanded a new forensic audit to check for fraud and waste, giving officials until May to fix the issues, and warned he might appoint an outside receiver to take control of the city's homelessness funds if they don't improve transparency and accountability.
Brickbat: Betraying Secrets
Samantha Hill, a former Devon and Cornwall Police officer, received a 20-month suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to 18 counts of misconduct for leaking sensitive information. Between January and November 2021, while working as a probationary officer, Hill shared confidential details with her friends and family, including information about a man's suicide, photos of a victim's injuries, and details of high-profile cases such as a shooting that left five people dead. The leaks were uncovered by the Devon and Cornwall Counter Corruption Unit, which later arrested her and seized her phone.
Brickbat: No Vacancies
Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, said he plans to introduce national rent control if the NDP is in the majority of the next parliament. Singh's proposal includes a renter's bill of rights to tie federal housing funds to local rent control measures, banning practices such as "renovictions" and fixed-term leases that don't automatically renew, and stopping landlords from using AI to coordinate price hikes.
Brickbat: Up, Up, and Away
George Freeman, a Conservative Party member of the British Parliament, says the United Kingdom should become a global leader in regulating space activities, acting like a "watchdog" for satellite launches, space debris, and even lunar mining. Freeman says space is becoming a chaotic "wild west." He wants the United Kingdom to create rules to make space safer and more sustainable, like requiring satellites to be recyclable for easier access to licenses and financing.
Brickbat: Bus Stop and Go
Lino Monteleone, a Montreal resident, is fighting a $186 ($134 U.S.) parking ticket after a bus stop sign was installed overnight in front of his house, replacing a legal parking spot where his daughter's car was parked. On April 1, 2025, Monteleone's doorbell camera showed city workers setting up the sign just before 8 a.m. A parking agent issued the ticket just minutes later at 8:05 a.m. The Société de transport de Montréal said the sign was added due to nearby construction and that it doesn't notify residents about new bus stops because there are 10,000 in the city. Monteleone, frustrated by the lack of warning, says he has seen no buses on his street and plans to contest the ticket in court. He is supported by lawyer Thierry Rassam, who argues it's unfair since there was no way to prevent the violation.
Brickbat: Needing a Boost
The California Assembly Transportation Committee has approved A.B. 435, which would require all children younger than 10 years old and shorter kids under 13 to sit on a booster seat. All children under 13 would be prohibited from sitting in the front seat, and teens up to 16 years old would also be banned from riding shotgun unless they meet the height requirements. Currently, children at least 8 years old or 4 feet 9 inches tall do not have to use a booster seat. Assemblymember Lori Wilson (D–Suisun City), the bill's author, cited national statistics that show child injuries and fatalities in crashes have increased since the pandemic. "God forbid something happens; we want our children to be safe," said Wilson.
Brickbat: Getting Charged Up
New York state Sen. Patricia Fahy (D–Albany) has introduced a bill to strip Tesla Motors of its permits for in-person sales in the state over CEO Elon Musk's actions in the Trump administration. "The bottom line is, Tesla has lost their right to promote these when they're part of an administration that wants to go backwards," said Fahy, who has previously been a supporter of electric vehicles. "Elon Musk was handed a privilege here." Tesla is the only dealer allowed direct in-person sales in the state. Meanwhile, Assemblymember Bobby Carroll (D–Brooklyn) said he wants to end all direct sales, forcing manufacturers to sell through franchises. "It allows for small businesspeople to be actors in this market," Carroll said. "They're not perfect, but they are clearly significantly better than the alternative. If we allowed the expansion of direct sales, what would happen is two or three people would control so much."
Brickbat: Unfree Speech Zone
In England, anti-abortion activist Livia Tossici-Bolt has been found guilty of breaking a law banning protests near an abortion clinic in Bournemouth. She stood outside the clinic on two days in March 2023,
Brickbat: Flipping Out
José Felipe Alvergue, chairman of the English Department at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, was suspended after
Brickbat: Like Being Back in School
Six U.K. police officers arrested Maxie Allen and Rosalind Levine at their home in Hertfordshire after they complained about their disabled daughter's primary school in a WhatsApp group and through emails. The couple, upset over the school's headteacher recruitment process and their ban from the premises, were detained for 11 hours on suspicion of harassment and malicious communications, leaving their 3-year-old daughter crying as they were taken away. The school had reported their actions to the police, claiming the messages and emails were upsetting to staff, but after a 5-week investigation, Hertfordshire Police found insufficient evidence and took no further action.
Brickbat: To Observe, not Report
A police officer in Miami, Florida has been suspended pending an investigation into an incident in which she sat in her patrol car while numerous bikers assaulted a man in front of her. Video shows the bikers not only beating the man but jumping on the hood and roof of his car and breaking his windshield, during which time the officer never left her car.
Brickbat: Unforeseen Effects
In 2023, Maryland lawmakers eliminated time limits on filing lawsuits against organizations for child sexual abuse. The change followed an investigation that detailed decades of sexual abuse against children in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. But now, the state finds itself facing around 6,000 claims under that law, with more expected. The claims are from people who say they were sexually abused in the state's youth detention centers. State leaders say they did not anticipate they'd be facing complaints under the law, and they are looking at changes to protect the government financially.
Brickbat: Never Forget a Face
In England, London's Metropolitan Police is setting up its first permanent facial recognition cameras in Croydon, a suburb in South London, starting this summer to help fight crime. These cameras will be placed on buildings and lamp posts along North End and London Road. Privacy rights groups oppose the move. But the Labour Party government hopes to expand the use of facial recognition and is seeking bids to supply police departments with the cameras.
Brickbat: Injustice Is Blind
Officers Jorge Acosta, Benjamin Harris, and Kyle Sue from the Phoenix Police Department were suspended for 24 hours without pay, and two of them were also required to take de-escalation training, after violently arresting Tyron McAlpin. The officers were responding to a call that a white man allegedly assaulted a convenience store employee and was still inside the store. McAlpin—who is black, deaf, and has cerebral palsy—was outside the store. The incident, caught on body camera video, showed the officers punching and tasing McAlpin almost immediately after arriving. The district attorney dropped all charges against McAlpin, including assault and resisting arrest, citing lack of evidence.
Brickbat: Back End Costs
According to a report by local news outlet Crosstown LA, the city of Los Angeles lost about $66 million in parking enforcement in the last fiscal year. The city handed out 2 million parking tickets and collected $110 million in fines in the fiscal year ending in June 2024, while it spent $88 million on direct parking enforcement expenses such as salaries and equipment. But pensions and other expenses brought the total cost of parking enforcement to more than $176 million.
Brickbat: From Officer to Inmate
Avery Richard Smith, a former corrections officer in Berkeley County, South Carolina, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison—the maximum—after pleading guilty to four counts of first-degree assault and battery, five counts of third-degree assault and battery, and two counts of misconduct in office. His victims included at least nine inmates under his supervision and at least one subordinate.
Brickbat: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
California's decision to expand Medi-Cal, its Medicaid program, to cover undocumented migrants has led to