Supreme Court Upholds Reasonable Restrictions on Guns for Domestic Abusers
from PR Newswire
The United States Supreme Court has rejected arguments by the gun lobby and convicted wife beater Randy Edward Hayes that federal law allowed Hayes to possess firearms, upholding the broad federal ban on gun possession by convicted misdemeanor domestic violence abusers. The Court cited arguments made by the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence about the risks posed by firearms in the hands of domestic abusers. More

Support for Keeping FEMA in DHS Grows
from Firehouse.com
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., and Ranking Member Susan Collins R-Maine., Tuesday released a series of documents showing that support for keeping FEMA within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) continues to grow. Eight first responder organizations, including the National Sheriffs’ Association, have endorsed retaining FEMA as a part of DHS rather than stripping it out as some have suggested. More

After a Decade, SALT Council Wants to Add Members to its Ranks
from the Chillicothe Gazette
After a decade of community service and reaching out to the community through various activities and fundraisers, Seniors and Lawmen Together (SALT) Council recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Ross County, Ohio, Sheriff's Deputy Dale Gillette has been with the program from the very beginning and is pleased with how the program has progressed over a decade. More

Neighborhood Watches are on the Front Lines in Bad Economy
from CNN
With the economic downturn, neighborhood watch groups are proving to be a first line of defense in battling property crimes. The Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington, D.C.-based independent research organization made up of local and state police officials, released a survey in January showing that 44 percent of police departments reported increases in crimes they believed could be attributed to the economic crisis. More

L.A. Sheriff Could Free 4,000 Inmates Due to Budget
from The Associated Press
The head of the nation's largest sheriff's department is warning that nearly 4,000 jail inmates might be released early and about 600 deputy and professional positions could be eliminated to meet budget cuts. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca told The Associated Press on Monday it looks as if he'll have to close two jails and eliminate the positions of the staff at those facilities. More

Reserve Deputies Indispensable to Counties
from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Deputies patrolling Arkansas counties often work for free, or close to it. Three-fourths of sheriffs' offices in the state could not function without part-time or reserve deputies, said Chuck Lange, executive director of the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association. More

Meth Makers Leave Behind a Toxic Trail at Motels
from The Associated Press
Methamphetamine "cooks" are secretly converting hundreds of motel and hotel rooms into covert drug labs — leaving behind a toxic mess for unsuspecting customers and housekeeping crews. Motels can be an attractive alternative for drug makers seeking to avoid a police raid on their own homes. More

Florida Sheriff to Seek DUI Blood Tests
from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
When the Palm Beach County, Fla., Sheriff's Office conducts a DUI patrol later this month, blood will be flowing. Into vials, that is. The Sheriff's Office plans to carry out a saturation patrol that's different from the norm. Usually, if a person is stopped on suspicion of driving under the influence, they can refuse to provide a breath sample and face the consequences of being arrested and a possible license suspension. On Feb. 27 and 28, the Sheriff's Office plans to apply for a search warrant from an on-call judge for anyone refusing a breath test, to take a blood sample. More

Minnesota Prison Chief Defends Budget Pitch with Video
from the Star-Tribune
Dealing with a current $10 million budget cut, Minnesota Corrections Commissioner Joan Fabian has made an impassioned pitch about the perils of slicing any more funding to a prison system that houses 9,700 of the state's most violent and dangerous offenders. To make her point, Fabian presented video footage taken from prison security cameras, showing a guard head-butted unprovoked, another guard sprayed with hot water and honey and then assaulted, and inmate fights in cell block areas where responding guards are armed with nothing more than a chemical irritant, all for a starting salary of about $30,000 a year.. More