Sheriff Still Thinks Craigslist Needs Some Policing
The Wall Street Journal
Thomas Dart, the Illinois sheriff who took on Craigslist, has lost his legal battle with the online classifieds site. But he vows not to give up. "It wasn't a publicity stunt," said Dart of the suit he filed in March to shut down the "erotic services" section of Craigslist, which he said catered to prostitution. "After two and a half years of contacting them with no response, I had no option left but to sue them," he said.More

Texas Sheriff Creates Plan To Alleviate Jail Overcrowding
KRISTV
The Corpus Christi sheriff's department says that it's crucial that something should be done about the overcrowding of Nueces County Jail. Currently, there are 1,020 beds in the facility and there are 997 inmates being housed there at this time, which means there are only 23 beds available for incoming inmates. The situation could put the sheriff's department in a bind if there's a large raid or drug bust. The sheriff's department is proposing a plan to reduce the overcrowding by 10 percent.More

Poll Shows High Approval Rating for Sheriff Joe
the AZ Captiol Times
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio received a high approval rating in a recent poll. Sixty-one percent of Maricopa County voters said they approve or strongly approve of his job performance. Thirty-four percent disapprove or strongly disapprove. Also, county voters disagreed overwhelmingly with the federal government’s decision to strip the sheriff’s department of a portion of its 287(g) agreement that allowed deputies to enforce U.S. immigration law during crime-suppression sweeps. Sixty percent disagreed with the decision, while 36 percent agreed. More

Drug Raids Targeting Mexican Cartel Nab 300-Plus
The Associated Press via The New York Post
In the largest single strike at Mexican drug operations in the U.S., federal officials announced the arrests of more than 300 people in raids across the country aimed at the newest and most violent cartel. La Familia has earned a reputation for dominating the methamphetamine trade and displaying graphic violence, including beheadings. U.S. officials said the cartel, based in the state of Michoacan, in southwestern Mexico, has a vast network pumping drugs throughout the United States, specializing in methamphetamine. The arrests took place in 38 cities, from Boston to Seattle and Tampa, Fla., to St. Paul, Minn., in 19 states. More

Officers Say Budget Cuts Mean Less Prisoner Supervision
The Gazette
It's virtually certain that some former prisoners will have less supervision from their parole and probation officers as budget cuts take effect, according to Gary Hinzman, Department of Corrections director for the Sixth Judicial District based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "We'll have to do some triage now of the people we supervise and focus our resources on the people we feel need supervision the most," Hinzman said. More

Should Cell Phone Signals In and Around Washington Prisons Be Jammed?
KING5
Washington is one of 30 states that's asking the Federal Communications Commission for permission to jam cell signals near prisons. While the superintendent at McNeil Island supports the idea of making cell phones inoperable around prisons, he admits that could post a security risk for his employees. "If you jam the inmates' cell phones, what happens to staff cell phones, Blackberries, and how far outside the prison the jamming is taking place?" said Van Boling. Since his facility is on an island, Van Boling hopes the prison's emergency lines of communication would not be cut off. Guards at McNeil told us they'd be concerned too, but they admit something needs to be done to stay ahead of the inmates.More

California Court, Governor Dig Heels on Prison Crowding, Prisoner Release Date
the San Francisco Chronicle
A federal court panel responded sternly Oct. 21 to the state's defiance of its order to reduce overcrowding in California's prisons within two years, telling Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to submit a plan within 21 days that meets the panel's goal of lowering the inmate population by 40,000 or face a court-imposed plan.More

Chief: The LAPD Fights Crime, Not Illegal Immigration
the Los Angeles Times
In the linked article, the outgoing Los Angeles Chief of Police urges the department to keep focusing on community outreach.More

At Least 20 Dallas Officers Wrote No-English Tickets
The Dallas Morning News
Since 2007, at least 20 Dallas police officers from five patrol divisions have wrongly cited motorists for not speaking English, according to records. The number of officers tied to the tickets is greater than police initially estimated. This number is likely to grow because Dallas police officials say they plan to look back several more years and include the supervisors who signed off on the tickets in the investigation for possible dereliction of duty.More

Indiana Prisons See Rise in Violent Attacks
WISH-TV
Indiana's prisons are experiencing a surge in inmate assaults and attacks on staff -- increases the state prison chief blames largely on overcrowding caused by inadequate funding for new beds. The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reports that in the first half of 2009, Indiana's prisons had 514 inmate-on-inmate attacks, 62 of which caused serious injuries. That compares with 719 such attacks, 101 of them with serious injuries, during all of 2008.More