Accused former Vt. college president commits suicide www.privateofficer.com

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MONTPELIER, Vt. Feb 2 2013 — The former acting president of a small Vermont liberal arts college killed himself amid an investigation into the embezzlement of $440,000 in school funds, state police said Thursday.
Former acting Southern Vermont College President James Beckwith died Wednesday in his Londonderry home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said.
Beckwith was accused of taking the money between October 2012 and January while serving as acting president of the small liberal arts school in Bennington. Authorities said he deposited the money into his personal account, using $260,000 to pay down two mortgages.
The U.S. Attorney's office said earlier Thursday it filed a complaint alleging the home and account are forfeitable as proceeds of mail fraud and as property involved in money laundering.
Prosecutors said Beckwith, 58, had college officials issue three checks to Merrill Lynch, saying they were to settle legal claims arising from a failed dormitory project. But the checks for $100,000, $160,000 and $180,000 were deposited into a personal account Beckwith had with Merrill Lynch, prosecutors said.
A recent audit of the college's finances for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2012, found several suspicious financial transactions involving purported vendor payments by Beckwith, the U.S. attorney's office said.
When questioned about the matter, Beckwith resigned on Feb. 3. The $180,000 from the third check remains in the Merrill Lynch account.
The college sent an email to faculty and students saying it was saddened by Beckwith's unexpected death, said school president Karen Gross.
"This is a difficult and sad time for all of us who knew Jim. His many contributions to our community will be remembered," Gross wrote.
The college met with faculty on Thursday and planned to meet with students Thursday night to discuss the unexpected death and the civil complaint filed by the U.S. government.
Beckwith had been chief financial officer and chief operating officer of the college since 2007. He served as acting president while Gross was on one-year leave.
The college has about 550 students.


source-www.timesunion.com

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police want to increase staff size at airport www.privateofficer.com

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Charlotte NC Feb 23 2013 The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, which took over aviation security in December, wants to boost security staff by nearly one-third to 62 officers – a move the airport director opposes because of the added cost.
Since taking over at the airport, the police department said it is being more aggressive in investigating crime, and the number of reported crimes has doubled. CMPD said it is focusing thefts at Transportation Security Administration Security lines and by airline contract workers who steal items passengers leave on airplanes.
Under the plan, Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s police costs would rise to $5.5 million, which includes equipment and other costs, according to the airport’s budget. That’s up from the $2.6 million spent in fiscal 2012, when the airport had 41 officers.
Aviation director Jerry Orr said he opposes the increases because the added cost is passed on to the airlines. Some Charlotte officials argue that the city decision to switch to CMPD was correct, and that airport security is now more effective.
The tension highlights the ongoing struggle to control Charlotte’s airport. The General Assembly is considering a bill that would transfer control of Charlotte Douglas away from city government to an appointed authority.
The city is trying to show legislators and the community that it has helped the aviation department run Charlotte Douglas, which is now the nation’s sixth-busiest airport based on takeoffs and landings.
Increase in reported crimes
Under the bill filed by state Sen. Bob Rucho, a Matthews Republican, the new authority would be able to hire its own police force, giving it the power to take law enforcement supervision back from the city. Other airport authorities in North Carolina operate their own police forces.
The biggest increase in reported crimes has been in larcenies, according to the police memo. CMPD said the jump is due to the department taking a “proactive enforcement strategy” that’s more likely to catch criminals.
But Orr told the Observer on Friday he doesn’t think the airport needs to hire any more police.
“I don’t support that,” he said. One reason, he said, is that the airlines ultimately pay for the cost of a larger police force through higher user fees, which they ultimately pass on to passengers.
“All of that cost is being reimbursed,” he said. “The more people you have, the higher the cost.”
The decision by former City Manager Curt Walton to put CMPD in charge of airport security in November upset Orr, who alreadywas concerned that Walton was exerting too much influence over the airport. Orr has historically run the airport with little outside control.
Orr has said in past interviews that the airport could benefit from being run by an authority.
Asked Friday whether the police force was doing a good job before it was integrated into CMPD, Orr said: “Of course they were. Absolutely.”
Orr said he doesn’t know why the crime numbers increased.
“I haven’t really looked at it. It could have been any number of things,” he said.
CMPD has been in control at the airport for only two months, which isn’t a large amount of time to analyze long-term trends. It’s possible that the increase in larcenies is the result of more crime, not aggressive policing.
But City Council member David Howard said the city’s decision to switch security to CMPD is an example of why the airport should stay under its control.
“We don’t just want to be the most efficient, lowest-cost airport,” Howard said. “We want to be the safest.”
The officers who work at Charlotte Douglas haven’t changed since the takeover. But instead of reporting to the airport, the officers are now part of CMPD’s chain of command. The officers’ dispatching and communications have been transferred from the airport to CMPD’s communications center.
In the last two months, the airport has had 50 reported incidents of larceny. When Charlotte Douglas was in charge of airport police, there were 18 incidents of larceny reported a year ago and 13 incidents two years ago during the same time period.
Deputy Chief Kerr Putney’s four-page memo – which was partially redacted for security reasons – outlined some of the changes CMPD made since December:
• CMPD has partnered with an airline to reduce thefts once flights arrive at the gate. The report said that contract workers were stealing items left behind on planes.
The airline, whose name was blacked out in the memo, has donated two iPads and one iPhone for crime stings, according to the memo.
US Airways, which operates 90 percent of the flights at Charlotte Douglas, said in a statement that the airline’s security team has worked closely with airport police. That includes coordinating with police to recover items passengers leave behind. “There have been a few instances where an item was stolen, but these occasional occurrences do not constitute a pervasive theft problem,” spokeswoman Michelle Mohr wrote.
• CMPD said it is working to combat thefts since an employee was arrested for theft at a security screening lane.
The police blacked out which agency they are working with. However, a TSA screener was fired after being charged with stealing $36 from a passenger’s suitcase on New Year’s Day.
• The department also hopes to get access to the airport’s camera security systems, run by the airport and different federal agencies. “This video integration could greatly enhance security,” according to the memo.
CMPD declined to comment on the memo or its new strategy at the airport.
An airport employee, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak publicly, told the Observer he had seen more officers patrolling parking lots and the terminal since the switch to CMPD.
Tisdale prompted review
Security became an issue at Charlotte Douglas after the November 2010 death of a North Mecklenburg High student, Delvonte Tisdale. Law enforcement believes Tisdale breached airport security and climbed inside the wheel well of a US Airways jet bound for Boston.
Tisdale’s body was found near Boston Logan airport, in the approach path for planes.
After Tisdale’s death, Walton asked CMPD to investigate airport security. The report said that Charlotte Douglas needed more security and improved perimeter fencing.
Earlier this month, Mayor Anthony Foxx and the Charlotte City Council wrote a letter to Mecklenburg’s legislative delegation, asking them to study the implications of switching Charlotte Douglas to an authority.
In the letter, they said one way the city had effectively managed the airport was improving security. It said a two-year review “revealed deficiencies severe enough to warrant turning over policing at the airport to Chief Monroe and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.”
Raleigh-Durham International Airport, which is run by an authority, has its own police force that reports to airport officials, said airport spokeswoman Mindy Hamlin. Piedmont Triad International Airport, also run by an authority, has its own police force as well.
Bill on fast track
Two Matthews Republicans, Rucho and State Rep. William Brawley, are leading the push to shift control of Charlotte Douglas to an authority.
Rucho’s bill is on a fast track. It passed the Senate Rules Committee this week, and will now go to the Finance Committee, which Rucho chairs. If passed it would then go to the full Senate. If the legislature approves it, the bill does not need Gov. Pat McCrory’s signature to become law.
Rucho has said that the airport should be run by a full-time authority. He said the business community supports the authority and that some are concerned the city is becoming too involved in the airport’s day-to-day operations.  Source-Charlotte Observer
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/22/3871705/police-increase-officers-at-charlotte.html#storylink=cpy

Sequester and its Impact on Private Security Contractors www.privateofficer.com

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Washington DC Feb 23 2013 Mercenaries, defense contractors, private security contractors, call them what you like. As unfortunate it may be for some to accept, those who carry guns overseas operating on government contracts are an evil necessity. Not only do private security contractors (PSC's) assist with national security, they help bolster the US economy.
Unless the United States is willing to fundamentally change socially, culturally, and economically, we must learn to accept private security contractors as a legit profession. They are part of one of the largest economic enterprises for America--the military industrial complex. None of us have to like it, but we must learn to accept this unfortunate truth.
Most PCS's finance their own training and purchase their own equipment ranging from high valued clothing, sunglasses, watches, footwear, and high tech components used to assist in times of need.
A lot of this sounds ridiculous but the dollar amounts returned to US manufacturers and other unique organizations reaches, at times, tens of thousands of dollars annually per individual. Name another profession comprising of individuals willing to fork out that much personal dough just to do their job.
Private security contractors make a pretty penny and enjoy spending that penny. It's a multi-billion dollar industry and a lot of that money passes hands and eventually goes into a more traditional market like housing, vehicles, and other commodities.
With sequester possibly kicking in just a few days from now, what impact will it have on such a profession, a profession that historically loves spending their bounty?
The days operating abroad as a private security contractor (PSC) making approximately $1,000 a day are finished. In all fairness, those days have been long gone for some time now. The days of making a $300k annual salary have passed but that doesn't mean jobs aren't out there to be had.
Working as a PSC is unique and dangerous, yet often very gratifying. Those who have been in the business know, you can't make it a career unless you diversify your portfolio. PSC's would make exceptional investment managers due to their abilities to diversify themselves in unique yet highly sought after skill-sets.
For some, sequester can actually be a good thing--at least for private security contractors. As the Defense Department makes cuts and withdrawals out of Afghanistan, opportunities will become readily available from the State Department. Without sequestration, we actually witnessed this fact come to light after US troops withdrew from Iraq.
Contractors remain in Iraq, even today. They perform an array of missions most of which are funded through the US State Department. When troops leave Afghanistan, it is highly likely contractors will remain gainfully employed through similar State Department initiatives performing training, security, and reconstruction operations.
The Defense Department always pays well but the odds of landing a private contracting gig through a DOD solicitation is going to be tough in the near future. Thank God the State Department and other government agencies exist. If you want to continue working as a PSC, its critical to get outside your comfort zone and begin searching for opportunities elsewhere.
Anti-piracy operations have been largely proven successful in part by the incorporation of private security contractors. Between 2009 and 2012, piracy has witnessed a 27% decline in the Horn of Africa. More and more commercial fleets are hiring private armed guards to safeguard their vessels and evidence proves this security operation method effective.
Piracy is a world-wide issue and not just a problem in the Horn of Africa. Success has been identified as have the measures used to achieve such success. PSC's are critical in anti-piracy operations and its apparent more and more opportunities of employment will continue even in the commercial sector.
Global threats are continuing to increase via the spread of radicalization. The world witnessed US Ambassador Chris Stevens along with three other US citizens killed in Libya. An oil field was seized in Algeria. Africa, as a continent, is imploding with crises.
While the Middle East and Central Asia have been hotbeds for private security contractors, it's essential to start looking for work in Africa because there is a lot of work to be done there. Oil field security opportunities are abundant in Africa.
Equally abundant are opportunities working within the US State Department's Africa Contingency Operations Training and Assistance (ACOTA) program. For those wishing to risk greater margins in reward, there are always opportunities working with host nation governments. Unfortunately, this is a huge risk and not suggested for multiple reasons such as US laws and foreign corruption. While not recommended, it's still an option that can be explored.
For those who love the adventure operating in austere environments yet are tired of totting a weapon around, their are always opportunities in performing work with non-government organizations affiliated with US AID. You would still be a contractor, working abroad, and doing just as much good for others in this capacity. Plus, NGO's could always use a good second set of eyes quick to identify any potential threats.
With forecasted Defense budget cuts due to the potential of sequestration, private security contractors will be essential assets needed to ensure national security and prevention of total economic collapse. Opportunities to remain gainfully employed abroad will likely not only continue, they will expand. Its critical to begin searching beyond just the DOD and into other government agencies like the State Department and commercial entities as well.

Source-Huffington Post

Pair arrested after bouncer stabbed www.privateofficer.com

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Calaveras County CA Feb 23 2013   A bouncer at the Murphys Historic Hotel bar suffered stab wounds and a former Angels Camp man was arrested following an encounter last Friday, the Calaveras County Sheriff's Office reported.The Sheriff's Office said that Jeron Daniel Roberts, 34, stabbed the bouncer during a fight outside the bar.Deputies dispatched to the scene about 11:15 p.m. last Friday arrived to find the bouncer and others holding Roberts on the ground.While investigating the incident, deputies also arrested Douglas Koch, 26, of Angels Camp. Roberts and Koch reportedly arrived at the bar together and were already intoxicated, according to the Sheriff's Office report.Roberts was jailed on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Koch was jailed on suspicion of misdemeanor public intoxication. The bouncer received medical treatment at the scene. Investigators said his injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.Investigators said the weapon used was a folding knife with a 4-inch blade. source-recordnet.com

FBI raids Scooter Store www.privateofficer.com

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San Antonio TX Feb 23 2013 In TV ads, the Scooter Store suggests to seniors and others needing motorized scooters and wheelchairs that they can be had for almost no cost because the company will handle all the messy paperwork with insurers, particularly Medicare.

Wednesday and Thursday brought another example that nothing is free. Somebody - often taxpayers - has to pay.
About 150 state and federal law enforcement officers raided the company's headquarters in a San Antonio suburb. The action was another phase in an ongoing health-care fraud investigation of the Scooter Store, which has an outlet in the Philadelphia region.
A spokesman for the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers Medicare and Medicaid, would say only that the agency "executed a search warrant at several locations of the Scooter Store and that we were part of a multiagency task force."
The San Antonio Express-News reported that OIG was joined by the FBI and the Texas Attorney General's Medicaid fraud unit.
The Scooter Store's Philadelphia outlet is in Trainer, Delaware County. The manager declined to give his name and referred a reporter to the national office, which did not respond to phone and e-mail requests for comment.

This raid is a welcome step toward cracking down on waste and fraud in Medicare payments for motorized wheelchairs involving the Scooter Store," Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) said in a statement. "I have urged action to stop abusive overpayments for such devices - costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and preying on seniors with deceptive sales pitches."
The cost of health care is a huge component in local, state, and national debates about how to solve budget challenges. In recent years, the federal government has increased efforts to scrutinize billing practices and thwart fraud, with durable medical devices being one area of particular concern.
Blumenthal is among the congressional leaders who have urged federal authorities to crack down on what they view as deceptive advertising that results in some angry seniors and bills for all taxpayers.
As Blumenthal noted, this is not the first time the Scooter Store has faced allegations of fraud.
In 2007, the company settled a civil suit with the Justice Department by paying $4 million and forgoing $13 million in Medicare claims after the government alleged the company submitted false claims for power wheelchairs that, among other things, beneficiaries did not want, did not need, or could not use.
The company's five-year corporate integrity agreement with the government was due to expire in 2012 but remains open. The company was also supposed to reimburse the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) $19.5 million for overpayments between 2009 and 2011, according to the San Antonio newspaper. However, senators criticized the CMS for not pushing for more reimbursements, based on an outside audit of the company's operations.
The company's website has a specific category of products called "Medicare-Reimbursable Power Chairs," with several listed for $3,699. It posed the question many seniors would ask: Is the power chair or scooter entirely covered by my insurance?
The answer had a few caveats, including the Medicare requirement to meet with a doctor to determine mobility needs. It also said: "If you qualify, Medicare may cover up to 80 percent of the cost of your power chair. Your supplemental insurance may pay the remaining 20 percent. In most cases, our customers pay little to nothing for their power chairs."


source -philly.com

Delaware teacher arrested for sexting www.privateofficer.com

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Georgetown DE Feb 22 2013 A Delaware teacher is under arrest after another school employee caught him sexting a student.Stanley Zakrociemski, 36, works at Sussex Technical High School on County Seat Highway in Georgetown, Delaware.Detectives with the Delaware State Police were contacted yesterday after a school employee found Zakrociemski was allegedly sending texts of a sexual nature to a 17-year-old female student. The messages began as far back as March of 2012 and continued until this week, according to police.Police say the relationship between Zakrociemski and the 17-year-old, who turned 18 in December, never became physical.Zakrociemski, who is from Millsboro, turned himself into detectives Wednesday and was arrested on five counts of sexual solicitation of a child under 18.He is in the Sussex Correctional Institution on 100 thousand dollars bond.

Memphis police officer involved in an on-duty crash that killed two people is fired www.privateofficer.com

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Memphis T Feb 22 2013 A Memphis police officer involved in an on-duty crash that killed two people last year has been fired following a state investigation, police said Tuesday.Alex Beard, 23, was fired Monday following a probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, which presented its findings to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office. District Attorney spokesman Vince Higgins said his office is still investigating the case, and no decision has been made on whether to file charges against Beard.
Beard underwent an administrative hearing with the Memphis Police Department Monday before his termination. He was charged with failing to adhere to regulations regarding responding to calls, personal conduct and motor-vehicle damage. He has the right to appeal his firing to the Civil Service Commission, a board that has the authority to reinstate him.
The fatal crash happened about 3 p.m. Aug. 26 at Crump and Walnut near Downtown. Beard, heading east on Crump, was responding to a request for help from another officer dealing with what police term a "mental consumer." Police said Beard ran a red light without his lights or sirens on, a violation of department policy.
His car collided with a 1996 Mercury Mystique, which was heading west on Crump and turning south on Walnut. The collision killed Mackala Ross, 13, and Delores Epps, 54. Michael Ross and Ray Beebe, the other two passengers in the Mtstique, were injured, Ross critically. Beard suffered noncritical injuries.
Witnesses said Beard was speeding while traveling without lights or sirens, a clear violation of MPD policy.
The departmental policy on emergency responses says that state law allows officers to speed or ignore red lights "so long as the driver does not endanger life or property. This law applies only when an emergency vehicle is making use of audible (siren) and visual (blue light) signals." Then, in all capital letters, the policy adds that the provisions of the law "neither relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons nor protect the driver from the consequences of his reckless disregard for the safety of others."
When it was revealed that Beard did not have his lights or sirens on, many Memphians reacted angrily in the days after the crash. Numerous people contacted the newspaper or posted online with their own stories of police officers disobeying traffic rules.
Beard, who began working for MPD in October 2010, was assigned to Union Station. Before the August crash, he had no infractions on his personnel record. So far, no lawsuits against the city or Memphis police appear to have been filed in the accident.
Epps and Ross were visiting from Senatobia, Miss., for a relative's 50th birthday.
Beard did not respond to a voicemail or text message sent to his cell phone.