From the Fox News Network - September 30, 2006

Washington D.C. — A prominent member of Congress has resigned after the revelation that he exchanged raunchy electronic messages with a teenage boy, a former congressional page.

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., who is single, apologized Friday for letting down his family and constituents. Once his resignation letter was read to the House late Friday afternoon, Republicans spent the night trying to explain — six weeks before congressional elections — how this could have happened on their watch. Near midnight, they engineered a vote to let the House ethics committee decide whether an investigation is needed.

Among the Republican explanations during the night:

— The congressional sponsor of the page, Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-La., said he was asked by the youth's parents not to pursue the matter, so he dropped it.

— Alexander said that before deciding to end his involvement, he passed on what he knew to the chairman of the House Republican campaign organization, Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-N.Y. Reynolds' spokesman, Carl Forti, said "We are not characterizing conversations that Congressman Reynolds may have had or may not have had with other members of Congress on that subject."

— Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., chairman of the Page Board that oversees the congressional work-study program for high schoolers, said he did investigate but Foley falsely assured him he was only mentoring the boy. Pages are high school students who attend classes under congressional supervision and work as messengers.

— The spokesman for Speaker Dennis Hastert, Ron Bonjean, said the top House Republican had not known about the allegations. Shimkus said he learned about them in late 2005.

Just as Shimkus' explanation was released, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California proposed to the House that its ethics committee investigate and make a preliminary report in 10 days. She demanded to know who knew of the messages, whether Foley had other contacts with pages and when the Republican leadership was notified of Foley's conduct.

Instead, majority Republicans engineered a vote to allow the ethics panel to decide whether there should even be an investigation.

Foley's departure sent Republicans scrambling for a replacement candidate.

Foley, 52, had been a shoo-in for a new term until the e-mail correspondence surfaced in recent days. The page was 16 at the time of the correspondence.

Hastert said Friday he had asked Shimkus to investigate the page system. "We want to make sure that all our pages are safe and the page system is safe," Hastert said.

ABC News reported Friday that Foley also engaged in a series of sexually explicit instant messages with current and former pages, all male. In one message, ABC said, Foley wrote to one page, "Do I make you a little horny?"

In another message, Foley wrote, "You in your boxers, too? ... Well, strip down and get relaxed."

Foley, as chairman of the Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, had introduced legislation in July to protect children from exploitation by adults over the Internet. He also sponsored other legislation designed to protect minors from abuse and neglect.

"We track library books better than we do sexual predators," Foley has said.

Foley, who represented an area around Palm Beach County, e-mailed the page in August 2005. Foley asked him how he was doing after Hurricane Katrina and what he wanted for his birthday. The congressman also asked the boy to send a photo of himself, according to excerpts of the e-mails that were originally released by ABC News.

The e-mails were posted Friday on the Web site of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington after ABC News reported their existence.

Naomi Seligman, a spokeswoman for CREW, said the group also sent a letter to the FBI after it received the e-mails. CREW did not post their copies of the e-mail until ABC News reported them, instead waiting for the investigation.

"The House of Representatives has an obligation to protect the teenagers who come to Congress to learn about the legislative process," the group wrote.

According to the CREW posting, the boy e-mailed a colleague in Alexander's office about Foley's e-mails, saying, "This freaked me out." On the request for a photo, the boy repeated the word "sick" 13 times.

He said Foley asked for his e-mail when the boy gave him a thank-you card. The boy also said Foley wrote that he had e-mailed another page.

"he's such a nice guy," Foley wrote about the other boy. "acts much older than his age...and hes in really great shape...i am just finished riding my bike on a 25 mile journey now heading to the gym ... whats school like for you this year?"

In other e-mails, Foley wrote: "I am back in Florida now...its nice here ... been raining today ... it sounds like you will have some fun over the next few weeks ... how old are you now?" and "how are you weathering the hurricane ... are you safe ... send me an email pic of you as well."
    
FOX News Network
Retrieved September 30, 2006 from http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,216699,00.html

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Dr. Kardasz:

Other media sources reported that Foley used the screen name Maf54 

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 09:45 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the problem?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

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New Jersey Attorney General Resigns Over Ethics Violations

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Trenton, New Jersey —  New Jersey's attorney general resigned Tuesday after a special prosecutor concluded she violated state ethics laws by intervening in a traffic stop involving her boyfriend. Zulima Farber, who will step down at the end of the month, said she is leaving office "out of respect for the governor" and not because she was asked to do so.

"I admit to being human and making that error. I am truly sorry and apologize to all New Jerseyans for that mistake," said Farber, who appeared at a Statehouse news conference alongside Gov. Jon S. Corzine. Farber's live-in boyfriend, lawyer Hamlet Goore, was pulled over by police in Fairview for a traffic violation in May, and Farber showed up at the scene in her state car. Goore's van was found to be improperly registered and his license appeared to be suspended, but he was allowed to drive home.

In recent weeks, Farber denied doing anything to influence the police. But a special prosecutor appointed by the governor said in a report issued Tuesday that Farber violated state ethics laws by "approving actions which allowed Mr. Goore to drive his vehicle home." "The attorney general knowingly acted to secure a benefit for Mr. Goore that was violative of the motor vehicle laws and obviously not available to the general public," Richard J. Williams wrote in his report.

Corzine met with Farber earlier in the day and asked her to make a decision on whether to resign. He said he accepted her resignation "with sadness and respect." "She has decided to do more than would be ordinarily required for a lapse in judgment," the governor said.

Corzine appointed Farber to the state's top law-enforcement post upon taking office earlier this year. But in New Jersey, a governor can only remove an attorney general "for cause," a murky standard in the opinion of some legal experts. Motor vehicle records show that Farber, 61, has had at least 12 speeding tickets, four bench warrants issued for her arrest and three license suspensions.

The report led to renewed calls for the resignation of the New Jersey's first Hispanic attorney general. "She is incapable of leading the fight against official misconduct and abuse of power because her conduct indicates that she does not even recognize what those things are," said state Republican chairman Tom Wilson.

Farber was born in Cuba and fled that country with her family while in her teens. A partner in a law firm, she previously served in the administrations of two New Jersey governors. Among her specialties is attorney ethics.

Retrieved Septembet 30, 2006 from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,208522,00.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 09:16 PM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:51 PM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 01:13 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

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Ex-cop may serve PIC sentence at home

From the age.com.au, September 25, 2006

The first person to be convicted of contempt of the NSW Police Integrity Commission (PIC) may serve his six-month sentence in home detention. Former police officer Christopher John Walker was sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court to six months in jail. But Justice Robert McDougall stayed the term, releasing Walker on bail while authorities assess his suitability for home detention.

Questioned at a PIC hearing in December 2004, Walker - a one-time work partner of corrupt former police officer Christopher Laycock - falsely claimed he could not recall events.

The PIC was investigating possible criminal conduct by Laycock and his associates, and Walker was questioned about allegations that he had gone to premises in Chiswick to extort money from drug dealers. Walker had "falsely asserted an inability to recollect that event", Justice McDougall said.

After he was warned he could face a contempt charge, Walker returned to the PIC in January 2005 to answer questions about the Chiswick incident. His account was that he had been retained by drug dealers to obtain money owed for the sale of illegal drugs, the Supreme Court was told. The 57-year-old is the first person to be convicted of contempt of the PIC, for which there is no maximum specified jail term.

Justice McDougall said Walker's offence "had the capacity to frustrate an investigation into what was by any standards serious police misconduct, involving in all likelihood both serious criminal activity on the part of some police officers and the covering up or protection of serious criminal activity". "Corruption and misconduct strike at the effectiveness of any police force," the judge said, adding that nothing less than a substantial jail term would deter others from committing contempt.

Justice McDougall imposed a sentence of six months, saying it would have been longer had Walker not returned to answer the PIC's questions. He also took into account the fact that the former detective would likely serve any jail term in protective custody, and concerns that he would not receive adequate treatment for his depression and possible bipolar disorder behind bars.

Justice McDougall said the offence and the circumstances surrounding it reflected badly on a man who was otherwise "of good character, highly regarded by friends and colleagues, and with strong family connections and values". Walker had received a Commissioner's Commendation and an award as "the most outstanding policeman" in 1976, and at one time had quit his job because he was "dismayed by corruption in the police force", he said.

Walker, who worked as a Sydney police officer on and off for more than 30 years, will learn his fate when the case returns to court on November 8.

Retrieved September 28, 2006 from http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Excop-may-serve-PIC-sentence-at-home/2006/09/25/1159036449789.html#

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 01:05 PM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 12:09 PM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 07:11 PM | Permalink

By Manny Gonzales, September 22, 2006, Denver Post Staff Writer

Aurora police Detective Michael D. Thomas wrestled a knife from a man 15 years ago while responding to a domestic violence call and was stabbed in the forehead in the melee.

Awarded for valor with the department's highest commendation, Thomas was never caught wearing his medal of honor for the same reason he drove a beat up Chrysler sedan when he could have afforded something nicer.

"Because that was just Mike," his commanding officer Lt. John Sopranuk said Thursday, a day after Thomas was gunned down at Peoria Street and Montview Boulevard in the blue Chrysler so many of his fellow officers ribbed him about. "He wasn't flashy, he was humble and everyone loved him for that."

On Thursday, a day after Thomas' death, officers shared tears and smiled over stories of their friend, the fourth Aurora police officer killed in the line of duty. Even Chief Daniel Oates, who says he didn't know Thomas very well, choked back tears as he recounted how Thomas put himself between a knife and other officers.

"Officer Thomas acted with courage and integrity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty," Oates said. "There is a sense of a grieving statewide in the law enforcement and government community, and it's pretty overwhelming."

Thomas will be buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, 3698 South Sheridan Boulevard.

A fund has been set up to help Thomas' family. Donations can be made to the Rocky Mountain Law Enforcement Federal Credit Union in care of the Mike Thomas Fund, Oates said.

Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com

Retrieved September 23, 2006 from http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4375357?source=rss

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 08:37 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz:

Politicians and law enforcement officers have always had interesting relationships. The following story is an example of the friction that sometimes develops.

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Buckner, Kansas: Ex-Police Chief Says Buckner Mayor Forced Him Out

September 22, 2006, from TheKansasCityChannel.com

Controversy involving the mayor of Buckner is swirling again after another former police chief claims she forced him out of office.

KMBC's Jim Flink reported that Buckner has had three police chiefs in a little more than a year. All three left or were fired. Dereck Sayres is still fighting the city over his firing last month. Larry Overfield lasted just two weeks before quitting. Overfield cited a police department that he deemed to be in shambles. Now, Charles Loring is telling his story.

"I understand what Chief Sayers is going through because they did him just like they did me," Loring told Flink. For four years, Loring served as Buckner's police chief. Loring said he loved Buckner until Mayor Debbie Gilmore took office. "I could tell it was going to be a bumpy ride first thing she got in," Loring said.

Loring kept personal documents of what he termed were the mayor's intrusions -- asking him to give her records on things such as assault and DUI cases. "I think it was a friend who we arrested on a DWI, and I think she told me she wanted to see if I did the reports right," Loring said.

Former Buckner Detective Scott Lambert and Sayres say the mayor did the same to them. "You step on toes and that's what happens," Sayres said. "It is totally and completely out of line. Out of line," Lambert said.

"I am the chief law enforcement officer of this city," Gilmore said in an interview two weeks ago.

Flink reported that he obtained a letter sent from Assistant Jackson County Prosecutor Tammy Dickenson asking Gilmore to ensure the integrity of all open case files and evidence. Flink said the letter reminded Gilmore that no one except authorized law enforcement personnel should have access to files or evidence.

"I didn't touch any evidence. Don't know where it's at. Don't want to know where it's at. That's not my job," Gilmore said in an earlier interview.

Flink reported that 37 officers have come and gone in Buckner under the mayor, including Loring, who said he did not resign. Loring said he was handed his resignation letter on city letterhead and was told to sign it.

"I was forced out by the mayor. I didn't do what the mayor wanted me to do -- I didn't give her the records she wanted to see," Loring said. Flink reported that Gilmore was unavailable for a response to his story.

2006 KMBC TheKansasCityChannel.com., 2006 Yahoo! Inc.

Retrieved September 23, 2006 from http://news.yahoo.com/s/kmbc/20060922/lo_kmbc/9904802&printer=1;_ylt=Aoiy5wfQsjtXywZunc77JUIRx0QC;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE-

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 08:17 PM | Permalink

Phoenix, Arizona - September 11, 2006

Offender: Anthony Russell Allen, a.k.a. "BoredChandlerGuy"

On January 13, 2006, Anthony Russell Allen, an unmarried 32 year old armored car driver from Chandler, Arizona was arrested by members of the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and charged with luring a minor for sexual exploitation. The arrest occurred in Phoenix.

Allen came to the attention of law enforcement when he used the Internet with the intention of meeting a minor for sex. During Internet chat conversations, while using the screen name: “BoredChandlerGuy” he groomed his intended victim and made sexually explicit statements including (expletives deleted):

"Have you ever met people off of this?"
"Want to?"
"Would have to be a mall though i think in case u dont like me"
"What you want?
"How much clothes you need?"
"Was just asking cause other people have asked me that too LOL"
"But they said they would return the favor somehow"
"I think they meant sex wise"
"So you have a bf?"
"Heck I would knock down the door if you like older guys"
"Yeah sex would be nice wont lie there"
"Ok sorry getting into sex topic what you want to talk about?"
"So sometimes my mind drifts to sex talk"
"Yeah but nowdays girls having sex at 12"
"I see. Have u ever seen a guy naked?"
"So you never touched a (expletive) or anything?"
"Wow then you want me to come over and teach you things heh"
"But then again if u wanted to learn"
"As long as your not a cop or the tv crew that setting me up"
"A little nervous since you are only (age redacted) and underage"
"Can get in a lot of trouble"
"I wouldnt tell anyone if you wont"
"So going to show you my (expletive) if you want to see it"
"Think you might be tight for me though"
"If u wanted to have sex"
"Your not some crazy cop or reporter are ya?"
"Where would you want to meet and when?"
"Ok could bring you back to my place if ok"
"We could come back have some fun take you home?"
"Maybe try some sexual things if you like me"
"Do you have big (expletive)?"
"I wont (expletive) in you"
"Want to try?"
"Like sucking on a lolli pop from what I hear"
"Well normal is you on bottom and me on top but can do you on top me on bottom or you bent over on bed (Doggystyle)
"U will be there at 430"
"K see you then"

After the chat conversations, intent upon meeting a minor for sex, Allen drove from Chandler to Phoenix for the planned meeting. The armored car driver arrived in his personal vehicle, a sedan and was taken into custody. He confessed to the crime.

Allen was booked into the Maricopa County jail and the case was handled by the Maricopa County Attorneys Office. Allen served served 3 days in jail and pled guilty to one count of luring a minor for sexual exploitation.

On September 11, 2006 he was sentenced by Judge Bethany G. Hicks.
Sentencing included:
- Counseling
- Lifetime probation
- Sex offender registration
- 12 months jail with credit for  3 days served. This is a deferred jail term. (This means that the offender will only go to jail if he violates his probation terms).
- Screening for work furlough. (This means that even if the offender is jailed he may enter a program to work a job somewhere in the community during the day and spend his evenings in jail)

Superior Court of Arizona - Maricopa County
Read the sentencing of Judge Hicks at http://www.courtminutes.maricopa.gov/scripts/meeds/qreturn.asp             
enter the case number CR2006102635

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 09:31 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

In an ironic twist, the location of the alleged misconduct in the following incident was the Office of Police Integrity. 

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Victoria, Australia - Police charged over Integrity Office thefts

September 19, 2006

Three Victorian (Australia) detectives have been charged with stealing property from the Office of Police Integrity (OPI).  Springvale criminal investigation unit officers Detective Senior Sergeants Ross Colley, 34, Mark Ziemann, 42, and Kenneth Taylor, 43 were charged in August following an investigation by the ethical standards department. Det Snr Sgt Taylor and Det Snr Sgt Ziemann allegedly stole a portable television and DVDs belonging to the OPI last October, according to documents tendered to Melbourne Magistrates Court today. Det Snr Sgt Ziemann was also accused of being in possession of a stolen DVD player.  Det Snr Sgt Colley was charged with possessing fireworks without a permit and a range of prohibited weapons, including four Japanese short swords and two pairs of nunchakus.  He also allegedly stole several mobile phones between May 2002 and March 2005. The police officers were not present in court for today's brief hearing. Magistrate Carmen Randazzo adjourned the matter until October 31.

Retrieved September 22, 2006 from http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,20438823-1702,00.html?from=public_rss

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 08:23 PM | Permalink

Arrested: Christopher John Erdman, age 18, West Bend, Wisconsin
Charges: Child Pornography, Wisconsin State Statute 948.12(1m)
Victim: 14 year old girl – name witheld
Agencies: Arizona ICAC Task Force & Washington County (WI) Sheriffs Office

In August 2006, a Phoenix, Arizona woman noticed that her 14-year-old younger-sister had been using a computer and the Internet to chat on-line with an unidentified man. The 14-year-old had exchanged sexually explicit images of herself with the man.

It was later learned that the chat conversations and image exchanges had occurred over a two-year period and began when the girl was 12 years old. The two had met via the Internet in an on-line gaming site.

The elder sister reported the incidents to the Phoenix Police Department and the subsequent investigation identified the man who solicited the images as Christopher John Erdman, age 18, of West Bend, Wisconsin.

With information from Arizona ICAC investigators, Detectives of the Washington County (Wisconsin) Sheriffs office served a search warrant at Erdman’s residence and seized evidence. Erdman made admissions to the offenses and was arrested by Washington County Detectives. Erdman will be charged with possession of child pornography in violation of Wisconsin statutes.

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 05:27 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

Mississaugua, Ontario, Canada - Allegation of police abuse probed
Residents complained about 'parties' and disturbances

The Mississaugua News, by Louie Rosella, Sep 20, 2006

Peel Regional Police are investigating allegations that as many as 14 officers, both male and female, beat up two Erin Mills men who were videotaping them drinking alcohol and partying behind a plaza.

Richard Cimpoesu, 24, and Orlando Canizalez, 20, claim they were chased and punched in the head and body in the early morning hours of Aug. 28, after several off-duty officers who were allegedly drinking beer and acting rowdy behind the Ethan Allen furniture store on Dundas St. W. caught the men videotaping them.

The men sustained severe bruising to their stomachs and heads from the alleged attack. They also claim they were threatened by the officers to tell them where the camera was and to turn it over. Police didn't find the video camera, and the two men later recovered it in nearby bushes, they said. None of the allegations have been proven.

Cimpoesu said yesterday he's fearful of repercussions. "I'm upset. You don't expect this kind of thing to happen. We went out there. We didn't mean any harm. We didn't expect the people that are supposed to protect us would come after us," said Cimpoesu, a St. Joseph Secondary School graduate. "I'm scared. I can't walk down the street without having to look if police are after me."

A police spokesperson said the Peel police internal affairs unit is investigating the alleged assault, but he refused to verify the video or provide any other specifics. "All we are able to say about this is that an incident involving several off-duty officers is being investigated by our professional standards branch," said Peel Cst. Pete Brandwood. "We unfortunately can't say anything else because it might jeopardize the integrity of the investigation."

The two good friends took it upon themselves to gather video footage after several residents complained about "wild parties" and disturbances in the area. "They decided before they would make a complaint, they would have some evidence because they didn't think anything would be done without having some proof," said William Bain, lawyer for the men.

As a result of their actions, said Bain, the men were discovered and allegedly assaulted and threatened.

"From the pictures that we took, it's apparent they were struck in the head and the body a number of times," said Bain. "The threats were significant enough to cause my clients concern, and to cause them to have an ongoing fear of the police." Bain and his clients allege the men were assaulted because they wouldn't give up the videotape and they wouldn't identify themselves initially. They were released with a warning from the officers, they claim.

"My clients haven't been charged with an offence. They haven't done anything wrong," said Bain. "They were endeavouring to gather evidence to make a valid complaint and they were set upon by these people, and they were chased, assaulted, threatened and are traumatized by what was done to them. Our (allegation) is they (the officers) went way overboard."

Bain didn't rule out a civil suit.

Both men were to be interviewed yesterday by police.

Canizalez, an Erindale Secondary School graduate, said he still has faith in police. "A few bad apples shouldn't spoil the rest of them," he said.

Retrieved September 22, 2006 from http://www.mississauga.com/mi/insidenews/v-printmississauga/story/3691639p-4267644c.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 12:11 PM | Permalink

"Our nation has made this commitment: Anyone who targets a child for harm will be a primary target of law enforcement. That's our commitment. Anyone who takes the life or innocence of a child will be punished to the full extent of the law."
                               President George W. Bush, October 23, 2002


"We cannot, and we will not, tolerate those who seek to abuse or exploit our children."
                   Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, April 20, 2006
 

see: http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 04:31 AM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

Cop fired after asking for date

By Sarah Muench, The Arizona Republic, Sept. 20, 2006

A Chandler police officer has been fired after he pulled over a woman under the guise of a traffic stop but instead asked her out on a date. Following an internal investigation, Officer Nathan Dixon, 37, was dismissed in late August - the second Chandler officer to be fired this year. The woman called the Professional Standards Section of the Chandler Police Department on July 12 and told them she was pulled over on July 8 at 2:15 a.m. by an officer in a marked patrol car who asked her out on a date, according to a dismissal letter to Dixon from Chandler police Chief Sherry Kiyler.

Police confirmed the incident when the woman also presented a note Dixon allegedly wrote with his phone number on it, said Sgt. Rick Griner, a Chandler police spokesman. "Your actions violated this citizen's constitutional rights and also violated the public trust and brought discredit to the organization," Kiyler wrote in her letter. Dixon, who was working the midnight patrol shift, had been working for Chandler police for 11 years and had received numerous commendations throughout his career, Griner said.

Dixon would have to be certified again by the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board before being able to work again as a police officer in the state.

Retrieved September 21, 2006 from http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0920cr-copfired20-ON.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 08:59 PM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 07:55 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

San Diego border agent pleads guilty to accepting cash, cars to let human smugglers in 

By Allison Hoffman, Associated Press Writer

San Diego- A former border inspector pleaded guilty Thursday to accepting cash bribes and luxury cars in exchange for allowing smugglers to sneak hundreds of illegal immigrants from Mexico into the country. Richard Elizalda, 55, a 10-year veteran border inspector for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, admitted to one count of accepting bribes as a public official and two counts of bringing illegal aliens into the country for financial gain. He was originally charged with 15 counts.

Elizalda sent text messages directing drivers to his inspection lane at the San Ysidro border crossing and then waved them through, Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Frakes said in San Diego federal court. In return, Elizalda received as much as $1,000 for each immigrant, taking as much as $120,000 in cash from smugglers starting in 2004 until his arrest in June, Frakes said. Agents seized $36,170 in cash from Elizalda's home, along with a 2000 Lexus and a 2005 BMW given to him by the ringleaders of the smuggling ring. He faces up to 35 years in prison and $820,000 in fines.

Elizalda said little in court. Asked by U.S. Magistrate Judge William McCurine, Jr., how he pleaded, he replied in a quiet voice, "Guilty."

Also Thursday, another defendant in the indictment, Kenneth Web, pleaded guilty to one count of bringing illegal aliens into the United States. Frakes said he worked as a smuggler, bringing as many as 99 immigrants into the country without documentation. He faces a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and $250,000 in fines.

Customs and Border Protection has seen a number of instances of corruption recently. In July, a Border Patrol agent who was an illegal immigrant himself was sentenced to five years in prison for smuggling more than 100 illegal immigrants into the U.S. from Mexico near San Diego, some of them in his government truck.

Retrieved September 17, 2006 from http://www.policeone.com/news/1035804/

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 07:34 PM | Permalink

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:52 PM | Permalink

Kansas City, Missouri (AP) -- Federal and local authorities in the United States arrested more than 1,600 people accused of exploiting children over the Internet last year, a fivefold increase over 2000.   But Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Thursday the problem will continues to grow as the Internet has given child pornographers ad people seeking trysts with minors easier access to young users, and made it easier to hide from law enforcement.

"The only way to respond to their horrific ambitions is to respond with greater perseverance," said Gonzales, speaking at the Protect Our Children Conference, a three-day event bringing law enforcement from Missouri, Kansas, Illinois and Nebraska together with child advocates and abuse treatment organizations. In particular, Gonzales said U.S. states need to re-evaluate their laws against child exploitation and make them stronger, if necessary.

Missouri, for example, enacted legislation this year that boosts the penalties for many child sex crimes, such as a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for someone convicted of trying to entice a child into meeting to have sex.

President George W. Bush this summer signed into law legislation that effectively doubles many federal sentences for pedophiles, as well as requiring offenders to place their names and locations on Internet databases and be charged with a felony for not providing regular updates.

Gonzales said federal, state and local law enforcement are doing a better job of coordinating their efforts and teaming up with community organizations that teach parents and children how to avoid online predators and deal with the aftermath when children are abused. He added that federal authorities are increasingly reaching out to other countries, where much of the child pornography now traded among pedophiles is made and distributed, to strengthen their own child sex laws.

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 04:33 PM | Permalink

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Press Association, September 12, 2006

Police hero Stephen Oake is due to be honoured with a memorial stone at the place where he was murdered by an al Qaida terrorist. Detective Constable Oake, 40, was stabbed to death as he tried to restrain Kamel Bourgass after an anti-terror raid on a house in Crumpsall, Manchester, in January 2003. The father-of-three was the first British police officer killed in the current war on terror. A permanent stone memorial will be unveiled by his widow, Lesley, outside the house where her husband died. A short service will also be held attended by his children, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Mike Todd and film director Michael Winner. Winner said: "It will be one of our normal, upright memorials outside the house where he fell and simply says "Here fell DC Stephen Oake" and the date. The officer's killer grabbed a kitchen knife, slashing and stabbing officers and knifing Dc Oake fatally, before he was restrained. Bourgass, already on the run after police smashed a ricin terror plot in London, grabbed a kitchen knife in an attempt to escape. He was jailed for life at the Old Bailey last year.

Press Association Ltd., 2006
Retrieved September 13, 2006 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,,-6074156,00.html

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 04:19 PM | Permalink

Dr. Kardasz -

Read the following report and consider:

1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
     a. Why did you choose that typology?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?
     a.Why did you choose that decision making process?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

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Port St. Lucie, Florida, Probe: Ex-evidence chief took golf club, ring home

By Teresa Lane, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer, September 09, 2006

Port St. Lucie, Florida — The head of the police department's evidence and records division has been suspended without pay for five days and reassigned after an internal affairs probe revealed he took home a golf club he had listed as destroyed evidence. Administrator Bill May, who remained on paid leave for two weeks in August while the probe was underway, also took a ring that was to be destroyed but said he intended to get it appraised to see whether the department could net more money from its sale, records show.

Although Internal Affairs Investigator Lt. Robert Fitch said there was insufficient evidence to prove May intended to keep the items, he said several department rules governing evidence were violated, constituting a "serious breach of evidence protocol and procedure." The case began Aug. 14 after an evidence technician saw May document a True Flex Stylist 9-iron as having been destroyed before taking the club to his office. The employee said she overheard May say the club would be good for his son. May admitted taking the club home but said he simply wanted to measure its length next to his son's arm to see whether it was the right size.

Police Chief John Skinner, who upheld the violations Friday, said the incident has prompted him to alter the department's procedures for disposing of property. Now, technicians must document whether surplus property is sold to an online auction company, trashed or placed into use by police employees. May, who earns $85,738 yearly, will continue in his role as supervisor of the records and information technology departments, but Major Gary Robinson is overseeing the evidence and property sections, Skinner said.

A property audit conducted in 2005 revealed that several pieces of evidence were not properly disposed of, or the instructions concerning the handling of evidence was not followed according to evidence cards. The audit showed May received a Rolex watch for appraisal but never signed for it, returning the item after 27 days without having it appraised. May told investigators he had made mistakes but never intended to take property for his personal gain. He has worked for the department more than 16 years.

Skinner said he didn't institute more stringent evidence protocols earlier because he trusted May, calling the administrator's actions "inexcusable". "It takes years to build trust and seconds to lose it," Skinner said. "The integrity of the evidence is critical."

Retrieved September 10, 2006 from http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/local_news/epaper/2006/09/09/m1b_slmay_0909.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=17

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 11:23 AM | Permalink

Honor commemorating state trooper goes to 17-year veteran
By Mike Billington, The News Journal
September 4, 2006
 
Sgt. Vincent Fiscella is the third police officer to receive the award from The Ronald G. Williams foundation. Sgt. Vincent Fiscella, a 17-year Delaware State Police veteran whose peers praise his commitment to always "do the right thing," has been chosen to receive the third annual Legacy of Honor Award from The Ronald G. Williams Foundation.

The organization was co-founded by Catherine Kennedy and Jennifer Hawkins in honor of their brother, a highly respected state trooper who died in an auto accident in 2002. They established the award to honor police officers who best exemplify his commitment to duty, honor and service, Kennedy said. "The award seemed like a good way to encourage the kind of commitment to duty, honor, loyalty and serving others that were hallmarks of Ronnie's life," Kennedy said.

"Ronnie had a compassion for others that came through in the way he worked with colleagues, in his dedication to the job, his expertise in many different areas and his service to the community," she said. "We didn't want that sense of commitment to be lost in the next generation of law enforcement." State police Major Joe Papili, last year's winner, agreed.

"Ron Williams was a personal friend of mine and a fellow trooper that was always willing to give of himself to help others no matter what the circumstances," he said. 'I'm truly humbled by the award'

Fiscella, who is also president of the Delaware State Troopers Association, was nominated by his peers and chosen because of his continued integrity in serving the community, Kenned said. A Hockessin resident, Fiscella said he was pleased when told he was this year's recipient.

"While in my eyes others are more deserving, I'm truly humbled by the award. Ronnie was a dedicated trooper and friend, and to be part of his legacy is something that I will always cherish," he said. Papili said Fiscella is an excellent choice for the award.

"He is one of the most dedicated, caring and unselfish people I know. He is very trustworthy, honest and committed to doing the right thing for the right reason," Papili said. In addition, he said, Fiscella "is a man of his word, dedicated to giving back to the community that he serves and is extremely dedicated to his family and faith. A true team player."

Fiscella said he became a state trooper out of a desire to be part of an elite organization, one with a rich tradition and history. He said he has remained a trooper because it offers him new challenges and an opportunity to serve his community. "I enjoy the many challenges of policing," he said, adding that "frankly, there has never been a time in our lives so important as now to serve in this profession."

Although the foundation grew out of tragedy, its mission has always been a positive one, Papili said. Foundation also doles out scholarships. In addition to the Legacy of Honor award, the foundation gives out three annual scholarships to high school students in the region. It also serves as a support organization for law enforcement personnel and their families.

"The foundation has and continues to provide the opportunity for those in law enforcement to gather for fundraisers, community and social events, to share common experiences and to provide a sense of relief and compassion to those who are experiencing the same loss that the Williams family has gone through," he said.

Fiscella will receive his award Sept. 22 at the foundation's annual dinner at the White Clay Creek Country Club in Stanton. Contact Mike Billington at 324-2761 or mbillington@delawareonline.com.

Retrieved September 9, 2006 from http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060904/NEWS/609040334

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 05:52 PM | Permalink

Civil Penalty Against Social Networking Site Is Largest Ever for a COPPA Violation

Social networking Web site operators Xanga.com, Inc. and its principals, Marc Ginsburg and John Hiler, will pay a $1 million civil penalty for allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and its implementing Rule, under the terms of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission announced today.

According to the FTC, Xanga.com collected, used, and disclosed personal information from children under the age of 13 without first notifying parents and obtaining their consent. The penalty is the largest ever assessed by the FTC for a COPPA violation, and is more than twice the next largest penalty.

The complaint charges that the defendants had actual knowledge they were collecting and disclosing personal information from children. The Xanga site stated that children under 13 could not join, but then allowed visitors to create Xanga accounts even if they provided a birth date indicating they were under 13. Further, they failed to notify the children's parents of their information practices or provide the parents with access to and control over their children's information. The defendants created 1.7 million Xanga accounts over the past five years for users who submitted age information indicating they were under 13.

More at http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/09/xanga.htm

Posted by Dr. Kardasz at 10:50 PM | Permalink

Read the following report and consider:
1. Which typology of unethical behavior was exhibited by the accused?
2. Which decision making process might have prevented the accused from making the wrong decision?

Typologies of unethical behavior - http://kardasz.org/CorruptionTypologies.html
Decision making processes - http://kardasz.org/Decision_Making_Tools.html

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By Dr. Frank Kardasz, September 3, 2006
 
This is a story about an ethical dilemma. The names and locations of those involved are not relevant. The situation involved a detective who committed misdemeanor theft of a suspect's property at the scene of a search warrant. In some agencies, such misconduct might result in termination of the employee, but this case was not that simple.
 
Normally theft is not an ethical dilemma. Theft, to wit; taking the property of another with the intent to permanently deprive, is a clear violation of law and policy everywhere. This incident was a little different. In this case the property taken was a bottle of water from the suspects refrigerator. The retail value of the water was approximately two dollars.
 
The theft was observed by a fellow detective who anguished about what he had seen and confronted the offending detective at work the next day. In an attempt to repair the damage, and only after being confronted with his misconduct, the offender returned to the scene of the search warrant and replaced the bottle of water with a six-pack of water which he left with the apartment manager there.

The suspect who's apartment was the subject of the search was still in jail. Later, the offending detective phoned the suspect and explained the removal of the water bottle. The suspect responded sarcastically, "Why didn't you also grill a steak while you were there?"
 
The detective who witnessed the incident anguished over whether or not to report the theft and subsequently did advise a supervisor who then initiated an investigation. The detective knew that if he did not report the theft that he would become an accomplice to the wrongful act.
 
The offending detective solicited assistance from the police union. The union attempted to divert attention from the guilty officer by blaming lack of supervision at the search warrant scene. They also rationalized the theft of water as being similar to a situation where a detective must use a toilet at a suspects residence, thus also using water. They also likened the incident as being similar to switching on an air-conditioning unit at a search warrant scene and thus using electricity.
 
The offending detective who took the water bottle readily admitted his error and was truthful during the investigation. The otherwise personable and gregarious offending detective had a checkered disciplinary history. He had been found untruthful during one prior internal investigation several years earlier and as a consequence remains on the "Brady List" with the local prosecutors office. The Brady list contains names of employees who have had past incidents of deception. Prosecutors must reveal the names of such officers to defense attorneys who can then use the information to attack the officers credibility.The past incidents involving the offending officer in this case had occurred over five years prior to the the theft, and in accordance with police policy could not be considered in the disciplinary action for the present incident.
 
The well-liked offending detective was also a friend and golfing partner of a command-staff member of the department.
 
The location of the search warrant and misconduct incident was an adjoining city. The police agency in that city chose not to investigate the theft.
 
The detective who reported the offense worked on the same squad as, and sat at a work-station next to the detective who committed the offense. Working relationships on the squad deteriorated immediately. The offending detective immediately requested and received a voluntary transfer to a patrol assignment.
 
The investigating supervisor informally polled both law enforcement officers and prosecutors as to what they believed the appropriate discipline should be for such conduct. Opinions were mixed. Prosecutors believed the officer should be terminated because the incident irreparably damaged his credibility. Law enforcement officers believed that the punishment should be a lesser disciplinary action.
 
The incident polarized departmental employees, some of whom thought the incident was trivial because of the value of the property taken; a two-dollar bottle of water. Others believed that theft is theft, regardless of the amount. Few appreciated the courage it took for the reporting employee to come forward against the offender.

The detective who reported the offense had agonized over the decision as to whether or not to report the misconduct. Few appreciated the emotional impact of reporting misconduct on the officer who did the right thing.
 
The command staff succumbed to pressure from the union. The resulting disciplinary action was less than that which was outlined in the departmental policy manual and disciplinary matrix that exhaustively describes punishments for every conceivable offense. The command staff decided to gi