OFF THE WIRE
ABATE of Illinois VSPatrick Quinn Governor of Illinois
http://www.state.il.us/court/Opinions/SupremeCourt/2011/October/110611.pdf
http://lemont.patch.com/articles/political-rewind-no-more-pension-checks-for-blagojevich
Political Rewind: No More Pension Checks for Blagojevich
It's always good to be caught up on state politics. Here's an easy guide to what happened this week.
October 30, 2011
This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters.
Not a good week to be an Illinois governor
This week didn’t hold a lot of good news for Illinois governors, past and present.
The legislature bucked Gov. Pat Quinn on several hot-button issues and moved to prevent former Gov.Rod Blagojevich from receiving his state retirement checks during its first week of a two-week fall veto session.
Illinois Supreme Court: State money cannot be special
The Illinois Supreme Court may have opened the door for Gov. Pat Quinn and state lawmakers to grab hundreds of millions of dollars for the next state budget.
In a 6-to-1 decision Thursday, the high court upheld a 2006 Sangamon County Circuit Court ruling that backed the governor and Legislature’s ability to take money from hundreds of special state funds, a practice commonly referred to as sweeping.
Motorcycle riders sued former Gov. Rod Blagojevich after he ordered that $296,000 be taken from the Cycle Riders Safety Training Fund, or CRSTF. A portion of the fee for an Illinois motorcycle license went into the CRSTF, which the motorcycle education and advocacy group A Brotherhood Aimed Towards Education, or ABATE, argued, was only to be spent on motorcycle safety education. The governor that year used the $296,000 to pay general state bills.
“Clearly, the fee charged by the state for motorcycle registration and licensing is state revenue, and therefore the portion of this state revenue which the General Assembly has allocated to the CRSTF is also public money,” wrote Justice Anne Burke in the majority opinion.
Lawmakers move to make sure Blago doesn’t get pension checks
Illinois lawmakers are dead set against Rod Blagojevich getting another dime from Illinois taxpayers.
On Wednesday, the General Assembly Retirement System, or GARS, Board moved to ensure that the former governor would not collect any of his $65,000-a-year state pension.
The board adopted a rule that will require it to meet and review any application from a person convicted of political corruption during his time working for the state. The board must approve pension benefits before a pension check can be sent. For most Illinois retirees, the checks are sent and then the GARS Board reviews eligibility.
In December, Blagojevich turns 55, age of retirement, and could have taken advantage of a loophole that would have allowed him to apply for pension payments despite his conviction. The law does not define someone as a convicted felon until sentence is imposed. Blagojevich is awaiting sentencing and no date has been set.
The former governor took the first step toward becoming ineligible for a state pension in June, after a federal jury found him guilty on 17 of 20 counts of corruption.
Lawmaker resigns, takes Quinn appointment and pay raise
Another former legislator who earlier this year voted to raise the corporate and personal income taxes in Illinois found a soft landing in Gov. Pat Quinn’s administration.
Quinn named former state Rep. Tom Holbrook, D-Belleville, to the Illinois Pollution Control Board where he’ll pull down a salary topping $117,000.
Holbrook gave up his seat and the intention of seeking re-election just a week after he said he would seek re-election in the Illinois House, a position with a base pay of $67,000.
Quinn forcefully denied that Holbrook’s “yes” vote, when the state House passed the tax hikes by a vote of 60-47, had anything to do with his appointment.
“Absolutely not. I’ve known Tom a long time. He’s been a member of the House Energy and Environment Committee since he arrived 16 or so years ago (in the Legislature). He’s a very solid guy in my opinion, and that’s why I appointed him,” Quinn said.
The vote in January and signature by Quinn raised personal income taxes by 67 percent and corporate income taxes by 47 percent. It’s expected to generated $6.5 billion annually.
Lawmakers see consequences from Madigan budget resolution
Illinois Legislature want to prevent the governor from spending money the state does not have in the bank. But the constitutional separation of powers may keep lawmakers from forcing Gov. Pat Quinn's hand in the next state budget.
House Speaker Mike Madigan, D-Chicago, earlier this week grabbed headlines and attention statewide, with a proposal that would give the Legislature a role in future contract negotiations with the American Federation for State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, which has 41,000 members, and other unionized public workers, including members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Service Employees International Union.
"We can stand on the sidelines, let those people go off and do what they do, and send us a bill, or we can interject ourselves now and be present through the negotiations so that our position is known and understood," Madigan said Tuesday.
Because Quinn alone has the constitutional power to negotiate and sign union contracts, Madigan's nonbinding resolution could not force the governor to include lawmakers.
But Madigan wields extraordinary power over the budget process, and past nonbinding resolutions have been taken seriously. The speaker introduced a similar resolution last spring. In this case, Madigan set a $33.2 billion cap on the fiscal 2012 budget. Quinn wanted a budget closer to $36 billion. Ultimately, the state’s spending plan came to $33.9 billion. Madigan on Tuesday did not offer specifics on the amount Quinn should authorize in the union contracts; instead, he said lawmakers will come up with a figure in the coming months.
But he said Quinn could not sign another "no-layoff" pledge.
Odds on more gambling improve, still no sure bet
Chances that Illinois will see more gambling could be getting better, as Gov. Pat Quinn enters negotiations with the Legislature.
Quinn is expected to discuss the future of gambling in Illinois with state Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, and state Sen. Terry Link, D-Waukegan, said Cullerton spokeswoman Rikeesha Phelon.
The Legislature and Quinn have Thursday and three days in the second week of November before the end of the scheduled veto session to address gambling or it will be shelved until the 2012 spring session.
The move followed a debate over gaming in the Senate Executive Committee earlier Wednesday that Quinn’s office called a “charade.”
“Governor Quinn looks forward to moving past the political games and towards sincere negotiations to reach a legitimate proposal that meets the framework he laid out,” Brooke Anderson, a spokeswoman for Quinn, said in a written statement.
Quinn laid out his gaming expansion plan a week before the Legislature returned here for its fall veto session.
The governor spent the summer criticizing the measure the Legislature passed but offering no alternative.
The original plan included adding five casinos throughout the state, gaming positions at existing casinos, and video gaming at horse racetracks. Currently the state has 10 casinos.
Quinn said he would agree to five new casinos but not video gaming at horse tracks. He also wanted to ban casino owners from making political contributions.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
CA - Distracted Driving A Leading Cause of Accidents and Injuries
OFF THE WIRE
http://www.einnews.com/247pr/243618
Distracted Driving A Leading Cause of Accidents and Injuries
Nationally - Including San Francisco October 29, 2011
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 5,500 people were killed and an estimated 448,000 were injured on U.S. roadways in accidents involving distracted driving in 2009.
October 29, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With the popularity of advanced phone and GPS devices in recent years, lawmakers across the country have come to recognize the dangers posed by distracted driving. The statistics are compelling: according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 5,500 people were killed and an estimated 448,000 were injured on U.S. roadways in accidents involving distracted driving in 2009, the last year for which statistics are available. This means that distracted driving was responsible for nearly 16 percent of all traffic related deaths in the U.S. in 2009. This is an epidemic, and our streets need to be made safer.
Despite these rather shocking recent statistics, many drivers remain ignorant of what sorts of activities constitute distracted driving and the effects of these activities on their driving, and also continue to engage in this extremely dangerous behavior.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that takes a driver's attention from the act of driving, which in turn increases the chances of a crash. Distractions can be:
- Visual: any activity - such as watching a television, checking email on a hand-held phone or checking a GPS device - that requires a driver to take his eyes off the road
- Manual: any activity - such as texting or dialing a telephone number - that requires a driver to remove one or both of his hands from the steering wheel
- Cognitive: any activity - such as talking on a cellphone - that requires a driver to take his mind off the act of driving
The Singular Dangers of Texting While Driving
While no distracting activity is safe for drivers, texting while driving is particularly dangerous because it involves visual, manual and cognitive distractions at the same time. According to a recent study by researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), when drivers text, they are 23 times more likely to cause a collision than when they are not texting.
The VTTI researchers found that drivers spent five or more seconds looking at their devices in the moments before a crash or near crash - enough time to allow a car moving at highway speeds to travel a distance longer than a football field.
This is not to say, however, that choosing to talk rather than text while driving is a safe alternative. According to previous VTTI studies, drivers are three times more likely to crash or nearly crash when dialing a phone and 1.3 times more likely to crash or nearly crash when talking on it.
What Are Lawmakers Doing to Help?
Because many driver distractions are caused by cell phones, several states have acted to pass bans on their use while driving. In California, drivers are prohibited not only from texting while driving, but also from talking on a cell phone not equipped with a hands-free device.
Despite these bans and despite increasing awareness by drivers that texting and engaging in other distracting behaviors while driving is dangerous, many drivers still choose to put their lives and the lives of others on the road at risk.
According to a 2009 survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 95 percent of drivers surveyed agreed that texting while driving is dangerous and unacceptable. 21 percent of those surveyed, however, reported that they had recently sent a text or email while driving.
Attorney Claude Wyle recently spoke with a veteran San Francisco traffic officer, and he advised that, of the several recent times he was almost hit on his patrol motorcycle, 100 percent of the drivers were talking on a cellphone. And we also see police officers talking on their cellphones while driving, or texting despite the statewide ban. People generally understand and agree that distracted driving is more likely to cause accidents and injuries, however many people just won't stop doing it.
In Wyle's personal opinion, many San Francisco traffic collisions are caused by momentary inadvertence or negligence. However, when that inadvertence results from of someone talking on the cellphone or texting, that distracted driver has made a conscious and knowing choice and should be held accountable for reckless driving. Accountability is the key. Only if we hold wrongdoers accountable will we be able to change their bad behavior. And this is how attorneys can help make the roadway safer. By making the distracted drivers accountable we can hopefully change their conduct ad reduce the number of personal injuries and wrongful deaths caused by distracted driving.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
If you or someone you love has been injured in a collision with a distracted driver, contact a San Francisco personal injury attorney. A lawyer can evaluate your case and help you get the compensation you deserve if you have been harmed by a distracted driver. At the very least, a good personal injury attorney should be able to explain to you your options and the pros and cons of your potential claim. If you have a good claim, an experienced personal injury attorney should also be able to describe what you are likely to expect in terms of likely outcome, and the time it will take for the attorney and the courts to process the case. Most personal injury attorneys charge only if they obtain a recovery for you and the initial consultation is almost always free. For more information, contact an attorney today.
=====
http://www.einnews.com/247pr/243618
Distracted Driving A Leading Cause of Accidents and Injuries
Nationally - Including San Francisco October 29, 2011
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 5,500 people were killed and an estimated 448,000 were injured on U.S. roadways in accidents involving distracted driving in 2009.
October 29, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- With the popularity of advanced phone and GPS devices in recent years, lawmakers across the country have come to recognize the dangers posed by distracted driving. The statistics are compelling: according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 5,500 people were killed and an estimated 448,000 were injured on U.S. roadways in accidents involving distracted driving in 2009, the last year for which statistics are available. This means that distracted driving was responsible for nearly 16 percent of all traffic related deaths in the U.S. in 2009. This is an epidemic, and our streets need to be made safer.
Despite these rather shocking recent statistics, many drivers remain ignorant of what sorts of activities constitute distracted driving and the effects of these activities on their driving, and also continue to engage in this extremely dangerous behavior.
What Is Distracted Driving?
Distracted driving is any activity that takes a driver's attention from the act of driving, which in turn increases the chances of a crash. Distractions can be:
- Visual: any activity - such as watching a television, checking email on a hand-held phone or checking a GPS device - that requires a driver to take his eyes off the road
- Manual: any activity - such as texting or dialing a telephone number - that requires a driver to remove one or both of his hands from the steering wheel
- Cognitive: any activity - such as talking on a cellphone - that requires a driver to take his mind off the act of driving
The Singular Dangers of Texting While Driving
While no distracting activity is safe for drivers, texting while driving is particularly dangerous because it involves visual, manual and cognitive distractions at the same time. According to a recent study by researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), when drivers text, they are 23 times more likely to cause a collision than when they are not texting.
The VTTI researchers found that drivers spent five or more seconds looking at their devices in the moments before a crash or near crash - enough time to allow a car moving at highway speeds to travel a distance longer than a football field.
This is not to say, however, that choosing to talk rather than text while driving is a safe alternative. According to previous VTTI studies, drivers are three times more likely to crash or nearly crash when dialing a phone and 1.3 times more likely to crash or nearly crash when talking on it.
What Are Lawmakers Doing to Help?
Because many driver distractions are caused by cell phones, several states have acted to pass bans on their use while driving. In California, drivers are prohibited not only from texting while driving, but also from talking on a cell phone not equipped with a hands-free device.
Despite these bans and despite increasing awareness by drivers that texting and engaging in other distracting behaviors while driving is dangerous, many drivers still choose to put their lives and the lives of others on the road at risk.
According to a 2009 survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, 95 percent of drivers surveyed agreed that texting while driving is dangerous and unacceptable. 21 percent of those surveyed, however, reported that they had recently sent a text or email while driving.
Attorney Claude Wyle recently spoke with a veteran San Francisco traffic officer, and he advised that, of the several recent times he was almost hit on his patrol motorcycle, 100 percent of the drivers were talking on a cellphone. And we also see police officers talking on their cellphones while driving, or texting despite the statewide ban. People generally understand and agree that distracted driving is more likely to cause accidents and injuries, however many people just won't stop doing it.
In Wyle's personal opinion, many San Francisco traffic collisions are caused by momentary inadvertence or negligence. However, when that inadvertence results from of someone talking on the cellphone or texting, that distracted driver has made a conscious and knowing choice and should be held accountable for reckless driving. Accountability is the key. Only if we hold wrongdoers accountable will we be able to change their bad behavior. And this is how attorneys can help make the roadway safer. By making the distracted drivers accountable we can hopefully change their conduct ad reduce the number of personal injuries and wrongful deaths caused by distracted driving.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
If you or someone you love has been injured in a collision with a distracted driver, contact a San Francisco personal injury attorney. A lawyer can evaluate your case and help you get the compensation you deserve if you have been harmed by a distracted driver. At the very least, a good personal injury attorney should be able to explain to you your options and the pros and cons of your potential claim. If you have a good claim, an experienced personal injury attorney should also be able to describe what you are likely to expect in terms of likely outcome, and the time it will take for the attorney and the courts to process the case. Most personal injury attorneys charge only if they obtain a recovery for you and the initial consultation is almost always free. For more information, contact an attorney today.
=====
L.A. Sheriff Calls Photojournalism a 'Suspicious Activity,' Photogs Say
OFF THE WIRE
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department illegally arrests, searches and interrogates photojournalists for taking photos on public streets, under an unconstitutional policy that includes photography as a "suspicious activity" which is one of the "potential indicators of terrorism," the National Photographers' Rights Organization says in Federal Court.
Plaintiffs include the organization's founder Shawn Nee, Long Beach Post staff reporter Greggory Moore, and freelance photographer Shane Quentin.
Nee says he was detained and searched "for photographing turnstiles on the Los Angeles Metro," and that the arresting deputies asked "if he planned to sell the photos to al Qaeda and threaten(ed) to put his name on the FBI's 'hit list.'"
Moore says L.A. Sheriff's deputies detained and searched him "while he was photographing drivers for a news story, accusing him of 'suspicious activity.'"
Quentin was thrown into the back of a squad car for 45 minutes for "photographing the brilliantly lit refineries in South Los Angeles at night".
L.A. deputies ordered Nee and Quentin not to take photos from public sidewalks on other occasions, and they are not the only photographers who have "suffered similar treatment as the hands of LASD," according to the complaint.
The complaint states: "The LASD's policy and practices of targeting photographers did not develop spontaneously. Over the past several years, law enforcement agencies across the country have implemented 'suspicious activity reporting' programs, under which officers are trained to report certain categories of behavior believed to be potential indicators of terrorism. Many departments include photography as one such 'suspicious activity' that should be reported. LASD's policy and practice of subjecting photographers to search and detention, and of ordering people not to photograph in public places where photography is generally allowed results from a deliberate extension of, or improper training on, these 'suspicious activity reporting' programs."
Nee says defendant Deputy Richard Gylfie stopped and searched him for taking photos in the subway on Oct. 31, 2009, and asked him if he planned to sell the pics to al Qaeda. Gylfie told him - falsely - that the Metro Transportation Authority banned photography, and when Nee said that was not the case, Gylfie said: "'I want to know who you are, and I want to know why you're taking pictures of the subway system. Al Qaeda would love to buy your pictures, so I want to know if you are in cahoots with Al Qaeda to sell those pictures to them for terrorist purposes. That's, that's a crime. You understand?' When Nee again said he was committing no crime, Gylfie told Nee he was 'being detained until I have determined that you have not committed a crime,'" according to the complaint.
Nee says Gylfie searched him, accused him again of being in cahoots with al Qaeda: "'If you're down here taking pictures and selling them to al Qaeda so they can blow up our subway system, I've got a problem with that. That's a crime.'"
The complaint adds: "Several minutes into the interrogation, Nee informed Gylfie that he was exercising his right to remain silent. In response, Gylfie told him, 'You know, I'll just submit your name to T.L.O. [terrorism liaison officer]. Every time your driver's license gets scanned, every time you take a plane, any time you go on any type of public transit system where they look at your identification, you're going to be stopped. You will be detained. You'll be searched. You will be on the F.B.I.'s hit list. Is that what you want? ... Every time you move, you will be stopped and detained and searched. And delayed.'" (Brackets and ellipsis in complaint.)
Actually, photography is allowed in the Metro Rail system as long as it is "not for commercial purpose," and "no permit is required if the photographic equipment is hand held, no tripods or flash are used, and the images are not taken inside moving trains," the complaint states.
Nee filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Department, and received a letter stating that the deputy did not violate any department policies.
Moore says eight deputies surrounded him and accused him of "suspicious activity" as he photographed drivers for a news story. He says the deputies took his camera, held his hands back and searched him, "groping the area of his groin twice, pulling up his T-shirt and checking the waistband of his pants."
Moore told them he was a reporter and asked for his camera back, but a deputy said he wanted to see the photographs Moore had taken. "Moore believed from the officer's response and his demeanor that they would only return the camera if Moore showed them the pictures," the complaint states. They let him go after 15 to 20 minutes.
Quentin, who was put into the squad car for 45 minutes, says deputies asked "what he did with the pictures he took and whether he was affiliated with any terrorist organizations or a member of any street gang. They asked where he lived, about his job, and where he had parked that night."
The complaint then cites three other photographers whom deputies stop and interrogated for taking photos from public property.
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the department's policies violate the First and Fourth Amendments, and an injunction to stop the department from "the unlawful detention, search, interrogation, and harassment of photographers solely based on the fact they are taking photographs."
They are represented by Peter Bibring with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California.
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department illegally arrests, searches and interrogates photojournalists for taking photos on public streets, under an unconstitutional policy that includes photography as a "suspicious activity" which is one of the "potential indicators of terrorism," the National Photographers' Rights Organization says in Federal Court.Plaintiffs include the organization's founder Shawn Nee, Long Beach Post staff reporter Greggory Moore, and freelance photographer Shane Quentin.
Nee says he was detained and searched "for photographing turnstiles on the Los Angeles Metro," and that the arresting deputies asked "if he planned to sell the photos to al Qaeda and threaten(ed) to put his name on the FBI's 'hit list.'"
Moore says L.A. Sheriff's deputies detained and searched him "while he was photographing drivers for a news story, accusing him of 'suspicious activity.'"
Quentin was thrown into the back of a squad car for 45 minutes for "photographing the brilliantly lit refineries in South Los Angeles at night".
L.A. deputies ordered Nee and Quentin not to take photos from public sidewalks on other occasions, and they are not the only photographers who have "suffered similar treatment as the hands of LASD," according to the complaint.
The complaint states: "The LASD's policy and practices of targeting photographers did not develop spontaneously. Over the past several years, law enforcement agencies across the country have implemented 'suspicious activity reporting' programs, under which officers are trained to report certain categories of behavior believed to be potential indicators of terrorism. Many departments include photography as one such 'suspicious activity' that should be reported. LASD's policy and practice of subjecting photographers to search and detention, and of ordering people not to photograph in public places where photography is generally allowed results from a deliberate extension of, or improper training on, these 'suspicious activity reporting' programs."
Nee says defendant Deputy Richard Gylfie stopped and searched him for taking photos in the subway on Oct. 31, 2009, and asked him if he planned to sell the pics to al Qaeda. Gylfie told him - falsely - that the Metro Transportation Authority banned photography, and when Nee said that was not the case, Gylfie said: "'I want to know who you are, and I want to know why you're taking pictures of the subway system. Al Qaeda would love to buy your pictures, so I want to know if you are in cahoots with Al Qaeda to sell those pictures to them for terrorist purposes. That's, that's a crime. You understand?' When Nee again said he was committing no crime, Gylfie told Nee he was 'being detained until I have determined that you have not committed a crime,'" according to the complaint.
Nee says Gylfie searched him, accused him again of being in cahoots with al Qaeda: "'If you're down here taking pictures and selling them to al Qaeda so they can blow up our subway system, I've got a problem with that. That's a crime.'"
The complaint adds: "Several minutes into the interrogation, Nee informed Gylfie that he was exercising his right to remain silent. In response, Gylfie told him, 'You know, I'll just submit your name to T.L.O. [terrorism liaison officer]. Every time your driver's license gets scanned, every time you take a plane, any time you go on any type of public transit system where they look at your identification, you're going to be stopped. You will be detained. You'll be searched. You will be on the F.B.I.'s hit list. Is that what you want? ... Every time you move, you will be stopped and detained and searched. And delayed.'" (Brackets and ellipsis in complaint.)
Actually, photography is allowed in the Metro Rail system as long as it is "not for commercial purpose," and "no permit is required if the photographic equipment is hand held, no tripods or flash are used, and the images are not taken inside moving trains," the complaint states.
Nee filed a complaint with the Sheriff's Department, and received a letter stating that the deputy did not violate any department policies.
Moore says eight deputies surrounded him and accused him of "suspicious activity" as he photographed drivers for a news story. He says the deputies took his camera, held his hands back and searched him, "groping the area of his groin twice, pulling up his T-shirt and checking the waistband of his pants."
Moore told them he was a reporter and asked for his camera back, but a deputy said he wanted to see the photographs Moore had taken. "Moore believed from the officer's response and his demeanor that they would only return the camera if Moore showed them the pictures," the complaint states. They let him go after 15 to 20 minutes.
Quentin, who was put into the squad car for 45 minutes, says deputies asked "what he did with the pictures he took and whether he was affiliated with any terrorist organizations or a member of any street gang. They asked where he lived, about his job, and where he had parked that night."
The complaint then cites three other photographers whom deputies stop and interrogated for taking photos from public property.
The plaintiffs seek a declaratory judgment that the department's policies violate the First and Fourth Amendments, and an injunction to stop the department from "the unlawful detention, search, interrogation, and harassment of photographers solely based on the fact they are taking photographs."
They are represented by Peter Bibring with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California.
AUSTRALIA - Drive-bys target gang family members
OFF THE WIRE
Rival gangs involving outlaw bikie members and Middle Eastern criminal elements are responsible for a string of drive-by shootings targeting the Sydney homes of family members, police believe.
Police have established Strike Force Felix, after seven shootings were reported in western Sydney since Thursday, and say they are determined to prevent further reprisals.
"There are crossovers between the outlaw motorcycle gangs involved and the Middle Eastern organised criminal environment," Assistant Commissioner Dave Hudson told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
Police believe that five of the incidents - at Merrylands on Thursday and Canley Heights, Holroyd and two at Granville on the weekend - are linked.
"The offences have been targeted at peripheral members of family groups," Asst Comm Hudson said."
"It's correct to say that wider families are being targeted."
Two other incidents at Old Guildford and Condell Park are being investigated as separate events.
Police have a number of suspects but would not reveal if they were close to making arrests.
"We'll be targeting all members of those groups," Asst Comm Hudson said.
Some of the occupants of targeted homes have resisted speaking to police.
Asst Comm Hudson said it was unclear whether this was because of a fear of reprisal or because they were personally known to the offenders.
Rival gangs involving outlaw bikie members and Middle Eastern criminal elements are responsible for a string of drive-by shootings targeting the Sydney homes of family members, police believe.
Police have established Strike Force Felix, after seven shootings were reported in western Sydney since Thursday, and say they are determined to prevent further reprisals.
"There are crossovers between the outlaw motorcycle gangs involved and the Middle Eastern organised criminal environment," Assistant Commissioner Dave Hudson told reporters in Sydney on Monday.
Police believe that five of the incidents - at Merrylands on Thursday and Canley Heights, Holroyd and two at Granville on the weekend - are linked.
"The offences have been targeted at peripheral members of family groups," Asst Comm Hudson said."
"It's correct to say that wider families are being targeted."
Two other incidents at Old Guildford and Condell Park are being investigated as separate events.
Police have a number of suspects but would not reveal if they were close to making arrests.
"We'll be targeting all members of those groups," Asst Comm Hudson said.
Some of the occupants of targeted homes have resisted speaking to police.
Asst Comm Hudson said it was unclear whether this was because of a fear of reprisal or because they were personally known to the offenders.
HERMIS. LIVE
CHRIS HICKS OF THE CHRIS HICKS BAND IS A SCHEDULED GUEST ON “HERMIS LIVE!” WED NOVEMBER 2nd-THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION’S ROCK LEGENDS CRUISE SETS SAIL DECEMBER 1, 2011 AND THE CHRIS HICKS BAND IS ONE OF SEVERAL HIGH POWERED ACTS THAT WILL BE PERFORMING “LIVE” DURING THE CRUISE
- October 31st, 2011
- By Hermis
- Write comment
WWW.ROCKLEGENDSCRUISE.COM
CHRIS HICKS
NAMES LIKE THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND, THE OUTLAWS, CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND & MOLLY HATCHET COME TO MIND WHEN THE NAME CHRIS HICKS IS SPOKEN.
OFFICIAL ROCK LEGENDS CRUISE PHOTOGRAPHER TOM DAVIS JOINS US AS WELL.
JACK FIORVANTE OF DEADWOOD CHOPPERS, NY WILL BE IN THE HOUSE TO UPDATE US ON “THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION”/ROCK LEGENDS CRUISE CUSTOM CHOPPERS HE’S BEEN COMMISSIONED TO BUILD.
THE MASTERPIECE WILL BE RAFFLED OFF DURING THE CRUISE WITH ALL PROCEEDS GOING TO THE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE ASSOCIATION.
MIKE CIPRARI OWNER, ASSISTANT MANAGER OF “SJC CUSTOM DRUMS” IS A SCHEDULED GUEST ON THIS SPECIAL SHOW AS WELL.
STORMY MONTANA FROM NASHVILLE, TN WILL CHIME IN AS WELL.
SHOW LINK: CLICK HERE
WATCH THE NEW 2011 CATSKILL MOUNTAIN THUNDER MOTORCYCLE RALLY VIDEO HERE.
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