Kim Kozlowski / The Detroit News
A Michigan State University computer scientist has developed a tattoo-matching technology that is expected to be used nationally by law enforcement agencies to solve crimes, officials announced this week.
Anil Jain developed the program over the last two years that will allow police to use a central database to search tattoo images and help them identify suspects and victims. MorphoTrak, a top supplier of identification systems to law enforcement and other markets, has acquired Jain's technology.
"Our customers see it as having tremendous value for intelligence purposes," said Eve Fillion, spokeswoman for Alexandria, Va.-based MorphoTrak.
More than 36 percent of people from 18-40 have tattoos, according to the Pew Research Center. That figure is higher among criminals, and police have collected tattoo images for years.
Currently, law officials use keywords to search tattoos that have been collected. But that is subjective, Jain said. His technology would be more accurate and efficient by using shape, color and texture to match tattoos between subjects of interest and those already collected by law enforcement, such as tattoos identifying gang members, he said.
The technology could likely be integrated into the FBI's Next Generation Identification System, which is being built to expand the agency's fingerprint identification system to include face and iris recognition, Jain said.
kkozlowski@detnews.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (313) 222-2024
Original article...
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100123/BIZ04/1230314/1013/MSU-computer-scientist
Friday, January 29, 2010
Motorcycle club members come to blows with hammers, crowbars near downtown Santa Cruz
at least the sheriff seems to understand the constitution here... pay attention to his comments in the second half of this article.
By Jennifer Squires
jsquires@santacruzsentinel.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SANTA CRUZ — Rival motorcycle gang members armed with hammers and crowbars fought in a downtown parking lot during the lunch hour Wednesday, though authorities say violence involving the clubs is unusual in the county.
Hells Angels were fighting with Vagos near Front Street and Soquel Avenue around 12:45 p.m., according to 911 callers. But the fight had broken up and the participants had fled by the time cops showed up, Santa Cruz police spokesman Zach Friend said.
One man, a Vagos member, was arrested across the San Lorenzo River near Mike Fox Park.
County resident Thomas Robert Froberg, 37, was stopped on Riverside Avenue when police pulled over a vehicle that witnesses had described as fleeing the fight and officers found a hammer in the car, Friend said. Froberg was booked into County Jail on suspicion of possessing a deadly weapon and a gang allegation, according to police.
No Hells Angels were contacted, though officers searched the area, Friend said. Also, no injuries were reported.
The motorcycle clubs are not new to Santa Cruz or the county, though criminal activity is not common.
"They don't pop up as much," Friend said of the motorcycle groups.
As a result, public fights like Wednesday's altercation are rare.
"I can't think of a serious incident in the last 10 years," Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ian Patrick, who oversees gang investigations in the unincorporated area of the county.
Motorcycle club members have been arrested for personal issues, but no club events have caused problems in recent memory, Patrick said.
The Sheriff's Office doesn't keep track of "outlaw motorcycle gang" membership in the county, Patrick said. A chapter of Hells Angels claims Santa Cruz County, but Patrick said he wouldn't classify them as a criminal street gang under state law based on the contacts, or lack thereof, sheriff's deputies have had with members.
Patrick also said hadn't heard of a local Vagos group, but that some Vagos hang out in the county.
He was careful to note that all motorcycle club members are not gangsters.
"People have a right to meet and congregate and be part of groups and we want to be careful about allowing people to do that within their constitutional rights," Patrick said.
Original article...
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14280856?nclick_check=1
By Jennifer Squires
jsquires@santacruzsentinel.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
SANTA CRUZ — Rival motorcycle gang members armed with hammers and crowbars fought in a downtown parking lot during the lunch hour Wednesday, though authorities say violence involving the clubs is unusual in the county.
Hells Angels were fighting with Vagos near Front Street and Soquel Avenue around 12:45 p.m., according to 911 callers. But the fight had broken up and the participants had fled by the time cops showed up, Santa Cruz police spokesman Zach Friend said.
One man, a Vagos member, was arrested across the San Lorenzo River near Mike Fox Park.
County resident Thomas Robert Froberg, 37, was stopped on Riverside Avenue when police pulled over a vehicle that witnesses had described as fleeing the fight and officers found a hammer in the car, Friend said. Froberg was booked into County Jail on suspicion of possessing a deadly weapon and a gang allegation, according to police.
No Hells Angels were contacted, though officers searched the area, Friend said. Also, no injuries were reported.
The motorcycle clubs are not new to Santa Cruz or the county, though criminal activity is not common.
"They don't pop up as much," Friend said of the motorcycle groups.
As a result, public fights like Wednesday's altercation are rare.
"I can't think of a serious incident in the last 10 years," Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ian Patrick, who oversees gang investigations in the unincorporated area of the county.
Motorcycle club members have been arrested for personal issues, but no club events have caused problems in recent memory, Patrick said.
The Sheriff's Office doesn't keep track of "outlaw motorcycle gang" membership in the county, Patrick said. A chapter of Hells Angels claims Santa Cruz County, but Patrick said he wouldn't classify them as a criminal street gang under state law based on the contacts, or lack thereof, sheriff's deputies have had with members.
Patrick also said hadn't heard of a local Vagos group, but that some Vagos hang out in the county.
He was careful to note that all motorcycle club members are not gangsters.
"People have a right to meet and congregate and be part of groups and we want to be careful about allowing people to do that within their constitutional rights," Patrick said.
Original article...
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_14280856?nclick_check=1
NH- Helmet bill -clarification
www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Helmet+bill+draws+hundreds+to+
hearing&articleId=03d035d7-db9f-41bf-ad55-fca38360b79a
"The state could face sanctions that would cost it federal highway
dollars if it did not adopt a helmet law."
The above statement is not true; states do not lose federal highway
funding if they do not have a helmet law. I brought attention to the
sentence as a "FYI" as to the false information being put out concerning
helmet bills.
Thanks for the emails and good to see that many know the history of the
helmet law.
hearing&articleId=03d035d7-db9f-41bf-ad55-fca38360b79a
"The state could face sanctions that would cost it federal highway
dollars if it did not adopt a helmet law."
The above statement is not true; states do not lose federal highway
funding if they do not have a helmet law. I brought attention to the
sentence as a "FYI" as to the false information being put out concerning
helmet bills.
Thanks for the emails and good to see that many know the history of the
helmet law.
NJ- Code citations shut biker club headquarters
www.courierpostonline.com/article/20100129/NEWS01/1290340/1006/RSS01
Code citations shut biker club headquarters
By GEORGE MAST . Courier-Post Staff . January 29, 2010
CAMDEN - Over the years, a motorcycle club's headquarters here has been
the site of violent crime and drug-dealing, authorities allege.
But when city officials closed the Wheels of Soul clubhouse this week,
they cited a different set of offenses -- health, safety and fire-code
violations.
"This gang has plagued the Parkside community of Camden for too long,"
Police Chief Scott Thomson said Thursday. "Hopefully, we have shut their
operations for good."
The shutdown followed a raid Tuesday by city police, code workers and
Camden County health officials. They found numerous code violations at
the club in the 800 block of Princess Avenue, said Robert Corrales,
spokesman for Camden Mayor Dana Redd.
Inspectors also issued citations for abandoned vehicles on the property
and for the lack of an occupancy certificate.
Corrales said code officials will continue going through evidence before
issuing municipal court summons for the violations.
Corrales said the Wheels of Soul have a history of illegal activities
and that multiple shootings have occurred near the clubhouse.
For instance, in April 2007, a 35-year-old man, Paul Mealey III, was
shot dead after a fight at the clubhouse spilled outside.
And earlier this month, two city men were sentenced to jail terms for
their role in an alleged cocaine-distribution scheme based in the
clubhouse.
Willie Taylor, 30, a member of the motorcycle club, and Jose Olavarria,
36, were arrested in August 2007 after an investigation into alleged
drug sales from the clubhouse, authorities said.
Corrales said Tuesday's sweep was the first time city and county
officials joined forces to shut down the clubhouse.
In a statement, Thomson called the raid "just the beginning of a series
of sweeps we will continue to conduct to improve the overall safety and
quality of life for Camden's residents."
Reach George Mast at (856) 486-2465 at gmast@camden.gannett.com
Code citations shut biker club headquarters
By GEORGE MAST . Courier-Post Staff . January 29, 2010
CAMDEN - Over the years, a motorcycle club's headquarters here has been
the site of violent crime and drug-dealing, authorities allege.
But when city officials closed the Wheels of Soul clubhouse this week,
they cited a different set of offenses -- health, safety and fire-code
violations.
"This gang has plagued the Parkside community of Camden for too long,"
Police Chief Scott Thomson said Thursday. "Hopefully, we have shut their
operations for good."
The shutdown followed a raid Tuesday by city police, code workers and
Camden County health officials. They found numerous code violations at
the club in the 800 block of Princess Avenue, said Robert Corrales,
spokesman for Camden Mayor Dana Redd.
Inspectors also issued citations for abandoned vehicles on the property
and for the lack of an occupancy certificate.
Corrales said code officials will continue going through evidence before
issuing municipal court summons for the violations.
Corrales said the Wheels of Soul have a history of illegal activities
and that multiple shootings have occurred near the clubhouse.
For instance, in April 2007, a 35-year-old man, Paul Mealey III, was
shot dead after a fight at the clubhouse spilled outside.
And earlier this month, two city men were sentenced to jail terms for
their role in an alleged cocaine-distribution scheme based in the
clubhouse.
Willie Taylor, 30, a member of the motorcycle club, and Jose Olavarria,
36, were arrested in August 2007 after an investigation into alleged
drug sales from the clubhouse, authorities said.
Corrales said Tuesday's sweep was the first time city and county
officials joined forces to shut down the clubhouse.
In a statement, Thomson called the raid "just the beginning of a series
of sweeps we will continue to conduct to improve the overall safety and
quality of life for Camden's residents."
Reach George Mast at (856) 486-2465 at gmast@camden.gannett.com
Calif pot backers submit petitions for Nov. ballot
By MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 1:49 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO — Backers of a California initiative to legalize marijuana said they would submit far more signatures Thursday than needed to qualify the measure for the November ballot.
Volunteers intended to submit about 700,000 signatures collected across all 58 California counties, campaign spokesman Dan Newman said.
The initiative needs about 434,000 signatures from registered voters to make the ballot.
The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults. It also would allow limited growing on private property and permit local governments to decide whether to legalize and tax pot sales.
"Our current laws aren't working. We should have learned from alcohol prohibition," said Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee, the measure's main backer.
The signature were filed as a 15,000-square-foot store stocked with marijuana growing supplies prepared to open in Oakland - another sign of the mainstreaming of pot in some parts of California.
Members of the Oakland City Council were scheduled to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.
No pot is sold at the store, but it has an onsite doctor to provide medical marijuana recommendations to customers and technicians who will install growing equipment such as lights and fans in the homes of customers.
Customers can see "Ikea-style grow room demonstrations with live plants," according to the store. Owner Dhar Mann, 25, said he was "thrilled to see the strong support that the city of Oakland and the community has shown us."
Lee has marshaled manpower and financial support for the initiative through Oaksterdam University, an Oakland-based school he founded to train growers and distributors of medical marijuana. Under current state law, Californians can legally grow and possess pot for medical purposes.
The drive to put a broader legalization measure on the ballot got a boost in April when a Field Poll found that 56 percent of California voters supported legalizing and taxing marijuana to help bridge the state budget deficit. The campaign's internal polling showed similar support, Newman said.
"This initiative was very carefully crafted to win at the ballot box. It contains specific safeguards and controls," he said.
Standing in the way will be a coalition of religious and law enforcement groups that argue marijuana is harmful and an immoral approach to fixing the state's financial problems.
"We're going to talk about blood money, about trying to raise taxes on the backs of our youth," said Bishop Ron Allen, a pastor and head of the International Faith Based Coalition, an anti-drug religious group.
Potential revenue from legal pot sales would encourage young people to use the drug, Allen said.
The ballot measure would require jail time for anyone who sells or gives marijuana to children. It also forbids smoking pot in front of minors.
Opponents also point to the lopsided defeat of a 2008 ballot measure to reduce criminal penalties for drug offenders as a sign that Californians will ultimately decide against loosening drug laws.
"Voters are not going to be comfortable making another mind-altering substance legally available," said John Lovell, a spokesman for several law enforcement groups lining up to oppose the initiative.
The Associated Press
Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 1:49 p.m.
SAN FRANCISCO — Backers of a California initiative to legalize marijuana said they would submit far more signatures Thursday than needed to qualify the measure for the November ballot.
Volunteers intended to submit about 700,000 signatures collected across all 58 California counties, campaign spokesman Dan Newman said.
The initiative needs about 434,000 signatures from registered voters to make the ballot.
The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010 would legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults. It also would allow limited growing on private property and permit local governments to decide whether to legalize and tax pot sales.
"Our current laws aren't working. We should have learned from alcohol prohibition," said Oakland medical marijuana entrepreneur Richard Lee, the measure's main backer.
The signature were filed as a 15,000-square-foot store stocked with marijuana growing supplies prepared to open in Oakland - another sign of the mainstreaming of pot in some parts of California.
Members of the Oakland City Council were scheduled to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.
No pot is sold at the store, but it has an onsite doctor to provide medical marijuana recommendations to customers and technicians who will install growing equipment such as lights and fans in the homes of customers.
Customers can see "Ikea-style grow room demonstrations with live plants," according to the store. Owner Dhar Mann, 25, said he was "thrilled to see the strong support that the city of Oakland and the community has shown us."
Lee has marshaled manpower and financial support for the initiative through Oaksterdam University, an Oakland-based school he founded to train growers and distributors of medical marijuana. Under current state law, Californians can legally grow and possess pot for medical purposes.
The drive to put a broader legalization measure on the ballot got a boost in April when a Field Poll found that 56 percent of California voters supported legalizing and taxing marijuana to help bridge the state budget deficit. The campaign's internal polling showed similar support, Newman said.
"This initiative was very carefully crafted to win at the ballot box. It contains specific safeguards and controls," he said.
Standing in the way will be a coalition of religious and law enforcement groups that argue marijuana is harmful and an immoral approach to fixing the state's financial problems.
"We're going to talk about blood money, about trying to raise taxes on the backs of our youth," said Bishop Ron Allen, a pastor and head of the International Faith Based Coalition, an anti-drug religious group.
Potential revenue from legal pot sales would encourage young people to use the drug, Allen said.
The ballot measure would require jail time for anyone who sells or gives marijuana to children. It also forbids smoking pot in front of minors.
Opponents also point to the lopsided defeat of a 2008 ballot measure to reduce criminal penalties for drug offenders as a sign that Californians will ultimately decide against loosening drug laws.
"Voters are not going to be comfortable making another mind-altering substance legally available," said John Lovell, a spokesman for several law enforcement groups lining up to oppose the initiative.
The Associated Press
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