| Blog and Media Roundup - Tuesday, October 19, 2010; News Roundp | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 19 2010, 06:21 AM (290 Views) | |
| abb | Oct 19 2010, 06:21 AM Post #1 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/grad-students-share-lasalle-robbery-stories Grad students share LaSalle robbery stories By Taylor Doherty [4] and Ciaran OConnor October 19, 2010 As two Chinese graduate students new to the country, Ke Xu and Li Kan stuck together during orientation, even getting on the same Verizon family plan when buying cell phones. Two months later—in separate incidents but on consecutive days—both were robbed on or near LaSalle Street. The two met over lunch on the first day of school through a mutual friend—Kan’s roommate at Duke had been a classmate of Xu’s during her undergraduate years at Peking University in Bejing, China. A few weeks later on the morning of Oct. 13, Xu, a first-year master’s student in computer science, was robbed at gunpoint on her way to campus by a black female in a gray hoodie. Kan, a first year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. in structural biology, was on his way to a party the night of Oct. 14 before being attacked by a black male in his 20s. “We are close friends,” Xu said. “You know, I [was] shocked when he got robbed just one day after me.” Robbed at gunpoint Xu was nearing West Campus the morning she was robbed when a black woman approached her and asked to use her phone. It was 9 a.m. and Xu said she felt safe. “It’s daylight—that wouldn’t happen at that time of the day,” Xu said she remembered thinking. She obliged, then waited. In retrospect, Xu said she suspects that her attacker was not actually making a call; instead she was likely waiting for the perfect moment to rob Xu when no witnesses were in sight. An instant later, the woman threw Xu to the ground, held her at gunpoint and told her to stay face down. “She pushed me hard into the trees,” Xu said. “She took out a gun and pointed it out to me and said, ‘Give me your bag and give me everything in your pocket.’ I did everything she said.” Her attacker then fled in a gray car with Xu’s backpack, which contained an mp3 player, a debit card and $30 in cash. “I was a little bit scared when I was pointed [at] by a gun, so I just did what she wanted me to do,” Xu said. Xu did not sustain any lasting injuries, but she said the robbery was emotionally traumatizing. “Probably a gun” Texting with one hand and holding a bottle of wine in the other, Kan was walking down LaSalle Street at about 10 p.m. on his way to a party when he spotted a black, hooded man standing at a bus stop in front of him. Although he said he was wary of the darkness, Kan thought there was no way he would be robbed the day after his friend had been held up on the same street. As Kan walked by the bus stop, the hooded man suddenly grabbed the short 22-year-old, put him in a choke hold and pressed a metal object against his cheek. “It felt cold,” Kan said, adding that because it was dark he could not fully see the object. “It was probably a gun.” Kan said he struggled with his assailant and considered striking him with the bottle of wine, but he worried that he might get shot. After the brief struggle—Kan said he was familiar with basic self-defense maneuvers—the robber stripped Kan of his phone and threw it aside before striking him in the face with the metal object. The attacker, who Kan described as dark-skinned and of medium height, then grabbed the phone from the ground and sprinted off. With his wallet still in his pocket, Kan made his way to the party where he called the police. Administrative response Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department said that in the original report filed by DUPD Xu did not indicate that a firearm was involved in the crime. Indeed, an e-mail sent Wednesday night to the student body by Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta noted that there was “no weapon used.” But according to both the Durham Police Department report and Xu’s personal account of the incident, she was robbed at gunpoint. Dailey said he was surprised to hear Xu had said with such certainty that her attacker had a handgun, and he noted that sometimes victims are able to recall crimes with increasing detail as time passes. Dailey added that because the robberies took place off campus, DPD is the “primary investigative agency.” In addition to the two incidents near LaSalle Street, another Duke student was the victim of an attempted robbery near Jarvis Dormitory Oct. 9. The victim’s identity was withheld by DUPD in its incident report. Dailey said that is standard operating procedure whenever DUPD feels that revealing the identity of a victim could compromise a student’s safety. DUPD held a meeting Friday with DPD and a number of Duke officials to discuss student safety. DPD agreed to increase patrols on and around LaSalle Street and is assessing the area’s lighting to potentially increase visibility. Both Xu and Kan said a number of Duke administrators, including staff from the International House, reached out to them after they were robbed. The International House will host a session Wednesday about safety for international students, International House Director Li-Chen Chin wrote in an e-mail. |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 06:23 AM Post #2 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/duke-police-meet-and-greet Duke Police Meet and Greet Joanna Kim/ The Chronicle : The Duke University Police Department hosted its first Tips n’ Treats, which provides a forum for students to speak with officers about safety concerns, at the Marketplace Monday. Joanna Kim/ The Chronicle The Duke University Police Department hosted its first Tips n’ Treats, which provides a forum for students to speak with officers about safety concerns, at the Marketplace Monday. By Nicole Kyle [3] October 19, 2010 Dinner was served with a side of safety in the Marketplace Monday night. The Duke University Police Department sponsored Tips n’ Treats—an informal meet and greet where students could pick up some sweets and talk to DUPD officers about various safety concerns and precautions—in light of recent robberies in and around Duke’s campus. DUPD Chief John Dailey and Crime Prevention Manager David Williams were joined by two other officers in answering students’ questions. Students were also given highlighters and wallet-sized emergency information cards with DUPD’s contact information and various tips. Officers said Tips n’ Treats distributed over 300 emergency information cards to students. The Chronicle’s Nicole Kyle spoke to officers and freshman attendees about their thoughts on campus safety. Tips n’ Treats will be at Devil’s Bistro on Central Campus Oct. 19 at 6 p.m., and the final session will take place at the Bryan Center entrance Oct. 21 at 11 a.m. “In light of recent activity, we’re going to beef up patrols. The biggest thing we can do is to be more visible and be available. We’re looking out for the whole University community.” — DUPD Investigator Marshall Thompson “I feel very safe as long as I’m inside the wall. I’m not too concerned about crime outside campus because you can get that in any city, though what happened [outside Jarvis Dormitory] had me worried. But all things considered, I feel pretty safe.” —Charlie Arentzen, freshman “[Tips n’ Treats] is good for reinforcement. Campus is on the whole safe—it’s always been safe—but we need to make sure students are aware and we need to be alerted of any fears they may have. Most of them say, ‘Oh yeah, I’m safe,’ but we want to make sure.” —DUPD Crime Prevention Manager David Williams “We have been taking precautions since the beginning of the year when we go out. I think people should be aware that [crime] happens, and that it could happen to you.” —Becky Davis, freshman “These incidents have been really isolated. What we want is for people to be aware of behaviors to minimize risk, like traveling in pairs or groups at night.... We’re happy to have this opportunity to hear from the students.” —DUPD Chief John Dailey “Last night I was walking back alone from Lilly [Library] at 12:30 [a.m.] and I mean, I never felt unsafe.” —Colin Scott, freshman “I still feel safe. We were walking down Ninth Street the other night as it started to get dark, and it was fine. Other than the usual walking in a group, we’re not doing anything too different.” —Mike Potts, freshman “Students shouldn’t be afraid to report things—you can report things anonymously. Don’t hesitate to call something in just because you’re afraid you might be wrong or be embarrassed. We’ll take the embarrassment for you, we’ll check their I.D. and if they’re supposed to be there, we’ll take care of it.” —DUPD Lt. Shannan Tiffin “I took self-defense in high school, so I feel pretty confident I’d be OK.” —Peyton Kramp, freshman “I feel completely safe on campus—and anytime I’m walking to and from Shooters.” —Glenn Rivkees, freshman |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 06:25 AM Post #3 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/dupd-openness-encouraging DUPD openness encouraging By Editorial Board October 19, 2010 Last week, two graduate students were the victims of robberies that took place on the same street on consecutive days. Earlier this month, a freshman was the victim of a similar attack on East Campus. We are pleased with the way the Duke University Police Department has responded to these unfortunate incidents, and we feel confident that these crimes are being handled appropriately. It is important to maintain perspective after a rash of incidents takes place. Living in a large urban area like Durham entails risk. Around 80 robberies were reported city-wide last month, according to the Durham Police Department Crime Mapper. It would be unwise and irresponsible for DUPD or the Durham Police Department to deviate significantly from their patrol strategies in response to three isolated incidents. Additionally, it is easy for events like these to reinforce negative stereotypes about Durham. The Bull City’s crime rate is comparable to other metropolitan areas of its size, and the Duke community is not immune from these unfortunate occurrences. These crimes do, however, provide a good chance to talk about safety issues as a campus. DUPD Chief John Dailey sent an e-mail to the University community Oct. 15, outlining the response of Duke Police. He cited efforts including increased patrols of the area and expanded evening patrols of the LaSalle Street area where two of the three robberies occurred, a lighting assessment of that area and continued collaboration between Duke and Durham officers in the investigation of the crimes. Dailey noted that he met with DPD Chief Jose Lopez and other DPD and University officials Friday to discuss policing of the affected area. The timeliness of the e-mail authored by the Duke Police Chief himself is commendable. It provided confidence and sent a reassuring message to students that Duke and Durham police had taken notice of the incidents and were taking action despite the fact that it is realistic for incidents like these to occur on and around college campuses in cities of this size. In addition to Dailey’s summary of the police response strategy, a DukeAlert message was sent to students as well as two e-mails from Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta informing the student body of the attacks as they were reported. As students, we appreciate the notification and reassurance these messages provided. Dailey’s prompt e-mail is not the only way DUPD is connecting with students on a personal level. Other laudable measures include “Tips n’ Treats” meet-and-greet sessions with Duke Police, which are being held this week in the Marketplace, the Devil’s Bistro and the Bryan Center. The purpose of these sessions is to familiarize students with officers and provide safety tips and information about resources and services that Duke Police provides. Although some degree of crime is unavoidable in urban areas, robberies such as those that have occurred during the past month involving Duke students are preventable. Students must take advantage of the resources offered and be vigilant regarding their safety. Students living in all parts of campus and those living off campus deserve to feel safe. We believe the Duke University Police Department is doing its part to provide students with the knowledge necessary to protect themselves. |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 06:27 AM Post #4 |
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http://dukechronicle.com/article/beyond-better-lighting Beyond better lighting finish the thought By Gregory Morrison October 19, 2010 Crime, at Duke and in Durham, is a serious problem. According to cityrating.com, Durham’s violent crime rate per capita is 1.41 times higher than the national average. The property crime rate per capita is 1.56 times higher than the national average. And still the Durham Police Department’s 2009 Annual Report boasts a 61.3 percent job approval rating. If only members of the Duke community were sampled, I bet the department’s approval numbers would be far lower. The Duke University Police Department released its annual, federally mandated Clery Campus Security Report Oct. 1, noting all crimes committed on campus, on Duke’s “non-campus” property, and on public property, like streets or parking lots, adjacent to campus. The report showed increases in forcible sex offenses, robberies and aggravated assaults. Last week, two Duke students were robbed off campus near LaSalle Street. Granted, not all crimes are preventable, but we can, and must, do better than this. First, though, let’s start with the positives. Duke communicates about crime very well. Students receive alerts when crimes have happened, and last week, during a time of increased crime, we received e-mails from both Vice President of Student Affairs Larry Moneta and Duke University Police Chief John Dailey. After the two robberies, “senior officials” (Dailey’s words) including Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez, held a crime summit to discuss appropriate action to respond to the LaSalle Street robberies. You should be glad to know that the Duke and Durham police departments will “continue collaborating in the investigation of these crimes,” and, of course, the Duke Police Department welcomes the concerns and suggestions of students. Well, here are my suggestions: First: the Allen Building should make a commitment to preserve the budget of the Duke Police Department and protect it from cuts or personnel downsizing. Indeed, we should receive a commitment from the administration to bring the Duke Police Department up to its authorized 68 state certified sworn officers. A public commitment to continue to resource the Duke Police Department at least at current levels and to work to bring the force up to its full strength over the next three years (if it isn’t already) would send a strong signal to students that we’re worth more than a few e-mails. If it’s really true, as Chief Dailey wrote to students three days ago, that there is “no higher priority” for the University than our safety, then a concrete commitment of resources is not an extravagant request. Second: student leaders must more aggressively assert campus safety as a fundamental student right. DSG President Mike Lefevre is correct when he says that campus safety is no longer merely an issue of better lighting and more frequent blue lights, which is why I find it disconcerting that the only mention of campus safety in the DSG vice presidents’ recently adopted yearlong agenda is a call for better lighting on Central Campus and Campus Drive. Better lighting is a necessary, but wholly insufficient, prerequisite for a safer campus. In his 2010 presidential platform, Lefevre promised to advocate for safer public roads bordering campus. He noted that Duke “has never extended its safety improvements to Durham itself. Yet many students feel that the public streets bordering campus are the most dangerous to walk on.” I wonder why that is? Lefevre outlined a plan to consult with students and compile a list of off-campus locations students felt to be unsafe and then to communicate this list to Durham officials. He also suggested that a process resembling the DSG Safety Initiative “be carried out regarding neighboring parts of Durham.” When I met with Lefevre Sunday night (albeit for only a very short time), he made no mention of these plans. Our student representatives must absolutely return to his agenda. DSG can do better for us. Third: the University should suggest organizational changes to the Durham Police Department. Duke falls into three separate Durham police districts. West Campus and the Medical Center are in District 3. East Campus and Main Street are in District 5. The areas surrounding East Campus (Trinity Heights and Trinity Park) appear to be in District 2. Districts 2 and 3 are geographically large, and have a lot of crime. District 5 is relatively small, and has a much lower number of annual incidents. DPD should place the entire University community in the same district. Duke doesn’t need its own special unit, but splitting the community up across three vastly different commands with differing security landscapes doesn’t make much sense either. Consolidating Duke into the same district could very well increase the frequency of patrols around campus and establish a clear set of Durham officers (i.e. the commander of the district containing Duke) responsible for the safety of those who live, work, study and visit campus. And if you think it might not be worth Durham’s time to make Duke safe, think again. According to the most recent economic impact statement released by the University (2006-2007), we’re worth about $3.4 billion to the city. Half of the University’s nearly 40,000 employees are Durham residents. Students spent $113 million in the city that school year. Visitors to campus spent another $313.6 million. Keeping Duke safe is not only good politics, it’s also smart economics. But, above all, students, remember not to walk alone at night. It isn’t safe now, and it’s likely not going to be anytime soon. Gregory Morrison is a Trinity senior and former Duke Student Government EVP. His column runs every Tuesday. |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 06:29 AM Post #5 |
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http://williamlanderson.blogspot.com/ Monday, October 18, 2010 The Few Good Apples One of the regular criticisms I receive on this blog is that I am much too hard on cops and prosecutors. Yes, people argue, there are "a few bad apples," but most cops are honest and most prosecutors only want justice. I wish that were true. I mean that. I believe that both police work and the roles of prosecutors are honorable. Furthermore, I have known people in both professions who fit the "honorable" category and spent time recently with a state police officer who is an investigator and who clearly has a moral compass, which he uses in his work. Unfortunately, as Radley Balko notes in this article, the INSTITUTIONAL framework for police in this country has become something that creates incentives not only for bad behavior, but also for looking the other way when faced with wrongdoing by other cops. Writes Balko: A few years ago, I attended a conference on the use of police informants. In one session, the "Stop Snitchin'" movement, which discourages African Americans from cooperating with police, came up. I was astonished to hear one hip-hop artist and activist say he would not cooperate with the police even if he had witnessed the rape and murder of an old woman in broad daylight. He just didn't trust the police. I told him his position was absurd: Whatever his concerns about the police when it comes to the use of drug informants (concerns I share), they shouldn't prevent him from cooperating with the investigation of an innocent person's murder. His response: "Isn't the Blue Wall of Silence really just the most successful Stop Snitchin' campaign in history?" (emphasis mine) He gives some examples that are right out of Orwell with the ubiquitous "internal affairs" departments investigating people who stood up for the right thing. (For that matter, the original police officer in the Duke Lacrosse Case, a Sgt. Shelton, was adamant that Crystal Mangum's story was false. His reward? He was investigated by Internal Affairs. Why am I not surprised?) This is a most depressing article, for it lays out the unthinkable: America's police departments now are run by people who stand up for what is wrong and do everything they can to crush honesty and decency. Most of the barrel is rotten. Posted by William L. Anderson at 3:02 PM |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 10:13 AM Post #6 |
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http://www.sacbee.com/2010/10/19/3115128/mcclatchy-co-reports-lower-3rd.html McClatchy Co. reports lower 3rd-quarter profits |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 12:19 PM Post #7 |
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http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2010/10/former_nopd_officer_and_key_wi.html Former NOPD officer and key witness to be sentenced next month in Danziger Bridge civil rights case Published: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 11:57 AM Updated: Tuesday, October 19, 2010, 12:16 PM Brendan McCarthy, The Times-Picayune Brendan McCarthy, The Times-Picayune A former New Orleans police officer who pleaded guilty and became a key witness in the Danziger Bridge civil rights case will be sentenced in federal court next month, according to court documents filed Tuesday. hunter-mug.JPGMchael Hunter resigned from the New Orleans Police Department the day after he was charged. A federal district judge denied the requests of prosecutors seeking to delay former officer Michael Hunter's sentencing till after he testifies next June against six of his former colleagues. Prosecutors argued that the delay would allow the judge to better gauge the full extent of Hunter's cooperation with the government. Hunter's attorney also agreed to the postponement. U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance disagreed, according to a court filing entered Tuesday. The sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 17. Vance noted that prosecutors can ask her to reduce Hunter's sentence once he ends his cooperation. Hunter pleaded guilty in April to obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony. He faces up to eight years in prison and a fine of $500,000. Hunter was the first officer who actually participated in the shooting to plead guilty. In entering his plea in April, Hunter provided prosecutors with some of the most chilling and specific details of the police shooting on the bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina. Hunter alleged that a New Orleans police sergeant sprayed assault rifle fire at wounded civilians at close range even after it was clear that police were not taking fire. He also says he saw another officer fire a shotgun at a fleeing man's back. Hunter also acknowledged participating in a cover-up with colleagues. At one point, in a meeting with other officers, a supervisor said "something to the effect of, we don't want this to look like a massacre," according to documents filed as part of Hunter's plea agreement. Police wounded six civilians, two fatally, on the bridge. James Brissette, 17, died on the eastern side of the bridge from gunfire. Ronald Madison, 40, was killed by a shotgun blast at the base of the western part of the bridge. Police officers initially contended that they were taking fire from the civilians. Five former officers have pleaded guilty in the case. |
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| abb | Oct 19 2010, 03:17 PM Post #8 |
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http://www.businessinsider.com/more-staff-shuffling-as-newsweek-merger-talks-collapse-2010-10 More Staff Shuffling At Newsweek As Merger Talks Collapse Joe Pompeo | Oct. 19, 2010, 9:56 AM | 318 | comment Amid the breakdown of negotiations that would have merged Newsweek with The Daily Beast, the magazine's revolving door continues to spin. As reported last week, staff writer Nick Summers is heading over to The New York Observer, where he will take over the media column John Koblin recently gave up to join former Observer editor-in-chief Peter Kaplan at Women's Wear Daily. And culture reporter Ramin Setoodeh came crawling back after his brief stint at People ended up not working out as planned. We also hear that... * Global business editor Kathleen Deveny's last day at the magazine is Oct. 29. * Deputy editor Julia Baird has resigned. * Staff writer Nancy Cook has left for a job at Fast Company. * Washington bureau staff writer Suzanne Smalley has officially resigned following an extended maternity leave and is now working with The Atlantic's conference business. * Former business editor David Jefferson has returned as a general editor. * The contract for Number 17, the firm behind Newsweek's poorly re-received May 2009 redesign, has ended. Dozens of Newsweek staffers have resigned since the magazine, recently purchased for $1 plus liabilities by 92-year-old former stereo magnate Sidney Harman, was put up for sale in May. Among the departed are high profile bylines including Fareed Zakaria and Dan Gross, as well as editor-in-chief Jon Meacham. Pressure for Harman to name a successor to Meacham is mounting. He nearly found one in Daily Beast editrix Tina Brown, whose stature in the magazine world could have elevated Newsweek's profile. But it seems like it's back to square one now that the Daily Beast talks are kaput. The New York Post's Keith Kelly hears that Harman approached Kaplan -- who is now the editorial director of Fairchild Fashion Group -- as well as New York magazine editor-in-chief Adam Moss, but neither took the bait. WWD's Koblin, meanwhile, reports that Sports Illustrated editor Terry McDonnell is in the running. Newsweek, for its part, has taken the editor search over to Tumblr, where it announced on Monday: "We don’t know about the powers-that-be, but the NWK Tumblr will be accepting resumes ... we’re serious. In 2 sentences or less, why should you be editor of Newsweek? nwktumblr@gmail.com. Bring it." |
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