The election results all by an 8-7 vote for PSTA executive board conducted at the round robin are as follows:

President Joseph R. Kovel  (FOP Lodge No. 57, Hollidaysburg)
Vice-President Todd Rudy  (FOP Lodge No. 41, Harrisburg)
Secretary Richard A. Neiswonger  (FOP Lodge No. 48, Erie)
Treasurer Harry Dannehower  (FOP Lodge No. 40, Bethlehem)

Wall Street Journal - ‎21 hours ago‎

By JESS BRAVIN WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court ruled Monday that police violated the Constitution when they attached a Global Positioning System tracker to a suspect’s vehicle without a valid search warrant, voting unanimously in one of the first major …

January 18, 2012

More than 47,000 people have been killed in drug violence in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown against drug cartels. (AP Photo/Felix Marquez)

(CNSNews.com) – Organized crime-related deaths in one Mexican border state during the first nine months of 2011 exceed the number of Afghan civilians killed in roughly the same period in all of war-torn Afghanistan.

According to the Mexican government, from January through September 2011 2,276 deaths were recorded in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, which borders Texas and New Mexico.

A Nov. 2011 Congressional Research Service (CRS) report states that over nearly the same period – January through October 2011 – 2,177 civilians were killed in Afghanistan, where a U.S.-led war against the Taliban is underway. It did not provide a breakdown of responsibility for that period, but said that in 2010, 75 percent of civilian deaths were attributed to the Taliban and other “anti-government elements.”

Per capita, a person was at least nine times more likely to be murdered in Chihuahua last year than in Afghanistan. (Chihuahua has 3,406,465 inhabitants, according to Mexico’s 2010 census; the CIA World Factbook reports that in July 2011 the estimated population of Afghanistan was 29,835,392.)

According to the reported numbers, the drug-related murder rate was about 67 for every 100,000 inhabitants in Chihuahua last year, while in Afghanistan the civilian killing rate was an estimated seven for every 100,000 people living there.

There were more drug-related killings in Chihuahua than in any other Mexican state, according to the government figures.  Chihuahua, the largest state in Mexico, includes Ciudad Juarez, a border city located across from El Paso, Texas. It is the deadliest city in Mexico and is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world.

According to the government tally, Juarez accounted for 1,206 (about 53 percent) of the 2,276 drug cartel-related murders in Chihuahua during the fist nine months of 2011.

The state capital, the city of Chihuahua, was also among the five deadliest cities in Mexico over that period, with 402 homicides reported.

The organized crime-related deaths in Mexico – officially referred to as homicides due to rivalry between delinquent organizations – include executions, deaths from encounters with authorities, direct aggression attacks, and killings stemming from violence between organized trafficking groups, according to the country’s government.

Its figures show that a total of 12,903 drug-related homicides took place across the country during the first nine months of 2011, taking Mexico’s drug-war death toll to 47,515 since President Felipe Calderon began a militarized crackdown on organized crime in December 2006.

Again comparing the Mexican and Afghanistan figures, the CRS report shows that 11,007 Afghan civilians were killed from 2007 through October 2011. That is about 80 percent fewer deaths than the 47,515 drug-related murders in Mexico over roughly the same period (December 2006 through September 2011).

Even if Afghan National Army (1,933) and police (3,834) fatalities are added to the civilian death toll the total number of deaths in Afghanistan over that period – 16,774 – is still almost three times smaller than the Mexican figure.

A total of 1,757 U.S. soldiers have died in and around Afghanistan since U.S.-led forces invaded in Oct. 2001 to topple the Taliban after its al-Qaeda allies attacked the U.S. homeland the previous month.

According to CNSNews.com’s detailed tally, which is derived primarily from Department of Defense reports, there were 399 U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan during 2011, the second deadliest year of the war. (There were 497 deaths in 2010.)

Viral Video Of DEA Agent Shooting Self In Thigh May Have Hurt, But Didn’t Violate Privacy

If you put your foot in your mouth during a public presentation, there’s a good possibility the embarrassing footage could end up on YouTube. If you instead shoot yourself in that foot while doing a presentation on gun safety, that YouTube video is definitely going viral. That’s essentially what happened to DEA agent Lee Paige in 2004 after he gave a presentation for children in Florida on the dangers of guns, and accidentally demonstrated exactly how dangerous they can be. A parent in the audience was taping Paige and the video made its way to YouTube, where it was enjoyed by many:

“I’m the only one in this room professional enough, that I know of, to carry this Glock 40,” says Paige at the :30 mark, followed shortly thereafter by his accidentally discharging the weapon into his leg (and luckily, not into the audience). He tried to tough his way through the presentation but his offer to display another weapon was met by howls of protest from the audience.

Paige later described this as “the worst ten seconds of his life.” Humiliated after the video went viral, he sued the Drug Enforcement Agency for releasing the video to the public, thereby violating his privacy. In December 2010, a judge ruled against Paige saying he had not proved that the DEA was responsible for the video’s release. On Tuesday, an appeals court agreed, though it did chastise the DEA for making so many copies of the video internally during its investigation of the incident. The DEA office is much like your own; the embarrassing video was emailed around frequently inside the agency before it eventually made its way to YouTube.

“The widespread circulation of the accidental discharge video demonstrates the need for every federal agency to safeguard video records with extreme diligence in this internet age of iPhones and YouTube with their instantaneous and universal reach,” chastised the appeals court judges in their opinion [pdf].

The judges determined, though, that there were no “private facts” in the video — because it was of a public presentation and because a federal agent accidentally shooting his gun in a public space is a “matter of public concern.” (And perhaps more importantly, though less defensibly, a matter of much public amusement.)

Article

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ – With commonwealth revenues continuing to come in below estimate for the 2011-12 fiscal year, Governor Tom Corbett has directed his Budget Office to freeze nearly $160 million in state spending.

The governor also has asked government entities not under his jurisdiction to reduce their spending by nearly $66 million.

“Until revenue collections improve, we must take precautions to ensure that the commonwealth budget remains in balance,” Governor Corbett said.

Midway through the state’s fiscal year, revenues are $486.8 million below estimate, the state Department of Revenue reported Tuesday.

Governor Corbett has directed most agencies to reduce their overall 2011-12 spending by 3 percent. Some individual appropriations will see spending reductions of up to 10 percent.

The state-related universities – Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple and Lincoln universities – will see a reduction of 5 percent, or $25.7 million, in state funding.

Public safety agencies, such as State Police and the Department of Corrections, will freeze approximately 1 percent of their spending. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is not being directed to freeze any funds because of the numerous disaster-related emergency response activities that agency has coordinated this fiscal year, the governor said.

Basic education subsidy funds paid to school districts will not be affected, and the Department of Public Welfare will see a spending reduction of less than 1 percent, or $55 million.

The funds being placed into budgetary reserve across all agencies represent less than 1 percent of the total $27.2 billion General Fund budget.

“We did not make the decision to freeze these funds lightly. If the revenue picture improves in the months ahead and we determine these funds no longer need to remain frozen, we may be able to free up some or perhaps even all of the funds we are now placing into budgetary reserve,” Corbett said.

For a list of funds placed into budgetary reserve, please visit the Current and Proposed Commonwealth Budgets section of the Office of the Budget website at www.budget.state.pa.us.

Media contact:  Susan Hooper, 717-265-8067

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

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http://www.governor.state.pa.us

Connellsville Daily Courier – 2 days ago

Tom Corbett is expected to propose cuts of $750 million in next year’s budget. … Retired state police Maj. Terry Seilhamer accumulated 413 sick days …

Article→

Published: Wednesday, December 28, 2011

By STACY BROWN
PA Independent

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania State Police troopers may have several attributes in common with the U.S. Marines.

Disciplined in manner, a love of service and neatly trimmed hair.

However, the state troopers don’t want to be identified with the Marines’ slogan: The few. The proud.

To be sure, troopers are proud, but they don’t want their ranks chopped down to just a few.

But that reduction is possible. Gov. Tom Corbett said extensive spending cuts and a zero-growth budget are needed in 2012, because the state is facing a $500 million budget deficit this fiscal year and as much as $750 million next year.

The Corbett administration declined to confirm any layoffs in the state police ranks, but the union representing the state police said the administration has put it on notice.

“We are looking at 400 to 500 troopers being laid off,” said Bruce Edwards, president of the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, which represents the state’s 4,400 troopers.

Edwards added that state police is expecting other hits to its staffing because of Corbett’s budget. He said Corbett would:

n Close five unidentified state police barracks or stations;

n Eliminate the State Police Academy Cadet classes, which typically graduate 50 new troopers per class, for the next 18 months.

In addition, more than 30 percent of state police force, or 1,500 officers, are eligible for retirement in the next five years, with at least 150 troopers retiring each year.

“There is no other way to put it except that the layoffs are going to happen,” Edwards said. “I expect that 1,000 of those eligible for retirement will be going out, so what we will have is a situation where there will be layoffs, no new cadet classes and retirements.”

State police spokesman Sgt. Anthony Manetta declined to comment.

Corbett and his administration would not comment on whether any vacated positions would remain funded going forward, but state Budget Secretary Charles Zogby said public safety spending needs to be cut.

“We need to bring the public safety budget in line to what Pennsylvania can afford,” Zogby said.

Pennsylvania State Police receive money from the general and motor license funds. The 2011-2012 general fund appropriation is $185.6 million and the motor license fund appropriation is $565.1 million.

Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley said the governor is looking to avoid a “worst case scenario.”

“All that happened there is they are planning for the worst-case scenario in terms of if revenues don’t come in,” Harley said. “It’s just planning for a worst case scenario, but we don’t anticipate that will be the case.”

When pressed further on potential layoffs, Harley said, “It’s too early to tell.”

Senate Law and Justice Committee Chairman John Pippy, R-Allegheny, expressed “deep concern” about potential layoffs and said public safety cuts are always problematic.

“We are aware of the (potential) layoffs and we plan to meet with the governor soon about this,” Pippy said. “Hopefully, we can resolve the situation without layoffs.”

Layoffs would hurt communities, said state Sen. James Brewster, D-Allegheny.

“Reducing the state police complement by this many troopers would be potentially devastating to law enforcement and unconscionable to many communities that rely on the state police for protection,” he said.

Not only do state troopers patrol all state and federal highways, they are the primary, sometimes lone, law enforcement presence in more than half of Pennsylvania’s 2,565 municipalities and a large portion of rural areas.

Brewster said he also is concerned about eliminating cadet classes because of Corbett’s zero-growth budget. Cadet classes train new troopers who would cover personnel turnover, he said.

“As a former mayor of a struggling city who has experience dealing with extreme fiscal issues, I know that the last thing that should be contemplated is cutting police protection,” Brewster said.

Article→

Associated Press

The number of U.S. law-enforcement officers killed in the line of duty jumped 13% in 2011, making it one of the deadliest years in recent history for officers.

Across the nation, 173 officers died in the line of duty, up from 153 the year before, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

The nonprofit group that tracks police deaths also reported that 68 federal, state and local officers were killed by gunfire in 2011, a 15 percent jump from last year when 59 were killed. It marks the first time in 14 years that firearms fatalities were higher than traffic-related deaths. The data shows that 64 officers died in traffic accidents, down from the 71 killed in 2010.

Craig Floyd, the group’s chairman, blamed the rise on budget cuts to public-safety departments. He cited surveys by police groups that showed many cut back on training and delay upgrading equipment, and referenced a Department of Justice report issued in October that said an estimated 10,000 police officers and sheriff’s deputies have been laid off within the past year.

“I’m very troubled that these drastic budget cuts have put our officers at grave risks,” he said. “Our officers are facing a more brazen cold-blooded element and fighting a war on terror, and we’re giving them less training and less equipment they need to do their jobs safely.”

It’s the second year in a row the number of officers killed in the line of duty has grown. In 2009, the death toll slipped to 107 in a 50-year-low that encouraged police groups even though the year seemed to be an aberration. Otherwise, the number of police deaths has topped 160 five other times since 2000. It routinely topped 200 in the 1970s.

The police deaths were spread across 41 states and Puerto Rico. The largest number of fatalities was reported in Florida, where 14 officers were killed, followed by Texas (13), New York (11), California (10) and Georgia (10). The New York City Police Department and Puerto Rico Police Department, which both lost four officers, were the law-enforcement agencies that reported the most deaths.

The number of firearms-related fatalities, which have risen 70% since 2008, was particularly alarming to analysts. Of the 68 deaths, 14 took place while the officer was attempting an arrest, nine occurred during a domestic disturbance call and five were ambushes, according to the data.

One of the victims, Rainier, Ore., Police Chief Ralph Painter, was shot once in the head during a Jan. 5 struggle with a suspect who was accused of taking Painter’s pistol from his belt. Glendale, Ariz., Officer Brad Jones was shot in August after a fight with a suspect being sought by a probation officer. And the two officers in South Dakota, James McCandless and Nick Armstrong, were killed in August after conducting what Rapid City authorities have said was a routine traffic stop.

The glimmer of good news in the report was the falling number of traffic-related fatalities involving law enforcement officers, the lowest since 2005. Mr. Floyd said revamped policies adopted by some departments on police chases and a revived focus on road safety helped bring down the number of those deaths.

“It’s perhaps the most preventable death for law enforcement,” he said. “Better training and better awareness of the dangers of traffic safety will help to spare more police lives as we move forward.”

Article→

Reuters / 11:16 a.m. CST, December 28, 2011
Dec 28 (Reuters) – The number of U.S. police officers who
died in the line of duty rose 13 percent this year, another
annual increase that a professional group blamed on budget cuts.

Preliminary figures from the National Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial Fund showed 173 officers at the federal, state
and local levels were killed in 2011, up from 153 last year and
122 in 2009.

Gunfire was the number one cause at 68 deaths, a near-record
high. Traffic-related accidents killed 64 officers. Other causes
included job-related illness, falls, drownings and stabbings.

Fourteen officers were killed in Florida, more than any
other state, followed by Texas, New York, California and
Georgia.

“Drastic budget cuts affecting law enforcement agencies
across the country have put our officers at grave risk,” said
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund chairman Craig
Floyd.

“At a time when officers are facing a more cold-blooded
criminal element and fighting a war on terror, we are cutting
vital resources necessary to ensure their safety and the safety
of the innocent citizens they protect.”

By the end of this year, nearly 12,000 police officers and
sheriff’s deputies will have been laid off, according to a U.S.
Department of Justice report in October. Nearly 30,000 law
enforcement jobs are unfilled.
(Reporting by Karin Matz; Editing by Jerry Norton and John
O’Callaghan)

Our lodge attempted to reschedule our December 14, 2011 meeting to Wednesday, December 21, 2011 but due to member’s concerns with conflicting schedules and/or the proximity to the Holidays it was decided to cancel the meeting.  Suggestions were also made to change the venue but were considered unfeasible due in part to the short notice provided by Lobitz (Lobitz catering informed our lodge on Monday, December 12th that they could not accommodate our December 14th meeting because of Christmas parties booked at Lobitz).  After receiving input from several members we considered this the best resolution and hopefully will be to the satisfaction of at least the majority of members. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Guests that were scheduled to appear at the December meeting were contacted by our lodge and all have indicated that they will be able to attend the January meeting.

Next Meeting Lobitz January 11, 2012.