Thursday, October 23, 2008

UK: "Gun Crime 60% Higher than Official Figures" (SHOCK)

I am shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you . . .

(UK law enforcement cooked the books so as to deflate the reported gun-related crime in the UK by almost 60%; knife crime is also up in the UK)
Telegraph



So, how's that anti-gunowner culture working out over there?

Labels:

UK: "Knife Crime Worse than Thought" (SHOCK)

Telegraph

(UK "knife crime" data is much worst than people expected)

Labels:

"National Republican Association" = FAIL

I constantly hear whining from the moonbats that the NRA is somehow a "Republican" organization that only serves to attack Democrats. Well, like most anti-gun-owner "facts," that claim is 100% false.

Exhibit A from The Hill:
Lampson the latest NRA Democrat
By Jared Allen
Posted: 10/21/08 07:13 PM [ET]

Calling him a “great friend to gun owners and hunters in the Lone Star State,” the National Rifle Association (NRA) on Tuesday formally endorsed Democratic Rep. Nick Lampson (Texas), who is in a pitched battle to continue representing a solidly Republican district.

The endorsement from the powerful gun lobby — which has already blessed Lampson with an “A” voting record — could go a long way toward combating the attempts by Lampson’s Republican challenger, Pete Olson, to paint Lampson as a liberal.

The Olson campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Lampson is now at least the seventh House Democrat to win an endorsement from the Second Amendment protectionist lobby.

Labels:

MoCO home Invasions Update 10-16-08

WashPost

Crime Report

Thursday, October 16, 2008; GZ24

Montgomery County


These were among incidents recently received by the Montgomery County Police Department. For more information, call 240-773-5030.

District 1 Rockville Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

BLANDFORD ST. ,400 block, 2:30 to 4:20 a.m. Sept. 28. Property was taken from a home. A Damascus man, 28, was arrested.

District 2 Bethesda Station

ASSAULTS

SANGAMORE RD. ,4500 block, 6:15 p.m. Sept. 25. A male attacked a person at the front door of the person's residence.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

ASBURY LANE ,4900 block, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 24. An attempt was made to break into a residence.

CEDAR CREST DR.,9200 block, 8:15 p.m. Sept. 24. Property was stolen from a residence entered by force.

KENILWORTH AVE. ,10600 block, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24. A person trying to enter a residence fled when confronted.

District 3 Silver Spring Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

DOMER AVE.,400 block, 9:06 p.m. Sept. 28. A person entered a residence by force. Nothing was reported missing.

EAST WEST HWY. ,1200 block, 1 to 2 a.m. Sept. 24. Property was stolen from a residence entered by force.

NORTHWEST DR. ,500 block, 12:30 p.m. Sept. 22. A residence was entered by force. A Hyattsville man, 46, was arrested.

District 4 Wheaton Station


ASSAULTS

ASHBY RD. ,13700 block, Sept. 27. An assault with a knife occurred at a residence.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

MOLINE RD. ,3300 block, 5 p.m. Sept. 23. Property was stolen from a residence. Three men were seen leaving the residence, then driving away in a white Ford sport-utility vehicle.

District 5 Germantown Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

FREDERICK RD. ,19500 block, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Sept. 26. Property was stolen from a residence entered by force.

District 6 Gaithersburg Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

SUMMIT AVE. N. ,10:15 a.m. Sept. 24. A man entered a residence. Nothing was reported missing.

Rockville

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

HUNGERFORD DR. ,7:10 p.m. Sept. 30. An attempt was made to enter an apartment through a front door.

Takoma Park


THEFTS/BREAK-INS

FLOWER AVE.,8600 block, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5. Two males armed with a crowbar and a baseball bat forced their way into a residence, then fled with property.

-- Compiled by LISA M. BOLTON

Labels:

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

"Nation Rejects US Warmonger"

You heard it here first - Pakistan will be the next big foreign policy challenge for the US. Unlike Iran, Pakistan has an established nuclear arsenal. Unlike Iran, which has a largely cosmopolitan, educated populace but a crackpot government, Pakistan has a cosmopolitan, somewhat rational government, but a population with a high number of crackpots. With Musharaf's exit, the big question will be whether the government can keep a lid on the crazies. It is already failing to do so in the NW frontier.

And the Pakistanis that are the best hope for the future of their country are rejecting The One! Not good, not good at ALL.

WashTimes

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Pakistanis resist global favorite Obama
Jason Motlagh (Contact)

LAHORE, Pakistan | Barack Obama may be winning in the U.S. and most global popularity polls, but he's a loser in Pakistan.

Dozens of students interviewed at two top universities in this country's second-largest city, a cultural melting pot known for its liberal leanings, rejected Mr. Obama as "too aggressive," "irresponsible" and an "enemy of Muslims" whose stated policy toward insurgency-plagued areas would make a bad situation worse.

The anti-Obama sentiment stems from assertions on the campaign trail that the senator from Illinois, if elected president, would authorize U.S. forces to enter Pakistani territory to hunt down Taliban and al Qaeda militants.

That the Democratic nominee is an overwhelming favorite abroad is not lost on the students, nor is the Muslim faith of his grandfather nor his Arabic middle name, Hussein.

But that is not enough to overcome concerns that an Obama administration would target and further destabilize Pakistan.

"The only country he's talking about bombing today is us," said Sher Afghen Malik, a political science major at the University of the Punjab, to the approving nods of classmates. "How could we possibly support him?"

Posters made by an Islamic student group have found their way onto campus walls, showing a map of Pakistan clutched by hairy, red-fanged claws wrapped in the American flag.

Khansa Qamar, a member of the school's model United Nations club, said her peers perceive Mr. Obama "as even more dangerous than George W. Bush" with regard to his stance on Pakistan.

By a show of hands, not one among two dozen students in one class supported the Democratic candidate. A little more than half said they prefer Sen. John McCain of Arizona because the Republican presidential candidate's statements on Pakistan have been less pointed.

Mr. Obama has stressed that he is not calling for an invasion of Pakistan, but restated in the second presidential debate on Oct. 7 that if its government is "unable or unwilling to hunt down [Osama] bin Laden and take him out, then we should."

Mr. Obama has distinguished himself from the Bush administration in words but not in deeds. Since mid-August, the U.S. has launched at least a dozen attacks on Pakistani soil, most by unmanned drones.

Still, the candidate's comments set Pakistan's media machine on spin cycle, hardening the views of many people who otherwise had been supportive of him, said Khalid Butt, a political science instructor at Government College in Lahore.

"This shows what a few misguided statements can do," he said.

Much of the rest of the world has a much more positive view of an Obama presidency.

A recent survey of 24 nations by the Pew Global Attitudes Project found high levels of interest in the U.S. election and widespread optimism that American foreign policy "will change for the better" under an Obama administration.

In all but three of the nations polled, participants said they had more faith in Mr. Obama than Mr. McCain to "do the right thing regarding world affairs."

But most Pakistanis surveyed said they made no distinction between the two candidates. Pakistanis and respondents from three other nations - Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan - collectively anticipated a turn for the worse no matter who wins the U.S. election. All four are large recipients of U.S. military and economic aid.

At a recent daylong seminar on the upcoming U.S. elections, one plucky young woman in a pink shalwar kameez peppered a visiting lecturer with sharp questions about America's "two-faced agenda of ostensible intentions and ulterior motives" that threatens to shatter its "friendship" with Pakistan.

"In my opinion, the word 'friendship' should not be used in international relations," replied the lecturer, Hafeez Malik of Villanova University in suburban Philadelphia. "In the end, a nation will always act in its best interests."

Student Muhammad Altaf said that most Pakistanis think policies are not forged by the U.S. president but by influential Cabinet officials or, in the case of Mr. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney.

"We have no concern for the candidates. We need the right policies," Mr. Altaf said, adding that he would support a president "whose policies support Pakistan."

Some here question whether Mr. Obama's comments on Pakistan are sincere or mere pre-election posturing to win votes and silence critics who argue that he is soft on foreign policy issues.

"I think he's just trying to make the right noises," said Tariq Ali, a student at the University of the Punjab.

"The equation might change once he's in office," said Aziz Numan. "He's not well briefed enough yet."

Another student was also cautiously optimistic.

Mr. Obama's grandfather "was still a Muslim," said Muhammad Akmal, "so we hope that means something for us."

Labels:

Another day in "gun control paradise"

(UK)Times Online
(ROK - man goes on stabbing rampage, kills six)

Labels:

More backround on my Home Invasion updates

Interesting tidbit that helps to explain why I list home burglaries as “home invasions” even though the police report doesn’t specify that they were “home invasions.”


WashPost


Pawnshop Led Police To Suspect In Invasions

By Dan Morse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 21, 2008; B01

For 13 months, Montgomery County police tried to catch up with a man who was scaring the wits out of older residents in Chevy Chase, Bethesda and Potomac . The man broke into homes and -- according to new details revealed yesterday -- hogtied and gagged residents as old as 92. He pistol-whipped a 78-year-old, took items ranging from keepsakes to jewelry to bottles of liquor, and finally, in early September, killed one of the homeowners.

But for all of the detectives' hard work over those months, it was a lucky break that led them to a suspect.

On Oct. 7, the suspect, identified by police as Jose Garcia-Perlera, walked into Fred's Pawn Shop, a half-mile from his home in Hyattsville, and for $400 unloaded an Apple laptop computer that had been reported stolen, authorities said. The pawnshop owner reported the transaction, and police were soon searching Garcia-Perlera's home.

There they found items linked to the home invasions, including two "talking" wristwatches for the sight-impaired and a Mercury space mission medallion kept by homicide victim Mary Havenstein because her late husband was a "pioneering member" of the project, according to an affidavit signed by Detective Paula Hamill.

Garcia-Perlera was ordered held without bond yesterday by District Court Judge William G. Simmons. He is charged with numerous counts of robbery and theft and with first-degree murder in Havenstein's death.

Police have not released her exact cause of death, but two sources said yesterday that Havenstein was hit or beaten during the break-in; one source said she was not shot. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is open.

Court records indicated that Garcia-Perlera does not yet have an attorney. He is not a U.S. citizen and is wanted for deportation by federal immigration officials, according to the records.

Hamill's affidavit, made available in court records yesterday, indicates a trend of increasing violence in the crimes.

They began Sept. 17, 2007, when the burglar removed a pane from the rear basement window of a home on Maryknoll Avenue in Bethesda , the affidavit stated. Inside the home, police said, Garcia-Perlera stole the wristwatches and other items totaling about $2,450 in value.

Two months later, he broke through a basement window of a woman's home in Chevy Chase , stealing jewelry, keepsakes and other items valued at $800, according to Hamill's affidavit. During this attack, the victim told The Washington Post last week, she asked the assailant to loosen the clothesline around her arthritic knees, and he did so.

On Feb. 27, the assailant turned more violent, according to the affidavit. A 78-year-old woman on Picasso Lane in Potomac walked from her house to check an open storage area. Garcia-Perlera came out of the area, beat her with a silver revolver and forced her into her basement, according to the affidavit. The victim was found two days later when a relative went to check on her. She continues to suffer from a serious injury to at least one of her hands, a neighbor said.

The suspect left behind a black baseball cap, from which detectives extracted DNA that they later matched to DNA found at two of the other crime scenes. All three samples matched DNA taken from inside Garcia-Perlera's cheek after he was detained, police said.

On May 7, according to Hamill's affidavit, Garcia-Perlera broke into a couple's house in the Kenwood neighborhood. The assailant entered the bedroom wearing a scarflike garment over his face and military-style clothing. After hogtying the 70-year-old woman, he removed her rings, the affidavit said.

In late August came the laptop burglary.

On Aug. 28, police said, Garcia-Perlera walked into the unlocked front door of a home on Seven Locks Road . At the time, a woman -- younger than the previous victims -- was asleep in her room, the woman said in an interview yesterday. She spoke on condition of anonymity to protect her safety and privacy. Her son and two of his friends were in a sunroom listening to music. When their computer's battery went dead, one of the friends walked upstairs for a backup and discovered that the laptop was missing. In another room, jewelry was gone.

Investigators did not classify the burglary as one of the home invasions.
The victims were younger, and no one was tied up or attacked. The woman in the home said she felt the same way, even when she went to a community meeting about the home invasions.

"I didn't link it at all," she said.

Labels:

Gun bans fail, example #456,789

WSJ
(PRC - illegal guns out of control)

Labels:

MoCO home Invasions Update 10-9-08

WashPost

Crime Report
Thursday, October 9, 2008; GZ24
Montgomery County

These were among incidents recorded by the Montgomery County Police Department's Media Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5030.

District 2 Bethesda Station


THEFTS/BREAK-INS

EAST-WEST HWY.,1900 block, 11:30 p.m. Sept. 17. An attempt was made to enter a residence.

PARKWOOD DR.,10500 block, 8 to 9 p.m. Sept. 15. Property was stolen from a residence entered by force.

District 3 Silver Spring Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

CASTLE BLVD.,13900 block, 11:59 a.m. Sept. 17. A residence was entered by force. Nothing was reported missing.

CASTLE BLVD.,14200 block, 4 to 4:49 p.m. Sept. 15. Property was stolen from a residence entered by force.

SWAN HOUSE CT.,3800 block, 11 p.m. Sept. 21. Property was stolen from a residence entered by force.

District 4 Wheaton Station

RAPE

KAYSON ST.,3600 block, 2:30 a.m. Sept. 21. A male forced his way into the home of a young female acquaintance and raped her.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

ALBURG WAY,11500 block, 9:30 p.m. Sept. 21. Property was stolen from a residence.

BRANDON GREEN DR.,600 block, 11:26 a.m. Sept. 18. An attempt was made to enter a residence.

ROSE LANE,11200 block, 11:40 p.m. Sept. 15. An elderly woman and a younger person were sitting in their living room when someone entered through an unlocked sliding door. The person fled when an alarm was activated.

District 5 Germantown Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

ESMOND TERR.,19700 block, 3:30 p.m. Sept. 18. A residence was entered. A Gaithersburg man, 28, was arrested in the incident.

KINGSTEAD RD.,11700 block, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 16. An attempt was made to enter a garage at a residence by force.

District 6 Gaithersburg Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

BRALAN LANE,100 block, 8:10 a.m. Sept. 18. Two males entered a residence while a resident was at home, took property and fled.

Rockville

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

BLANDFORD ST.,400 block, 2:30 to 4:20 a.m. Sept. 28. A Damascus man, 28, was arrested in a prior burglary.

ROLLINS AVE.,200 block, 2:30 a.m. Sept. 27. An apartment was entered by force through a sliding-glass door. Nothing was reported missing.

-- Compiled by LISA M. BOLTON

Labels:

MoCO home Invasions Update 10-2-08

WashPost

Crime Report

Thursday, October 2, 2008; GZ15

Montgomery County

These were among incidents recorded by the Montgomery County Police Department's Media Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5030.

District 1 Rockville Station
PEEPING TOM INCIDENT

LENMORE AVE.,700 block, 10:15 p.m. Sept. 13. A man standing outside a residence was seen peering into the bedroom window of two female children. The man is an acquaintance of the family. A man, 35, of no fixed address was arrested nearby in the incident.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

CHINKAPIN DR.,14100 block, 1:45 to 2 a.m. Sept. 13. A man entered a residence but was interrupted by a resident and fled empty-handed.

WAPELLO DR.,7200 block, 3 a.m. Sept. 12. Two people were seen attempting to enter a residence.

District 3 Silver Spring Station
SEXUAL ASSAULT

PINEY BRANCH RD.,9300 block, 7 a.m. Sept. 13. A man knocked on the door of a residence and asked a female resident who answered whether her husband was at home. When she said no, the assailant forced his way into the apartment, touched her inappropriately and tried to sexually assault her but was interrupted when the woman's husband came out from another room.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

BRADFORD RD.,8800 block, 1:25 a.m. Sept. 12. An attempt was made to enter a residence by prying open a window.

DEERHEAD CT.,600 block, 2:24 p.m. Sept. 8. An attempt was made to enter a residence, but the intruder was interrupted and fled when an alarm sounded.

JULY DR.,11400 block, 7:30 to 8 a.m. Sept. 11. An attempt was made to enter a residence, but the intruder fled when he saw a resident inside.

TREETOP DR.,12300 block, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 10. Property was stolen from a residence.

District 4 Wheaton Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

WEEPING WILLOW CT.,3200 block, 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13. Two males took property from a residence and fled.

District 5 Germantown Station
THEFTS/BREAK-INS

COPPER RIDGE RD.,13300 block, 9 a.m. to 3:42 p.m. Sept. 8. A male entered a residence by force but fled empty-handed. A Germantown male, 15, was arrested in the incident.

SCOTTSBURY DR.,20800 block, 3 a.m. Sept. 13. A man was seen trying to enter a residence by force but was interrupted and fled when he was seen. Tools were found missing from a work van parked in the driveway.

Rockville

INDECENT EXPOSURE

LENMORE AVE.,700 block, 10:15 to 10:25 p.m. Sept. 13. A man, 35, of no fixed address was arrested in a peeping-Tom incident.

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

(This gets a mention just for the type of charge)
CROTHERS LANE,800 block, 4:05 a.m. Sept. 18. A man, 27, of no fixed address was arrested and charged with theft and BEING A ROGUE AND VAGABOND.

Takoma Park

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

NEW HAMPSHIRE AVE.,6300 block, 11:05 p.m. Sept. 23. A man was arrested and charged with fourth-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools and disorderly conduct.


-- Compiled by LISA M. BOLTON

Labels:

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

MoCO Home Invasions Update 9-2-08

WashPost

Crime Report

Thursday, September 25, 2008; GZ24

Montgomery County


These were among incidents recorded by the Montgomery County Police Department's Media Services Division. For information, call 240-773-5030.


District 2 Bethesda Station

HOMICIDES

SEVEN LOCKS RD.,8900 block, Sept. 4. The body of Mary F. Havenstein, 63, was found in her home. The cause of death was not released. The victim's 2006 Cadillac was stolen. It was recovered near Forston Street and University Boulevard in Takoma Park .

District 3 Silver Spring Station


THEFTS/BREAK-INS

GARLAND AVE.,12:50 p.m. Sept. 4. Two men trying to enter an apartment fled when confronted by an occupant.

District 5 Germantown Station

THEFTS/BREAK-INS

BIRDSEYE DR.,18900 block, 8:30 p.m. An attempt was made to enter a home.

CENTURY BLVD.,19800 block, 11:46 p.m. Sept. 9. An intoxicated man entered an apartment. A Germantown man, 25, was arrested.

Takoma Park

ROBBERIES

MAPLE AVE.,7500 block, 10 p.m. Sept. 16. A man with a weapon assaulted a woman entering her residence and robbed her of property. The assailant left a toy machine gun at the scene.

-- Compiled by LISA M. BOLTON and CARRIE DONOVAN

Labels:

Locations of visitors to this page