Nov 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 11

AROUND THE COUNTRY

AROUND THE COUNTRY ACROSS THE US The Latest Breaking News as we go LIVE. KAMALA HARRIS FLOATS GUN CONFISCATION IN THE UNITED STATES WASHINGTON D.C. – Vice President Kamala Harris lauded gun control laws in Australia where citizens do not have a legal right to gun ownership and where a mass gun confiscation took place in the 1990s, during a speech on Thursday. Harris said Australian gun laws proved that mass shootings do not have to be a regular occurrence, during her remarks delivered at a State Department luncheon earlier in the day with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “As we gather details, we must continue to speak truth about the moment we are in,” Harris said. “In our country today, the leading cause of death of American children is gun violence. Gun violence has terrorized and traumatized so many of our communities in the United States.” “And let us be clear, it does not have to be this way — as our friends in Australia have demonstrated,” she continued to applause. According to a brief on the Australian Parliament’s official website, there is no legal right to gun ownership in Australia.” Moron #1 or in her case Moron #2 D.C. MAYOR UNVEILS LEGIS- LATION TO ROLL BACK PARTS OF RECENT POLICE REFORMS AFTER CRIME SPIKE By Joanna Putman, Police1 WASHINGTON — With D.C. crime numbers climbing, Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced new legislation this week to “give law enforcement additional tools to keep the District safe,” WTOP reported. The bill, called ACT (Addressing Crime Trends) Now, will allow police to declare temporary “drug-free zones,” add criminal penalties for organized retail theft and prohibit wearing a mask to commit a crime, according to the report. Bowser said the bill is intended to address some of the negative consequences of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022. “Some of the changes that were made just don’t match the daily practice of safe and effective policing,” Bowser said. Acting D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith called police reform legislation in recent years “well-intended,” but said it was “overly 46 The BLUES

oad and jeopardizes public safety,” according to the report. “It creates situations where officers are kind of hesitant to go hands-on to apprehend an individual when it is appropriate. It has created circumstances where officers’ credibility has been called into question due to incidental contact,” Smith said. Smith said the new bill would remove limitations on pursuing suspects in vehicles, to allow the department to pursue suspects who pose an “imminent threat to the community.” It would also allow officers to review their own body camera footage when filing their reports, which was prohibited in the reform law, according to the report. This year, D.C. has seen a 39% increase in violent crime compared to last year, according to District statistics obtained by WTOP. “IT’S NOT THAT SERIOUS” 18-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT IN- DICTED IN KILLING OF FORMER PD CHIEF LAUGHED, ASKED OFFICER FOR FOOD DURING ARREST By Joanna Putman, Police1 LAS VEGAS — The 16- and 18-year-old suspects in the hitand-run killing of former police chief Andreas Probst have been indicted by a grand jury after one was seen on video questioning the seriousness of the charges, KTNV reported. Jesus Ayala, now 18, can be seen in a video laughing about the situation, seemingly convinced he would get “a slap on the wrist” from juvenile court at A true Hero the time of his arrest. Although he was 17 when the crimes were committed, he and 16-year-old Jzamir Keys will both be tried as adults. Their crime spree began when they hit and injured a 72-yearold bicyclist, according to the report. They went on to hit another car before fatally striking Probst. All three incidents were committed in separate stolen vehicles. The jury was shown videos the suspects took while committing the crimes and later posted on social media. They can be heard laughing and shouting encouragement during all three incidents. The jury was also presented with videos of Ayala’s arrest, when he acted jovial and even asked the officer for food. Ayala appears convinced that he will be quickly released and tells the officer that “it’s not that serious,” according to the report. “Just a fucking hit and run. Slap on the wrist,” said Ayala. “Why you got to lie and say it’s something serious?” An absolute Thug Trial dates for Ayala and Keys have been set for Sept. 16 of next year. ED- We’ll see if this asshole is still smiling when he gets 30 to life and the other lifers in prison use him as a sex toy. Then who’s laughing asshole. CLEVELAND TAKES HISTORIC MEASURES TO ADDRESS PO- LICE STAFFING SHORTAGE CLEVELAND, OH. - An ongoing investigation by News 5 into the dire staffing shortage facing Cleveland police has revealed an alarming rate of resignations and retirements, with 128 officers leaving the force between January 1 and September 27, 2023. This trend, which began in 2020, has now seen a total of 648 officers depart the Cleveland Division of Police since the beginning of 2020, leaving the department significantly understaffed. As of September, there were only 1,216 officers on the force, a shortfall of 424 officers compared to the budgeted strength The BLUES 47