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Track crime in your neighborhood

By Jessica Savage | Friday, October 9, 2009, 03:54 PM

Lufkin Police have unveiled a Web site where residents can track recent neighborhood crime.

Crime reports and police activity for the past three to 30 day periods can be seen on the site. The activity can be viewed by geographic boundaries including city council wards, police beats or for the entire city. While the data is not real-time, it is quite close to that and the information can be accessed 24 hours per day via this new service, according to a Lufkin Police press release.

Report: Drug courts need major overhaul

A new report released says community drug courts, first created 20 years ago to address epidemic of drug-related cases, have become an obstacle to making drug therapy available to addicts and reducing criminal case loads.

The findings, released Tuesday by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, came out of a two-year task force study of problem-solving courts. It found in many places “access to treatment comes at the cost of a guilty plea for low-level drug offenses while hard cases are denied and offenders wind up in jail at great expense to taxpayers.”

“Well-intended prosecutors and judges, generally with little input from the defense bar, often limit entry to treatment to offenders most likely to solve their own problems while insisting that ‘harder cases’ go to jail, at considerable taxpayer expense,” the study found. “Minorities, immigrants and those with few financial resources are often under-represented in drug court programs.”

The first drug court opened in Miami in 1989. More than 2,100 such courts exist today in nearly every state, yet incarceration levels for drug offenders and the cost to taxpayers has skyrocketed. In 2008 the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program said 1.7 million arrests were made in drug-related incidents, one arrest every 18 seconds.

-Treating substance abuse as a public health issue rather than a criminal justice one

-Enforcing greater transparency in admission practices and relying on expert assessments, not merely the judgment of prosecutors

-Urging greater involvement of the defense bar to create programs that preserve the rights of the accused

-Considering the ethical obligations of defense lawyers to their client even if they choose court-directed treatment.

Lufkin man charged with April slaying

Joshua Handy has been arrested after a grand jury handed down an indictment, charging him with the death of a man in North Lufkin last spring.

The grandmother of 21-year-old Jerrard Jernigan said Wednesday she was relieved to hear the news.

Jernigan was found dead April 22 on Cain Street. Two people strolling the block found him near death early that morning and called for help. By the time help arrived, Jernigan had died.

Traffic stop yeilds 3,200 pounds of marijuana

State troopers found 3,212 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop last week near a Texas-Mexico border town, according to a press release.

The marijuana was concealed in a commercial truck painted to look like it belonged to an oil field service company. A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper stopped the truck on state Highway 59 near Hebbronville in Jim Hogg County. Hebbronville is approximately an hour and a half due east of Laredo.

Jason Jerard Hambric, 34, of Galveston, has been charged with first-degree felony possession of marijuana and booked into the Jim Hogg County Jail, stated the DPS release.

The U.S. Border Patrol and Jim Hogg County Sheriff’s Office both assisted with the bust.

Angelina business says Virginia company owes $400K

Retail Wholesale Data Information says a Virginia-based company owes it more than $400,000 for the work it performed, according to a lawsuit filing reported by a Texas legal journal.

Robbery suspect being held in Shelby Co.

A Lufkin robbery suspect wanted in connection to an early morning home invasion last week is behind bars.

Center Police arrested Dante Ray Faison, 28, earlier this week on charges of resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and harassment of a public servant, according to the department. He is also being held on an aggravated robbery from Lufkin Police. To read more, click here.

Police issue traffic flow map of Slack Elementary

Slack Elementary campus is under construction and enrollment is at an all-time high this year with more than 950 students attending the dual-language school. Parents dropping off children this morning no doubt encountered campus traffic jams.

Know what to expect this afternoon when picking up the kids. Check out a campus diagram issued by Lufkin Police, which shows the traffic flow around the drop-off/pick-up zones.

Hood County man turns self in

A Hood County man thought to be living in Huntington has turned himself into authorities on felony drug charges, according to a Lufkin Police spokesman.

Joseph Lee Stolz, 44, surrendered himself 10 a.m. Friday to Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds, said LPD Lt. David Young.

“Sheriff Deeds wanted to thank the citizens of Angelina County for their help and for the tips that were called in to Crime Stoppers,” Young said. “Sheriff Deeds credited the tips from the public and the efforts of law enforcement officers from both counties for pressuring Stolz to turn himself in.”

Athens convicted killer back in custody

A convicted killer who escaped a Henderson County Sheriff’s deputy just after being convicted Tuesday for a 2008 slaying is back in custody.

Donnie Ray Westbrook, 32, apparently walked into an Athens business this morning and said he wanted to turn himself in, according to media reports. He bolted last night after a jury convicted him for the murder of Jerry Jeff Hunt.

Crime Stoppers’ tip pays off

Lufkin Police have arrested an accused drug dealer after receiving a Crime Stoppers tip from the public revealing where the man was living, according to a police spokesman.

Elsie Earl Edwards, 20, has been booked into county jail on charges of three first-degree felony counts of delivery of a controlled substance. Police arrested him early Tuesday afternoon at a home on Broaddus Street in Lufkin, according to Lt. David Young.

Each week the newspaper and a local TV station run a Crime Stoppers alert on unsolved crimes. The public is asked to provide an anonymous phone tip that leads to the arrest of those involved for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Have you seen this man?

Lufkin Police are looking for a man wanted on felony drug charges who is believed to be living in Huntington.

The Texas Attorney General’s Fugitive Task Force is looking for Joseph Lee Stolz, 44, wanted on charges in Hood County. Hood County is southwest of Fort Worth.

Lufkin Crime Stoppers is offering up to a $1,000 cash reward for tips that lead to Stolz’s arrest. Call 639-TIPS (8477).

List of traffic, criminal laws effective Sept. 1

The following was provided by a Texas Department of Public Safety press release.

HB 537 requires all occupants of a vehicle, no matter their age, to be secured by a safety belt, no matter where they are seated in the vehicle; changes the definition of a passenger vehicle to include a passenger van designed to transport 15 or fewer passengers including the driver; removes the current exemption for third-party Medicaid transportation provisions regarding the use of child passenger safety seats; and prohibits a motorcycle operator from carrying a passenger under the age of 5 unless the child is seated in a sidecar attached to the motorcycle.

SB 61 amends the existing statute regarding child passenger safety seats. The bill requires that any child younger than 8 years of age be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat unless the child is at least 4 feet, 9 inches in height. The fine is no more than $25 for a first offense and $250 for a second offense. The law also creates a new court cost for conviction of an offense under this section to be collected and used by TxDOT to buy safety seats for low income families. The law becomes effective on Sept. 1, but tickets for this offense cannot be issued until June 1, 2010. Police officers are allowed to issue a warning before that date.

HB 55 makes it illegal to use a wireless communication device in a school zone unless the vehicle is stopped or a hands-free device is used. Cities or counties wanting to enforce this law must post a sign at the beginning of each school zone to inform drivers that using a wireless communications device is prohibited and the operator is subject to a fine. It is a defense to prosecution if the operator was making an emergency call.

HB 2730 increases the penalties for driving while intoxicated with a child passenger by adding an automatic driver license suspension period for first-time offenders and an increased suspension period for repeat offenders. The driver license re-instatement fee for completing an education program will rise from $50 to $100. Closes a loophole so a person who commits an offense as a minor cannot circumvent the driver license penalty if the person turns 21 before their court date.

HB 2730 allows a new Texas resident to operate a vehicle without a Texas license for 90 days instead of the current 30. (This provision went into effect on June 19, 2009.)

HB 2012 creates two new punishment enhancements: a Class B misdemeanor if a person drives with a suspended license and without insurance; and a class A misdemeanor if the person driving without insurance or a valid driver license has an accident and someone is seriously injured or dies as a result of that accident.

SB 129 authorizes neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) to be operated on roads with a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less. The bill authorizes driver license holders to operate NEVs without having a motorcycle endorsement, clarifies that drivers and passengers in such vehicles are not required to wear helmets and specifies that enclosed three-wheeled vehicles as described in the bill are authorized to operate in preferential lanes.

HB 2730 amends numerous provisions regarding concealed handgun licenses (CHLs), including eliminating student loan defaults as a disqualifier, to clarify that DPS must suspend or revoke a license when the licensee becomes ineligible and mandating that a magistrate suspend a CHL held by the subject of an emergency protective order.

HB 2664 provides a defense to prosecution if a concealed handgun license holder carries a concealed handgun into an establishment that gets 51 percent or more of its income from the sale of alcoholic beverages, but has failed to post the statutorily required notice that it derives 51 percent or more of its income from the sale of alcoholic beverages. (Under current law, a concealed handgun licensee can be charged with a Class A misdemeanor for doing this.)

HB 2730 removes DPS authority to suspend a concealed handgun license (CHL) for the holder’s failure to display the CHL to a peace officer on demand. It removes associated penalties and suspensions for the failure to display.

HB 2730 requires that all applicants under the age of 18 take the driving skills exam to receive a driver license. The law also requires that a provisional driver license (under 18) or instruction permit expire on an individual’s 18th birthday, removes the requirement that a provisional driver license or instruction permit be renewed annually and increases the fee for those licenses from $5 to $15. It also extends the current phase-two restrictions for holders of a graduated driver license from 6 months to 1 year. These restrictions include limited night driving, prohibited use of wireless communication devices and a limited number of passengers.

HB 339 increases the total hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction a teen receives from 14 to 34 and creates an adult driver education requirement for applicants older than 18 and younger than 21.

SB 1317 creates a six-hour driver education course required for driver license applicants 18 years of age or older. It also mandates that applicants 25 or under must submit to an approved driver education course. (Goes into effect March 1, 2010.)

SB 328 gives DPS the power to suspend a minor’s driver license if they fail a breath or blood alcohol test while operating a watercraft. Chapter 524 of the Transportation Code also clearly defines the suspension period for an individual who was under the age of 21 at the time when the offense of boating under the influence or driving under the influence of alcohol occurred. The law also increases the reinstatement fee for a license suspended under sections 49.04-49.08, Penal Code from $50 to $100.

HB 2730 increases the driver license sanction from a one-year CDL license disqualification to a lifetime disqualification if a person uses a motor vehicle to transport, conceal or harbor an alien. If a child is engaged in conduct involving a severe form of trafficking persons, a judge at a juvenile hearing is required to order the juvenile’s driver license or permit to be suspended.

HB 2730 prohibits DPS from issuing a driver license or identification card to a person who has not established a domicile in Texas. The law specifies that an applicant may receive a driver license at a post office box only if the applicant’s residence address has also been provided, with some exceptions.

HB 2386 allows courts to immediately seal juvenile criminal records if the juvenile successfully completes a drug court program, or another special program ordered by the court.

HB 1282 makes it a Class B misdemeanor to steal a driver license, commercial driver license or personal identification.

SB 554 makes it illegal to own or possess dog-fighting equipment and establishes that such equipment and property where dogs are found to be engaged in dog fighting is contraband and is subject to forfeiture. The law also makes dog-fighting subject to the elevated penalties authorized in the Texas Penal Code, Section 71.02(a), in an effort to deter organized criminal activity.

HB 1813 makes it a third-degree felony to tamper with forensic, medical, chemical, toxicological and ballistic reports, as well as reports of certification, inspection or maintenance of instruments used to examine or test physical evidence. (Currently, someone who does this can only be charged with a state jail felony.)

HB 358 allows law enforcement authorities to store only a small part of gambling machines that have been seized, instead of storing the whole machine. They would be able to remove and store just the computer chips in gambling machines, which are the core of the machines and contain the information necessary for prosecutions to go forward.

SB 689 restricts Internet usage by certain registered sex offenders, and requires registered sex offenders to provide information about their e-mail addresses when they register.

Senate Bill 1967 requires that applicants for an original class M license or class A, B or C driver license (including commercial driver licenses and permits) with authorization to operate a motorcycle, provide evidence of completion of an approved motorcycle operator training course. The law also increases the penalty for failure to yield the right-of-way if there is a crash that results in injury to a person other than the motorcycle operator.

SB 589 requires that a vehicle equipment safety compliance label be placed on a windshield, side or rear window stating that the window tinting complies with the appropriate provisions of the Transportation Code. Failing to place the required label on the vehicle could lead to a $1,000 fine.

HB 2730 increases the fine for a parking violation at the state Capitol from $10 to $25, and increases the late fee from $2 to $5.

SB 1188 authorizes a Texas resident to buy firearms, ammunition or firearms accessories in any other state, not just those contiguous to Texas, to reflect updated federal statutes.

Postal Service closure list

After announcing a $2.4 billion third-quarter loss, the U.S. Postal Service suggested it reduce service to a 5-day week and has identified 677 offices nationwide for closure or consolidation. Lufkin is not on the endangered list. However, for those who frequent the Houston or Dallas/Ft. Worth areas, it’s worth noting that there are 18 offices facing consolidation or closure.

Lufkin Police names new assistant chief

Lufkin Police has announced Lt. Gerald Williamson is the department’s new assistant police chief, following last week’s appointment of Chief Scott Marcotte.

“Gerald Williamson is the most professional police officer I have ever had the privilege of dealing with,” Marcotte said. “Anyone who has ever worked with Gerald would concur. He’s forward minded and will help develop and guide the department down a very progressive road.”

Williamson, who has worked for Lufkin Police for 22 years, previously oversaw from the support services division of the police department, which includes communications, traffic, community policing, training and grants. He also oversaw Lufkin’s Special Response Team.

As assistant police chief, Williamson will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department under the chief, oversee some aspects of the department budget, handle personnel issues and oversee the city’s animal control department.

Williamson made department history in 1991 as a narcotics officer when he and his partner seized $250,000 in cash and two kilograms of powder of cocaine during a traffic stop. From there, Williamson went on to supervise LPD’s Narcotics and Criminal Investigations division.

Before joining LPD, Williamson served two years in law enforcement in the Greater Houston area. He graduated from the certified public manager program at Stephen F. Austin State University. Williamson holds a master peace officer license from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCLEOSE) and has had more than 3,300 classroom hours in law enforcement related training.

Cowboys buck up new state inspection stickers

A western cowboy riding a bucking horse is expected to appear on vehicle windshields across the state of Texas in the coming months.

The iconic image will be the face of the state’s new inspection stickers, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

“We wanted to present a new certificate design that was immediately identifiable as being Texan,” said JoJo Heselmeyer, director of Vehicle Services for the DPS.

Drivers can expect to see the cowboy stickers over the next several months as the state rolls out the new decals.

DPS warns of summer door-to-door alarm scams

The Texas Department of Public Safety is urging Texas residents to make sure that any alarm salesperson, company or alarm installer that they hire is licensed by the Private Security Bureau.

The Private Security Bureau has initiated investigations in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas and Austin following reports that numerous unlicensed salespersons, installers and companies have been aggressively marketing their services to residents in those cities-primarily going door to door in neighborhoods. DPS is working with the alarm industry trade associations to investigate these claims, which generally increase in the summertime.

“If someone offering alarm-related services shows up at your door unsolicited, ask them for their DPS Private Security pocket card, which will also have their picture,” said Capt. RenEarl Bowie of the DPS Private Security Bureau. “Do not accept any other form of identification as proof you are dealing with a licensed salesperson or installer.”

Alarm companies and installers must be licensed to operate legally in the state of Texas. The licensing process includes a criminal background check to help ensure the safety of the public.

“Beware of aggressive tactics; someone trying to push you into a decision immediately,” said Bowie. “We also have numerous complaints of substandard work and broken promises in these situations.”

Police: Intersection short cuts are a ‘no no’

The Lufkin Police Department receives complaints from business owners on a daily basis about the traffic “cutting across” their parking lot to avoid an intersection, according to LPD Sgt. David Walker.

There are several locations around town where traffic becomes congested and traffic backs-up causing a line waiting for the traffic signals to cycle. A large number of drivers chose to enter a private parking lot and cut through to the intersecting street instead of waiting for the light to cycle and traffic to work through the signal light or stop sign.

Sec. 545.423 of the Texas Transportation Code strictly forbids shortcuts at an intersection.

“When drivers chose to make this type movement, pedestrians using the parking lot or business are endanger of being struck by a passing vehicle,” Walker said. “Cutting across a parking lot can result in a traffic accident and a $500 dollar fine. Slow down, you might save a life.”

DPS clarifies child booster seat law

The follow information is from a press release issued Tuesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

There has been some confusion about a new state law that requires all children younger than eight (8) years old, UNLESS taller than 4’9” to be in child passenger safety seat system. (“Child passenger safety seat system” includes traditional car seats with harnesses AND booster seats - both high-back and backless versions.)

The law also requires all safety seats and booster seats to be installed according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the safety seat system.

Because of the changes of the wording in the law (SB61), the following legal interpretation should be applied:

Once a child reaches eight (8) years old, they are not legally required to be in a child safety seat system. If the child is younger than eight years old, BUT they are already 4’9” tall, they are not legally required to be in a child safety seat system. If a child is eight years old or older, and not yet 4’9” tall, they are not legally required to be in a child safety seat system.

The law also requires that safety and booster seats be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, including age, height and weight requirements and the placement in the vehicle. (Some manufacturers prohibit using their products on the front seats of vehicles.)

The other part of the law that may cause some confusion are the dates of when the law takes effect and when the enforcement phase begins.

The law will take effect immediately when the governor signs it into law or allows it to pass unsigned. At such time, law enforcement officers may only enforce the new changes in the law with written or verbal warnings until June 1, 2010.

However, beginning on June 1, 2010, officers may then arrest or issue a citation/notice to appear to a person committing an offense.

A fine of not more than $25 can be assessed for a first offense and no more than $250 for the second or subsequent offenses.

This extra time between the effective date and the written offense date is to allow parents and caregivers ample time to become educated about, and obtain, the required safety seats or booster seats.

Vehicle manufacturers design their products for adults - not kids - and they support keeping kids in the appropriate safety or booster seat until the child can properly wear the adult safety belt…typically when they reach 4’9” tall.

Once your child has reached eight years old, to know when they can wear an adult seat belt properly without a booster seat, use this simple test:

Have your child sit on the vehicle seat, sitting all the way back, with their back straight against the back of the seat, and buckle the lap/shoulder belt over them.

Do their legs bend naturally at the knees over the edge of the seat? Does the lap portion of the belt fit low over the hips and top of their thighs? Does the shoulder portion of the belt fit across the center of their chest? If the answer to any of these three questions is no, the child may be better protected in a booster seat. A child in a poorly-fitting adult seat belt usually slumps down, allowing the seat belt to ride up into their abdomen or neck, which can cause severe injuries to the child’s neck and internal organs during a car crash.

Although there is no law that prevents youngsters from sitting in the front seat of a vehicle, the safest place for a child in a car is in a rear seat, properly buckled into a child safety seat or a booster seat.

Air bags don’t replace child safety seats and may increase the risk of serious injury to children. Children younger than 13 should never ride in the front seats of vehicles with active passenger air bags. If you do have to transport a child in the front seat in an emergency - make sure the front seat is moved all the way back on the track, placing as much room as possible between the deployment zone of the air bag and the vehicle seat…but NEVER place a rear-facing safety seat on a front seat.

A final, but very important note: please read and follow the instructions in both the safety/booster seat owner’s manual AND the vehicle owner’s manual. Not all safety or booster seats fit the same in all vehicles - so you may have to try several before finding a good fit for your child and vehicle.

If you have any questions, please contact Beth Warren, DPS Administrative Training Unit, Safety Programs at 512-424-5639 or beth.warren@txdps.state.tx.us.

State revamps sex offender database

The Texas Department of Public Safety has unveiled a complete redesign of the state’s sex offender registry. With enhancements to the public Web site, users will be able to subscribe to e-mail notifications about database changes in a specific zip code or to a specific offender’s record, as well as access additional information about specific offenders, including their reported workplace.

Enhanced mapping allows users to search by name, address, zip code and county. Lists of names include the proximity of each registered sex offender to the address provided by the user.

New information about registered sex offenders that is now available to the public:

Users also will be able to subscribe to an e-mail service that will notify them when changes are made to a specific offender’s record or when a change is made to the record of an offender who resides in that zip code. To subscribe, users should click on “create a subscription” and select the type of report they wish to subscribe to from a drop-down menu. They will enter the zip code, address, school or SID they are interested in being notified on and then enter their email address and click on “done.”

DPS: Crime rate in Texas drops 3 percent

The major crime rate in Texas decreased nearly 3 percent in 2008 from the previous year, according to data compiled by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Compared with 2007, the crime rate—the number of crimes per 100,000 population in Texas — decreased 2.9 percent in 2008. The violent crime rate decreased .6 percent in 2008 from 2007. The property crime rate decreased 3.2 percent in 2008.

“The reduction in our overall crime rate is a result of Texas’ tough approach to law enforcement. I commend the brave men and women of local law enforcement who continue to work every day to keep our state and its citizens safe,” said Col. Lamar Beckworth, interim director of the DPS.

The total number of major crimes committed was down 1.2 percent in 2008 compared with 2007. Of the seven index crimes, murder was down 3 percent; rape was down 5.1 percent. The total number of arrests in Texas increased 1.6 percent in 2008. The number of juvenile arrests decreased 1.2 percent, while adult arrests increased 2.0 percent.

The Texas Uniform Crime Reporting Program also collects statistics on hate crimes and family violence incidents. In 2008, Texas law enforcement agencies reported 246 incidents of hate crimes involving 276 victims and 233 offenders.

Law enforcement agencies reported 193,505 family violence incidents involving 208,073 victims and 203,682 offenders in 2008.

To read the full report, click here for a pdf version. (No cities in Angelina County are included in the report since they all have a population of 50,000 or less.)

DPS honors deceased Trinity Co. Sheriff Brent Lee

The Texas Department of Public Safety honored the late Trinity County Sheriff Brent Lee who died late last year while responding to an emergency call.

Sixteen Texas law officers across the state died in the past two years while on duty. DPS honored them today during its annual memorial service at the DPS Training Academy in Austin, according to a press release.

“We want the families of these officers to know that we remember the sacrifices they have made. Law enforcement is an honorable and dangerous profession, and each officer who pins on a badge understands that. It is important that we as a society honor those who died trying to keep us safe,” said Col. Lamar Beckworth, interim director of the DPS.

Lee died in a fiery car crash Nov. 27, 2008 (Thanksgiving morning) on his way to a morning emergency call. His 2006 Ford Crown Victoria caught fire after it struck a power pole off FM 3453, two miles west of state Highway 19. The impact threw Lee from the vehicle and he was pronounced dead.

Lee, who was well liked in the community, won the sheriff’s seat during a general county election in November 2008. He had been heading the department since June 2008 after the previous sheriff resigned early.

On the Radar