Friday Follies...

Welcome to the wonderfulness known as THE WEEKEND!

Today's weather will be cold to begin with, warming up to the upper THIRTIES by day's end.

Tomorrow is expected to be even warmer with temps topping out in the low FORTIES, so get that car washed off.

After that...it's BRRRRrrrr CITY, friends.
Hope you like single digit lows, because we're getting them.

(thermal underwear will be SO welcome)

Meanwhile...sit back, relax, and let's wander about in life's playpen, and see what we can discover today...

*** First up, some drug-related arrests in the Summit City, courtesy of your friendly, neighborhood law-enforcement officers.

Here's the story:

http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130118/LOCAL07/301189915/1043/LOCAL07

The first arrest happened around 0700 hrs at 3109 Central Drive, located (where else?) on the city's...(...all together, gang...)...SOUTHEAST side!

Erik A. Holley, 28 was busted on a FELONY cocaine possession charge, as well as a misdemeanor charge of visiting a common nuisance.

Officers on scene also found a body armor vest and THREE guns, one of which had been reported...(guess what?)...STOLEN.
How much you wanna bet the OTHER two were not purchased "legally" either?

Now Erik is NOT a stranger to the local penal system, as we can see below.

He's a male BLACK, 6'1", 175 lbs and here are his contributions to society:

====RAP SHEET=====
02D04-0209-IF-012568 Holley, Erik A 09/07/2002
Allen Superior Court 5 IF - Infraction
Decided NO OP. LICENSE IN POSS'N
02D04-0310-CM-008683 Holley, Erik A 10/21/2003
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided MINOR IN POSS OF ALCOHOL
NO OP. LICENSE IN POSS'N
VIOL FT WAYNE SPEED ORD
02D04-0311-IF-017563 Holley, Erik A 11/13/2003
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (INF)
02D04-0404-CM-002600 Holley, Erik A 04/05/2004
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATE WHILE SUSP (MISD)
POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA
NEVER RECEIVE LICENSE
02D04-0407-IF-008509 Holley, Erik 07/08/2004
Allen Superior Court 5 IF - Infraction
Decided NO SAFETY BELT/PASSENGER
02D04-0409-CM-007312 Holley, Erik A 09/13/2004
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided CRIMINAL TRESPASS
02D04-0409-CM-007592 Holley, Erik A 09/20/2004
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED (CLASS A)

OPER VEH W/BAC OF .15% + (CLASS A)

RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
FALSE & FICTITIOUS REG'N
EXCEED MAX LAWFUL SPEEDS
02D04-0510-CM-007300 Holley, Erik A 10/06/2005
Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided FALSE INFORMING (B)
02D04-0603-MC-000525 Holley, Erik A 03/16/2006
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal

Decided P.C. POSSESSION OF COCAINE

02D04-0603-FD-000216 Holley, Erik A 03/21/2006

Allen Superior Court 4 FD - Class D Felony

Decided POSSESS COCAINE NARCOTIC DRUG METHAMPHETAMINE

02D04-0607-CM-005076 Holley, Erik A 07/25/2006

Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor

Decided CRIMINAL CONVERSION

02D04-0712-MC-002510 Holley, Erik A 12/04/2007

Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal

Decided P.C. BATTERY

P.C. CRIMINAL RECKLESSN'S

BATTERY (A) (D.V.)

CRIMINAL MISCHIEF (A)

02D04-0712-CM-007847 Holley, Erik A 12/07/2007

Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor

Decided BATTERY (A) (D.V.)

02D04-0904-MC-000764 549010

549010 Holley, Erik A 04/14/2009

Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal

Decided P.C. POSSESSION OF COCAINE

NEVER RECEIVE LICENSE

02D04-0904-FD-000387 Holley, Erik A 04/17/2009

Allen Superior Court 4 FD - Class D Felony

Decided POSSESSION OF COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG

02D04-0907-CM-003915 Holley, Erik A 07/06/2009

Allen Superior Court 4 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor

Decided PUBLIC INTOXICATION

02D04-1003-CM-001700 Holley, Erik A 03/22/2010

Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor

Decided RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT

CARRYING HANDGUN W/O LICENSE

02D04-1004-FC-000077 Holley, Erik A 04/05/2010
Allen Superior Court 6 FC - Class C Felony
Decided CARRYING A HANDGUN WITHOUT A LICENSE
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-1006-CM-003401 Holley, Erik A 06/07/2010
Allen Superior Court 6 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided DOMESTIC BATTERY
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
INTERFER W/REPORTING CRIME
=====ADDRESSES=====
3535 Abbott St
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
1319 Mcculloch St

Fort Wayne, IN 46806

4105 Hessen Cassel Rd

Fort Wayne, IN 46806

118 E Creighton Ave

Fort Wayne, IN 46806
3916 Abbott St

Fort Wayne, IN 46806

2212 John St

Fort Wayne, IN 46806

===============

Yeah, he's been a very busy boy.

At 0800 hrs, police also searched a home (also on the SE side) at 3112 Felician St. that had been previously investigated for cocaine sales.

At THIS house, one Roosevelt Allen III, 29, was busted for being a serious violent felon in possession of a handgun, as well as possession of pot, maintaining a common nuisance, and dealing cocaine, all of which are FELONIES.

A revolver was taken from the house.

He is also a male BLACK, 5'7", 183 lbs, and here is HIS contributions to society:
=====RAP SHEET=====
02D04-0307-CM-005678 Allen, Roosevelt 07/15/2003
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Decided DOMESTIC BATTERY
02D04-0308-MC-001389 Allen, Roosevelt 08/04/2003
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. DEALING IN COCAINE/METH
02D04-0308-FA-000046 Allen, Roosevelt 08/07/2003
Allen Superior Court 6 FA - Class A Felony
Decided DEALING IN COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
02D04-0405-MC-000975 Allen, Roosevelt J 05/28/2004
Allen Superior Court 6 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C MAIN COMMON NUISANCE
POSS PARAPHERNALIA
02D04-0604-IF-005770 Allen, Roosevelt 04/13/2006
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided NO OPR'S LIC. WHEN REQ'D
02D04-0808-MC-001779 Allen, Roosevelt 08/01/2008
Allen Superior Court 4 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. DEALING IN COCAINE/METH
RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT
02D04-0911-MC-002453 Allen, Roosevelt 11/23/2009
Allen Superior Court 5 MC - Miscellaneous Criminal
Decided P.C. POSSESS. MARIJUANA
02D04-0911-FD-001119 Allen, Roosevelt 11/30/2009
Allen Superior Court 4 FD - Class D Felony
Decided POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA HASH OIL OR HASHISH
02D04-1108-IF-012504 657601 ALLEN, ROOSEVELT, III 08/10/2011
Allen Superior Court 4 IF - Infraction
Decided 9-21-8-2(a)/IFC: Driving Left of Center
02D05-1112-CM-007572 656390
656390 ALLEN, ROOSEVELT, III 12/19/2011
Allen Superior Court 5 CM - Criminal Misdemeanor
Pending 9-30-5-2(b)/MA: Operating A Vehicle While Intoxicated; Endangering A Person
9-30-5-2(a)/MC: Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated
=====ADDRESSES=====
3533 MCKINNIE AVE
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
1017 ST MARYS AVE
FORT WAYNE, IN 46808
447 W William St
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
816 Collerick St
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
740 Prestwick Square Dr
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
6733 John ST
Fort Wayne, IN 46806
=============
Ever notice how most ALL of these thugs LOVE to move around constantly...lots of houses where they practice their "trade".
So there are two fairly major playas off the streets...hopefully for a LONG time (but only if the FEDS get involved and the local prosecutor can't touch these perps and turn them loose...AGAIN as they have been doing for the last decade).
Moving on...
*** Tonight is the series finale of the TV show FRINGE.

Now, this show isn't for everyone, because it postulates some REALLY weird stuff, not the least of which is alternate universes.
(which explains why OUR world is so screwed up of late...lol)
John Noble heads the cast and plays Dr. Walter Bishop, a formerly institutionalized genius who has conducted experiments into what is called "fringe-science" - the possibilities of how far humankind can go physically, mentally, and societally.
You may remember him from the LOTR trilogy - he played Denethor, steward of Gondor in the Tolkien tale (for all you trivia-buffs).
He also narrates the anthology series: Dark Matter - Twisted but True.
This is about how science gets perverted, and all of the stories are drawn from historical FACT.
Tonight's finale is a 2-hour event and I'm sure will manage to leave more than few stones unturned...that would allow for a future movie or two, right?
*** Next up...I LOVE sandwiches...all kinds...gimme lunch meats and cheeses...and bread or a roll.

Toss in some mayor or mustard, and I'm good to go...anytime, anyplace.
Hell, I'm from Philly...I grew UP on sandwiches...AND especially HOAGIES!
Brown-bagging it to school back in the day showed that Mom GAVE A DAMN...and that the sandwich inside was gonna taste GREAT.
The days of Lebanon bologna, Cotto salami, Cooper cheese invokes some great memories.
(and a Pavlovian response now...lol).
But just last week, I came across a new type of lunch meat...seriously.
And it's something I would have never thought of...

It's called BACON-COVERED HAM...yepper, you heard right.
And it tastes...REAL good.
Makes a nice alternative when frying up some EGGS, too.
Goes great when tossed into an omelet.
And it's fantastic on a sandwich...add some sliced tomato, and some hot peppers, and you are in for one helluva treat.
They also have a BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN out there, too (gonna try that this week).
It's like having a damn club sandwich without all the hassle...LOL.
I dunno WHO thought this up (probably a man...bacon lover, no doubt), but I have to admit "They done good on this...they done REAL good".
You can ask for a taste at most Kroger Deli sections...and get a free slice.
*** Next up, an AP (read Liberal-slanted) story about guns, and the research (or apparently according to some, the LACK of it) pertaining to statistical results.
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130118/NEWS03/301189945/0/SEARCH

Okay, sure we have the NTSB that investigates airplane crashes, and the NHTSA for vehicular crashes, but for some reason there is no federal body that investigates all those GUN-related statistics like homicides, accidents, thefts, etc...?

Gee, I thought ALL that data was available through the LOCAL levels?
I guess that's why the CDC is going to get involved if the Anointed One's EOs go into play (expect some serious fighting over these).

Now WHY the CDC?
Don't they monitor DISEASES?
Their name says as much.
(Center for DISEASE Control)
Or maybe the government wants to EXPAND even further and create a whole NEW agency JUST for gun stats?
(bigger government with over-reaching power...THAT'S what we really need...NOT)
I would say that the best recourse is to gather the data that IS available and utilize that.
I love these nagging questions, such as:
•How many people own firearms in various cities and what types.
•What states have the highest proportion of gun ownership.
•Whether gun ownership correlates with homicide rates in a city.
•How many guns used in homicides were bought legally.
•Where juveniles involved in gun fatalities got their weapons.
•What factors contribute to shootings like the one in Newtown, Conn., that killed 26 people at a school.
I believe most of these can already be answered WITHOUT being even more INTRUSIVE to law-abiding citizens.

Why should it be public knowledge WHAT TYPE of firearm(s) I own...that's MY business.

Remember the fallout when the NY paper outed everyone who HAD a firearm in those counties in past weeks?
Several break-ins followed...perps looking for...GUNS!
Gun ownership and homicide rates...that gets my goat, too.
Homicide rates are TRADITIONALLY LOWER in areas where MORE (legally-owned) firearms are found.
But, when all the THUGS are the ones with guns, homicide rates ARE...higher.
I would say that a lot FEWER legally-purchased guns are used in homicides, as opposed to either STOLEN, straw-purchased, or black-market firearms.

Thugs don't waltz into gun shops, go through background checks and are then allowed to purchase 30 pistols of the same type, so they can sell them from the trunk of their car at inflated prices.
Sorry, that crap just don't float for me.
Any gun dealer that DID allow that would be found out whenever a gun was traced back to the shop...simple enough.
(and then THEY get busted and lose their FFL license)
Juveys get guns either by nosing around where they don't need to be, or outright THEFT (like the Newtown loon that TOOK his mother's guns).
This makes the case for irresponsible gun-owners that DO NOT properly stow and/or lock up their weapons.
And these people represent an extremely small minority of ALL the gun owners in America.
(they're probably also the people that text or jaw-jack on the cell phone while driving)
So, as you can see, there are already common sense answers to most ALL of what the government WANTS to know...all they have to do is stay in contact with local agencies, or read the damn newspapers to find things out.
We don't ALL need MONITORING...like some infant in a damn crib.
Watch the loons, the psychos, and the thugs, because THEY are the ones capable and willing to commit a crime...gun or no gun.
*** Lastly today, there is a very sobering statistic out there that I believe ALL of us need to be aware of.
And that's the ratio of street gang members to law-enforcement officers.
Finding THOSE statistics is harder than I thought, and I'm still in the process of compiling as much as I can find regarding this.
What I have found so far is disturbing.

The last data came from 2009, and it says we currently (then) had between 800K - 1 MIL gang members of KNOWN gangs and their associated cliques. That's one HELL of a lot of bangers out there, and better than 70% of them are tied into some of the WORST gangs on the planet...the ones that decapitate people, for example.

Now, the number of LEOs out there is not even CLOSE to being 1 million.

Stats from 2008 showed we had approx. 765K sworn officers in America with arrest powers.

That's a far cry from that million-mook number for the gangstas.
And with PDs across the USA coming under budgetary restraints, losing grants, retirements, disability, and layoffs, we can expect the 3-4 year old number to be even LESS.
All the while, gang numbers are GROWING...not a good thing.
Yet, the FEDS would like to restrict certain guns owned or purchased by the law-abiding...
Are you sh*tting me?
With more thugs on the streets and fewer officers, you want to me to totally and blindly trust that ANY police will be able to arrive BEFORE an "event" takes place?
Well, it took officers close to FIFTEEN minutes to arrive in Newtown, CT.
Our very own FWPD is still 21 officers down in staffing, and on any night, you can hear officers being shifted all over the place, so that coverage is as uniform as possible.
(read minimal staffs most shifts)
That's really NOT stopping crime...it just makes things a bit EASIER to respond to AFTER something happens.
Like I said, I'm still sifting through lots of information on this, and trying to discern precise numbers for more current years.
And it's quite a task, but to KNOW such things is better for the REST of us, right?
Information, or rather KNOWLEDGE ...IS POWER.
ALL of us need to remember that, because our cities, our futures, and our very lives could well be at stake.
DO have yourselves a good weekend, in keeping with the situation.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...

Stay SAFE out there, America.