City probes rash of early morning fires Police investigating possible arsons along Schenectady's Union Street
Staff reports Monday, September 24, 2007
SCHENECTADY -- Fire burned the front of a Union Street apartment building this morning and fire investigators are trying to determine if the blaze is linked to three other pre-dawn Union Street blazes that occurred in rapid succession.
The blaze that blackened the porch and caused other damage to the front of 712 Union St. was the most serious of the four fires. Another blaze damaged a basement at 405 Union St. Trash bins behind the Union Inn, 517 Union St., Arizona Pizza and Deli, 1007 Barrett Street, also burned.
The fires were reported in rapid succession, sending firefighters to a series of addresses along the busy residential and commercial stretch.
Firefighters were not yet publicly declaring the fires arson, but Fire Chief Robert Farstad said it was unlikely that the fires were all accidental.
SCHENECTADY Bennett: Witnesses have started talking Official says more leads needed in slayings BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Witnesses are finally talking to police about two recent homicides, Commissioner of Public Safety Wayne Bennett said. Now he needs help from people who may not realize they have useful information to offer. In particular, he wants to hear from everyone who was at the Shanghai Bistro during John Johnson’s killing on Sept. 14 — even those who were nowhere near the dance floor where he was shot. They may have seen the shooter earlier and could amplify the description police have. “Even if you don’t think you saw something, you might be able to verify some information we’ve been able to obtain,” Bennett said. “What they don’t know is we have information from other people, information we can verify — did you see this person, can you further describe him?” Police also have more information now on the killing of Hassan Rainey, who was shot dead 13 hours before Johnson. Their deaths are otherwise very different: Johnson was killed late at night by one bullet in a crowded nightclub, while someone fired several shots at Rainey in broad daylight as he drove down Duane Avenue in the city’s Hamilton Hill neighborhood. Bennett said Monday that he’s certain the shootings are connected and are linked to two non-fatal shootings that occurred earlier that week. He discussed the investigation outside the Schenectady City Council session Monday. “This was a retaliatory shooting,” Bennett said of Rainey’s killing. He declined to give more information but said witnesses have offered some help. “We’ve had some people who have talked to us. It’s certainly not overwhelming,” he said. It took the police some time just to determine that Rainey was killed by someone in a vehicle, not someone who fled on foot. Police now believe there were two people in that vehicle. “Someone had to be driving the car. In all likelihood, there was someone in the car to do the shooting,” Bennett said. Some witnesses have offered descriptions of the vehicle, but the police need more details. “The more descriptions you get, the better you can pin down the vehicle you’re looking for,” Bennett said, adding that he’s sure people know what the car looked like. “There were quite a few people out on the street,” he said. “It was a clear-view situation.” Bennett also said Rainey hung out with violent people, but declined to say whether Rainey was involved in criminal activity. He said he was surprised to hear that Rainey’s obituary described him as a volunteer Pop Warner football coach and a counselor for Northeast Parent & Child Society. “We know him from a different kind of lifestyle,” Bennett said. “That’s puzzling. You’ve got two different personalities. Theoretically, you’d expect a person who accepts those kinds of responsibility not to get involved with players who engage in violence.” Police are still struggling to identify those “players.” Bennett said none of Rainey’s associates are speaking to police, but noted that the man was well-known in the Hamilton Hill neighborhood where he was killed. Even young children who saw Rainey’s killing were able to identify him by name, telling reporters about him just half an hour after he was shot. “They know him. I’m sure they know who he didn’t get along with. We need to talk to his associates, who can tell us who his enemies are,” Bennett said. He urged witnesses to come forward, saying arrests in both homicides would make the neighborhood safer. “The longer they’re out there, obviously they continue to pose a danger to everyone,” Bennett said. “We’re getting enough cooperation that we’re generating additional leads. But I’m sure there’s individuals out there who have heard something or saw something.” Reach Gazette reporter Kathleen Moore at 395-3120 or moore@dailygazette.com
Bennett also said Rainey hung out with violent people, but declined to say whether Rainey was involved in criminal activity. He said he was surprised to hear that Rainey’s obituary described him as a volunteer Pop Warner football coach and a counselor for Northeast Parent & Child Society.
And everyone assumes teachers are not ever child molesters......hhhmmmm
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Defendant in missing evidence case sentenced BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122 or scook@dailygazette.net
The drug defendant whose attorney threatened to put a disgraced former city police detective on the stand, has been sentenced to eight years in state prison. James Outlaw, 37, was sentenced Tuesday by acting Schenectady County Court Judge Polly Hoye. The sentence reflected a lastminute August plea bargain that avoided trial. Outlaw admitted he possessed cocaine, intending to sell it. The case was one of 17 where a police investigation found drug evidence to be missing. It was also the last of the 17 to be resolved. SCHENECTADY The case was complicated by the presence of former Schenectady police detective Jeffrey Curtis in the investigation and the absence of 15 baggies of alleged crack cocaine and two bags of alleged powder cocaine in the trial. The evidence had disappeared from the police vice squad. Outlaw’s attorney James Davis had vowed to call Curtis as a witness for the defense. Curtis admitted in June to taking drug evidence in another case and he is suspected of taking evidence in the others, including Outlaw’s. Prosecutors had pressed on in the Outlaw case, offering a plea deal but arguing the prospect of Curtis testifying could be overcome. Two co-defendants had pleaded guilty to lesser crimes earlier. A deal was brokered around gun charges, which were dropped. But that still left Outlaw in prison for eight years for drugs. Davis reiterated Wednesday that the deal fit the facts of the case. “From the moment he was picked up and questioned, he confessed to the drugs, but he said ‘I don’t know anything about the guns,” Davis said. The Curtis case led to sweeping reforms in the way evidence is handled in the Schenectady Police Department. A grand jury report is expected soon to suggest more changes. For his part, Curtis was sentenced Sept. 14 to four years in state prison on drug possession and evidence tampering pleas. He is currently being housed at the Downstate Correctional Facility in Fishkill, according to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services Web site. Downstate is primarily a classification facility. Curtis’ earliest release date is listed as Feb. 11, 2011, with his parole hearing set for May 2010.
Audit faults probation agency Schenectady County department loses funds due to poor oversight
By PAUL NELSON, Staff writer First published: Thursday, September 27, 2007
SCHENECTADY -- The county probation department failed to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential revenue from fees and other court-related costs because of poor internal oversight and faulty record-keeping. That was the finding of a state comptroller's audit released earlier this month that scrutinized the department's books for the period of January 2005-January 2006.
The report uncovered abuses in the department's monthly system for reducing administrative fees and showed flaws in its collection of restitution payments and other money under the terms of a court-imposed sentence.
According to the audit, the probation department failed to collect upward of $120,315 in revenues, another $98,000 due to victims and $24,000 that the county failed to collect because supervision and drunken-driving fees were administered inappropriately.
The funds collected are supposed to go toward department operational costs and be used to ensure victims get their court-ordered awards, the report said.
But in at least three cases, the audit found probation officers lowered fees even though their boss had denied the request. Two other reductions were never approved by a supervisor, the audit found.
With regards to other reductions, state auditors also reviewed 11 driving while impaired files and found that not one had the properly signed approval form. It's estimated $11,203 in revenue may have been lost from DWAI cases overall, the report said.
Some of the audit's recommendations include establishing written guidelines for reducing fees and creating a monthly billing system that lists current and past due amounts for those who have been ordered to make restitution. It also calls for the county to update its procedures for locating victims, expand its sources of information and institute a policy to ensure the timely transfer or money to the finance department.
The document credits the department for taking action to address some of the deficiencies. For example, it says a county committee was established to deal with probation issues even before the audit was completed. The county also has been working on a manual to deal with some of the other problems.
County Probation Director Mary Lolik did not return calls seeking comment. County Attorney Chris Gardner referred a call to Manager Kathleen Rooney, who did not call back.
The county defended itself in the report by arguing it was unrealistic to assume a 100 percent collection rate. Probation officials said that making restitution to victims is a priority, and that the department's accounting has long been handled by the county auditor's office.
Nelson can be reached at 454-5347 or by e-mail at pnelson@timesunion.com.
James Outlaw, 37, was sentenced Tuesday by acting Schenectady County Court Judge Polly Hoye. The sentence reflected a lastminute August plea bargain that avoided trial. Outlaw admitted he possessed cocaine, intending to sell it. The case was one of 17 where a police investigation found drug evidence to be missing. It was also the last of the 17 to be resolved.
You'd think with a last name like outlaw, he'd want to make EXTRA sure he kept himself on the up-and-up. Guess not.
According to the audit, the probation department failed to collect upward of $120,315 in revenues, another $98,000 due to victims and $24,000 that the county failed to collect because supervision and drunken-driving fees were administered inappropriately.
Again, for anybody that goes into Schenectady for anything, here's your tax dollars a work. They didn't collect this from where it was supposed to be collected from, so it comes right out of Mr. and Mrs. Resident and Mr. and Mrs. Business Owner's pockets.
But I mean, really...it's only A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS!
This is just another example of the great city of Schenectady that obviously can not govern or police itself. Pathetic!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Because the people that elected her give praises to the person who gives them another program, even if it costs them more than they know, just look at the SCHIP bill with the feds and how they're fighting for that.
Why isn't Suzie worried about the uncollected revenue and try to save the tax payers some money instead of wasting money on useless programs.
Because Suzie is too busy with Mr.Morris from Proctors and trying to blackmail SCCC into helping Mr. Morris fullfill his dream. Susan Savage cares NOTHING about the average taxpayer. Suzie and her crew are clearly interested in their own political agenda. They are truly self serving politicians at their best!
And it really makes me laugh...what do they think they are governing? NYC? Chicago? San Diego? Come on now,, it really shouldn't be all that difficult to govern an insignificant city like Schenectaly. Most people don't know how to pronounce it, let alone even know where it is. The only thing people 'may' say that they have heard about Schenectady is when they talk about one of the highest taxed cities in the country. Clearly not their accomplishments!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
SCHENECTADY COUNTY Audit critical of collection efforts Probation Dept. financial controls called inadequate BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com
The Schenectady County Department of Probation failed to collect nearly $250,000 in fees, fines and restitution between 2005-2006 due to inadequate financial controls, a state audit said. The audit by the State Comptroller’s Office, released Wednesday, found no malfeasance in operations, and recommended the county provide more oversight and tighten accounting procedures. County Manager Kathleen Rooney on Thursday said the county has already corrected the 18 recommendations outlined in the comptrollers’ report. “All the items have been resolved for a while. We made procedural changes right away,” she said. In answer to the audit, Rooney placed the county auditor’s offi ce in control of the probation department’s bank reconciliations, to provide an independent check and balance on these funds; also, a team developed a policy manual, which has tightened controls overs collection, disbursement and recording of fees, fines and restitution. Rooney said she welcomed the review. “We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves.” A team of auditors from the state agency reviewed county probation operations for a period covering January 2005-January 2006. Its key findings are that the department: Needs stronger guidelines and to tighten controls over collection and enforcement of fees. Has to establish polices and procedures for prompt payment to victims of restitution fees, to find victims quickly and to record payments to victims. Develop stronger controls to record cash collection and disbursement. The comptroller’s office said the deficiencies caused the department not to collect $24,000 in supervision fees and DWI fee waivers, $120,000 in revenues and $98,000 in restitution for victims. The department collected $237,608 in 2005 and $240,000 in 2004 in fees, fines and restitution, the comptroller said. Rooney said the county collected $201,000 in fees and restitution in 2006, a 14 percent increase over collections during the audit period. “Working with probationers to collect fees and restitution is very challenging, given the general profile of the population,” she said. Probationers face economic and behavioral risks that interfere with their abilities to obtain jobs or remain of out trouble, she said. She said the state assumed a 100 percent collection rate from probationers, which she called unrealistic. Also, Schenectady is one of the few counties in the state that charges a supervision fee, which covers administration of the probation program. The fee is based on a sliding income scale. Since 2003, the department has collected $300,000 in supervision fees from probationers, which represents a collection rate of 28 percent. Again, Rooney said a “100 percent collection rate is unrealistic.” The county’s policy is for probationers to pay victim restitution fees first before paying supervision fees. “Our priority is always restitution for victims,” Rooney said. The county collects $150,000 in restitution per year, she said, a collection rate of 64 percent.
Schenectady man faces sex charges Saturday, September 29, 2007
SCHENECTADY - A Donnan Avenue man is charged with the attempted rape of a girl, 12, after forcing her into Vale Park from Eastern Avenue, Schenectady police said today.
At 5:10 p.m. Friday, officers were investigating the report of a missing child who had been seen earlier with an unknown man in the Eastern Avenue area.
Police checked the north side of Vale Park and saw who they believed to be the child and the man. As officers approached, the man fled, leaving the girl and a bicycle behind. Police searched the area and were still at the scene at about 7:30 p.m. when the man came back for the bicycle and was taken into custody.
Chester L. Williamson, 26, is charged with first-degree attempted rape and first-degree sexual abuse, felonies, and misdemeanors of unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of a child, police said.
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