Criminal checks run on all Katrina Evacuees

[Cult]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/22/katrina.criminals.ap/index.html

<snip!>
MIDDLETOWN, Rhode Island (AP) -- After Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, federal officials flew Brian Murph and more than 100 other victims to Rhode Island. They were greeted by the governor and cheered by residents.

Then the handcuffs were placed on Murph.

State police did criminal background checks on every refugee and found that more than half had a criminal arrest records -- a third for felonies. Murph was the only one with an outstanding arrest warrant, for larceny and other crimes.

Around the nation, state and local authorities are checking refugees' pasts as they are welcomed into homes, schools, houses of worship and housing projects. In some states, half the refugees have rap sheets.

"It's a balancing act," said Kyle Smith, deputy director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. "We don't want to treat them like criminals after they have been traumatized, but we want to make sure they are in no danger nor the families they are housed with."

<snip!>

[Child_Of_Isis]

1. Jesus!

Now they are all criminals. Living with and taking advantage of good white christian folk.




:eyes:

[nodehopper]

14. they are not all criminals

one person out of the ones that the article was talking about was arrested because he had an outstanding warrant. Of all the things that happened after Katrina, running criminal checks on people who are being welcomed into homes (not necessarily of good white christian folk but by many people who themselves don't have much but are good-hearted and want to share), I have the least problems with this. Unfortunately, there are real criminals and con artists in the world.

[obxhead]

15. there are also people who get screwed

by criminal checks. Some have a hard time finding housing etc because of these checks. equal housing for all, except past criminals (even when they have paid their debt to society and now live an honest productive life)

[slampoet]

2. In a follow up article it turns out that the person in Rhode Island

who had a "Criminal Background"

"fit a description" of someone who was wanted for "looting" The outstanding bench warrant was for actions of self preservation during the hurricane. Actions that the arrested individual denies.

The article should read "Second Most Corrupt police force in the USA (Rhode Island) compounds the errors of the Most Corrupt police force in the World (NOLAPD)."

[patdem]

5. Let me guess at the 'description'...black hair, brown eyes, dark skin

and carring a knapsack? Somewhere between 4'10" and 6'5" weight between 97lbs to 215lbs. ARREST UPON SITE!

[Angry Girl]

3. What's next? Mandatory drug tests? Credit checks? Fingerprinting?

Oh, and let us not forget that the latest ACLU report:

Rhode Island Police Backsliding on Efforts to End Racial Profiling

"atest statistics on police department traffic stops in the state show an increase in searches of racial minorities even as white drivers are more likely to be found with contraband when searches are conducted."
http://www.aclu.org/PolicePractices/PolicePractices.cfm?ID=18894&c=25

[Gman]

4. Is it still a felony to be Black? I knew DWB was a felony.

I thought that was changed around 1965 and maybe never was in northern states (except KS).

[saigon68]

10. dwb and ewb CHANGED TO CRIMINAL LWB

DWB - DRIVING WHILE BLACK

EWB = EVACUATING WHILE BLACK

LWB = LIVING WHILE BLACK


Where's Martin now that we really need him ?

[underpants]

6. I suspected that a lot of people would take this opportunity

and recreate themselves as someone else.

Change identities
Collect more than once on benefits made available to them ( at more than one location)
etc

[slampoet]

9. Tell me, how does someone without resources

...who had to evacuate with less than 24 hours notice....
...who might not even have decent clothes....

Change their identity?

Explain step by step.

If YOU can't explain it, then maybe no one is doing it.

[underpants]

16. Name:___________

It would be very easy to do. Especially if you know of someone who passed on. I am not saying that everyone does this but there are always people who take advantage.

If you have the means you go to another processing center and do the same thing again. I can't imagine the Feds have it together enough to check for redundancy.

BTW_ I talked to an exFEMA type and he told me that this is surely going on.

[grasswire]

7. evacuating while black

They did the same when people were processed into the Superdome and other shelters.

If you were a survivor of Hurricane Katrina and you had an arrest record or criminal history, would you go to be processed by law enforcement? Especially if you were poor and of color?

I assume that many, many of the class that is disproportionately arrested would remain in the floodwater rather than be under the scrutiny of "the man" and the "law."

Then, of course, anyone who remains is breaking the mandatory evacuation order and "lawbreaking." Sounds like a quick trip to jail for some.

[pinerow]

8. They are doing the same things to Latinos...

LATINO ORGANIZATIONS BLAST CHERTOFF FOR DETAINING KATRINA VICTIMS

Leaders Say Department of Homeland Security is Undercutting the President

Washington, DC - Alarmed by reports that immigration authorities have detained immigrant evacuees in West Virginia and Texas, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) have called on Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff to suspend deportation proceedings against immigrants who approach the government for help in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

"Our organizations have been working in good faith with the President and his Administration to make sure that all of those harmed by this terrible storm receive the help they need. DHS' actions are undercutting the President's efforts and the relief effort overall," said Janet Murguia, NCLR President and CEO.

"We are deeply concerned that while the White House is urging people to come forward, the Department of Homeland Security has refused to refrain from detaining them. This could exacerbate the already overwhelming public health and safety crises generated by Katrina," she continued. In a letter sent to Secretary Chertoff, the leaders note that DHS' actions are a "radical departure" from previous policies of the Bush Administration and its predecessors which have consistently suspended enforcement activities during relief efforts such those following last year's string of hurricanes in Florida and the 9/11 tragedy.

"Along with our sister organizations, NCLR is urging Secretary Chertoff to both suspend enforcement actions and publicly alert hurricane victims that they have nothing to fear by coming forward. This is the best interest of the relief effort and in the best interest of the country," concluded Murguia.

[Cult]

11. What if they're on probation?

Then, they aren't allowed to leave their county, and if caught get arrested. And, if they stay, they get arrested. <sigh>

[Eugene]

12. LA says they're okay as long as they register at their new location.

Louisiana also says it won't extradite evacuees
with outstaning warrants for minor offenses.

[MADem]

13. Some states are checking up on the HOSTS' backrounds as well

...to make sure traumatized evacuated families are not placed in the home of some criminal. Two way street in that case.

[MasonJar]

17. Why?

[MindLikeAParachute]

18. (Fox News) Half Katrina Refugees Have (Criminal) Records

Thursday, September 22, 2005
MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — After Hurricane Katrina (search) hit New Orleans, federal officials flew Brian Murph and more than 100 other victims to Rhode Island. They were greeted by the governor and cheered by residents.

Then the handcuffs were placed on Murph.

State police did criminal background checks (search) on every refugee and found that more than half had a criminal arrest records — a third for felonies. Murph was the only one with an outstanding arrest warrant, for larceny and other crimes.

Around the nation, state and local authorities are checking refugees' pasts as they are welcomed into homes, schools, houses of worship and housing projects. In some states, half the refugees have rap sheets.
...
Civil libertarians call the checks thinly veiled race and class discrimination against people who have suffered already. The checks are made on those evacuated or forced to seek help from charities or others — in other words, people who are often black and poor.
...
The state police in West Virginia said roughly half of the nearly 350 Katrina victims evacuated by the government to that state had criminal records, and 22 percent have a history of committing a violent crime.
More: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,170134,00.html

[asthmaticeog]

19. Is there confirmation on this from a reputable source?

[MindLikeAParachute]

22. Reputable?? Hey, it's Fox News. But as it happens, AP is carrying it too

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050922/ap_on_re_us/katrina_criminals_hk4

[asthmaticeog]

31. Thanks n/t

[melody]

52. That is NOT what the AP says, though

Fox has -- yet again -- lifted one phrase entirely out of context to assuage the appetites of their racist viewers.

[cantstandbush]

39. Still callilng them "refugees." That says a lot.

I think if they did background checks on DU about one third would have some kind of record. I was arressted for a peace demonstration, booked and released. But I still have a record.

[Cult]

53. Ditto....

But my record is non-violent, some DUI from when I was 21. (quit drinking because of). Good to know that if I need help, I'll be thoroughly investigated.

-E!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

20. Given what we know about

poverty this shouldn't surprise us. And obviously the poorest were the ones with no means to leave.

[cureautismnow]

21. Check the criminal records of Faux employees

I bet 1/2 of them have been arrested!

[Beaverhausen]

33. not to mention the Bush Administration

[donheld]

41. "I bet 1/2 of them have been arrested!"

And the other 1/2 need to be.

[Botany]

23. Good Lord ....

...... in some black communities if you are a black male you
have 75% chance of spending some time in jail.

This does not absolve any person of any past misdeeds but that
stat is soooooo damn misleading.

Fucking Fox ...... the Goebbles network.

[BlueJac]

24. I've heard of a couple Bush arrests.......

just saw one last week, Jeb's son.

[liberalhistorian]

51. Exactly!

You'd never, ever hear Fux News talking about that, though, they probably ordered their people not to even mention it. Nope, no double standard here. Move along, now, folks, move along, nothing to see here.

[MindLikeAParachute]

25. That said

Fox is headlining it as "half the refugees are criminals"

That is contrasted with the statement in the report:

"In some (emphasis mine) states, half the refugees have rap sheets."

"In some states", and just about anything could qualify from a DWI to whatever....

[Gormy Cuss]

57. In some states it's easy to have a felony conviction for drug possession

Especially one that occurred 20 or 30 years ago. Doing criminal background checks on everyone means some contractor is making a fat payday off of it --- most likely the Republican's best friend Choicepoint.

FOX hyping it in a misleading way is par for the course.

[Straight Shooter]

26. So what? bush has a criminal record, too.

And if we knew what the bush family knows, and those involved in the cover-ups know about georgie, it would make the N.O. felons look like child's play.

bush was guilty of DWI. IIRC, so was Cheney. Now, Fox's point is exactly what? :eyes:

[Shakespeare]

27. Nice that they're calling them "refugees" again. Jerks. n/t

[Cobalt Violet]

28. Well ALL of the White House Does.

Did they say that on Fox?

[dweller]

29. So do half of *moron's admin

well, close enough.

do they mention that too?

dp

[Robeson]

30. Cover for Bush, by dehumanizing others. Goebbels is proud....

...he couldn't have done it better.

[thecodewarrior]

32. So

Most of Foxnews are criminals, from Newt to Liddy, and Ollie.

If you fucked the country over you got a job at foxnews.

[Robeson]

35. Unfortunately, FAUX News doesn't do a lot self-revelatory journalism...

...on themselves, only others.

[VegasWolf]

34. Most of the rednecks that watch FAUX probably have some record. nt

[pschoeb]

36. This is probably true for whole US population, so FOX is just racist

My guess is that more than half of the US population have been arrested for a misdemeaner or higher, probably higher if your just talking arrest and not conviction. This is total crap as far as using statistics to show anything meaningfull

I myself have been arrested three times for misdemeaners, just protesting the war, but the charges were dropped each time. They were supposed to expunge my record of the arrests, but when a recent employer did a background search, they showed up. So is this talking about arrests or convictions?

[rodeodance]

37. actually, this was on either cnn or msnbc earlier tonight also. I just

caught the headline and did was not able to catch the story later.

[salin]

38. title is so deceptive

suggests that ALL refugees are known/identified and that background checks have been done on every last one of them (including all of the young children) and in the end the result is that half have criminal records.

UGH!

[pschoeb]

45. Agree, also report is not clear, it says "criminal arrest records"

not crminal conviction records, this would imply they are talking about people who have been merely arrested before, not convicted.

[HuffleClaw]

40. check of EVERY refugee ??? ! ! ! !

ok, that cannot be kosher, but it sure speaks to their intentions to smear the VICTIMS of this tragedy. pretty shameless, but not surprising.

[Platonium]

42. This just proves that poverty and crime go hand in hand...

Deal with poverty...reduce the crime rate. The rest of the world has known this for decades already.

[Kelvin Mace]

43. We just need to re-work the headline

"Half of Katrina victims convicted criminals, just like Bush & Cheney."

[cantstandbush]

44. Bet most charges were for smoking pot. They should have used Oxy.

Then they would have been heralded as great American heroes.

[Minstrel Boy]

46. "Here comes the story of the Hurricane -

The Man the authorities came to blame."

Different Hurricane, same story.

Remember that murder that happened in a bar?
Remember you said you saw the getaway car?
You think you'd like to play ball with the law?
Think it might-a been that fighter that you saw runnin' that night?
Don't forget that you are white.

[Eugene]

47. The original AP article does not say that. Faux News is LYING.

The article title is dishonest. The article says
that persons with criminal records made up
half of some groups of evacuees.
Criminal checks of other groups have found
few or none. Faux is cherry picking its facts.

The Guardian ran the same AP story with the
title "Criminals Among Katrina Refugees Sought".

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5294754,00.html

[jobycom]

48. I wonder how many were jailed for prescription drug abuse

Much easier to go to jail for abusing oxycontin if you're black than if you're white.

Our judicial system his taken the place of the KKK.

[cwydro]

49. this is so pathetic

HALF the BUSHIES have a record...and we know Cheney does and hell, Martha Stewart now...let's not even talk about DeLay and that gang, Enron, all the bush league buddies...oh this is just too much..:grr:

[bunny planet]

50. How about they report at least half of Bush Administration officials have

(or soon will have) criminal records.

[Busshianic]

54. Can't bring them food and water but they can sure perform lots of searches

"It's a balancing act"

How lovely

[noonwitch]

55. There are liability issues for the agencies working with the evacuees

They don't want a convicted sex offender, even if he's not causing problems, placed in the same home as a family with children. Or a con-man in the home with kindly, elderly folks. The charities and government agencies could get sued over things like that.

[ozarkvet]

56. Butt-covering

As a youngish black man, I am used to being a suspect, and this irks me.

But thinking back to the rapes in the restrooms in the SuperDome, I am HOPING the purpose is to look for rapists/pedophiles on parole and that sort of thing, so they are not put them in the middle of a candy jar, so to speak.

Predators of all kinds are converging on evacuees, pretending to be evacuees, etc., so as to prey on evacuees while they are at their most vulnerable and desperate.

[nomatrix]

58. I'd want to where the child sex offenders are.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050910/ap_on_re_us/katrina_sex_offenders

"Nearly 4,500 registered sex offenders lived in the 14 parishes hit by Hurricane Katrina. They probably left their home parish, and may have left the state in the storm's evacuation.

The seven with the worst damage and the most people displaced by the hurricane and flooding include 3,300 of those offenders, according to the Louisiana State Police sex offender registry.

Florida requires certain registered sex offenders to ride out a hurricane in jail, but Louisiana has no policy in regard to sex offenders during hurricanes or evacuations. That means those registered in the system could end up in shelters or communities across Louisiana and in other states."