Prince George's County Police Officer Suspended

From the Police Blog:
On Saturday, November 10th, Prince George’s County Police Chief Hank Stawinski announced the suspension of a Prince George’s County Police Officer after two citizens alleged that the officer demanded payment to overlook motor vehicle violations during two separate traffic stops.
One resident came forward to police Friday alleging that he paid the officer in question cash during a traffic stop at the officer’s demand in lieu of receiving a citation.  Chief Stawinski immediately launched an internal affairs investigation.  In the early hours of the investigation, a second citizen came forward who alleged the same officer also demanded payment for leniency during a similar traffic stop.
The officer’s police powers were suspended Friday evening while detectives investigate.  If any resident has had a similar encounter, please call our Internal Affairs Division at 301-772-4795.
The case will be reviewed by the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office.
“It is very early in this investigation, but I wanted to assure our community that immediate action was taken and a thorough investigation is underway. I take these allegations very seriously. Maintaining the public trust is the highest priority.  As soon as the investigation develops more information, I will provide additional facts to our community,” said Chief Stawinski.

There are reports on ABC7 and on WUSA9.

Third Police-Involved Shooting in the Last 24 Hours

(Click on the image for Jack Pointer's WTOP report)

"The [third] reported incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. at the Courts of Camp Springs apartments, near the 6200 block of Maxwell Drive. No officers were hurt.
According to Prince George’s police Chief Hank Stawinski, officers investigating a car theft ring saw a suspect entering a stolen car that they had under surveillance. The suspect pulled out a gun as he approached it.
When they tried to arrest him, Stawinski said, the suspect fired at officers through a car window. Officers returned fire and wounded him, the chief said. They then administered first aid. The suspect was later taken to a hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition."

Proficient Drivers Are Key to Crash Avoidance

(Click on the image for the Wikipedia entry)

The Swiss cheese model of accident causation illustrates that, although many layers of defense lie between hazards and accidents, there are flaws in each layer that, if aligned, can allow the accident to occur.

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (Published 2008)

(Click on the image for Tom's excerpt)

Excerpts from Tom’s excerpt:

• You may suspect that getting people to merge in a timely fashion, and without killing one another, is less of a traffic problem and more of a human problem. The road, more than simply a system of regulations and designs, is a place where many millions of us, with only loose parameters for how to behave, are thrown together daily in a kind of massive petri dish in which all kinds of uncharted, little-understood dynamics are at work. There is no other place where so many people from different walks of life–different ages, races, classes, religions, genders, political preferences, lifestyle choices, levels of psychological stability–mingle so freely.
• Henry Barnes, the legendary traffic commissioner of New York City in the 1960s, reflecting on his long career in his charmingly titled memoir The Man with the Red and Green Eyes, observed that “traffic was as much an emotional problem as it was a physical and mechanical one.” People, he concluded, were tougher to crack than cars. “As time goes on the technical problems become more automatic, while the people problems become more surrealistic.”
• We are all traveling the same road, if each in our own peculiar way. I invite you to join me on that road as I try, over the din of passing cars, to hear what traffic has to say.

Woman loses majority of life savings in Publisher's Clearing House scam

(Click on the image for the report)

• An elderly woman thought she was going to become an instant millionaire, but she ended up losing her life's savings instead.
• 74-year-old Hilda Stead lost $55,000 of her life savings in a phone scam. It all started with a call from a number she didn't recognize. "He said well you're a winner. And I had won $1.3 million and a new Mercedes," Stead said.
• Stead says she wants her story to serve as a lesson, especially for people around her age.
• Here are some other signs of a scam to keep in mind:

1. You're told you must wire money.
2. You have to deposit a check they've sent you.
3. The person on the line claims they're from the government or another organization, asking for money in the form of prepaid cards.

Click here for what Publisher's Clearing House says.

See What It's Like to be a Firefighter - Nov 10

5 Kids Killed in School Bus Stop Crashes this Week

(Click on the image for the NBC News report)

• "Five children hit by speeding car at Tampa bus stop: The driver is now in custody after witnesses say the car slammed into five children and two adults, leaving one child in critical condition. This is now the fourth accident at a bus stop in just the past three days and at least five children are dead."
• Getting on and off a school bus is the most dangerous time for the students who ride it.
• Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov 4, 2018. It will be darker earlier. Wear reflective clothing!
• Please be extra careful so we don't have this tragedy here.