Another thing to 'love' about casinos.....

FBI arrests 150 in three days in sex-trafficking sweep

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI arrested 150 people across the United States on charges of holding children against their will for prostitution, a three-day weekend sweep that officials on Monday called the largest-ever operation against child sex-trafficking.

The suspects, whom the FBI referred to as "pimps," were arrested in 76 U.S. cities and are expected to face state and federal charges related to sex crimes and human trafficking, FBI and U.S. Justice Department officials said at a news conference.

FBI agents and local police recovered 105 children during the operation at truck stops, motels, casinos and other places where they were forced to work as prostitutes, officials said.

Of the 150 suspects, 18 were arrested by agents based in Detroit, 17 by agents from San Francisco and 13 by Oklahoma City agents, the FBI said.

The FBI said the suspects were not part of the same operation. It said some belonged to organized crime while others acted alone. The bureau did not immediately release a list of the suspects.


The FBI typically does not investigate adult prostitution, leaving it as a state and local matter, but in recent years it has made child prostitution a priority in a program the FBI calls Operation Cross Country. The program includes highway billboards asking people to call the FBI with tips.

About 1,350 people have been convicted as part of the program and at least 10 of them were sentenced to life in prison, officials said.

The latest sweep was the seventh and largest under Operation Cross Country, they said.

Children who are most vulnerable to being exploited for sex crimes are between 13 and 16 years old without strong ties to family members, officials said.

"We are trying to take this crime out of the shadows and put a spotlight on it," said FBI Assistant Director Ronald Hosko.

View gallery."

The main headquarters of the FBI, the J. Edgar Hoover Building, is seen in Washington on March 4, 20 …

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Howard Goller and Bill Trott)


http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-says-arrested-150-three-days-child-prostitution-154521080.html

Protecting the illusion

In the past, victims have stepped forward to indicate police refusing to accept crime reports. Statements are made by law enforcement officials denying connections between increased crime and Predatory Gambling to protect the revenue stream.

Frank Fahrenkopf and AGA deny any connection that a reasonable person would make.  

To save $$$ for the 2 Connecticut tribal casinos mired in debt, it has been proposed to employ tribal police, effectively reducing the safety of patrons.  

Not much crime at Connecticut casinos?
By David CollinsPublication: The Day

Published 03/06/2013

 

In the world of keeping the public informed and issuing press releases, police are traditionally much more forthcoming in reporting arrests than reporting crimes.

It makes sense, of course.

Everyone would rather report on successes than on possible failure. Police would rather tell you about crimes they've solved than talk about the bad guys who might get away.

One exception are the cases in which the public is asked to help. In this category, press releases often include surveillance photos of the suspects and a suggestion that the public might report whatever is known.

A report on an attempted rape at the Mohegan Sun casino this week seems to fall into this category.

State police released surveillance photos of the suspect and asked that anyone with information about him call.

Still, police don't often issue press releases about unsolved crimes at the casinos, especially rape.

Crime watchers tend to agree that relatively little crime seems to get reported at the Connecticut casinos, given the number of people and the large amounts of liquor and cash sloshing around the places. Not a great deal is prosecuted anyway.

Norwich police not long ago turned up some serious allegations of casino-related prostitution and suggestions of human trafficking in an investigation that occurred completely off the reservation.

It's hard to know whether the candor from the state police this week has anything to do with police union opposition to Gov. Malloy's proposal, now pending before the legislature, to move much of the casino policing from the backs of state police, reimbursed by the tribes for casino police coverage, to tribal police.

In any event, it's a timely reminder of the importance of keeping a full complement of state police troopers at the two casinos.

Surely if you could aim a crime-seeking satellite monitor on the state, the casinos would glow a bright red.

The serious crime reported this week at Mohegan Sun was the kind of thing that I think people should expect Connecticut police to respond to, no matter how well trained tribal police may be.

Wouldn't state citizens feel more comfortable if state police, rather than tribal police, were investigating an attempted rape in which the suspect fled the casino and presumably the reservation?

Wouldn't it be better to leave it with investigators who know no geographic boundaries?

According to police, the incident occurred a little after 3 a.m. Saturday when a man approached a woman inside the casino and offered to sell her drugs. She got money from an ATM and followed the man outside to a parking lot, police said.

The suspect then grabbed the woman by the arm and dragged her into a wooded area, the police press release said.

The woman managed to escape after the attempted assault began and ran back into the casino to report the incident, police said. She was treated at the hospital for what police described as minor injuries.

It would be nice to think that such crimes are rare indeed at the casinos and that the reservations would hardly turn even pink under the scrutiny of some crime-seeking satellite.

But I suspect the relatively low level of casino crime is odd, especially the lack of prosecutions of white collar crimes related to the gambling. It wasn't that long ago that police reported active organized crime activity here.

If I were Gov. Malloy I would be pushing more chips on the table toward increased Connecticut police coverage at the casinos, not less, especially when the tribes are clearly required by a court-imposed compact to pay for it.

This is the opinion of David Collins

http://www.theday.com/article/20130306/NWS05/303069928/-1/NWSelection

 

Sandestin casino: Development gone haywire

LAUREN NEWELL: Sandestin casino: Development gone haywire

Speaking as a young person, I am extremely appalled at even the thought of establishing a resort casino in our town. What have we come to when we don’t recognize the real and potential hazards of a casino that could viciously wipe out the very social and economic fabric of our community?

This is not economic development. This is development gone haywire.

In fact, studies show there is no correlation to strong economic growth with respect to establishment of a casino. Casino revenue growth tends to stagnate after several years. Additionally, casinos do not lead to diversification of an area’s economy.

Contrary to what benefits may be proposed, we cannot ignore the fact that the costs outweigh the benefits.

More violent crime, more juvenile crime, more drug and alcohol-related crime, domestic violence, child abuse, suicide and organized crime are greatly linked to casinos. This includes upscale casinos. Are the Walton County Sheriff’s Office and Walton representatives of the state Department of Children and Families equipped to handle an even greater burden?

Finally, I look to Macau — the world’s gambling capital. Indeed, Macau’s economy has boomed, but growth there has become lopsided.

The Macau government is worried about the impact on young people. Rather than seeking higher education, local young people are getting jobs at casinos. There is less drive to compete and no spirit of entrepreneurship.

Do we want this for our young people in Walton County? Already, less than 25 percent of our high school graduates are pursuing higher education.

Not to mention that the trafficking of women into prostitution has become an epidemic, and there is a direct link between gambling and human trafficking. A 2010 report by the U.S. government says that women from mainland China, Mongolia, Russia and Southeast Asia fall prey to false advertisements for casino jobs.

Already in Walton County we have a problem with human trafficking, particularly as if affects those coming into our ports on supposed work schemes. I have personally met victims of sex trafficking here in Walton County. If we were to add a casino to the mix, it would only heighten the problem that we already have and threaten our fragile tourism industry.

So I ask you, members of the Sandestin Homeowners Association and officials of Walton County, do you really want the blood of human trafficking on your hands by strengthening this organized crime with the establishment of a casino?

In Las Vegas, I saw children passing out nude ads for sexual entertainment left and right outside the casinos. My heart broke for the children and I was disgusted. It is all too personal, because I am a victim of sexual assault outside a casino. Sexual crime is the darkest side of a casino.

Do you want your children and your children’s children to fall victim to the dark, perverse crimes and downfalls associated with casinos?

Think long term. It’s not worth the risk. Let’s instead invest in our young people and promote healthy entrepreneurship and diversified economic development for the good of the community.

--

Lauren Newell is a resident of Sandestin.



Read more: http://www.nwfdailynews.com/articles/casino-46823-newell-establishing.html#ixzz1kD0IxWjl

Beacon Hill: Costs Greater Than Anticipated

Incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, Beacon Hill combined a much-needed crime bill with grossly flawed predatory gambling legislation. Maybe it was a political ploy or merely consistent with Beacon Hill's non-productive performance or maybe, the Speaker's willingness to cater solely to vested interests and allow the People's House to be held hostage.

The Crime Legislation should have been presented and voted on separately, but never expect House Speaker "Racino" DeLeo to succumb to reasonableness. [Remember that the Speaker recommended campaign contributors, incompetents and 'no-shows' for Probation Dept. jobs before providing a budget larger than requested.]

Attorney General Martha Coakley wisely was quoted as commenting:

...warned lawmakers that the cost of making it happen may be larger than anticipated. New regulations must be drawn up and new agencies created to enforce the regulation, she said.


The Speaker is incapable of providing the COSTS because of their willingness to be blinded by the false promises of Predatory Gambling. [See Las Vegas or Atlantic City]


From: Speaker Flunks Arithmetic


Maybe this is why an Independent Cost Benefit Analysis is needed?


NEW GAMBLING REGULATION TO COST $5 MILLION, ACCORDING TO SPEAKER’S OFFICE: The expanded gambling market called for under legislation proposed by Speaker Robert DeLeo would require $5 million in costs to cover new state regulatory and enforcement expenses, but the industry would pick up the tab, according to a DeLeo aide.
DeLeo spokesman Seth Gitell said the estimate of state costs the gambling industry would reimburse is $5 million.

The bill creates a five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission to oversee the expanded industry, establishes a Division of Gaming Enforcement in the attorney general's office to work with the gaming commission to enforce criminal violations of gaming laws; creates a gaming enforcement unit within the State Police; and establishes new crimes of money laundering and enterprise crime in connection with industry expansion.


The Racing Commission costs ~ $4.4 million supervising 4 tracks, 2 of which no longer have live racing.


Speaker "Racino" DeLeo would have us believe that adding 3 24/7 365 casinos and converting 4 race tracks into 24/7 365 slot parlors, adding 3 enforcement agencies will only cost an additional $600,000? Or does he mean that taxpayers will pick up the rest of the tab?


From: Coakley speaks on foreclosures and immigration
By Jesse Roman


On the proposal to allow some form of legal gambling in Massachusetts, Coakley did not weigh in on the policy or moral aspects of the decision but warned lawmakers that the cost of making it happen may be larger than anticipated. New regulations must be drawn up and new agencies created to enforce the regulation, she said.

Coakley said Massachusetts is overdue to adopt legislation against human trafficking — the state is one of just four that doesn't have a law on the books.

"In every community on the North Shore, there are people selling other people, mostly for sex, but also for labor," she said.

Translation: This means it's going to cost you buckets that they are hiding.