Monday, February 28, 2011

Russian America: Самое читаемое за неделю - Дозорцев и сыновья: кому все это нужно

Русский Нью-Йорк онлайн - новости США по-русски
 

Дозорцев и сыновья: кому все это нужно

Сегодня в «Нью-Йорк Пост» опубликована статья о Николае Дозорцеве, старшем из сыновей, всегда непоименованным в известной торговой марке американского поставщика вина и алкоголя - «Дозорцев и сыновья».  
Читать полностью > > >



Russian Orginized Crime and Crime Gangs.

Yefim Toybin
Phoenix, Arizona
February 28, 2011 @ 18:30


I have already written several articles about so called "Russian Mafia or Russian Organized Crime" particularly in the USA.
It's been noted the growing interest to the theme since more articles have been posted and more ethnic groups and individuals have been arrested. People think most of the times of some horribly looking guys and gels, violent in nature and committing brutal crimes only against their own country men and or women. It has also been known that so called "the Russians" are good in perpetrating white-collar crimes and thus bring a huge detriment to innocent people and society itself.
It is, perhaps, easy to apprehend a criminal group that is deeply involved in high profile crimes and a typical question, "where is the money?" can be answered with out any difficulty.
What about individuals who are committing crimes, very detrimental to people, very costly to society, but they are criminally smart, extremely manipulative, well connected to important people and organizations because of their false but good sounding legend and fraudulently created positive community image and, more importantly, are directly or indirectly protected by authorities?

Is this fare? Is this just? Is this how it shall be in an open and democratic state? What about number of the their victims? What about moral, physical and emotional damage they have inflicted on innocent people? What it is seen quite often is that some of the "dirty" people from the Russian communities across the nation have become CRI. They now think that because of their new status they are above the LAW and can commit crimes and will be protected. The reality is, they are quite right.
The biggest problem with that is that so many good and hard working naturalized citizens see that and loose confidence in government and law enforcement community. In addition, because of the cultural characteristics some of the unstable community members provide a lot of support and help to those people thinking in old Soviet way, if they are protected by authorities it is better to be with them and get their piece of pie rather than to be against them and, possibly, get in trouble. This anti-societal, irregular and immoral behaviors deeply erode foundational American values and corrupt newly arrived immigrants. It's been said many times that crime has no nationality; however, it is always disappointing and painful to read, hear or see the reports about new "the Russian Mafia" crimes.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cur." Don't let these crimes grow and pay attention to an early stage of illegally growing activities of some individuals/groups when concerned citizens attempt to notify proper authorities.

Shame on people who knowingly help and/or support suspected criminals in the state of Arizona.

Below are the two recently written articles on the Russian Organized Crimes/criminals.


Feb 6, 2011
Russian Crime Gangs Discussed During Asia-Pacific Summit
by Jim Kouri

A delegation from the Russian government are taking part in a conference of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, which opened this week in Ulan Bator, Mongolia. It brings together parliamentarians from 27 countries of that region. The session will discuss issues of politics and security in the region, as well as economic cooperation and integration.
The Russian delegation intends to prepare and propose a resolution relating to combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime.
In the two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the world has become the target of a growing global crime threat from criminal organizations and criminal activities that have poured over the borders of Russia and other former Soviet republics such as Ukraine. The nature and variety of the crimes being committed seem unlimited - trafficking in women and children, drugs, arms trafficking, stolen automobiles, and money laundering are among the most prevalent.

The spillover is particularly troubling to Europe because of its geographical proximity to Russia, and to Israel, because of its large number of Russian immigrants. But no area of the world seems immune to this menace, especially not the United States. America is the land of opportunity for unloading criminal goods and laundering dirty money. For that reason - and because, unfortunately, much of the examination of Russian organized crime (the so-called "Russian Mafia") to date has been rather hyperbolic and sketchy - many in law enforcement believe it is important to step back and take an objective look at this growing phenomenon.

As in the United States, there is no universally accepted definition of organized crime in Russia, in major part because Russian law provides no legal definition of organized crime. Analysis of criminological sources, however, enables one to identify some of its basic characteristics. These include organizational features that make Russian organized crime unique in the degree to which it is embedded in the post-Soviet political system.

At the same time, however, it has certain features in common with such other well-known varieties of organized crime as the Italian Mafia. The latter has a complicated history that includes both cooperation and conflict with the Italian state. Much more than was ever the case with the Italian Mafia, however, Russian organized crime is uniquely a descendant of the Soviet state.

Russian organized crime has come to plague many areas of the globe since the demise of the Soviet Union just more than a decade ago. The transnational character of Russian organized crime, when coupled with its high degree of sophistication and ruthlessness, has attracted the world's attention and concern to what has become known as a global Russian Mafia. Along with this concern, however, has come a fair amount of misunderstanding and stereotyping with respect to Russian organized crime.

Trafficking is almost always a form of organized crime and should be dealt with using criminal powers to investigate and prosecute offenders for trafficking and any other criminal activities in which they engage. Trafficked persons should also be seen as victims of crime. Support and protection of victims is a humanitarian objective and an important means of ensuring that victims are willing and able to assist in criminal cases. As with other forms of organized crime, trafficking has globalized.

Groups formerly active in specific routes or regions have expanded the geographical scope of their activities to explore new markets. Some have merged or formed cooperative relationships, expanding their geographical reach and range of criminal activities. Illegal migrants and trafficking victims have become another commodity in a larger realm of criminal commerce involving other commodities, such as narcotic drugs and firearms or weapons and money laundering, that generate illicit revenues or seek to reduce risks for traffickers.

With respect to organized crime, certain geographical or infrastructure characteristics, such as the presence of seaports, international airports, strategic border locations, rich natural resources, and so on, provide special criminal opportunities that can best be exploited by criminals who are organized. More so than common crime, organized crime is fed by the presence of ethnic minorities who furnish a ready supply of both victims and the offenders to victimize them. Organized crime also thrives in environments characterized by a relatively high tolerance of deviance and a romanticization of crime figures, especially where government and law enforcement are weak or corrupt (the history of the Sicilian Mafia illustrates this).
THE RUSSIAN MOB

Russia is one of those unfortunate countries that has the receptive environment in which organized crime thrives. Organized crime is deeply rooted in the 400-year history of Russia's peculiar administrative bureaucracy, but it was especially shaped into its current form during the seven decades of Soviet hegemony that ended in 1991. This ancestry helps to explain the pervasiveness of organized crime in today's Russia and its close merger with the political system. Organized crime in Russia is an institutionalized part of the political and economic environment. It cannot, therefore, be fully understood without first understanding its place in the context of the Russian political and economic system.

Unlike Colombian, Italian, Mexican, or other well-known forms of organized crime, Soviet organized crime was not primarily based on ethnic or family structures. To help understand the difference, we can look to the history of organized crime in the United States for a contrasting portrait. As a number of scholars have pointed out, organized crime provided a "crooked ladder of upward mobility" for some immigrants to the United States. Certain immigrants - sharing a common ethnicity, culture, and language, and, being on the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder, either having legitimate opportunities for advancement closed to them or rejecting the opportunities that were available - have turned to crime, and specifically organized crime, to get ahead.

Because organized crime is made up of criminals who conspire to carry out illegal acts, a degree of trust is necessary among those criminals. Co-conspirators must be able to trust that their collaborators will not talk to the police or to anyone who might talk to the police, and that they will not cheat them out of their money. A shared ethnicity, with its common language, background, and culture, has historically been a foundation for trust among organized crime figures.

Yet ethnicity did not play the significant role in Soviet organized crime that it played in the United States. Instead, the Soviet prison system, in many ways, fulfilled functions that were satisfied by shared ethnicity in the United States. In the Soviet Union, a professional criminal class developed in Soviet prisons during the Stalinist period that began in 1924 - the era of the gulag. These criminals adopted behaviors, rules, values, and sanctions that bound them together in what was called the thieves' world, led by the elite criminals who lived according to the "thieves' law." This thieves' world created and maintained the bonds and climate of trust necessary for carrying out organized crime.

Organized crime in the Soviet era consists of illegal enterprises with both legal and black-market connections that were based on the misuse of state property and funds. It is most important to recognize that the blurring of the distinction between the licit and the illicit is also a trademark of post-Soviet organized crime that shows its ancestry with the old Soviet state and its command-economy system. This, in turn, has direct political implications. The historical symbiosis with the state makes Russian organized crime virtually an inalienable part of the state. As this has continued into the present, some would say it has become an engine of the state that works at all levels of the Russian government.

Contemporary Russian organized crime grew out of the Soviet "nomenklatura" system (the government's organizational structure and high-level officials) in which some individual "apparatchiks" (government bureaucrats) developed mutually beneficial personal relationships with the thieves' world. The top of the pyramid of organized crime during the Soviet period was made up of the Communist Party and state officials who abused their positions of power and authority. Economic activities ranged across a spectrum of markets - white, gray, black, and criminal. These markets were roughly defined by whether the goods and services being provided were legal, legal but regulated, or illegal, and by whether the system for providing them was likewise legal, legal but regulated, or illegal. The criminals operated on the illegal end of this spectrum. Tribute gained from black markets and criminal activities was passed up a three-tiered pyramid to the nomenklatura, and the nomenklatura itself (some 1.5 million people) had a vast internal system of rewards and punishments. The giant state apparatus thus not only allowed criminal activity, but encouraged, facilitated, and protected it, because the apparatus itself benefited from crime.

These sorts of relationships provided the original nexus between organized crime and the government. From these beginnings, organized crime in Russia evolved to its present ambiguous position of being both in direct collaboration with the state and, at the same time, in conflict with it.

Sources:
US Department of Justice
United Nations Protocols
National Criminal Justice Reference Service
National Association of Chiefs of Police
Department of Homeland Security


Wednesday, January 12, 2011
ERINGER: RUSSIAN ORGANIZED CRIME IN MONACO: DIMITROS SKIGIN

Meet Vladimir SKIGIN, St. Petersburg-based baby brother of the late Dimitros SKIGIN.

In August, we linked Dimitros SKIGIN, founder of the Monaco-based Sotrama S.A.M., to Russian organized crime.



Brother Vladimir controls a casino gambling network in Russia known as Vulkan.

Russian casinos are controlled by criminals.

Two years ago gambling was outlawed in Russia.

Operating illegally, Vulkan is the largest gambling network in Russia's northwest.

Vladimir SKIGIN has reportedly just purchased a home in Monte Carlo.


Will Monaco police chief Andre MUHLBERGER have something to say about that?

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Китайские полицейские танцуют под Майкла Джексона. Chinese police mimic Michael Jackson's and Korean Wonder Girls' dance.




Китайские полицейские танцуют под Майкла Джексона

Пекинские полицейские записали видеоклип, ставший сенсацией среди пользователей интернета, сообщает китайское агентство Синьхуа. Шестеро стражей порядка в полном обмундировании исполнили танец под всемирно известную композицию Майкла Джексона «Dangerous».
Женщины-полицейские решили не отставать от мужчин. На ступеньках Министерства общественной безопасности Китая они станцевали под популярный хит корейской группы «Wonder Girls» «Nobody».
Танцы полицейских не оставили интернет-аудиторию равнодушной; их видео уже пользуется большой популярностью в Интернете. Свои комментарии пользователи сопровождают смайликами и символами в виде сердечек.

Chinese police mimic Michael Jackson's and Korean Wonder Girls' dance.
The video featuring Chinese police officers dancing in uniform has gained a wide following on the Internet after being posted on a micro-blog named “Peace Beijing” operated by Beijing's police bureau on Feb. 17.
5 men to police dance “Billie Jean” of Michael Jackson. They are dressed in police uniforms, caps, white gloves, although the dancers are fat or thin, different heights, but their dancing is neat. very cool.
The 7 female police put their hands on her hips, march in rhythm, dancing step by step down the stairs, very neat. However, compared to male police, women police are some Sentimental and face are too serious “a little ‘cold’”

By Yefim Toybin
Phoenix, Arizona
February 27, 2011 @ 21:08
Resources: Russian and the World media.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Силовые структуры в США разгромили уличную банду выходцев из СССР «Armenian Power» в Калифорнии. А что в Аризоне?

Yefim Toybin
Phoenix, Arizona
February 16, 2011 @ 23:00

B среду, 02/16/11, мировые средства массовой информации пестрят сообщениями об успешно проведенной, грандиозной по своим масштабам и количеству участников , спец. операции по разгрому этнической преступной группировки из бывшего СССР. Привожу только ряд из аншлагов: «Силовые структуры и Спецслужбы в Калифорнии разгромили уличную банду выходцев из СССР», «Armenian Power», «Десятки задержанных», Arrests of Armenian Group in Calif., Armenian gang fraud cost victims at least $20 million, authorities say», «Nearly 100 charged, dozens arrested in operation targeting Armenian organized crime»и т.д.
В последнее время все чаще появляются подобные сообщения и постоянно под этими громкими делами подразумевают «Русскую мафию». Даже если об этом, из-за полит. корректности прямо не упоминают, все понимают о чем идет речь.
Я уже раньше высказывал свое личное отношение к своим бывшим соотечественникам, которые занимаясь грязной, противоправной и преступной деятельностью наносят колоссальный и непоправимый ущерб святому понятию – иммиграция.
Я собрал большое количество материалов о всех волнах иммиграции из Российской империи, СССР, Российской федерации и других стран СНГ. В первые волны иммиграции, даже исключительно воспитанные и с высоким уровнем образования люди, выполняли трудоемкие, тяжелые и малооплачиваемые работы, НО НЕ СОВЕРШАЛИ аморальных проступков и, тем более, преступлений. А, со временем занимали те посты и положение, которым они полностью соответствовали своим образованием, воспитаниеми навыками.
А нынешняя волна хочет жить только здорово, богато, купаясь в ваннах из шампанского, и беззаботно. Зачем много и долго тяжело работать, когда есть другие средства устройства жизни. Подумаешь, состряпала фальшивое уголовное дело на мужа- он в тюрьму,а все его имущество ко мне. А что за проблема дать липовую информацию на заявление в органы Соц. Опеки - главное результат: талоны на питание, бесплатныая страховка и другие финансовая помощь. Состряпано дело о физическом насилии или "жестком сексе" с законным мужем без "письменного разрешения" - раз и грин карта в кармане, да еще возможно с приданным. А что за проблема группой пойти в суд и дать лживые и клеветнические показания на честного человека, WHO CARES? А использовать связи с коррумпированными гос. служащими для запугивания и наказания непослушных? Пусть знают наших, а чужие будут бояться, а значит «уважать». Логика иезуитов понятна и проста: Цель оправдывает средства. Стыд и позор тем, кто использует иммиграцию для достижения своих гряхных, одиозных и коррупционных целей.
В свете происходящих событий, можно предположить, что зачистка-этнических преступных групп не ограничется Калифорнией или Нью-Йорком.
А все ли у нас хорошо и гладко на этом фронте в Аризоне?
Я лично, на протяжение многих лет, втянут в настоящую войну с группировкой, которую однозначно могу охарактеризовать как ОПГ. Я сражаюсь за хороший и добрый имидж Русской Америки, за поруганную честь и оскорбленное человеческое достоинство как Русских, так и Американцев. Эта разветвленная структура пустила очень глубокие и сильные корни в штате, а может быть и за его пределами, например в Сан Диего или других городах. Они совершали и продолжает совершать многочисленные преступления в различных областях , начиная с подготовки лже-свидетелей для организованного выступления в судах и до подачи заведомо лживых заявлений в полицию с целью расправы с неугодными им людьми. Прямо как в 37! Заявление в полицию и глядишь посадят, а не посадят, так испортят репутацию и запугают. Что мало не покажется.
Вес сложность и драмма этой итуации заключается в том, что они ничего не-боятся и чувствуют себя очень комфортабельно, потому, что некоторые службы и ведомства штата, правоохранительные структуры и отдельные, наделенные властью, личности прямо или косвенно им помогают, а главное защищают и прикрывают. Я твердо верю, что этому беспределу придет законный-конец. Проблема в том, как долго это форменное безобразие будет продолжаться, сколько еще пострадают невинных людей, сколько денег потеряют казна и налогоплательщики, и сколько людей будут коррумпированы этой группой.
Люди! Как говорил Юлиус Фучек, Будьте бдительны, не помогайте и не поддерживайте всякого рода мошенников и махинаторов, которые, да, могут вам помочь, но в нарушение закона и морали. Преступность не имеет национальности, но всегда имеет питательную почву на которой преступность и растет.
Один украл машину, чтобы помочь своему другу и был уверен, что совершил геройский поступок. А одинокая женщина и мать не смогла ездить на работу, не имела средств на новую машину, и потеряла работу. А в суде, подозреваемому, судья объяснил, что он совершил преступление и получит за это срок.
Ниже привожу статьи о проведении беспрецедентной анти-криминальной операции в Калифорнии.
*********************************************************************

Спецслужбы в США в среду в результате операции, в которой принимали участие около тысячи агентов, арестовали десятки членов «могущественной» уличной банды «Armenian Power», сообщает Los Angeles Times.
Группировка выходцев из СССР действовала в районе западного Голливуда, однако задержания проходили по всей территории США.
Около сотни человек, по данным издания, были обвинены в вымогательстве, похищениях, отмывании денег и торговле наркотиками.
В группу из около 1000 агентов!!! входили сотрудники ФБР, налоговой службы, агентства национальной безопасности и местные полицейские.
«Armenian Power» берет свои корни в среде армянских иммигрантов, прибывших в Лос Анджелес в конце 1980-х годов.
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February 16, 2011 | 1:01 pm
At least 74 reputed members of the Armenian Power organized crime gang were charged Wednesday in a fraud scheme that cost Southern California victims at least $20 million, law enforcement officials said.
Authorities said members of Armenian Power, or AP, face criminal charges with potential sentences ranging from a few years to life in prison.
A total of 99 members have been charged in two federal indictments and by the Los Angeles County district attorney with crimes including racketeering, extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking and identity theft.
Some of the defendants are accused of secretly installing sophisticated skimming devices that allowed them to steal customer account information at a dozen 99-Cent Only stores across the region, according to a 212-page federal indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court.
Armenian Power members allegedly caused more than $2 million in losses when they used the skimmed information to create counterfeit debit and credit cards, the indictment alleges.
In addition, authorities allege Armenian Power worked in conjunction with African American street gangs to gather information that allowed them to take over bank accounts, often of older victims, that led to financial losses of $10 million.
Andre Birotte Jr., U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said members of the gang used violence to maintain their fraudulent activities.
[Updated at 1:53 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly identified Birotte as an assistant U.S. attorney]
“The common denominator among these defendants and their criminal enterprises is their willingness to commit any crime for profit and to use any means of violence and intimidation to further their goals,” Birotte said.
Birotte cited the kidnapping of a Glendale businessman who was held for $500,000 ransom and threatened with death as an example of the lengths the gang would go to to strike fear in the community.
The culmination of a two-year investigation, Operation Power Outage involved nearly 1,000 officers focused primarily on suspects who live in heavily Armenian neighborhoods in Burbank, Glendale and East Hollywood, but authorities said arrests and indictments also were made in other parts of the country, including Denver and Miami.
The syndicate had global reach, according to law enforcement officials. The indictment described a transnational network that tied Armenian Power to the Mexican Mafia and organized crime gangs in the former Soviet-bloc regions, including Armenia, Georgia and Russia.
Participating law enforcement agencies included the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Secret Service, Immigration Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' office of the inspector general. Also participating was the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Burbank, Glendale and Los Angeles police departments.
The bulk of the arrests and search warrants were served without any major incidents. But officials stressed they continued to search for about 24 suspects.
Armenian Power is a small but virulent gang that took root among Armenian immigrants who arrived in Los Angeles in the 1980s and early 1990s, authorities said. The gang has about 200 members.
Law enforcement officials described Armenian Power as having an "extensive portfolio" that combined ruthlessness with opportunism, focusing on white-collar crime that included identity theft crimes such as credit-card skimming.
-- Kate Linthicum and Andrew Blankstein
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
In all, 102 defendants faced charges in federal and state courts, capping a nationwide, two-year probe into the Armenian Power gang that was formed in East Hollywood in the 1980s as young men sought to protect themselves from Hispanic street gangs.
Authorities say the gang is violent but has coupled its aggression with a willingness to work with other crime groups and become more tech-savvy.
"Armenian Power members are considered to be exceedingly resourceful and have seized opportunities to collaborate," said Steven Martinez, assistant director in charge of the FBI in Los Angeles.
The gang has grown to include more than 200 members and is now based in Glendale and nearby areas of the San Fernando Valley. Officials said the number of arrests Wednesday suggests the gang, for now, will have difficulty operating.



Sources: Internet

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Home Security: Burglary Prevention

Keep em' out!!
Most criminals who burglarize homes are looking for an easy hit; a house that they can break into quickly, take something of value, and leave without being detected.

Yefim Toybin
February 13, 2001 @ 13:35
Phoenix, Arizona



A day ago, one of my fellows related me a sad and painful story about his house being burglarized while all his family had been at work. The thieves entered the house through one of the windows. As result, huge financial damage and great emotion trauma have been imposed on the family. I felt so bad for them knowing that they are not the first ones in among the people I know have become victims of a common crime in our state.
Since, I have collected some valuable and practical information on the issue over the years, I have decided to devise an article and post it on my blog.
I truly hope that the materials below may not be a panacea from this terrible crime but could help individuals and families to improve home’s security and, thus, prevent their houses and apartments from being burglarized.
***********************************************************************
By far, the most common threat to our home is BURGLARY.
According to the FBI, a burglary occurs somewhere in the United States every 15.4 seconds. By definition, the crime of burglary is a non-confrontational property crime that occurs when we are not at home. However, becoming a burglary victim can leave a family feeling vulnerable and violated.

Your home is your castle...or is it? Is your home really safe once you leave for work or school, vocation and etc.? Your home is considered a sanctuary where you should feel safe. Your home is the only environment where you have control over who can get close to you or your family. Protecting your home and family from criminal intrusion should be high on your list of priorities.

The majority of home and apartment burglaries occur during the daytime when most people are away at work or school. The summer months of July and August have the most burglaries with February having the fewest crimes. Burglaries are committed most often by young males under 25 years of age looking for items that are small, expensive, and can easily be converted to cash. Favorite items are cash, jewelry, guns, watches, laptop computers, VCRs, video players, CDs and other small electronic devices are high on the list. Quick cash is needed for living expenses and drugs. Statistics tell us that 70% of the burglars use some amount force to enter a dwelling, but their preference is to gain easy access through an open door or window. Ordinary household tools like screwdrivers, channel-lock pliers, small pry bars, and small hammers are most often used by burglars. Burglars continue to flourish because police can only clear about 13% of all reported burglaries and rarely catch the thief in the act.

Although home burglaries may seem random in occurrence, they actually involve a selection process. The burglar's selection process is simple. Choose an unoccupied home with the easiest access, the greatest amount of cover, and with the best escape routes. What follows is a list of suggestions to minimize your risk by making your home unattractive to potential burglars.

If you have ever been a victim of a house robbery you will know that it is a difficult process for you and your loved ones to go through. You might be able to submit an insurance claim and recover some of the financial losses, but emotionally you will be left with scars that are hard to heal.

Imagine sleeping in your bed at night and suddenly you hear a window break or someone walking around in your house? It can be a frightening experience and no one prepares you for what to do next. Below is a complete guide and some tips on how to improve your home’s security. There are also some of the steps you can take to decrease the likelihood that you or your home is targeted.

Doors and Locks
The first step is to harden the target or make your home more difficult to enter. Remember, the burglar will simply bypass your home if it requires too much effort or requires more skill and tools than they possess. Most burglars enter via the front, back, or garage doors. Experienced burglars know that the garage door is usually the weakest point of entry followed by the back door. The garage and back doors also provide the most cover. Burglars know to look inside your car for keys and other valuables so keep it locked, even when parked inside your garage. When you first move into your house remember to change your locks, even if it is a new house.
• Use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points
• Use a quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt
• Use a quality, heavy-duty, knob-in-lock set with a dead-latch mechanism
• Consider getting a biometric lock which only allows those who are in the system to use their fingerprints to open the door.
• Use a heavy-duty, four-screw, strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into a wooden door frame
• Use a wide-angle 160° peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches

Sliding-Glass Patio Doors
Sliding glass doors are secured by latches not locks. They are vulnerable to being forced open from the outside because of these inherently defective latch mechanisms. This can be easily be prevented by inserting a wooden dowel or stick into the track thus preventing or limiting movement. Other blocking devices available are metal fold-down blocking devices called "charley bars" and various track-blockers that can be screwed down.• Use a secondary blocking device on all sliding glass doors
• Keep the latch mechanism in good condition and properly adjusted
• Keep sliding door rollers in good condition and properly adjusted
• Use anti-lift devices such as through-the-door pins or upper track screws
• Use highly visible alarm decals, beware of dog decals or block watch decal

Windows

Windows are left unlocked and open at a much higher rate than doors. An open window, visible from the street or alley, may be the sole reason for your home to be selected by a burglar. Ground floor windows are more susceptible to break-ins for obvious reasons. Upper floor windows become attractive if they can be accessed from a stairway, tree, fence, or by climbing on balconies. Windows have latches, not locks and therefore should have secondary blocking devices to prevent sliding them open from the outside. Inexpensive wooden dowels and sticks work well for horizontal sliding windows and through-the-frame pins work well for vertical sliding windows.

• Secure all accessible windows with secondary blocking devices
• Block accessible windows open no more than 6 inches for ventilation
• Make sure someone cannot reach through an open window and unlock the door
• Make sure someone cannot reach inside the window and remove the blocking device
• Use anti-lift devices to prevent window from being lifted out
• Use crime prevention or alarm decals on ground accessible windows

Lighting
Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of life and activity inside a residence at night. A darken home night-after-night sends the message to burglars that you are away on a trip. Outdoor lighting is one of the best preventatives you can use to deter a thief. It is best to get energy efficient bulbs so you can leave your porch and patio lights on all night. If you do not want to leave the lights on unnecessarily, try getting motion detector lights which only turn on when someone walks by; you will need to be handy for this one or hire an electrician.
• Use interior light timers to establish a pattern of occupancy
• Exterior lighting should allow 100- feet of visibility
• Use good lighting along the pathway and at your door
• Use light timers or photo-cells to turn on/off lights automatically
• Use infra-red motion sensor lights on the rear of single family homes

Alarm Systems
Even if you think you live in a safe neighborhood it is probably a good idea to invest in a security alarm. Alarm systems definitely have a place in a home security plan and are effective, if used properly. The reason why alarms systems deter burglaries is because they increase the potential and fear of being caught and arrested by the police. You will then have to make sure the alarm is monitored by a security store, an alarm company, or by the police directly. Some alarm companies will call you if your alarm is activated and ask you if everything is OK before sending out the police; whereas some other companies will automatically activate the emergency police response. It is a good idea to have a safe word so the police know for sure if you are alright, or if you are being threatened and forced to say that you are safe when in fact you are in danger.
• Alarm systems are effective deterrents with visible signage
• Alarm systems to be properly installed, programmed, and maintained
• Alarm systems need to have an audible horn or bell to be effective
• Make sure your alarm response call list is up to date
• Instruct your neighbor how to respond to an alarm bell

Home Safes
Home safes are designed to keep the smash and grab burglar, nosy kids, dishonest babysitter or housekeeper from gaining access to important documents and personal property. Home safes need to be anchored into the floor or permanent shelving.
• Use the safe everyday so it becomes routine
• Protect the safe code and change it occasionally
• Install it away from the master bedroom or closet

Security Cameras
A security camera is another great deterrent. If you can afford to have a security company install one in your house equipped with video screens that you can view around the house then do not spare any expense. These security cameras can catch robbers in the act and be used as evidence in court even if you are not home.

If cost is an issue, then consider buying a dummy camera and hang it near your front door. Some of them even have a motion light that blinks when someone walks by. These cameras are battery operated and look like the real deal, but only you will know the wire is cut in the back.

Signs
Did you know that just a simple sign can prevent a burglary? Would-be thieves know that it is easier for them to rob a house that does not have an alarm system so when they see the alarm company's sign on the front window or door, they often go to the next house. And even if you do not actually have an alarm, you can still purchase the signs.

Beware of Dog is another sign that is a good deterrent. Who would want to take the risk of being mauled by a Rottweiler or pit bull?

Be a Good Neighbor
Good neighbors should look out for each other. Get to know your neighbors on each side of your home and the three directly across the street.
• Get to know all your adjacent neighbors
• Invite them into your home and establish trust
• Agree to watch out for each other's home
• Do small tasks for each other to improve territoriality
• While on vacation - pick up newspapers, and flyers
• Offer to occasionally park your car in their driveway
• Return the favor and communicate often

Common Sense
If you have taken all of the above preventative measures and someone still manages to enter your home illegally, then be prepared. CALL 911 and hide so you do not put yourself in direct danger. Do practice tests with your family to make sure everyone knows where to go and how to handle the situation.

If you have nowhere to hide or are confronted by the criminal then do not try to protect your valuables; at the end of the day it is your life that is most important. Objects can be replaced but your family cannot.

Many people will try to defend their property by yielding a weapon but think about the consequences; will you really be OK if you shoot an intruder? How will your family be able to cope with the nightmare and potential legal costs if your case goes to court? What happens if the robber is a psychopath or is high on drugs and has no regard for human life? You do not want to take the chance of getting killed for the sake of your jewelry, money and computer. Know your state laws if you do attempt to protect your home.

Additional Advice: Operation Identification
This is a program supported by most police agencies. They recommend that you engrave your drivers’ license, not your social security number, on televisions, stereos, computers, and small electronic appliances. They suggest this so they can identify and locate you if your stolen items are recovered. I suggest that you go way beyond this step

It is recommended that you photograph your valuables in their locations around your home and make a list of the make, model, and serial numbers. This is very important for proof when filing insurance claims. You should keep this list in a safety deposit box or with a relative for safe keeping. Keep receipts of the larger items in case you need to prove the value of the items for insurance purposes. Beyond that, I recommend that you photocopy important documents and the contents of your wallet. You will be thankful that you took these steps in case your home is ever destroyed by fire or flood, is ransacked, or if your wallet is lost or stolen.
• Identify your valuables by engraving your drivers’ license number
• Photograph and record the serial numbers of all valuables
• Photocopy the contents of your wallet and other documents
• Store the copies in a safe deposit box or with a relative
*********************************************************************
BONUS:
HOME SECURITY AND SAFETY CHECK LIST

GENERAL SECURITY
1. Have you arranged to have member of a law enforcement agency do a professional survey?
2. Are all trees and shrubs pruned and well maintained to prevent anyone from hiding unseen?
3. Do any trees, down pipes, lattice work provide easy access to upper floors?
4. If you have skylights can they be removed from the outside or easily broken?
5. Any ladders, tools kept outside to assist any potential intruder?
6. Are you guilty of keeping a hidden house key outside the house where it's sure to be found?
7. Is your home well lighted with particular attention to exterior doors?
8. Can your main entrance be seen from the street?
9. Are exterior doors at least 1-3/4 inch thick and made from solid wood or reinforced with metal?
10. Do all exterior doors have heavy duty dead bolts and reinforced door jams?
11. Can anyone gain easy access through a mail slot, dryer vent, or pet entrance?
12. If doors have glass panels can someone break through and defeat the locking mechanism?
13. Have all sliding glass doors been protected from being easily lifted out from their frames?
14. Are all exterior lights and security devices in good working order and protected from breakage?
15. Does the door from the attached garage leading to the house have a dead bolt?
16. Does your overhead door have a working electronic door opener?
17. Does your overhead door have any loose, broken or missing door panels or hardware?
18. Do you keep the overhead doors closed, and your car locked inside the garage?
19. Do all windows have reinforced locking devices that can be secured in the open position?
20. Do all screens and storm windows have reinforced locks?
21. Do ground level windows have guards or grates?
22. Are basement windows glass block or protected by grates or security devices?
23. All irreplaceable items kept in high quality fire resistant safe or in off-site safety deposit box?
24. Do you have a complete and current video tape or pictures of all your valuables off-site?
25. Are all firearms kept secured and apart from ammunition?

FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY
1. Is your heating system in proper working order and inspected for dangerous leaks yearly?
2. Is there ample air circulation around appliances that are likely to overheat?
3. Any overloaded circuits, long extension cords runs, too many devices plugged unto one outlet?
4. Fireplaces, chimney free of dangerous build ups that could catch on fire?
5. Protective grate in front of fireplace to prevent sparks, hot logs from rolling into room?
6. Kitchen oven hood and far clear of greasy build-up that could cause a fire?
7. Smoke detectors installed on each level and tested weekly?
8. Smoke detector batteries replaced every 12 months or less?
9. Working fire extinguisher in kitchen, basement, garage, auto?
10. All family members sleep with bedroom door closed to prevent spread of fire, smoke?
11. All family members practice fire drill, know escape route, designated meeting pace to go outside?
12. Children know how to use phone to get help in an emergency?

WHEN AWAY FOR EXTENDED PERIODS
1. Security system armed? Automatic timers for lights, radio turned on? Phones turned down?
2. Arrange for neighbor to watch house, cut, water grass, give house that lived-in look?
3. No change in normal pattern of opening, shutting drapes, dead give-away lighting patterns?
4. Arrange to stop mail, newspaper delivery, yard work performed?
5. Arrange to have local police give "special attention" for area beat car?









Saturday, February 12, 2011

Learning proper English. Joke of the Day - FLUCTUATION

Today's word is............FLUCTUATION
DEFINITION
Change or variation in a quantity over time.


Overheard at the bank; There was a short line. Just one lady in front of me, an Asian lady who was trying to exchange yen for dollars. It was obvious she was a little irritated.

She asked the teller, 'Why it change? Yesterday, I get two hunat dolla fo yen. Today I only get hunat eighty? Why it change?'

The teller shrugged his shoulders and said, 'Fluctuations.'

The Asian lady says, 'Fluc you white people too!'

Two brothers, Ying and Yang, wandering down a street in America with arms full of purchases and cameras swinging from their necks, one of the brothers slips into the bank to exchange 30,000 yen into dollars.
Ying: 'I wan to change 30,000 yen for dollar, bow much I get?'
Teller: 'Oh, you will get $8000.'
Ying: ‘Fank you very much.'
Teller: 'You're welcome,' and hands Ying the $8000.
Ying and Yang carry on doing copious amounts of shopping until Yang says he is a little low on local currency.
So Ying told Yang to go to the same bank and get a good deal. So off Yang goes.
Yang: 'I wan to change 30,000 yen for dollar. Now much I get?'
Teller: 'Oh, you will get $6000. '
Yang: 'Only $6000! But how cum my broffer, just a few hour ago, get $8000?'
Teller: 'Fluctuations.'
Yang: 'Well, fluck you Yankees too!'

source: Internet

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

На злобу дня: 10 отличий российского полицейского от милиционера

Многие уже в курсе, что с первого Марта 2011 года вступает в силу закон о полиции.
Слово милиция со всеми своими положительными и отрицательными сторонами, по всей видимости,уходят навсегда на свалку истории. Я считаю, что нам, живущим, в Америке важно и интересно, что произходит в российских силовых структурах; многие до сих пор по разным причинам посещают Россию и всегда имеют дело с представителями органов.
Ниже я публикую статью из надежного и престижного российского интернет издания "FORBES.RU". Надеюсь, что она окажется для вас интресной, образовательной, практичной и важной. Читайте, думайте и анализируйте!
С уважением,
Ефим Тойбин
8 Февраля, 2011г 21:20
Финикс, Аризона

Павел Чиков | 02 февраля 2011 20:12
Автор — председатель Межрегиональной правозащитной ассоциации «Агора»

Особенность закона «О полиции», утвержденного в среду Советом Федерации и ожидающего только подписи президента, в том, что он абсолютно ничего не меняет ни по содержанию, ни по форме работы структуры. Он заметно детальнее прописывает полномочия полицейских, их подотчетность, условия применения физической силы и спецсредств, правовое положение полицейского.

Например, много шума вызвало прямое указание в законопроекте на право беспрепятственно посещать любые организации и знакомиться там с необходимыми документами. Сделать это полицейский сможет только в рамках доследственной проверки, следствия по уголовному делу или разбирательству по делу об административном правонарушении. Но и сейчас всеми этими полномочиями милиционер уже наделен. Просто они указаны в других законах — УПК, КоАП или законе «Об оперативно-розыскной деятельности». Полицейский законопроект лишь свел разбросанные по другим законам полномочия в единый перечень из 37 прав и 38 обязанностей. В действующем законе «О милиции» отражены 37 прав и 36 обязанностей.

Искать изменения в законопроекте можно разве что с лупой. Но некоторые из них все же стоит привести.

Изменение 1. В целом закон «О полиции» отличается от действующего милицейского резким сокращением отсылочных норм. В нем представлен исчерпывающий перечень полномочий. Какие-то новые права и обязанности полиции могут возникнуть только путем включения дополнений в закон «О полиции». В большой степени исполнено пожелание президента «поднять» многие полномочия милиции из внутренних приказов, зачастую недоступных гражданам, до уровня федерального закона.

Изменение 2. Детализирована процедура и порядок задержания. Полиции дан закрытый перечень из 13 категорий лиц, которых она получит право задерживать. Четко прописана последовательность действий после задержания. Можно будет ожидать волны жалоб на несоблюдение этих процедур в течение нескольких лет после вступления закона в силу.

Изменение 3. Введено право задержанного на один телефонный звонок. Срок предоставления такой возможности — три часа с момента задержания. Цель — уведомление близких о задержании и месте нахождения.

Но попытка интегрировать в российские реалии классическую обязанность американской полиции рискует остаться полумерой: ответственность за отказ дать позвонить в законе не предусмотрена. Прямое толкование нормы не предполагает звонка адвокату — если, конечно, он не близкий родственник. Введено и ограничение этого права: никаких звонков для сбежавших психбольных и пациентов, которых принудительно лечат по решению суда (в первую очередь от туберкулеза и наркомании), разыскиваемых за преступления, уклоняющихся от административного ареста, совершивших побег из-под стражи. С чем связана такая дискриминация больных, непонятно. Особенно в свете недавнего решения Конституционного суда, давшего психбольным право участвовать в судебном рассмотрении вопроса о принудительном лечении. Чем отличаются беглые от других подозреваемых, не очевидно.

Изменение 4. Так же детально теперь прописаны полномочия полицейских при проникновении в жилище. Вместо двух абзацев в действующем законе теперь этому посвящена отдельная статья из восьми пунктов. Раньше о проникновении в дом, квартиру или на земельный участок против воли проживающих в течение суток уведомлялся только прокурор. Теперь к нему добавился собственник жилища и пр. Основания вторжения в жилище не изменились: спасение жизни и имущества, задержание преступника, пресечение преступления, несчастный случай.

Изменение 5. В отдельную статью выделены и прописаны все полномочия полиции по ведению баз данных россиян. Полиция остается одним из основных носителей сведений о гражданах — она ведет базы данных 23 различных категорий граждан, от иностранцев и владельцев оружия до потерпевших и имеющих водительское удостоверение. Регламентация этой функции явилась следствием принятия два года назад закона о персональных данных.

Изменение 6. Применение физической силы, оружия и спецсредств в законе «О милиции» было наиболее детализированным полномочием. Милиционеров заставляют наизусть заучивать тексты соответствующих статей. Закон «О полиции» пошел еще дальше. Теперь написано, например, что «не допускается нанесение человеку ударов специальной палкой по голове, шее, ключичной области, животу, половым органам, в область проекции сердца».

Изменение 7. Число применяемых спецсредств увеличилось с 10 до 14. Классические наручники раздвоились на непонятные «средства сковывания движения» и «средства ограничения подвижности». Служебные собаки поменялись на служебных животных (речь, например, о конных патрулях). Появились средства блокирования движения групп граждан, совершающих противоправные действия, — так называемые «отсекатели», применяемые на митингах и концертах. При этом специально оговорено, что незаконные, но ненасильственные акции не могут пресекаться с применением спецсредств.

Изменение 8. Увеличился на один пункт перечень оснований для применения огнестрельного оружия против людей. Специально «под боевиков» появилось право застрелить лицо, оказывающее «вооруженное сопротивление», а также лицо, отказывающееся «выполнить законное требование о сдаче находящихся при нем оружия, боеприпасов, взрывчатых веществ, взрывных устройств, ядовитых или радиоактивных веществ».

Изменение 9. Отныне состав полиции, порядок создания, реорганизации и ликвидации подразделений полиции определяются президентом. Это одно из немногих положений законопроекта, снижающих уровень его юридической силы до подзаконного акта. В действующем законе «О милиции» структура — деление на местную и криминальную милицию — прямо указывается. Как будет построена система полиции, пока публике неизвестно.

Изменение 10. Чрезвычайно много внимания в законопроекте уделено описанию принципов общественного контроля за работой полиции. Дмитрий Медведев придал этому новшеству еще большее значение, призвав на днях граждан следить за внедрением нового закона. Закон вводит мониторинг общественного мнения, отчетность полицейских начальников перед гражданами, регламентирует работу общественных советов, предусматривает общественную экспертизу нормативных актов и многое другое. Будет ли это эффективно работать, покажет время.

Влияние этого закона на бизнес нужно воспринимать в общем контексте идущей реформы МВД. Заметна она стала через полгода после прихода к власти Дмитрия Медведева. Его предложения, одобренные и введенные в действие еще до принятия закона «О полиции», имеют гораздо большее значение, чем сам закон.

ФИЛОСОФИЯ ЖИЗНИ -2. Основные постулаты.

Всегда следуй трем главным правилам:
*Уважай себя,
*Уважай других и
*Будь в ответе за все свои поступки.

Когда ты теряешь что-то, не теряй опыт…

Помни! Недостижение того, что Ты хотел, является иногда самым лучшим подарком судьбы.

Принимай в расчёт то, что большая любовь и большие достижения влекут за собой большой риск.

Не позволяй незначительной размолвке разрушить хорошие отношения.

Как только Ты осознал, что совершил ошибку, немедленно сделай всё, чтобы исправить её.

Каждый день проводи немного времени наедине с самим собой.


Будь готов изменить свои цели, но никогда не изменяй свои ценности.
Помни, иногда молчание – лучший ответ.

Живи хорошо и честно. Потом, когда Ты станешь старше и будешь вспоминать, Ты сможешь насладиться своей жизнью второй раз.

Атмосфера любви в Твоём доме является основой всей Твоей жизни

Во время разногласий с любимыми имей дело только с настоящим. Не привлекай прошлое.


Делись своими знаниями.

Будь добр к Земле.

Один раз в году отправься куда-нибудь, где Ты никогда раньше не был.

Помни, что лучшие отношения - те, в которых ваша любовь друг к другу превышает потребность друг в друге.

Оценивай свою победу тем, чем Тебе пришлось пожертвовать ради неё.

Люби и готовь еду с безграничной страстью.

Источники информации:Интернет и личная коллекция

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

For you, my friends



I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend . . .. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avante garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 A.M. and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60's, 70's, 80's and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love .. . . I will.

I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon, if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.
As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore . .. . I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day (if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIP NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!