Browsing Posts tagged abuse
TSA supervisor Bryant Livingston was arrested while at work at Dulles International Airport on charges of running a prostitution ring.
According to charging documents, on February 15th, Livingston used cash to rent a room at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Georgia Ave. in Silver Spring, Md. The hotel manager recognized Livingston as a previous customer who, on earlier occasions had “groups of males and females frequently entering and exiting Livingston’s room,” according to a court document.
Similar activity was happening on February 15, so the manager called Montgomery County Police to report likely prostitution. Responding officers offered to accompany the manager as she went to evict the people from the room.
In a subsequent interview, one of the men in the room told Montgomery County police that, “he paid Livingston $100 to enter the hotel room to engage in sexual activities.” Charging documents also say a TSA investigator told police that, “in 2009, a very similar complaint concerning Livingston was on record. The complaint alleged that Livingston was operating a prostitution ring and charging individuals $25. for sexual acts.”
Not only did the hotel manager notice that something similar occurred in the past, but thtat the TSA had received a complain in 2009 of “very similar” activities. It is not known, however, what came of the complaint or if any disciplinary action was taken.
The TSA has issues a statement concerning the matter.
“TSA cooperated fully with law enforcement during their investigation into this matter. The allegations against this individual are unacceptable and in no way reflect the integrity and professionalism of the more than 50,000 security officers who strive every day to ensure the security of the traveling public.”
The TSA added that, while Livingston had been an employee since October 29, 2002, he is no longer employed by the agency. Livingston is facing five separate prostitution charges when he appears in court on May 8th.
China has passed new legislation giving the police new, extended powers of detention of its citizens. Under the new law, the police can hold people at unknown locations for up to six months, but, because of massive public outcry, family members must be notified of the individual’s detention.
Lawyers have welcomed other elements offering additional protection to suspects. Reformers have long battled for such measures – which include improving legal access, increasing protection for juveniles and outlawing evidence gathered through torture – although many are sceptical about how they will be observed.
Those who continue to question the law, however, have found that more work still needs to be done.
“The real issue is not what the laws say, but how they are enforced,” Pu Zhiqiang, a Beijing lawyer who has taken on sensitive cases such as those involving dissidents, said.
“The pattern is that the Communist party can play by rules when there aren’t special circumstances – but whenever there are special circumstances, it doesn’t have to play by them.”
Police later arrived at Pu’s office, preventing him from granting further interviews.
Pu was right to criticize the new law because it remains too vague and what was illegal before has now been given the government stamp of approval.
The new law states that police have the right to hold suspects or defendants at places other than their home or an official detention centre if they are “involved in crimes concerning state security, terrorism or especially serious corruption and notification of where they are residing could obstruct investigations”.
Experts said that that police would not have to disclose where they were holding suspects, although they believed in theory suspects would have a right to legal access.
State security crimes include subversion and other vaguely-worded charges often used against dissidents.
“This change is significant,” he said. “It means China is making further effort in improving human rights, democracy and the rule of law. In the past, judicial authorities had too much power.”
While police powers of detention have been made public they do little to improve human rights. By allowing police to remove individuals from detention centers, you eliminate the few safeguards in place at the centers. Once you are moved, the police no longer have to justify what they do to a person for the next six months. Without accountability, the only thing a family knows is that a family member is being held. Whether or not they are tortured or abused is, apparently, something that only the police can decide.
A toddler in a wheelchair is stopped by the TSA at ORD (O’Hare Airport in Chicago) and forced to into a sequestered area. On his way to a family vacation in Disney, this 3 year old boy is in a body cast for a broken leg. Despite assurances from his father that “everything is ok”, he is physically trembling with fear while he watches his two siblings, mother, father, grandfather and grandmother pass through along with everyone else…only to be singled out.
He simply does not understand what is happening and why.
