NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

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INCIDENTS

USS Arizona NM

Update On Conviction For Theft From Concessioner

On October 10, 2007, F.N., 43, pled guilty in federal court to stealing $170,000 in cash receipts from her former employer, the Arizona Memorial Museum Association's bookstore and gift shop, which is located in the park's visitor center. On February 14th, F.N. appeared in federal court and received a lighter-than-normal prison sentence after the prosecutor, defense attorney and judge noted the defendant's long history of serious mental and physical illnesses. F.N. began hearing voices when she was nine years old and now has been diagnosed with schizo-affective depressive disorder. The judge sentenced F.N. to 18 months in prison, some 15 months short of the maximum punishment available. F.N. was also ordered to repay all the money she stole, as well as $76,820 in back taxes. The judge noted that F.N. has no previous criminal history and, in addition to her mental illness, suffers from severe physical problems. F.N. has already been in custody for a year and could be eligible for release in another three months. Click on the link below for a copy of the origininal incident report. [Honolulu Advertiser]

HYPERLINK "http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3571" http://classicinside.nps.gov/headline.cfm?type=Incidents&id=3571

Buffalo NR

Artifact Digger Sentenced

In January 2006, rangers received a report of possible artifact digging in the Lower Wilderness area of the park. Rangers and the park archeologist investigated the digging. They discovered 45 excavations in a known archeological area, and that over 2,000 cubic feet of dirt had been excavated from the six acre site. Evidence was also recovered from the site that helped rangers identify a suspect. In addition, three rangers recorded observations in their patrol logs putting the suspect in the area of the archeological site between October 2005 and January 2006. Rangers interviewed C.R.H. in February 2006. When confronted with the evidence, C.R.H. confessed to digging at the site. Over the next six months, C.R.H. recovered and returned some of the artifacts from the site, as well as artifacts and human bones from other sites he had excavated. In March 2007, C.R.H. was indicted by a federal grand jury for a felony violation of the Archeological Resource Protection Act (16 USC § 470ee(a)). C.R.H. pled guilty to this offense in July 2007. He failed to appear for his sentencing, though, so the judge issued an arrest warrant. C.R.H. was arrested by U.S. marshals last month and held in Fort Smith until sentencing on February 27th. C.R.H. was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and a year's supervised probation and ordered to pay $2,720.00 in restitution for a felony conviction of the Archeological Resource Protection Act. [Jeff West, Lower District Ranger]

Grand Canyon NP

Taser Employed During Warrant Arrest

Park dispatch received a call regarding an intoxicated man at the grocery store in South Rim Village on February 22nd. The store's manager reported that the man had fallen down inside the store and that he believed he was attempting to shoplift alcohol. Ranger Joe Florko was on scene within three minutes and confronted 45-year-old M.F. M.F.'s responses to Florko were incoherent and he failed to follow the ranger's instructions, turning away from Florko and declining to stop. M.F. then turned, faced Florko, and began to reach for an obvious bulge near his waistline. Florko fired his taser from about 10 feet away, incapacitating M.F., then held him down until backup arrived. M.F. was taken into custody without further incident. A search revealed that the bulge near his waistline was not a weapon but a beer can. An NCIC check revealed the there was a nationwide felony warrant out against him for a parole violation on a second degree murder charge. M.F. will be charged with being under the influence and interfering with an agency function. He'd been working at the park for two weeks when the incident occurred. Of note in this case was that the taser probes did not penetrate M.F.'s heavy Carhart jacket, but still worked, validating taser training. [Chief Ranger's Office]

United States Park Police

Off-Duty Officer Averts Crime

On Tuesday, March 4th, off-duty officer Michael Brumbaugh was on personal business in Montgomery County, Maryland. While in a local store standing in line to purchase merchandise, a suspicious man approached the clerk at the counter. The clerk asked him if he was hiding something under his jacket and the man said that he was. Brumbaugh, fearing for the safety of the public and himself, identified himself as a police officer and was able to safely detain the man. He directed the clerk to dial 911 and Montgomery County police arrived. The man was found to be hiding several store items in his jacket and was in possession of a large pair of scissors that could have been used as a weapon. Montgomery County Police arrested him. Brumbaugh's attention to his surroundings and professional police training safely ended a criminal act. The Montgomery County Police Department expressed their appreciation for Brumbaugh's actions to the United States Park Police. [Sergeant Robert Lachance, Public Information Officer]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories (among others) can be read on InsideNPS:

Air Resources Division - The National Park Service recently released an important study on the impact of airborne contaminants on parks. The Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment Project (WACAP), a six-year, multi-agency study funded primarily by the National Park Service to evaluate the potential threats to park ecosystems and likely sources of these contaminants, found evidence of numerous airborne contaminants, including heavy metals and both current-use and historic-use pesticides, in 20 western U.S. and Alaska national parks from the Arctic to the Mexican border.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6283" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6283

Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services - The National Park Service has announced the finalists for the 2008 Harry Yount Park Ranger Award.

HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6282" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/headline.cfm?type=Announcements&id=6282

National Wilderness and Recreation Programs - Four new members have been selected for the National Wilderness Steering Committee, which serves as an advisory body to the director on all matters pertaining to wilderness.

HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=6280" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=viewnpsnewsarticle&type=Announcements&id=6280

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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