Category: Crime, Corrections, Law Enforcement
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Welcome to the Foxhole
by James C. Sherlock I just posted this response to a relative who asked me to read a post by a left wing professor blaming Q’Anon for the violence in the capitol. I read the article. I haven’t read enough of (name of the author) to characterize him, so I won’t. I will, however address…
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COVID, Urban Flight, and Rural Revival
by James A. Bacon In announcing the creation of three new conservation easements in Henrico County, a recent press release from the Capital Region Land Conservancy made an eye-catching statement. The easements, said the Conservancy, act as a bulwark against rising pressure to develop agricultural land across Virginia “driven most recently by shifts in COVID-era…
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You Were Warned
By Peter Galuszka Here are some posts over the past year warning of what happened Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol. https://www.baconsrebellion.com/is-a-mighty-storm-coming/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-new-face-of-virginias-gop/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-plot-to-nab-northam/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-very-real-threat-of-boogaloo/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/the-real-danger-with-antifa/ https://www.baconsrebellion.com/notes-from-the-right-wing-echo-chamber/ One other note: One Trump rioter was photographed holding a bunch of white flex cuff handcuffs, presumably to restrain Nancy Pelosi, Mike Pence and others. It reminded me…
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Murder Rate Rose by 37% in U.S. Cities In 2020
by Hans Bader Murders have skyrocketed this year, as local governments have become softer on crime. In the 57 major cities for which data is available, the murder rate is up an average of 36.7%. Murder went up in 51 cities, and down in only six cities. Murder is up 74.1% in Seattle, 72.3% in…
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Where Has the ACLU Been?
by Kerry Dougherty Gosh, I’m getting old. I’m old enough to remember when the ACLU — the American Civil Liberties Union — cared about constitutional rights. You know, the civil liberties of ordinary decent people. No more. As best I can tell, this far-left organization has been largely indifferent over the past 10 months as…
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Shopping Mall Melee
by Kerry Dougherty As a rule, I pay scant attention to social media rumors. But a video clip circulating Sunday on Facebook showing a nasty altercation at Lynnhaven Mall appears to be authentic. The rampage was bad enough that the mall was reportedly forced to close early Saturday night. Not good. The footage shows a…
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Bacon Bits: What Happens In Fairfax Should Stay in Fairfax
Get out of jail free. Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve T. Descano formally announced Monday that his office will no longer seek cash bail, claiming that it exacerbates inequalities between rich and poor, reports The Washington Post. Poor people find it harder to post bail and end up languishing behind bars until trial. Sometimes they…
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Biting the Hand
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Earlier this week, the governor had a ceremonial signing for the Marcus David Peters bill. This is the legislation that establishes a system to alert authorities of someone in a mental health crisis in order that mental health professionals can respond rather than just police. It is named after a young Richmond…
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Bacon Bits: Good News for a Change
More wind turbines off the Mid-Atlantic coast. Electricity from the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project 27 miles off the coast of Corolla, N.C., construction of which could begin as soon as 2024, will be funneled into the electric grid via a substation in Virginia Beach’s Sandbridge community. Roughly 600 jobs will be generated within the…
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Richmond’s Infamous Icon
By Peter Galuszka Since 1890, the Robert E. Lee Monument has dominated Richmond’s grand Monument Avenue and has stood as a striking protector of the state’s long history of systemic racism. True, other Confederate heroes such as Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and J.E.B. Stuart also found a memorial spot on the Avenue but Lee has always…
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How Big a Problem Is Sexual Victimization of Children in Juvenile Facilities?
by James A. Bacon According to the late 2018 National Survey of Youth in Custody, an estimated 7.1% of youth held in juvenile facilities reported being “sexually victimized” during the previous 12 months. The good news, such as is it, was that the percentage for Virginia youth was somewhat lower: 5.1% (subject to a fairly…
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Fightin’ Joe Morrissey in Hot Water Again
by Kerry Dougherty When I saw yesterday’s headline in The Washington Post, I was shocked: “Virginia State Sen. Joe Morrissey Faces Criminal Charges For Allegedly Campaigning Inside Polling Place.” I wasn’t surprised that Morrissey’s in trouble. Heck, his entire checkered career has been a gift to Virginia’s newsaper columnists. I wrote about him several times…
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The Strange Case of the Pandemic Patriots
by Peter Galuszka In rural Southwest Virginia, the coronavirus pandemic has gotten so bad that Ballad Health, a major health care provider there, is suspending elective surgery for a month. System-wide, Ballad, which also operates in adjacent states, had 45 available beds as of Wednesday, only 13 or 14 of them ICU beds, according to…
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Criminal Justice Reform Summary
By Dick Hall-Sizemore Now that I have some time and before it slips completely out of our minds, this is a good opportunity to review the final criminal justice reforms enacted by the recently-concluded special session of the General Assembly. (For those of you for whom the special session has slipped mercifully from your consciousness…
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Let’s “Reimagine” Public Safety Built around Involved Fathers
by James A. Bacon When you ask a group of politicians, activists and intellectuals to put together a plan to “reimagine” public safety, you get a report like the one just issued by a City of Richmond task force. It calls for measures such as routing many 9-1-1 calls to mental health and conflict-resolution professionals…