Interview with Pat Quigley

The goal of this post was to obtain information from a source who had experience in crime and determine if the information provided is credible.

I knew my source prior to the interview. Pat Quigley is my first cousin on my mother's side of the family and I see him once every two or three years. Pat currently works as a Group Supervisor at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program.

In particular, I was intrigued to hear about the support system they have at the MSOP. Pat informed me that they assist the people in getting jobs once they are released from the prison and they have top notch healthcare for the inmates as well. Pat also mentioned that this prison is much more for reform than punishment. Many people believe that the primary purpose for prisons in the United States is to punish people.

Pat seems like a credible source for this interview since he works at a prison. In addition, he worked as a cop for five years in Newark, Delaware. This experience would enable him to shed light on some crime trends also.

I asked Pat if his relationship with criminals had become more personal after asking how his mindset changed from being a police officer to working in a prison. Furthermore, I asked him if he had developed any sympathy for the prisoners at all. I basically learned the way the prison operated, its structure, and how the prison supports its inmates. Moreover, Pat compared his time as a cop to his job at the prison and explained how each was unique.

Interview%20With%20Pat-TRIMMED_AUDIO_FILE_SUFFIX.amr (Part 1)

Interview%20With%20Pat-TRIMMED_AUDIO_FILE_SUFFIX-4.amr (Part 2)

Crime in the News

• According to a Chicago Tribune article, Javier and Veronica Acevado were found dead early Sunday morning at their home. Police believe Acevado murdered his wife and then committed suicide. Veronica worked as a Chicago police officer prior to her death.

• Newsday reported that a man has been charged arson. David Oisecki was arrested on Saturday for setting fire to a multimillion dollar home in Westhampton Beach, New York. Police did not reveal if anyone was home at the time of the fire or Oisecki's motive for committing the crime. Osiecki will face third degree arson charges.

• Randy Serrano, an 18 year old man from Penndel, was arrested and thrown in jail for possession of marijuana according to the Bucks County Courier Times. Serrano has been sent to prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Crime Rate Survey Analysis

In this post, I wanted to present a survey that produced intriguing results. I feel that general crime statistics do not tell the full story of the effects crime has on people. This survey "Perceptions of Violent Crime in the U.S." was conducted by Gallup Politics in 2013 and it shows how people interpret local and national crime rate trends.

The survey found that most people generally say that violent crime had increased in the past year in the United States during the 16 year period this study focused on. However, when asked about crime in their locality fewer people said violent crime in their areas had gone up.

People who elected to participate in this survey did so by telephone. In all, 1,028 people were surveyed from all 50 states. Each person surveyed was at least 18 years old. The survey occurred from October 3rd to the October 6th 2013 and the survey matched national demographic factors such as gender, age, and race.

This survey likely reflects the opinions of the population it represents. In this case, the answers to the questions answers were simple and direct and the people administering the survey made an effort to people living in different areas that have different backgrounds to eliminate bias.


A couple questions asked in the survey were "Is there more crime in a U.S. than year ago or less" and "Is there more crime in your area than a year ago or less." The subjects could have responded by either saying there was more or less crime in the past year to either of these questions.

The results generated from this survey seem to be pretty useful. The responses to the questions agree with the purpose of the survey. The questions were understandable and painless for participants. Yet, a question that asked what influenced the decisions people made the most could have been helpful.

For the most part, the survey is credible. The surveyors were keen to reach out to different people of different backgrounds to obtain unprejudiced data. Nonetheless, there were not any questions that justified the responses as to why people thought crime rate had increased or decreased.

Chicago Police Department Stats Report

In my post, I intended to evaluate different crime trends in a large American city. In particular, I wanted to see how the weather influenced crime at different parts of the year and if violent crime has increased or decreased in recent years. I used data from the Chicago Police Department which contains records from previous years and different months as well.

I found my data by first searching "Chicago Crime Statistics" and one of the first results was the Chicago Police Department page. In order to access the information, simply click on the news tab at the top of the page and there is a drop down menu that has crime statistics listed under it.

Overall, all types of violent crime decreased from 2010-2013. As a whole crime decreased by 23% in those three years.

The amount of murders increased from 2010 to 2012 however in 2013 the number of murders went down drastically. Still, Chicago had more murders than any city in the U.S. in 2013.

In terms of credibility, the documentation of stats from each year make the website credible. However, it does not show how many instances each crime occurred on a monthly basis. This document helped me understand that more efforts have been made to curb violence and it has been effective. It answers questions regarding how often each crime generally occurs in Chicago on a yearly basis. A new question it raises is can this renewed effort to minimize crime be sustained over a long term period in Chicago and other cities.

Updated Crime Reports

• The New York Daily News reported that Zachary Adams appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to first degree murder charges. Adams is being tried for the kidnapping and murder of Holly Bobo who died three years ago. This article references a story from the Jackson Sun.

• According to a Cincinnati.com article, ex Covington finance director Bob Due is expected to change his plea and plead guilty. Due was charged with one count of embezzling over $100,000 and one count of theft exceeding $10,000. Due stole this money from people's tax payments.

• Shriya Patel has been convicted of intentionally setting a fire that killed her husband according to the Austin American-Statesman. Patel is originally from India and has been given a 20 year sentence with the possibility of parole after three years. After being released from prison, Patel will be deported.

LoJack Information

LoJack is a profitable company that aims to provide safety and protection for consumers after they have purchased their cars. 

This company has 600 employees; according to their income statement their annual gross revenue totaled 132.53 million and their gross profits amounted to 71.17 million. This information was reported in 2012.

Revenue streams for LoJack consist of Research Development, Selling General and Administrative, Non Recurring, and a Miscellaneous category. It lists DEI Holdings Incorporated as one of its main competitors.

Some of this company's leaders include Randy Ortiz (Chief Executive Officer $668K), Donald Peck (Chief Financial Officer $401K), Jose Miguel Oxholm (Senior VP $232K), and Kevin Mullins (VP $309K). 

I think this agency has potential to be credible they have made a name for themselves and they are generally one of the first companies people associate with tracking and recovering stolen vehicles. They would be likely to show how success rate in retrieving cars as is indicated on the website's home page.

LoJack may be biased in the statistics they display on their website. Nowadays, car or laptop theft is less prevalent; therefore, they might not mention how often people are affected.

The headquarters of LoJack is situated at 40 Pequot Way, Canton, MA. Customers can contact them by calling their hotline (1-800-456-5225) or by filing out an online form to reach a specific employee.

Recent Crime Occurrences

•      According to Fox Tampa Bay, Josh Hakken has been accused of pretending to be mentally ill. Hakken and his wife Sharyn allegedly kidnapped their children after losing a custody battle and sailed to Cuba. Both Josh and Sharyn are set to stand trial on June 16^th to face kidnapping charges.

•      Zachary Daniel Grissom has been arrested in connection to a triple arson case according toAccess North Georgia.com. Grissom set fire to a vehicle in a Walmart parking lot, an abandoned home, and a dumpster outside of Chick-Fil-A. Each of these fires occurred on the morning of February 26^th no one was injured.

•      The New York Times reported that paralympian track athlete Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Steenkamp was shot and killed on Valentine’s Day last year.

Identity Theft Resource Center Background

The Identity Theft Resource Center is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to inform customers of the best course of action to prevent identity theft. This group does not have any members but its workers aid anyone that reach out to them for assistance.

According to the 990 form, the ITRC has two main sources of revenue: contributions/grants ($706,850) and program service income ($140,257). Its primary expenses are salaries and employee benefits ($433,830) and it lists a miscellaneous category accounting for $176,196. This information was reported in 2012.

The organization employs twelve people; Eva Velasquez, Rex Davis, and Karen Barney are key employees they hold the titles of CEO, Director of Operations, and Program Director respectively. The salaries of employees are not available.

I think the ITRC can be useful to some customers particularly those who do not have much knowledge with regards to identity theft. There could be a West Coast bias with this company since their headquarters are in San Diego. The website likely would not say what percent of their victims cases they have been successful in it merely states how many clients they have.

Trained counselors are situated at their San Diego command center and can be contacted at 1 (888)-400-5530 from 7:30 to 4:30 Monday to Friday Pacific time. Media inquiries can be directed to Media@idtheftcenter.org.

Crime Updates

•  Timothy Lambesis the lead vocalist for As I Lay Dying pleaded guilty to hiring someone to murder his wife according to ABC News. Lambesis’ bail has been set at 2 million dollars prior to his sentencing on May 2^nd. As I Lay Dying was nominated for a Grammy in 2008. The Associated Press released this story.
•          The Florida Times Union reported that Fifth Third Bank Vice President Christopher Boston has been charged with embezzlement. Boston stole 10.5 million dollars, which he kept for himself and gave to customers as well. Boston used the money to pay his 2,000-dollar monthly mortgage payment and build a swimming pool in his backyard.
• According to the Bucks County Courier Times, Derrick Carroll and Kevin Fant pleaded guilty to robbery. Carroll and Fant robbed two Bristol Township convenient stores at knifepoint in the same night. Carroll was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years for his involvement while Fant received a 2 to 4 year sentence for carrying the knife during the thefts.

Crime in the News

•            The New York Daily News reported that Craig Michael Wood, a middle school football coach in Missouri, has been charged with first-degree murder after kidnapping 10-year-old Haley Owens. The body of Owens was found at Wood’s home along with several pornographic photos of young children. This story is an Associated Press release.
•        According to a Colorado Springs Gazette article, Max Glauben an 86-year-old Holocaust survivor had his memorabilia stolen by thieves. Items belonging to Glauben include pictures with renowned writer Elie Wiesel and President George W. Bush. The paper cited a Dallas Morning News Article.
•      A study conducted by Matthew Ranson of Abt Associates, a research and consulting firm in Cambridge Mass, concluded that climate change leads to an increase in crime according to a Los Angeles Times report. This study also implies that global warming will lead to more crimes in the future.

Recent Crime Developments

•   USA Today reports that police officer Michael Dunn was not convicted of the first-degree murder of Jordan Davis. The jury did not reach a conviction due to disagreement over whether Dunn acted in self- defense. The article cited an ABC News interview with a juror
• According to NBC Connecticut, police have arrested 19-year-old Erica Anderson in connection to an arson case at a Target in the Enfield Shopping Center. Anderson does not have any prior arrests but is said to have mental health issues following the birth of her child ten months ago. She faces second-degree arson charges.      
• International fugitive Pedro Cerritos Seriteno has been captured and extradited to the DuPage County Jail in Illinois according to the Doings Weekly. Seriteno fled to Mexico after being found guilty of a sexual assault charge in 2008. The article referenced a press release from the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office.

Crime Investigation Overview

My topic consists of identifying and investigating criminal activity. In this discipline, it is vital to consider recent trends in crime in order to prevent future crimes. Many criminals repeat previous behavior or resemble other people when committing crimes. The key for investigators is to be one step ahead of offenders and anticipate their next move.

The history of crime investigation dates back to ancient times. In the early days, detectives often developed an interpretation of the events without any concrete evidence. Nowadays, with the development of fingerprints and DNA perpetrators can be placed at the crime scene. Criminals must be linked to the scene of the crime to reach a guilty verdict.

People are affected by crime not only by being victims. Victims themselves or immediate family members obviously suffer the most as a result of a crime. Yet, crime affects everyone. It dictates what neighborhoods people choose to live in as well as property value. Some form of violent crime occurs everywhere even in the safest areas.

Different categories of crime determine the type of investigation that ensues. In a murder case, investigators would examine the scene for fingerprints and blood spatter. Analysis of arson begins with inspecting the scene for accelerants. Police observing a burglary site look for signs of forced entry and take into account property that may have been stolen.

The main subject associated with crime study is criminal justice. This concern deals with trying to deter or minimize crime. The subfield pertaining to the topic is forensic science. Forensic science is vital in gathering evidence and finding the person responsible for the crime. The legal process also is influential as it decides the fate of criminals.

Crime Comes to A Cold Halt

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/indiana-cops-brutal-winter-has-reduced-crime/

This article discusses how crime has decreased in Gary, Indiana due to recent snow storms. Snowfall has helped keep criminals off the streets which has translated to record lows for violent crimes such as: robbery, homicide, and burglary.

The main aim of CBS news is to notify the public of recent developing stories of interest or valuable information. The website will cover anything newsworthy in the national or international landscape.

This Associated Press posted this story and it appeared in several newspapers. This news agency is owned by several newspaper, radio, and television stations and has thrived since its inception in 1846. Many people deem the Associated Press to be very accurate in their reports.

The information in the article was published on February 9th, 2014. The only link in the article does work and the website obviously seems up to date. Recent information is significant to the topic since it the article analyzes a recent trend in crime and weather.

Facts in the article come directly from the local police departments in interviews with law enforcement representatives. The Munster Times specialize in local news which would make them a reliable source for crime statistics in the area.

Point of view is not expressed to much in this article. The writing adheres to the standard Associated Press writing. Facts and quotes are gathered and the writer does not have any bias or opinion.

The facts provided in the statements made by police officials are insightful and useful to give the reader an idea of the extent of the weather's effects on crime. However, I feel some statistics about the weather  should be included as well.

Only one source is given outside of the interviews conducted. The Munster Times appears to be a good source to consult for crime in the area. Each of the police chiefs and spokesman interviewed have expert knowledge regarding violent crimes in their jurisdiction.   (http://www.nwitimes.com)

I found in this article that harsh winter can have a drastic effect on crime rate even in violent areas like Gary, Indiana. I would recommend this article to be published as the influence snow has on crime is not considered by many including myself prior to reading this article.