An NBC affiliate in Los Angeles is reporting that 2 Los Angeles police officers are being investigated by the FBI after a video tape clip showing them beating a man during an arrest was posted on the video sharing / social network site YouTube.

From the article —

Two Los Angeles police officers were under investigation by the LAPD and FBI Thursday over a videotape that shows them holding down and repeatedly punching a man during an August arrest in Hollywood.

The 20-second video, posted on the popular YouTube Web site, shows Officer Alexander Schlegel holding down William Cardenas, 23, as Officer Patrick Farrell places his knee on the man’s neck and punches his face with a fist six times during the Aug. 11 scuffle near the intersection of Gordon Street and Fountain Avenue.

Source: FBI Investigates Arrest Caught On Video

Texas has put a “Virtual Border Watch” test site online for public access. People can sign up for an account with a valid email address and password to start viewing eight different web cams on the Texas / Mexico border.

People are encouraged to report any illegal activities that are witnessed on the web cams to authorities via email.

You can access the Texas Border Watch site @ TexasBorderWatch.com.

Members of Congress are getting involved in the fight to stop extradition of bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman to Mexico, where he would face criminal charges for catching a fugitive rapist there three years ago. Bounty hunting is illegal in Mexico.

From The Washington Times –

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been asked by 29 members of Congress to deny an extradition request by the Mexican government for Duane “Dog” Chapman, the Honolulu-based bounty hunter who faces charges there for his capture of a fugitive convicted rapist three years ago.

“Just days before the Mexican statute of limitations on prosecuting Chapman were set to expire, it seems the State Department is proceeding with efforts to extradite Mr. Chapman back to Mexico to face criminal prosecution,” the House members said.

“It makes no sense. It seems that Mexican authorities are pressing this case only because they are so stung by the embarrassment of failing where Mr. Chapman succeeded,” they said.

Source: Lawmakers urge denial to Mexico of bounty hunter

Shanghai Daily is reporting that the Chinese government is planning to require prepaid cell phone users to register their identity in an effort to fight cell phone-related crimes and fraud.

From the article –

CHINA may soon require more than 200 million prepaid cell phone users to register with mobile operators by showing their identity documents, the Ministry of Information Industry said yesterday.

The “real identity” policy, which has been effective in Shanghai since September last year, would require new handset buyers nationwide to produce identity documents before they’re given a phone.

“We hope to issue the regulations on mobile card registration by the end of this year,” said Wang Lijian, a ministry spokesman. He declined to reveal details about the policy.

The new regulation would be the latest move in the nation’s fight against unsolicited advertisements, fake educational certificates and bank fraud via short messages.

Except in Shanghai, China’s residents can obtain mobile phone service without providing personal details if they chose prepaid card services, making it difficult to capture those involved in phone-related scams.

Source: ID plan for cell phone cards

The Council of Middlesbrough, England has set up a system of public surveillance system of security cameras that watch people and also reprimand and yell at people who are causing trouble or engaging in criminal activity.

From thewest.com -

“It is like a public humiliation in a way, but it means that the person won’t do it again,” Cr Barry Coppinger said. “The voice addresses the person who is littering, for example, directly by saying, ‘Could the person in the green jacket please pick that up’.”

Mr Coppinger hopes the talking cameras, which cost £50,000 ($125,000) to set up, will act as a deterrent to troublemakers. He said feedback had been encouraging since they were installed last month.

The warnings are given by camera operators at a command centre.

Source: thewest.com