Secretary of State Handel Reminds Georgians about Contractor Licensing Law, Warns Consumers about Potential Contractor Scams Following Recent Floods

Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel today reminded consumers affected by recent flooding across the state that certain types of residential and general contractors require state licensure, and warned home and business owners to be wary of potential scams.

Typical flood damage that requires a contractor to hold a state-issued license includes major structural repair, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Consumers can verify that a contractor is properly licensed or file a complaint against a licensed contractor online at: http://sos.georgia.gov/plb.

Additionally, state law exempts some types of construction work from licensure. Typical flood damage that does not require a licensed contractor includes roofing, painting, sheetrock, siding, mold remediation, flooring, foundation waterproofing and septic tank repair. Septic tank repair must be conducted by a person certified by the Georgia Department of Community Health.

Consumers should know that is illegal for a homeowner to obtain a building permit and use an unlicensed contractor to manage construction services. The person or business who obtains the permit could also assume the majority of liability for the project, leaving the consumer with little to no legal recourse.

When hiring someone to conduct construction work, watch out for these red flags that you may be dealing with a dishonest individual:

- A person going door-to-door selling their services.
- A person who offers services for a short time only, which makes consumers feel rushed and unable to research the contractor.
- Pressure to pay for more than half of the cost up front.
- Refusal or reluctance to set out complete and specific contract terms in writing.
- Lack of permanent and verifiable name, address and phone number of the business.

For additional consumer tips, please visit the Secretary of State’s Professional Licensing Boards website at: http://sos.georgia.gov.

Karen Handel was sworn in as Secretary of State in January 2007. The Secretary of State's office offers important services to our citizens and our business community. Among the office’s wide-ranging responsibilities, the Secretary of State is charged with conducting efficient and secure elections, the registration of corporations, and the regulation of securities and professional license holders. The office also oversees the Georgia Archives and the Capitol Museum.
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Adairsville Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

RICKY LEE MCDANIEL, 53, of Adairsville, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy to serve five years in federal prison on charges of possessing child pornography.

“Child pornography is a permanent record of sexual child abuse, and its circulation on the Internet haunts the victims for the rest of their lives,” said Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “The defendant in this case had over 1,200 images and four video clips of child abuse stored on dozens of diskettes, and he will now receive the punishment that federal law provides for such deplorable conduct.”

Gordon County Sheriff Mitch Ralston said of the case: “I am pleased with the results of the arrest and prosecution of Ricky Lee McDaniel in connection with the child pornography charges brought against him by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A defendant such as this is a menace not only to the children in our community, but to children elsewhere in our country. I recognize and applaud all of the intensive investigative work put into this case by the FBI, and I also commend the detective from my own staff who very capably assisted the FBI with this matter. I look forward to enhanced cooperation between the Sheriff's Office and federal authorities in detecting, arresting, and prosecuting persons involved in such vile activities.”

MCDANIEL was sentenced to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

MCDANIEL was convicted of these charges on July 21, 2009 after a two-day trial.

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation began investigating MCDANIEL, after an investigation in Oklahoma linked MCDANIEL’s Internet service to the receipt of child pornography. FBI agents assisted Gordon County Sheriff’s Department investigators in executing a search warrant of MCDANIEL’s home in Calhoun. Agents found, among other things, over 1,200 images and four video clips of child pornography being sexually abused on approximately 60 floppy diskettes. Several of the children shown being raped and abused in the images and videos were previously identified victims of child abuse cases from across the country.

This case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and investigators from the Gordon County Sheriff’s Department.

Assistant United States Attorney William G. Traynor prosecuted the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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Isakson, Chambliss Call for OSHA Regulations on Combustible Dust in Wake of Investigation of Explosion at Imperial Sugar Facility

Speak to Labor Secretary to Urge Her to Begin Rulemaking Process

U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., today called on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to establish regulations regarding combustible dust after the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board announced its findings regarding the Feb. 7, 2008, explosion at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga.

Isakson and Chambliss were briefed by Chemical Safety Board officials regarding its final investigative report on the causes of the Feb. 7, 2008, explosion at the refinery near Savannah, Ga., that resulted in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to dozens more. Both senators also spoke with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis this week to urge her department to begin its comprehensive rulemaking on combustible dust.

“I believe we should embrace the findings of the Chemical Safety Board, including the recommendation that OSHA establish mandatory standards modeled after the National Fire Protection Association guidelines,” Isakson said. “Sen. Chambliss and I are working closely with Secretary Solis to ensure that the lessons we have learned as a result of the Port Wentworth disaster will help us prevent future tragedies. The best available science, the experience of stakeholders and the notice-and-comment process should all play a key role in developing these much-needed regulations.”

“After receiving the Chemical Safety Board’s briefing, I believe it is clear that we must move forward with its recommendations for OSHA to establish regulations modeled after the National Fire Protection Association guidelines,” said Chambliss. “As public servants, it is our responsibility to do everything we can from a federal standpoint to ensure this type of tragedy never occurs again.”

Chemical Safety Board investigators determined that the initial explosion originated inside an enclosed steel conveyor belt that was not properly designed to protect employees from dust explosion hazards. Those investigators also concluded that a series of massive secondary explosions could have been prevented if Imperial Sugar had maintained routine housekeeping procedures and removed “large accumulations of spilled sugar throughout the packing buildings.”

On July 25, 2008, OSHA found that Imperial Sugar “egregiously and willfully” violated safety and health standards by allowing excessive amounts of combustible dust to collect in its Port Wentworth facility. The agency has proposed $5,062,000 in penalties for safety violations at the Port Wentworth facility. OSHA also has proposed another $3,715,000 in penalties for safety violations at an Imperial Sugar refinery in Gramercy, La.

On Feb. 15, 2008, Isakson and Chambliss went to Savannah to meet with Imperial Sugar employees as well as the families of workers who died or suffered injuries. Isakson and Chambliss also toured the exterior of the facility.

On Feb. 13, 2008, Isakson and Chambliss sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Labor and the interim executive of the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, urging them to begin a comprehensive investigation of the Feb. 7 explosion. Both investigations are now complete.
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Former Fulton County Jail Detention Officer Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal Grand Jury about Death of Inmate

DERONTAY ANTON LANGFORD, 34, of Fairburn, Georgia, a former detention officer at the Fulton County Jail, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Atlanta to obstructing justice by lying to a federal grand jury investigating the 2008 death of an inmate at the jail.

Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “Although the circumstances surrounding Mr. Glasco’s death remain under investigation, this guilty plea brings us one step closer to learning the truth. Those who obstruct our efforts to learn the truth should expect to be prosecuted.”

Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, said, “Today’s guilty plea by former Detention Officer Langford should serve as reassurance to the public that the FBI is serious about getting to the truth and facts in an investigation such as this. It is unfortunate, to say the least, that former Detention Officer Langford set aside his sworn oath as a law enforcement officer and its underlying commitment to the truth in providing information in this investigation.”

Fulton County Sheriff Theodore “Ted” Jackson said, “Obstructing an official investigation by making false statements is never acceptable and should be prosecuted. I fully support the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI’s investigation of alleged criminal activity in the Fulton County Jail and will continue the partnership with them.”

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates and information presented during the guilty plea hearing: LANGFORD acknowledged that he testified falsely before a federal grand jury on August 27, 2008 when he was questioned about the death of an inmate on March 18, 2008. LANGFORD admitted that during his testimony he falsified, concealed and omitted material information regarding an encounter and physical contact with the inmate a short time before the inmate was found unresponsive on the floor of his cell.

Court documents state that at the time of his death, the inmate was housed in the medical unit of the jail due to a mental health condition that required medication. Eyewitnesses have told federal authorities that three detention officers, including LANGFORD, entered the inmate’s cell and engaged in a physical altercation with the inmate. The inmate was on the floor when the officers left his cell. A short time later, the inmate was discovered unresponsive and not breathing on the cell floor and was transported to Grady Hospital. According to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s report, the inmate’s cause of death was “probable disrhythmia associated with acute psychotic episode and agitation.”

LANGFORD is tentatively scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Court Judge J. Owen Forrester, on Thursday January 14, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. Langford faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

LANGFORD’s co-defendants, Curtis Jerome Brown, Jr., and Mitnee Markette Jones are scheduled for a jury trial on October 13, 2009.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI.

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Gwinnett: Inmate Escapes from Work Detail

An inmate from the Gwinnett County Department of Corrections escaped from a work detail today at 1:15p.m. The inmate is identified as Perry Bernard Williams of Marietta, Georgia. He is described as a black male, 27 years old, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 150 pounds, black hair and brown eyes.

On June 23, 2009, Williams was convicted in Gwinnett Superior Court of theft by receiving stolen property and was sentenced to serve 24 months in the Work Release Program. He subsequently violated program rules and was transferred to full-time incarceration on July 1, 2009.

At the time he escaped, Williams was assigned to an inmate work crew that was clearing mud and flood debris from Collins Hill Park. The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department is investigating Williams’ escape.
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New Report Examines Georgia's Wrongful Convictions of 20 Innocent Men Who Collectively Spent Nearly 170 Years in Prison for Crimes They Did Not Commit

/PRNewswire/ -- A new report released today by The Justice Project analyzes the cases of twenty innocent Georgians who collectively spent nearly 170 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Convicting the Innocent in Georgia: Stories of Injustice and the Reforms that Can Prevent Them also presents Georgia with common sense solutions that must be implemented to improve the quality of evidence used in criminal cases and reduce the risk of wrongful convictions.

While DNA evidence can determine guilt or innocence with a great degree of certainty, biological and DNA evidence is only available in a small number of cases. In fact, only seven of the twenty men highlighted is this report were exonerated by DNA testing. While non-DNA exonerations are more difficult to prove, they are similar to DNA cases in that they trace back to the same flawed procedures in need of reform.

Adopting non-DNA related reforms is vital to increasing the fairness and accuracy of Georgia's criminal justice system. In fact, issues like mistaken eyewitness testimony and false informant testimony are shown to be leading causes of wrongful convictions. Until Georgia enacts the practical reforms outlined in this report, its criminal justice system will remain prone to error.

Among the report's key findings:

-- Twenty innocent Georgians spent roughly 169 years in prison for crimes
they did not commit. The average length of incarceration was eight
years.
-- Mistaken eyewitness identification is the leading cause of wrongful
conviction in the highlighted cases, playing a role in half of the
defendant's cases.
-- Other factors leading to Georgia wrongful convictions include: false
testimony from informants or accomplices, flawed forensic science,
suppression of exculpatory evidence, and inadequate defense counsel.

The full report is available at www.TheJusticeProject.org.


The report details the enormous impact wrongful convictions have on innocent people, as well as the entire community. For the innocent person, prison is a terrifying experience, and the time spent in prison causes tremendous loss. Public safety is also put at risk when an innocent person is convicted. The investigation stops and the true perpetrator remains uninvestigated, unpunished, and free to commit more crimes.

"Georgia should be compelled to act swiftly to reform its criminal justice system given the number of wrongful convictions in its state," said John Terzano, President of The Justice Project. "Simple, practical reforms can help Georgia increase the fairness, accuracy, and reliability of its criminal justice system. We all have a vested interest in making sure the necessary reforms are in place to insure the best evidence is presented in the courtroom."

The Justice Project (TJP) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to improving the fairness and accuracy of the criminal justice system. TJP is based in Washington, D.C. and has offices in Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee.

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Gainesville Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offenses

CHARLES R. VAN BRACKLE, 49, of Rabun Gap, Georgia, was sentenced today by United States District Judge William C. O’Kelley on charges of receiving child pornography.

Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the case, “The large collection of child pornography that this defendant possessed directly promoted an industry that exploits, molests, and degrades children. This sentence underscores the harsh consequences for people who possess images of children being sexually exploited.”

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones said, “The protection of our children from individuals who would exploit them is one of the many vital missions of the FBI. The extensive collection of child pornography by the defendant is indicative of an individual who has likely been involved in this exploitive behavior for quite some time. We are appreciative of the sentence handed down today and feel that, as a result, the community is a safer place.”

VAN BRACKLE was sentenced to 9 years, 2 months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release. He was also fined $2000. There is no parole in the federal system. VAN BRACKLE pleaded guilty to the charge on July 17, 2009.

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates and the information presented in court: VAN BRACKLE was identified as a possible child pornography consumer after his name and identifying information were linked to child pornography investigations in Florida, Pennsylvania and Texas. In January 2009, FBI and GBI agents searched VAN BRACKLE’s home, recovering a computer whose hard drive contained over a thousand images and videos of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The images recovered from the computer were sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Child Victim Identification Program, where many of the children depicted in the images were determined to be known victims of child exploitation.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse, was launched. Led by the United States Attorney's Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

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Bank Robber Convicted

G.F. Peterman, III, Acting United States Attorney, announced that Merkuri Stanback was convicted September 17, 2009, after a three-day trial before the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia. Stanback was convicted of Armed Bank Robbery, Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Stanback faces a maximum sentence of twenty-five (25) years' imprisonment on the bank robbery, a minimum mandatory consecutive sentence of seven (7) years' up to life imprisonment for Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and a maximum sentence of ten (10) years' imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.

On December 28, 2007, Stanback, along with two co-defendants, entered the Park Community Federal Credit Union located on Riverside Drive, Macon, Georgia brandishing a firearm. Stanback and his co-defendants restrained employees and ransacked the teller area. Stanback and cohorts then robbed the contents of the bank vault and stole approximately $198,439.00. While in the process of fleeing, the robbers lost approximately $49,000 which was recovered in an adjoining parking lot.

A tip to the FBI lead to the search of a residence located at 1032 Main Street, where the defendant was residing. Macon Police Officers and FBI agents recovered a majority of the stolen money as well as the firearms and clothing used in the robbery. Warrants were issued for Stanback, who was later arrested in Pensacola, Florida by the United States Marshals Service.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, G.F. Peterman, III, stated that “Mr. Stanback will be subject to a long prison sentence under the federal robbery and firearms laws. Bank robbers should be put on notice that they will serve the full term of years imposed because there is no parole in the federal system.”

The case as investigated by the Macon Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Solis. Questions concerning this case should be directed to Sue McKinney, Public Affairs Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office, at (478) 621-2602.

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“Career Criminal” Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank Robbery

ARTHANIEL SMITH JR., 37, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Rome to the armed bank robbery of the Wachovia Bank at 4580 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway in Hiram, Georgia. Classified as an armed “career criminal,” because of an extensive criminal history, SMITH agreed to a sentence of over 40 years in prison.

Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “Today a career offender has been removed from the society he has victimized for more than fifteen years. This defendant’s long confinement in federal prison ensures that Georgia citizens will not again fall prey to his violent crimes.”

Gregory Jones, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Atlanta, said, “The FBI is relieved to have such a career offender off the streets. I commend the observant witness who relayed vital information in this case to the responding law enforcement officers. It is this type of community involvement and partnership with law enforcement that will help keep their communities safe.”

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates and the information presented in court: SMITH admitted that on March 2, 2009, he and another male unlawfully entered the Wachovia Bank at 4580 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway in Hiram, Georgia and hid inside the bank. The following morning, when the first employee of the day entered the bank, SMITH and his cohort, armed with handguns, confronted the employee and demanded money contained in the Bank's vault. After obtaining the funds, both men fled from the bank to a waiting vehicle. A concerned citizen observed the men flee the bank and reported the make, model and tag number of their vehicle. SMITH and his cohort were stopped by a Paulding County Sheriff's Deputy within ten minutes. All of the bank's funds were recovered from the vehicle, along with the gloves, masks and handguns used by the robbers. Both men subsequently confessed to committing the crime.

SMITH will be sentenced by United States District Court Judge Robert L. Vining, Jr. on December 17, 2009 at 10 a.m.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the FBI.

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Defendant Pleads Guilty to Making Bomb Threats to the Atlanta Housing Authority

MICHAEL EZZARD, 47, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty September 15, 2009, in federal district court to four counts of threatening to use a bomb to kill employees of the Atlanta Housing Authority (“AHA”) and to damage and destroy AHA buildings.

Acting United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said of the case, “These threats struck fear in the hearts of the AHA employees who were forced to quickly evacuate the building and caused great disruption to the surrounding businesses. It also forced local law enforcement to waste valuable time and manpower responding to this hoax. These are serious crimes.”

According to Acting United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: EZZARD made four telephonic bomb threats to the AHA. On January 22, 2009, EZZARD called the AHA and stated there was a bomb in the building and that he was going to “kill everybody down there.” The threat required AHA to immediately evacuate their offices and also required that law enforcement respond and search the entire building. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the streets surrounding the AHA also were blocked. All of the AHA employees were kept outside of the building for approximately three hours. On January 23, 2009, EZZARD made a second telephonic bomb threat to the AHA. He stated that there were four bombs in the building and that he was going to blow up the whole building.

Then on January 26, 2009, EZZARD made a third telephonic bomb threat to the AHA. He stated there were three bombs in the building and that “we’re going to kill everybody down there at Atlanta Housing Authority.” Later that same day, while under surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, EZZARD made his fourth and final telephonic bomb threat to the AHA. He stated that “we have a bomb in the building” and we are going to “kill everybody down there.” Agents obtained an arrest warrant and arrested EZZARD shortly thereafter.

EZZARD was indicted on February 24, 2009, on four counts of making telephonic bomb threats. Today he pleaded guilty to all four counts. He could receive a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.

Sentencing for EZZARD is now scheduled for December 1, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. before United States District Judge Charles A. Pannell, Jr.

This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Assistance in this case is also being provided by the Atlanta Police Department’s Detective Division.

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Alapaha Circuit Superior Court Judge Pleads Guilty

Former Alapaha Circuit Superior Court Judge Brooks E. Blitch, III, pled guilty before the Honorable Hugh Lawson, United States District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, to one count of Honest Services Fraud Conspiracy in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1341, 1343, 1346, and 1349. The maximum sentence for this offense is 20 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a mandatory assessment of $100.00. Blitch had already surrendered his judicial position and agreed to never again seek such as the result of prior proceedings instituted by the Judicial Qualifications Committee of Georgia.

Pursuant to a plea agreement between the government and Blitch, he would receive a probated sentence and a fine, the length and amount of each to be set by the court after a pre-sentence investigation and report are completed by the United States Probation Office. The agreement will not be final until approved by the court, which announcement is usually made at sentencing. A sentencing date has not been set, but normally is scheduled approximately 60 days after a conviction or plea of guilty.

“The essence of the honest services fraud charge was that the defendant allowed his judicial decisions to be manipulated by outside influences from improper sources, such as the requests of particular individuals who had his ear regarding special treatment for some of those who appeared or had cases before him,” said Acting United States Attorney G. F. “Pete” Peterman, III. “Our goal throughout this and related prosecutions has been to ensure that judicial and law enforcement decisions made in the Alapaha Judicial Circuit are properly based on the dictates of the law and basic fairness, in an open and public proceeding, rather than through favoritism and improper influence in private chambers.”

In prosecutions connected with this matter one sheriff, a court clerk, and a Clinch County State/Juvenile Court Judge, in addition to other individuals, have pled guilty to criminal charges, as well.

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Hephzibah Man Charged with Being a Career Criminal in Possession of Stolen Firearm

Edmund A. Booth, Jr., United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced that the federal grand jury sitting in Savannah has returned a two count indictment against Bobby Lee Roberson, age 45, of Hephzibah, Georgia, charging him under the Armed Career Criminal Act with being a felon in possession of a stolen firearm.

Booth stated that the charges in the indictment relate to the February 18, 2008 shooting in the West Lake neighborhood of Martinez, Georgia that was reported in news coverage at the time. Also as reported by news media, the defendant evaded law enforcement officials on this matter until he was arrested on July 27, 2009.

Booth noted that if convicted under the Armed Career Criminal Act, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of possessing a stolen firearm, the defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of ten years' imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. An initial appearance and arraignment date has not yet been set.

Booth explained that this case is part of the district’s Project Ceasefire initiative, a program devoted to reducing gun violence by prosecuting individuals found in possession of firearms who cannot legally possess them, such as felons and drug dealers.

Booth emphasized that an indictment is only an accusation and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent Ronald Rhodes conducted the investigation which led to the indictment. Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Brian Ozden led the federal efforts to apprehend Roberson while he was a fugitive. The government is represented in this case by Assistant United States Attorney David M. Stewart.

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Gustav One Year Later: A Reminder For People And Businesses To Plan And Prepare

This time last year, the Gulf Coast was cleaning up from Hurricane Gustav, one of four tropical cyclones that made U.S. landfall in quick succession in August and September. Damages from Gustav resulted in a presidential declaration for Louisiana, where the storm made landfall, plus three states served by FEMA's regional office in Atlanta - Alabama, Florida and Mississippi.

To date, those three states have received more than $51 million in assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help people and communities recover. Florida received $1.1 million and Alabama nearly $7 million in Public Assistance. Mississippi received $43.7 million for Public Assistance as well as Individuals and Households Program assistance, including low-cost loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"The one-year mark of Gustav reminds us that emergency situations can occur with little or no notice," said FEMA Region IV Administrator Phil May, who oversees the agency's operations in eight southeastern states. "Everyone needs to understand the importance of preparedness. That means: have a plan, have a kit, learn a skill and check on a neighbor once your family is safe after a disaster strikes," he said.

"September is National Preparedness Month. Alabama residents and businesses need to be proactive and take advantage of available tools to plan and prepare for the next event," said AEMA Director Brock Long. "Alabama dodged the brunt of Hurricane Gustav, but the next time Alabama may be the state that is directly impacted."

For more information on National Preparedness Month or getting prepared, call 800-BE-READY or visit www.ready.gov, www.listo.gov the Spanish version, or www.citizencorps.gov for free preparedness resources, such as family emergency plan templates, emergency supply kit checklists, and much more.

The Ready Web site also has a special sections for children, ages 8-12, (Ready Kids) and small- to medium-sized businesses (Ready Business).
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Violent Crime Rate Remained Unchanged While Theft Rate Declined in 2008

/PRNewswire/ -- The violent crime rate in 2008--19.3 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older--was unchanged from the previous year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) in the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, announced today. The property crime rate declined during 2008 from 147 to 135 crimes per 1,000 households, primarily as a result of decreases in theft and motor vehicle theft.

In 2008, an estimated 4.9 million violent crimes (rapes or sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated assaults and simple assaults) occurred, as well as an estimated 16.3 million property crimes (burglaries, motor vehicle thefts and household thefts) and 137,000 personal thefts (picked pockets and snatched purses). These offenses included both crimes reported and unreported to police. With the exception of theft and motor vehicle theft, victimization rates for every type of crime measured were unchanged from the 2007 levels.

Violent and property crime rates in 2008 remain at the lowest levels recorded since 1973, the first year that such data were collected. The rate of every major violent and property crime measured by BJS fell between 1999 and 2008. The overall violent crime rate fell 41 percent and the property crime rate declined by 32 percent during the last 10 years.

In 2008, women were more likely than men to be victimized by someone they knew. Seventy percent of all violent crimes against women were committed by a known offender (an intimate, family member or friend/acquaintance), compared to 49 percent of violence against men. Twenty-three percent of the non-fatal violence against women was committed by an intimate (current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend), compared to three percent of the violence against men.

Between 1999 and 2008, the rate of firearm violence declined from 2.5 incidents per 1,000 persons age 12 or older to 1.4 per 1,000 persons. Offenders used firearms in seven percent of all violent crimes in 2008, unchanged from 1999.

Nearly half of all violent crimes and 40 percent of all property crimes were reported to police in 2008. Of the violent crimes, robbery (61 percent) and aggravated assault (62 percent) were most reported. Forty-one percent of rape/sexual assaults and simple assaults were reported to the police. A higher percentage of motor vehicle thefts (80 percent) than burglaries (56 percent) and thefts (34 percent) were reported to police.

These findings are drawn from BJS's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), the nation's primary source for information on the frequency, characteristics and consequences of criminal victimization. Conducted since 1973, the NCVS is one of the largest continuous surveys conducted by the Federal government. In 2008, 42,093 households and 77,852 individuals age 12 or older were interviewed twice during the year for the NCVS.

Estimates from the NCVS, which includes offenses both reported and unreported to police, complement those from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR), which measures crimes reported to law enforcement agencies across the Nation. Unlike the NCVS, the UCR includes crimes against persons of all ages and businesses, as well as fatal crimes. Preliminary UCR results released by the FBI in June showed a 2.5 percent decline in violent crimes reported to the police and a 1.6 percent decline in property crimes during 2008.

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