Registered Sex Offender Numbers Increased 23 Percent in Past 5 Years

Number of Registered Sex Offenders in the U.S. Nears Three-Quarters of a Million

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) that would impose harsher penalties for retail theft on repeat offenders who have completed an Accelerated Rehabilitation Program (ARD).

House Bill 1603 was introduced at the request of the Limerick Police Department, which has been dealing with a dramatic rise in retail thefts since the Philadelphia Premium Outlets opened in the township. Many of the people arrested for shoplifting are repeat offenders.

How bad is the problem? Reporter Brandie Kessler will have the following story in Wednesday's edition of The Mercury:

LIMERICK — Three men arrested for retail theft from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets over the weekend have extensive criminal histories and between them have prior arrests for rape, robbery and murder, with one of them being a registered sex offender, according to police.

That's just the latest of dozens of articles published in The Mercury about thefts from Philadelphia Premium Outlets.

From a press release issued by Quigley:

"The ARD program cannot be used as a shield for repeat offenders," said Quigley. "It is a very worthy program that helps people who genuinely made a one-time mistake, but the Legislature must close the loophole that is allowing repeat wrongdoers to be charged with multiple first offenses."

Quigley's legislation is in reaction to the case of Commonwealth v. Graeff, in which the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that because the definition of second offense in the retail theft statute did not include participation in ARD, a subsequent offense must be considered another first offense.

House Bill 1603 would correct this multiple first offense loophole, allowing prosecutors to charge defendants who participated in ARD but continue to break Pennsylvania’s retail theft law with a second-degree misdemeanor.

"This is an important bill that closes a loophole in the law which allows second-time retail theft offenders to receive a more lenient sentence reserved for first-time offenders. I would like to thank Representative Quigley for the expeditious manner in which he addressed this issue after it was brought to his attention by Limerick Township police detectives," said Limerick Township Chief of Police William J. Albany.

"House Bill 1603 is consistent with the manner in which our laws handle multiple DUI offenders who have completed ARD," said Quigley. "Enacting this measure will send the message that Pennsylvania will not tolerate continued and unabashed retail theft. Its cost to our businesses and society is too high."

The legislation, which was approved by a vote of 178-20, will now go before the Senate for its consideration.

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State Police: Crimes Reported in PA Drop 2.6 Percent From Previous Year

Murder Arrest Rate Dropped 54 Percent Between 1980 and 2009

Thanks to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, no death row inmates in Pennsylvania have been executed since 1999.

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The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Quigley that would grade repeat violations of retail theft with greater severity for individuals who have completed an Accelerated Rehabilitation Program (ARD).

The Republican lawmaker said the legislation was prompted by repeated arrests for retail theft at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets in Limerick, which is part of Quigley's 146th Legislative District.

"The ARD program is valuable for individuals who made a one-time mistake, but completion of the program should still be considered as a first offense if an offender shows repeated contempt for the law," Quigley said in a press release. "Retail theft is not a victimless crime. Businesses lose billions of dollars annually to retail theft, and it’s the paying customers who absorb those costs."

Quigley said his legislation is in reaction to the case of Commonwealth v. Graeff, in which the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that because the definition of second offense in the retail theft statute did not include participation in ARD, a subsequent offense must be considered another first offense.

House Bill 1603 would correct this multiple first offense loophole, allowing prosecutors to charge defendants who participated in ARD but continue to break Pennsylvania’s retail theft law with a second-degree misdemeanor, Quigley said.

Quigley noted that this is consistent with how Pennsylvania treats DUI offenses, where second and subsequent offenses recognize completion of ARD as a first offense.

Limerick Township Police Chief William J. Albany supports Quigley's bill.

"This is an important bill that closes a loophole in the law which allows second-time retail theft offenders to receive a more lenient sentence reserved for first-time offenders," Albany said. "I would like to thank Rep. Quigley for the expeditious manner in which he addressed this issue after it was brought to his attention by Limerick Township police detectives."

The bill now goes before the full House for debate and consideration, according to Quigley.

Crime Watch PA Magazine Takes Anti-Crime Messages Statewide

An outfit called the Institute for Economics and Peace has released the inaugural United States Peace Index, ranking the 50 states based on their levels of peace.

The U.S. Peace Index shows Maine is the most peaceful U.S. state, while Louisiana is ranked the least peaceful.

New York, California and Texas recorded the highest increases in peace since 1991, while North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana saw the largest declines, according to the report.

Pennsylvania ranked in the middle, finishing 21st on the Peace Index.

United States Peace Index: Maine Most Peaceful, Louisiana Least Peaceful State in the Nation

Gov. Tom Corbett signed his first two execution warrants today but don't get too excited if you are an advocate for the death penalty.

Gov. Ed Rendell signed 119 execution warrants during his eight years as Pennsylvania governor and not a single inmate on the state's death row was executed. The problem is the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which has rendered the state's death penalty meaningless.

Corbett signs his first death warrants - pottsmerc.com

He's known as "Fast Eddie" but perhaps a better nickname for Pennsylvania's governor is Ed "Turn 'em Loose" Rendell.

From The Associated Press:

Gov. Ed Rendell will leave office next month having signed more than twice as many pardons as any other Pennsylvania governor. Rendell, a Democrat with about a month left in his second term, has granted 1,059 pardons, according to the state Board of Pardons. His office said 29 more await action on his desk, and he expects to consider 34 others by the end of the year.

Crime was down in Pennsylvania last year, which is somewhat of a surprise considering the state of the economy.

From a new report released by the Pennsylvania State Police showing overall crime down 5.4 percent and violent crime down 4.9 percent last year:

The breakdown of reported Crime Index offenses for 2009 is as follows:

* Murders dropped 8 percent from 704 to 648;
* Forcible rapes increased 4.9 percent to 3,620;
* Robberies declined 6.9 percent to 17,464;
* Aggravated assaults dipped 4.8 percent to 26,291;
* Burglaries dropped 6 percent to 54,519;
* Larcenies/thefts were down 5.6 percent to 203,268;
* Motor-vehicle thefts fell 20.2 percent to 17,776, and
* Arsons declined 9.3 percent to 2,157.

Follow the link below for more crime statistics and a link to the full 2009 report.

State Police: Crimes Reported in PA Dropped 5.4 Percent in 2009

Tuesday is NATIONAL NIGHT OUT; Millions to Spend A 'Night Out' Against Crime

Attention women: If somebody shows up at your house and offers to conduct a complimentary breast exam, call the police.

A 19-year-old Bucks County woman is the victim. The Delaware County man is under arrest for indecent assault.

Police want to know if anyone else in SE Pennsylvania may have been assaulted by the man, who is not a licensed doctor.

And who makes house calls anymore?

Man arrested for giving fake breast exam - The Reporter

PA State Police Make Record Number of DUI Arrests in 2009

Number of execution warrants signed by Gov. Ed Rendell since January 2003 -- 103.

Number of prisoners on Pennsylvania's Death Row executed since January 2003 -- 0.

Governor Rendell Signs Execution Warrants for Cam Ly, Shonda Walter

A longtime staffer of state Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-26th Dist., has been charged with possessing and conspiring to sell cocaine, according to Chester County law enforcement officials.

The West Chester Daily Local News reports that Lisa A. Johnson, 46, of Coatesville, turned herself in to authorities on Thursday. Johnson works as an administrative assistant in Hennessey's Coatesville office.

Hennessey told the newspaper he knows Johnson well and is surprised by the allegations against her.

From the article by reporters Danielle Lynch and Dan Kristie:

"She has been with me for 17 years, and I was totally surprised when I heard about it," Hennessey said. "I find it hard to believe she would be knowingly involved in anything like this."

Hennessey said he has informed the House Republican Caucus of the charges. Although Johnson works in Hennessey's office, the caucus is her employer and will decide what happens to her as a result of the charges, Hennessey said.

"She is presumed innocent right now," Hennessey said. "We'll let the system work. She'll be treated the same as anyone else."

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.

Violent Crime Rate Remained Unchanged While Theft Rate Declined In 2008

Sickening story in today's Delaware County Daily Times about a man who photographed and videotaped children he sexually abused while they attended a day care center the man's wife operated out of their home.

Police said 1.2 million images of child pornography were seized from John Worman's computers. The images included 11,000 video clips of him sexually abusing the children, several of whom considered him like a father, prosecutors said.

From a story by reporter Marlene DiGiacomo:

PHILADELPHIA — Convicted child predator John Worman was sentenced Wednesday to 120 years in federal prison by a judge who described the defendant's horrific crimes involving sexual abuse on children as young as 6 weeks old as the worst in the country.

U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Stengel said that Worman, 42, of Colwyn, does not know right from wrong and continues to deny the charges "despite overwhelming evidence."

A jury convicted him in September 2008 of 55 counts of manufacturing child pornography and one count of child pornography in which he documented in sickening detail on videotape and photos of himself forcing sex on a dozen children ranging from infancy to 15 years old.

"John Worman manufactured grief … psychological and physical havoc on the lives of these children," said Stengel. "One victim is too many. One time is too much."

The jurors who convicted him were so traumatized by the videos they had to watch during the trial that the judge provided a chance for them to talk to a psychologist following the verdict.

One juror said after the trial that he felt like he was "looking at Satan sitting over there," referring to Worman.

Read the full story at the newspaper's Web site.