ENGLAND - January 21, 2008 - In a bid to reduce the recent rise in knife attacks among Britain's youth, the UK's government is to introduce airport style metal detectors in schools. According to reports the number of under-18 year olds convicted or cautioned for carrying a knife rose by 37% between 2003 and 2006.
Britain's Home Secretary Jaqui Smith: "It's a good idea if we look at the ways in which in some schools it might be appropriate to use search arches, because I want young people to know that it doesn't make them safer to carry a knife: it actually makes them more likely to be a victim."
The measure is included in a government plan to be announced next month to deal with violent behavior. Currently portable metal detectors are used in places such as shopping centers and government buildings.
Teachers unions have welcome the idea but stressed it would only be appropriate for a small number of inner city schools.
CONCORD, New Hampshire - January 14, 2008 - Two men accused of helping New Hampshire tax evaders Ed and Elaine Brown evade capture have been accused of building explosives to help fight off federal agents.
A new indictment alleges that Jason Gerhard of Brookhaven, N.Y., built pipe bombs. It also accuses Daniel Riley of Cohoes, N.Y., of creating an explosive and building homemade guns, designed as booby traps, to shoot shotgun shells.
The Browns were arrested last fall after refusing to turn themselves in for nearly nine months. They were convicted last January of plotting to evade taxes on nearly $2 million. They maintain there is no law requiring them to pay income taxes.
Riley and Gerhard are two of four supporters of the couple who have been charged with conspiring to interfere with the government's efforts to arrest them and with aiding and abetting the couple. They are scheduled for a joint trial on Jan. 28 with Cirino Gonzales of Alice, Texas, and Robert Wolffe of Randolph, Vt. Gerhard, Gonzalez and Riley also face charges for bringing weapons to the Browns.
Following the Browns' arrests, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents searched the property and reported finding dozens of completed destructive devices and the materials to build many more.
At a pre-trial hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Arnold Huftalen said Riley told investigators he had purchased an explosive chemical mixture called Tannerite, mixed together its components and hung jars of the compound from trees and outbuildings, with bright orange markers facing the Browns' hilltop house.
Huftalen said Riley described a plan to shoot the Tannerite jars from afar if federal agents were spotted on the property. If the jars were ignited, the explosion would be powerful enough to injure or kill anyone in the general proximity, Huftalen said. The indictment charges Riley with creating these Tannerite devices.
Huftalen also said Riley described building improvised guns from pipes and other hardware, many of which were found at the scene. The devices worked as spring-loaded detonators for shotgun shells and were held back with firing pins tied to tripwires.
The plan, as Riley described it, was to secure the guns to trees along the property line and string the wires so that someone walking through the property might trip the wire, firing a shotgun blast in their direction.
