Latest news with #Boysen
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Change to ‘X-Train' ordinance would allow KDPS to tow involved vehicles off the street
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A change to an ordinance in Kalamazoo will make it easier for officers to tow vehicles involved in mobile nuisance parties known as 'X-Trains.' Kalamazoo City Council passed the change Monday night, which would allow Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officers to tow vehicles that have violated the mobile nuisance ordinance after receiving a warning. The original mobile nuisance ordinance, passed in 2019, was meant to combat the parties. 'It's a problem. Number one (because of) noise, disturbing the neighborhoods and the quality of life that it impacts,' KDPS Chief David Boysen . 'But it's also really a safety concern for us. Because these cars will be three to four deep or wide across the street and the street is completely gridlocked and blocked.' Proposed ordinance aims to tow 'X-Train' vehicles in Kalamazoo Because of the change, KDPS officers can tow a car after the 'X-Train' party if it's parked on a public lot or on the side of the street. However, they'll still need to get a search warrant to tow a vehicle out of a private driveway or backyard. Under the ordinance before the chance, officers would have needed to get approval from a judge to tow a car, regardless of its location. Boysen said last year, 23 vehicles were impounded during the parties. After the city started the initiative to get seizure orders for vehicles that were seen at an 'X-Train,' more cars were identified — 129 so far in 2025. He said 34% of those are Kalamazoo cars, 32% are from out of state and 17% are rental cars. Boysen said there has been a decrease in activity at 'X-Train' parties since the ordinance was first implemented. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Yahoo
Proposed ordinance aims to tow ‘X-Train' vehicles in Kalamazoo
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (WOOD) — A proposed city ordinance in Kalamazoo looks to make it easier for officers to tow vehicles involved in mobile nuisance parties known as 'X-trains.' The change would allow the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety to impound a vehicle used in a nuisance party later, when it's easier for police to tow it. Officers will send a warning letter to the registered vehicle owner. If that warning is violated within six months, the car will be on the list to be impounded. If the car is parked on private property, police would need a warrant to impound the car. KDPS Chief David Boysen said the mobile parties put people at risk. 'You have crowds of cars blocking the streets. We can't get emergency apparatus down the streets. So if you have a medical emergency and you live in those neighborhoods, we can't get to you,' he said. Drone video released by the department in 2022 shows lines of cars filling a neighborhood, grinding traffic to a halt. Boysen said the issue has been improving as the department's strategy evolves. Previous strategies involved officers issuing tickets or making arrests at the street parties, but it was a tax on resources. 'We'd have to do giant overtime operations, bringing a lot of people, which was effective the nights we did it. But the next weekend, when we couldn't sustain that kind of staffing, it was back to normal,' said Chief Boysen. In 2023, the department focused on the vehicles rather than just the people involved. Police used photos and video to keep track of cars at the parties. A warning letter was sent to owners, which Boysen said was a major deterrent. 'A lot of those folks that got those warning letters, some of them didn't even know that maybe a family member, friend was using their car and maybe they were asleep and their car was being used to do illegal activity that they weren't aware of,' he said. Repeat offenders risked seeing their car towed. A few cars were impounded during the X-Train parties, but that had a limit. 'During those instances where there's a lot of cars, it takes a lot of manpower to even impound cars,' said the KDPS chief. 'You get them stand by the car, wait for a tow truck to arrive. We have to worry about the crowds and keep the officers safe and the scene safe. So I think people realize it's kind of safety in numbers,' he said. Boysen said officers would send requests through the courts to impound cars after the events. The proposed ordinance change would streamline that process by giving officers the authority to impound the vehicle if there was 'reasonable cause' that it was used at the party. 'We really finally found a strategy that works,' Boysen said. During the city commission meeting, commissioners said they wanted to see an end to the mobile parties. One community member expressed opposition to the change. They said the change seemed geared at protecting property rather than people. 'This isn't just about property value, this isn't just about people having a good time in the street,' said Commissioner Chris Praedel. 'These are people who have a home and who are blocked into their home at all hours of the night. Who have sleeping children, who have to get up to work the next day. Who wonder how the heck they are going to get out of their house if there's an emergency. How the heck are they going to get back home?' he said. The proposed change passed the first reading in a unanimous vote. It will have to pass another reading before it is fully adopted. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A NATO country will send troops to Ukraine to learn from the war. Russia said they will be legitimate targets.
Denmark said it will send soldiers to Ukraine for training to learn from real-world combat. Unarmed troops will go to Western Ukraine to learn drone warfare, Denmark's commander in chief said. Russia responded that the location of personnel and equipment would be a "legitimate target." Denmark is planning to send some of its soldiers to Ukraine so they can learn from Ukraine's experience fighting Russia, and Russia said they would be legitimate military targets. Maj. Gen. Peter Boysen, Denmark's commander in chief, told state broadcaster TV 2 that unarmed Danish troops will be sent to learn drone warfare. He said the troops would be stationed in Western Ukraine, which is far from the front lines but is still subject to some Russian long-range missile attacks. "We're sending some teams down to see what experiences the Ukrainians have had — first-hand," Boysen said, according to a translation of his remarks by the Kyiv Independent. "They are not going there to actively participate in the war," he added. Boysen said operators and instructors would take courses that last one to two weeks, and the training would start as soon as possible, potentially this summer. He said it had not yet been decided how many troops would be sent. Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, told TV 2 that the move was a provocation and said it would "drag Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine," per the Kyiv Independent's translation. He said that facilities "including headquarters, training and education centers, as well as locations of military personnel and military equipment, both deep inside Ukrainian territory and on the front line, are a legitimate target." Russia has described other Western assets in Ukraine, like a plant for German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, as legitimate military targets, but has not had any reported or confirmed strikes on them. Boysen said Ukraine has strong air raid warning systems and shelters, and said he spent time in a shelter in Kyiv when visiting Ukraine. Ukraine has become a world leader in drone warfare, rapidly innovating new tactics, drone types, and countermeasures. Western nations have paid close attention. Boysen said that in the 42 years he's been in the armed forces, he's never seen things develop as quickly as they have with uncrewed systems and tactics. "We can learn a lot from the combat experience they have gained in Ukraine," Boysen said. "It is clear that we are relying on their experience to become better in combat." He also said the project started with an invitation from Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Drones have been used in Ukraine more than in any other conflict in history. Boysen said attack drones account for more than 70% of Ukrainian kills. Ukraine is also making most of its own; it said more than 96% of the 1.5 million drones it bought last year were of Ukrainian origin. A conflict between Russia and the West would likely look very different from the war in Ukraine. Ukraine's reliance on drones has been partly driven by its shortages of other weaponry and defenses, and by it having a much smaller military than Russia. But most warfare experts agree that drones will be a key part of any future conflict. The West is also adopting lessons far beyond drones. Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark's defense minister, told Business Insider in February that the West can learn lessons from Ukraine, including about how to make weapons faster. "From the armed forces, we have quite much to learn, especially on the tactics," he said. Denmark has already increased its defense spending, warning, like many other European nations, that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent. It is also the second-biggest giver of aid to Ukraine as a proportion of its GDP, and has played a leading role in giving Ukraine key weapons, like F-16 fighter jets. Poulsen said allies should step up their support to Ukraine further: "We should be able to give Ukraine what they will need in the future." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Denmark to send unarmed soldiers to Ukraine for drone warfare training
The Danish Armed Forces plan to send unarmed troops to Ukraine for short-term training courses to study the country's drone warfare tactics, Major General Peter Boysen, Denmark's commander-in-chief, told state broadcaster TV 2 on April 16. While several NATO countries have trained Ukrainian forces abroad, no official reports have confirmed the presence of foreign troops inside Ukraine for training purposes. The courses, expected to begin as early as this summer, will take place at training centers in western Ukraine and will not involve direct combat. "We're sending some teams down to see what experiences the Ukrainians have had — first-hand," Boysen said. "They are not going there to actively participate in the war." Boysen, who has visited Ukraine twice in recent months, said the initiative is being launched at the invitation of Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. "In the 42 years I have been in the Armed Forces, I have not experienced things moving as fast as they are right now," Boysen said, referring to advances in unmanned systems and combat tactics driven by Ukraine's experience with drone warfare. Both Ukraine and Russia have come to rely heavily on drones for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and targeted attacks. Denmark sees the conflict as a live testbed for modern warfare. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us The training program will involve teams from different Danish military regiments. Courses will last one to two weeks and be conducted far from the front line, possibly near Lviv. Boysen emphasized that Ukraine has robust air raid warning systems and shelters, saying, "I've spent time in one of them in Kyiv myself." The move drew sharp criticism from the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen. Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin called the decision a provocation, warning it would "drag Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine." "(F)acilities, including headquarters, training and education centers, as well as locations of military personnel and military equipment, both deep inside Ukrainian territory and on the front line, are a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces," Barbin said. Separately, European allies are discussing plans to deploy a "reassurance force" in Ukraine after a potential ceasefire to secure Ukrainian strategic facilities in the rear. Copenhagen signaled interest in taking part in the effort. Denmark has been a key backer of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. In February 2024, Copenhagen signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Kyiv, pledging long-term defense cooperation until Ukraine secures NATO membership. Read also: Trump officials 'fed up' with Europe's efforts to strengthen Ukraine, Economist reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Denmark to send soldiers for training in Ukraine
The Danish Armed Forces are planning to send Danish soldiers to Ukraine for training. Source: Major General Peter Boysen, Commander of the Danish Ground Forces, in an interview with Danish TV channel TV 2, as reported by European Pravda Details: Several teams of Danish soldiers are set to be deployed to Ukraine. They will be unarmed and drawn from various military regiments. The Danish command is particularly interested in Ukraine's three years of frontline experience with drone warfare. "In my 42 years of service in the armed forces, I have never seen events develop so quickly," said Major General Peter Boysen, after observing the training of a reconnaissance regiment using advanced attack drones similar to those deployed on the front line in Ukraine. Boysen asserts that the adoption of new weapons systems and warfare methods by the Danish Armed Forces stems from his two recent visits to Ukraine. He now aims to accelerate the process by sending more teams of Danish soldiers to training camps in Ukraine. The number of training courses has not yet been finalised, but Boysen told TV 2 that both instructors and soldiers are expected to take part in sessions lasting one to two weeks, possibly starting as early as this summer. "We are sending several teams there to see first-hand what experience the Ukrainians have. So come and get this experience," he said. "Yes, I've been there several times. But these soldiers aren't going there to take an active part in the war. They're going there to gain some experience, and this is at the invitation of my counterpart, the commander of the Ukrainian military," said Boysen. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen has expressed outrage over the Danish Armed Forces' plan to send personnel to a training camp in Ukraine. "Sending Danish troops to Ukraine, including to study combat experience, draws Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine and provokes its further uncontrolled escalation," Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a written comment to TV 2. In response, Boysen emphasised that the soldiers would be unarmed and deployed far from the front line, likely at a training centre in Ukraine's west. "They will be trained far from the front line, for example, in Lviv in Ukraine's west. And if there is a missile attack, the Ukrainians have outstanding warning systems and good shelters. I myself spent time in one of them in Kyiv," Boysen said. Background: At the end of March, Denmark announced €130 million in guarantees for Danish companies prepared to invest in Ukraine's defence industry. More recently, the drone coalition, which includes Denmark, allocated €20 million from a joint fund to procure tactical-level intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones for Ukraine's defence forces. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
