Latest news with #POST
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Closed-door hearing for officer involved in Sandra Birchmore case begins Thursday
The state's police oversight agency will make its case at a closed-door hearing beginning Thursday for why one of the former Stoughton Police officers involved in the Sandra Birchmore case should never again work in law enforcement in Massachusetts. Robert Devine, the former Stoughton deputy police chief, is among a trio of former Stoughton officers, along with brothers Matthew and William Farwell, accused of having inappropriate sexual relationships with Birchmore after she joined their police youth program as a teenager. Devine is fighting efforts from the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission, or POST, to revoke his certification for police work, a requirement for all officers employed in the commonwealth. Beginning Thursday, his case will play out in secret at the commission office in Boston after a retired judge presiding over the hearing ruled last week that protective orders covering sensitive evidence necessitated closing proceedings to the public and press. Some open government advocates criticized the decision for restricting access to a hearing of significant public interest. The commission was created in 2020, after the killing of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer, 'to increase transparency and accountability' in law enforcement, said Justin Silverman, executive director of the New England First Amendment Coalition.'You've got this horrible case that's going to be heard behind closed doors,' he said. 'That strikes me as out of step with why the commission was created.' The Birchmore case took a sharp turn last year when federal authorities charged Mathew Farwell with killing Birchmore in February 2021 and staging her death as a suicide. He had hoped to prevent her from revealing their relationship, which authorities said began when she was underage. A state medical examiner had previously ruled that Birchmore killed herself, a determination federal officials said missed key signs of a cover-up. According to prosecutors, Birchmore had told Farwell she was pregnant with his child before her death at age 23. Farwell denied to investigators that he was the father. Neither his brother William nor Devine faces criminal charges connected to the case, though all three are named in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Birchmore's aunt. Read more: Sandra Birchmore timeline: from Stoughton Explorer to arrest of Matthew Farwell Devine's hearing centers on claims that he abused his position of authority, lied to internal investigators and behaved in a manner unbecoming of a police officer. Birchmore met the Farwell brothers and Devine, who supervised them, after joining the Stoughton Police Explorers Program as a 12-year-old in 2010. She remained in the program until graduating high school. According to federal prosecutors, Matthew Farwell began sexually exploiting Birchmore in 2013, when he was 27 and she was 15, under the age of consent in Massachusetts. Their sexual encounters continued regularly as she grew older and sometimes occurred while he was on duty, investigators said. According to charging documents, as Farwell began to lose control of Birchmore in late 2020, he agreed to help her get pregnant in return for keeping their relationship while she was underage a secret. On Feb. 1, 2021, prosecutors say, Farwell strangled Birchmore at her apartment in Canton and staged her death as a suicide. The Stoughton Police Department launched an internal investigation after Birchmore's death into her interactions with the Farwell brothers and Devine. When interviewed by investigators, Devine claimed that he had never communicated online with Birchmore and that the pair had only limited interactions, according to a notice from the POST Commission initiating the decertification proceedings. But records from Facebook Messenger showed Devine and Birchmore exchanged messages 'on multiple occasions,' he using the alias 'Marty Riggs,' from November 2020 until her death in February 2021, the commission said. Their messages also indicated that Devine 'arranged to have a sexual encounter' with Birchmore during one shift he was working in December 2021, according to the commission. The internal investigation by the Stoughton Police found Devine had been untruthful, incompetent and 'failed to demonstrate attention and devotion to his duty.' In a ruling Friday, Judge Kenneth J. Fishman, who is presiding over the hearing, said protective orders covering evidence related to the case meant the proceedings must be kept confidential. There are four protective orders dealing with the Birchmore case: one approved by a federal judge dealing with Matthew Farwell's criminal case, one from Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office related to the lawsuit brought by Birchmore's family, and two from Fishman regarding Devine's case with the POST Commission. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts requested the protective order in the Farwell case to prevent the release of information it believed could expose Birchmore or witnesses 'to significant safety and/or privacy risks.' Among the information covered under the protective order, the government said in a September court filing, were crime scene and autopsy photographs of Birchmore's body, data from her phone and laptop 'from which it would be impractical or impossible to redact all identifying information,' Birchmore's medical records and police reports identifying witnesses by name. Fishman's order closing Devine's hearing to the public said protective orders were in place to protect confidential evidence and 'the identity of an individual.' Many of the materials and information would be discussed throughout the hearing, Fishman wrote. Understanding that at least some portion of the hearing must be closed, the judge said he considered 'the feasibility of structuring the presentation of evidence to enable an efficient proceeding between the closed and, if any, open portions of the hearing.' Attorneys for the commission and Devine advised Fishman that the entire session would be interspersed with discussions of confidential information. 'It's unlikely that any testimony regarding the substance of the allegations would cover topics outside of the protected evidence,' commission lawyers said. Fishman concluded that there was 'no reasonable method for opening any portions of this hearing to the public without a substantial risk of disclosing confidential evidence,' he wrote. Commission hearings are 'presumptively public,' but can be closed 'if the presiding officer determines that full or limited closure is necessary to protect privacy interests and will not be contrary to the public interest,' a commission spokesperson said in a statement to MassLive. The commission pointed to five other cases where hearings had been closed, including cases when it was needed to protect the identity of a victim of sexual or violent crimes, the spokesperson said. Both Farwell brothers and Devine left the department in 2022. The brothers each reached agreements with the commission last year to be stripped of their certifications, a move that carries a lifetime ban from police work in Massachusetts. Like other officers whose certifications have been revoked, they were added to a national registry of decertified police officers designed to prevent them from finding police work in other states. Mass. police watchdog decertifies officers from Boston, Springfield and 3 other towns Mass. police watchdog revokes 5 officers' certifications: 'Not fit for duty' Former Boston Police officer who secretly filmed nude child banned from police work Read the original article on MassLive.
IOL News
01-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
We were robbed of our dreams, says grieving wife
Arvin Ramluckan. Image: Supplied FOR a Tongaat woman the pain of losing her husband, Arvin Ramluckan, during the tornado remains while her two young daughters yearn for their father daily. Arvin, 37, a boilermaker, from Sandfields, died in hospital three days after the tornado hit, on June 6. He suffered extensive head injuries. At the time, a relative said Arvin's company transport had dropped him off near a shop on Sandfields Road. He had been walking to his home, a few metres away with a friend when they were caught in the tornado. The relative said Arvin and his friend held hands and started running to get to another friend's house to seek shelter. However, along the way, they were separated. He said Arvin was picked up by the tornado and flung against a brick wall, which then collapsed on him. Arvin was later taken to hospital by paramedics and placed on a ventilator. Speaking to the POST, Shanel Ramluckan, his wife, said they had hoped he would recover. 'I still remember seeing him lying in his hospital bed. While he was not able to speak or move, I had some hope that he would get through it. But he fought until he couldn't anymore. His tragic passing has been our greatest loss as he was the most loving husband and father. He was also our protector and now we are forced to live without him.' Ramluckan said the last conversation she had with Arvin was earlier that morning, when he video-called to speak to her and their daughters, now aged six and three. 'He left to work early in the morning, but would always call during his breaks. When he called that morning during his tea break, he only spoke to our youngest daughter as the eldest was still asleep. He said he would call later. I waited for his call at midday when he took his lunch break, but I think they had a meeting and he didn't have time. We never got to speak to him again.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Ramluckan said later that afternoon when she opened the door to let her dog out, she was met by the tornado. 'I didn't know there was a tornado approaching. The dog needed to go out, so when I opened the door I was hit by this strong wind. I could hear this loud noise; when I looked outside I saw the roof tiles flying off our relative's home next door. I managed to push the door closed and went to hide in our bedroom. 'After some time, I heard the relative calling out for me and went outside. She was badly injured. Moments after that, Arvin's friend came running into the yard, asking where Arvin was. I knew something was wrong. 'While we were sitting inside, my brother-in-law arrived and said Arvin had been injured, but he was okay and had been taken to hospital. We couldn't leave the area at the time as the roads were blocked. The next morning, my sister and I went to the hospital to see him. He was on a ventilator and not responsive,' she said. Ramluckan said she went to visit Arvin again on the Thursday. 'We were waiting to see him as we were told he was going to be moved from casualty to a ward. They weren't allowing the girls to go in but said they would be able to see him while he was being moved to the ward. 'The girls were hungry, so we took them to get something to eat at the shop. It wasn't even a few minutes that we were gone when my sister received a call that he had passed away. We rushed back to the hospital. I was in shock. My husband was gone. I still remember when I touched him, his body was still warm," she said. Ramluckan said her daughters still yearned for him. 'Almost every day my girls are in tears. At times, they are inconsolable that I have to call my sister to come home because I don't know how to comfort them. There are times when the youngest one will say she misses her dad and she wants to go by him. Her sister will tell her that 'daddy died, but he is watching over us'. It breaks my heart as they loved him so much. They were his whole world.' Ramluckan said she and Arvin had many future plans. 'He always used to say he wanted to have another child - he wanted a son. He also said he wanted to buy a car and renovate our home. But, we have been robbed of those dreams.' Arvin's one year memorial service was held at his home on Sunday. THE POST
IOL News
01-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
One year on: Tongaat community are still picking up the pieces
Saloshna Govender's home was destroyed during the tornado. She is yet to start rebuilding. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers NEARLY a year after a devastating tornado struck Tongaat, residents share their ongoing struggles to rebuild their homes and lives. On June 3, 2024, the tornado left thousands of residents displaced, 12 people dead and hundreds of homes destroyed. Last week, the POST visited some of the affected areas, where the clean-up and repair of roofs, windows, boundary walls, and other infrastructure is ongoing. Some of the homes were extensively damaged, with only the structures still remaining Several homes were extensively damaged with only some of its structures remaining. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers Saloshna Govender, 43, of Naidoo Road, said she, her husband and their two children were renting while they tried to rebuild their house. 'It has been a long and incredibly difficult road. The unpredictable weather with the rain, and our work commitments have delayed our progress. Our house has been underpinned, and we are working with a structural engineer. While plans have been drawn up, everything is moving slowly.' Govender said the estimated damage to her property was around R1.4 million. 'To make things worse, looters arrived soon after, stealing what little was left. In addition, the eThekwini Municipality sent a team to assess the damage shortly after the tornado, but nothing ever came from it. While we do have insurance, the process has been frustratingly slow. However, we are grateful to the people who offered emotional support and kindness in the tornado aftermath.' Govender said surviving the tornado was both a miracle and a traumatic experience. 'In the immediate aftermath, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief that my family and I were alive but that relief quickly gave way to shock and grief as we stepped outside and saw the devastation. Everything we had built, collected, and cherished was gone in an instant. It felt like our lives had been stripped bare. 'I struggled with disbelief and sorrow. But I also had a deep sense of gratitude. It's hard to describe what it feels like to lose everything, yet still hold onto what truly matters, each other. In the days that followed, we faced uncertainty, but also discovered a quiet strength that came from surviving together,' she said. Govender added that she missed her home. 'I lived in Naidoo Road for 40 years. It is the place that I grew up and later where we raised our family. Our home was more than just walls and a roof. It was filled with memories, comfort, and security. We are doing our best to restore what was lost. While the road to rebuilding is long, we continue forward with hope and faith.' Ramasamy Pillay outside his home in Rama Road, which he and his wife, Yogie Naidoo, are renovating. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers Yogie Naidoo, 58, of Rama Road in Sandfields, said the trauma of the tornado remained. 'It still feels like just yesterday that I was about to get carried away into the sky. I remember being pulled by this strong wind, as my roof was blown away and windows were breaking. If my husband did not shield me, I probably would not be alive today.' Naidoo said the damage to her home and belongings was extensive. 'The walls of our garage collapsed, and my car was completely damaged. We also could not live in the house, which led to looting of whatever belongings we had. This included the donations we received such as a wheelbarrow and a gas cylinder.' Naidoo said the estimated damages amounted to about R1m. 'Thankfully, we had insurance which aided us in repairing what we could, such as the roof and windows. But we still had to use funds from our pockets to replace everything that was destroyed inside the home. In addition, we were only able to move back into our home in February.' Prabitha Ramlukan suffered injuries to her face after her bedroom window shattered during the tornado. Her home's roof was also torn off. Image: Nadia Khan Prabitha Ramlukan, 58, of Sandfields Road in Sandfields, said she was still picking up the pieces. She also suffered severe injuries to her forehead and left eye after the tornado hit her home, shattered her bedroom window and tore off her roof. 'I am grateful for the sponsors that helped to replace the roof and windows. It has not been easy trying to rebuild, especially when you don't have the finances. But my son and I are slowly fixing and replacing what we can in our home.' Ramlukan's home now. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers Ramlukan said she still experienced 'shivers' when there were heavy winds or rains. 'It takes me back to that day when I had to hold onto my headboard so I wouldn't get blown away. I also still feel the pain from my injury.' Some of the damages inside the home of Annie Lahldas after the tornado. Image: Supplied Annie Lahldas, 70, of Breeze Place in Fairbreeze, said she was still trying to rebuild her home. She said the estimated damages to her property was over R1m and she was under-insured. 'I had to prioritise what needed to be repaired first, which was the boundary walls that had collapsed and allowed for theft from my property. I also had to replace the roof, doors and windows for our safety. However, as a pensioner, it is hard to do more. Sadly, I did not receive any other financial assistance, especially from the government, which would help me do more repairs.' Melanie Maistry outside her home which is still being repaired. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo/Independent Newspapers Melanie Maistry, 46, of Naidoo Road, said repairs to her home were ongoing because she did not have insurance at the time of the disaster. 'This is my family home which I had just spent R80 000 to renovate. We had just moved back into the home when the tornado hit. However, I did not know the home insurance lapsed.' Maistry said there was extensive damage to the roof, door and windows. 'In addition, our driveway gate was damaged. It has been challenging over the past few months as we try to complete the repairs. We have only just finished painting the roof. There is still a lot more work to be done, but it will take time.' Maistry said there was still a need for financial support to be provided to residents. 'Sadly, a year later and many residents have not started rebuilding their lives due to not having had insurance or being underpaid for the damages. They are now forced to rent, some even far away. 'In addition, large sums of money was donated towards the tornado relief efforts. Where are those funds? If there is any money available, then it should be used to help those who are still struggling. It is only fair,' she said.
CBS News
27-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Longtime private investigators say Massachusetts State Police is denying license renewals
Longtime private investigators say the Massachusetts State Police is denying their license renewal applications. The PIs say the department is disqualifying police officers and preventing them from working, leaving criminal cases in jeopardy and putting some private eyes out of business. Television shows like Magnum PI glamorize the life of private investigators. In reality, the job is often not as exciting, but it is rewarding. Joe DeSimone is a retired Cambridge sergeant detective and has been a licensed private investigator for nearly a decade. "Most of my business is criminal defense work," DeSimone said, "and most of those clients are indigent." DeSimone keeps up his Peace Officer Standards and Training or POST certification so he can do traffic details in Cambridge. Recently he applied to renew his PI license and thought it would be easy because he says, "I was probably one of a handful of guys in the state that had the license prior to retirement." POST certification Months ago, the Massachusetts State Police, the agency that certifies private investigators, added language to the requirements on its website. It says, "The applicant shall not be currently certified by the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission." A decision that would effectively disqualify DeSimone and potentially hundreds of other police officers who work as private investigators. "POST certification was developed to allow the public to keep an eye on police officers who were accused of things like excessive force etc.," said Domenic Paolino, DeSimone's attorney. "POST has nothing to do with being a private investigator." Disqualified for police details But DeSimone's POST certification was not the reason the State Police denied his application, in a letter it listed another disqualifier. That said he was denied because he does Cambridge police details. Joe says that decision effectively puts him out of business. "Nowhere is that codified anywhere, there's nothing in writing, there's been no change to the statute even for the POST certification," DeSimone said. Attorney Paolini cannot understand why this happening now. "He's been doing details for several years," Paolini said. "He was a municipal police officer, a detective sergeant, which should give him good qualifications to be a PI but they're saying the things that would make you a good PI disqualify you which is really mind boggling." MSP says PIs must be former officers The State Police told the I-Team, "Massachusetts General Law prohibits POST-certified individuals who exercise police powers from becoming certified private investigators (PI) – though they can function as an employee of another person who maintains a PI license." Here is the language of the statute, which makes clear that PIs must be a former officer or member of a United States Investigative Service: M.G.L. c. 147 s. 24" Attorney Paolini sees it differently. "What they have done is added their own qualifications without approval from the legislature or the legislature changing the law," Paolini said. "In our system, the legislature makes the rules, makes the laws and the courts interpret them. I don't see an interpretation by a court or by a legislator that changes these rules." DeSimone says he is qualified and plans to appeal the decision. "The state police don't get to pick and choose, shouldn't get to pick and choose who is going to be a PI who is not going to be a PI," DeSimone said. "You put me out of business you put a lot of PIs out of business. It's unfair." DeSimone's attorney says if they are not successful appealing to the state police colonel, he will head to court, where he is likely to have company. Other private investigators who also had their applications denied tell the I-Team, that's what they plan to do too.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Post (POST): Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q1 Earnings?
Although the S&P 500 is down 3.3% over the past six months, Post's stock price has fallen further to $108.01, losing shareholders 9.5% of their capital. This may have investors wondering how to approach the situation. Is now the time to buy Post, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? Check out our in-depth research report to see what our analysts have to say, it's free. Even with the cheaper entry price, we don't have much confidence in Post. Here are three reasons why we avoid POST and a stock we'd rather own. Revenue growth can be broken down into changes in price and volume (the number of units sold). While both are important, volume is the lifeblood of a successful staples business as there's a ceiling to what consumers will pay for everyday goods; they can always trade down to non-branded products if the branded versions are too expensive. Post's average quarterly sales volumes have shrunk by 4.6% over the last two years. This decrease isn't ideal because the quantity demanded for consumer staples products is typically stable. Forecasted revenues by Wall Street analysts signal a company's potential. Predictions may not always be accurate, but accelerating growth typically boosts valuation multiples and stock prices while slowing growth does the opposite. Over the next 12 months, sell-side analysts expect Post's revenue to stall, a deceleration versus its 13.8% annualized growth for the past three years. This projection is underwhelming and suggests its products will see some demand headwinds. Growth gives us insight into a company's long-term potential, but how capital-efficient was that growth? Enter ROIC, a metric showing how much operating profit a company generates relative to the money it has raised (debt and equity). Post historically did a mediocre job investing in profitable growth initiatives. Its five-year average ROIC was 5.9%, somewhat low compared to the best consumer staples companies that consistently pump out 20%+. Post isn't a terrible business, but it doesn't pass our quality test. Following the recent decline, the stock trades at 15.2× forward P/E (or $108.01 per share). Investors with a higher risk tolerance might like the company, but we think the potential downside is too great. We're pretty confident there are more exciting stocks to buy at the moment. Let us point you toward our favorite semiconductor picks and shovels play. The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025. While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 9 Market-Beating Stocks. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Sign in to access your portfolio
