Latest news with #law enforcement
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Epstein and Maxwell grand juries did not hear directly from victims, prosecutors tell judges
The federal grand juries that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges did not hear directly from any of the alleged victims in the case, Justice Department officials said in support of their request to unseal transcripts of the usually secret proceedings. Just two witnesses testified before the panel and both were law enforcement officials, the officials said. In a court filing late Tuesday, the officials again urged the court to release the records, citing huge public interest, but they also sought to assure the judges that making them public wouldn't harm victims of the couple's crimes. While the memo didn't detail what was in the grand jury testimony, it dampened expectations that the transcripts would contain new revelations, saying that 'certain aspects and subject matters' contained in them became public during Maxwell's trial in 2021 and that other details have been made public through many years of civil lawsuits filed by victims. The Justice Department described the grand jury witnesses in response to questions from two judges who would have to approve the release of the transcripts. Grand jury transcripts are rarely released by courts, unless they need to be disclosed in connection with a judicial proceeding. The papers filed Tuesday cite a 1997 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that said judges have wide discretion and public interest alone can justify releasing grand jury information. The Epstein grand jury heard from just one witness, an FBI agent, when it met in June and July 2019, the government disclosed. The Maxwell grand jury heard from the same FBI agent and a New York Police Department detective when it met in June and July 2020 and March 2021, according to the submission. It isn't unusual for law enforcement officials to be the only witnesses before grand juries, which have a limited role and don't need to decide whether a person is guilty of a crime. The memorandum was signed by Jay Clayton, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and included the names of Attorney General Pam Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The request to unseal the transcripts came after the Justice Department enraged parts of President Donald Trump's base of supporters when it announced in early July it wouldn't be making public any more investigative files related to Epstein, who was accused of paying underage girls for sexual acts. The decision not to make additional materials public shocked some Trump supporters because members of his administration had hyped the expected release and stoked conspiracies around the well-connected financier. Epstein took his own life in a federal jail in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, but his case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories because of his and Maxwell's links to famous people, such as royals, presidents and billionaires, including Trump. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her December 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges that accused her of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Last week, she sat for 1 1/2 days of interviews with Justice Department officials in Florida, answering questions 'about 100 different people,' her attorney said. Maxwell was being interviewed because of Trump's directive to gather and release any credible evidence about others who may have committed crimes, the deputy attorney general said. Trump has denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he had cut off their relationship long ago. But he faces ongoing questions about the Epstein case , overshadowing his administration's achievements. When reporters last week pressed the Republican president about possibly pardoning Maxwell, he deflected, emphasizing his administration's successes. After the request to unseal grand jury records, two former prosecutors in Manhattan told The Associated Press the transcripts would be relatively short and contain only the testimony of law enforcement witnesses talking about evidence that tracks information in the indictments. The court memorandum filed Tuesday said many of the victims whose accounts of being exploited by Epstein and Maxwell were discussed before the grand jury by the FBI agent and the NYPD detective later testified at Maxwell's public trial. The government said no Epstein or Maxwell family members have come forward to express an interest in the request to unseal the grand jury transcripts, although Maxwell has indicated she will file a position with the court. The memorandum says the request to unseal the transcripts is 'consistent with increasing calls for additional disclosures in this matter.' 'There is undoubtedly a clearly expressed interest from the public in Jeffrey Epstein's and Ghislaine Maxwell's crimes,' it says. 'Beyond that, there is abundant public interest in the investigative work conducted by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into those crimes.' Under a 2008 nonprosecution agreement, Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution. That allowed him to avert a possible life sentence, instead serving 13 months in a work release program. He was required to make payments to victims and register as a sex offender. Epstein was later charged by federal prosecutors in Manhattan for nearly identical allegations in 2019.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Auto theft sees sharp drop in first half of 2025, industry association says
OTTAWA — The pace of auto theft is dropping in Canada thanks to collective efforts to crack down on thieves, says an industry group focused on insurance fraud and crime. Équité Association said in a report released Monday that the number of vehicles reported stolen nationally dropped 19.1 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Just over 23,000 vehicles were reported stolen in the first six months of the year in Canada, the report said. The decline is particularly stark in Ontario and Quebec, which saw annual drops of 25.9 per cent and 22.2 per cent, respectively. The year-over-year drops are more modest in Atlantic Canada and Western Canada at roughly nine per cent. Alberta saw a decline of 12.5 per cent. Bryan Gast, national vice-president of investigative services at Équité Association, credits greater public awareness of the threat and efforts by various levels of government and law enforcement agencies to collectively tackle the problem. "It's really definitely a collaborative effort," he said. Gast said law enforcement agencies in Ontario and Quebec in particular have stepped up enforcement with police units dedicated to vehicle theft. So far this year, residents of Ontario and Quebec have reported 9,600 and 3,889 vehicle thefts respectively — high numbers that Gast attributed to the provinces' larger populations and proximity to the Port of Montreal. With 4,411 vehicles reported stolen over the first half of 2025, Gast said Alberta continues to lead the country in auto theft on a per-capita basis. Statistics Canada data released earlier this week confirms national progress on the file. The agency reported a 17 per cent annual drop in the rate of police-reported motor vehicle thefts, down to 239 incidents per 100,000 people last year. In 2023, the number of auto thefts had increased 40 per cent over the historic low recorded in 2020, StatCan said. That trend came to a head last year when the federal government convened a summit in February to address car thefts. Ottawa followed up by giving the Canada Border Services Agency millions of dollars in new funding to track vehicles leaving through the country's ports, after having given Ontario $121 million in January of that year to tackle gang crime and auto thefts. Gast said some of the progress can likely be attributed to Canadians' heightened awareness of the issue. "Now I think you can talk to anybody and, if their car hasn't been stolen, they know somebody's car that has been stolen," he said. "I think they are taking those precautions and some of those steps to make their vehicle less of a target." Vehicle recovery rates also rose 3.4 percentage points year over year to 56.5 per cent in the first half of 2025, Équité Association said. The organization said that was nearing the "pre-crisis" level of 57.2 per cent recorded in 2021. Despite progress on vehicle theft, the Insurance Bureau of Canada warned it's still a "significant concern" and "far from the only factor contributing to rising auto insurance costs." "A combination of inflation, tariffs, rising repair and vehicle replacement costs, legal pressures, and regulatory challenges are driving rates up across the country," the bureau said in a media statement. Tariffs on vehicle parts are driving up the costs of repairs and replacement cars, the bureau noted. Gast said that while it's not clear yet, tariffs might be playing a role in the increase Équité Association is seeing in domestic chop shops and vehicle parts being sent overseas. He said that whenever there's a disruption to supply chains — like the one that made semiconductor inputs a hot commodity during the COVID-19 pandemic — the criminal element tends to adapt to meet that demand. While he's encouraged by the progress Canada has posted to date in tamping down auto theft, he said now is not the time to let up. "Don't consider the problem solved," he said. "To keep it manageable and the numbers trending in the right direction, I think we still need to focus on it." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2025. Craig Lord, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Keir Starmer accused of failing in his mission to 'smash the gangs' as figures show only a tiny fraction of small boat migrants are prosecuted - as the Tories say the smugglers have 'never had it easier'
Keir Starmer was last night accused of failing in his mission to 'smash the gangs'. Figures show that just a tiny fraction of migrants crossing the Channel are being brought to justice. Since Labour 's leader became Prime Minister last July, only 446 people have been charged with any immigration offence, figures published by Parliament have revealed. Over the same period, a record 43,309 migrants have reached Britain after crossing the Channel in more than 700 dinghies. This comes despite Sir Keir vowing to tackle the illegal migration crisis by scrapping Rwanda deportations and focusing on tougher law enforcement instead. The number of those charged includes some offences not related to Channel crossings, so the number of small boat migrants prosecuted was even lower. There were 153 people charged between last July and this June with the key offence of 'assisting entry of illegal immigrant', which is intended to be used against those piloting each vessel, but Labour insisted the numbers have increased on their watch from 118 in the previous 12 months. Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick said: 'Keir Starmer boasted he would smash the gangs, but the gangs are laughing at him. They've never had it easier and crossings are up 50 per cent as a result. We're now heading towards being the illegal immigration capital of Europe. 'It's clear Starmer is incapable of stopping the boats and his backbenchers don't want him to. The country cannot go on like this. 'Those that arrive illegally from the safety of France must be swiftly deported so the message is clear: if you break into Britain, you will not get a life here.' He obtained the new figures in Parliamentary written questions after asking ministers how many gangs had been smashed since Labour came to power. In a Commons clash this month, he asked Shabana Mahmood: 'Can the Justice Secretary [Ms Mahmood] tell us how many individuals have been prosecuted for smuggling people in on small boats?' She replied: 'I do not have those figures directly to hand, but I am sure that if they are available, I can write to him with the details.' He accused her of not having 'a clue' about 'one of the biggest challenges facing our country right now' but she shot back 'had he paid any attention, he would know that prosecutions do not fall to the Ministry of Justice; they are dealt with independently through the Crown Prosecution Service'. Latest Home Office figures show another 1,387 people have reached Britain in small boats since last Thursday, taking the total for the calendar year so far to 23,891. A Labour spokesman said: 'Robert Jenrick can reinvent himself as many times as he likes, but he cannot rewrite history. 'With Labour in office, more people were charged with assisting unlawful immigration in our first year in government than in the entire time that Jenrick was in charge of the Immigration System. 'Indeed, we charged more people with that offence in our first three months than he managed in his last six. 'But much more important than Robert Jenrick's failures in the past are the ones he is making now, and we don't just mean screwing up this attempted attack story against Labour. 'If he was truly serious about prosecuting dangerous people smugglers, he would not have voted against our new law to criminalise people who endanger the lives of others in the Channel, and would instead be supporting us to take that action against those who cause women and children to suffocate and drown on overcrowded small boats.'
UAE Moments
6 days ago
- Automotive
- UAE Moments
Why Car Theft Is 25x Higher in the USA Than in Japan
Why Car Theft Is 25x Higher in the USA Than in Japan: A Cultural and Security Breakdown Car theft remains one of the most common crimes worldwide—but where you live plays a massive role in your odds of becoming a victim. The United States, with its sprawling urban areas and decentralized policing, consistently records some of the highest auto theft rates among developed nations. In stark contrast, Japan boasts one of the lowest car theft rates in the world. The disparity is striking. According to data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, the U.S. saw over 1 million vehicles stolen in 2023. Meanwhile, Japan reported less than 15,000 cases —despite being the world's third-largest car market. That's a 25x difference in car theft rates, even after adjusting for population size. But why? Let's explore the key reasons behind this gap. 1. Law Enforcement and Legal System Efficiency In Japan, law enforcement is highly organized, consistent, and has a close-knit relationship with local communities. The country employs the Koban system, where small police boxes are spread throughout neighborhoods. These local posts not only deter petty crime but also provide a psychological reminder of law and order. In the U.S., while police are well-equipped and technologically advanced, coverage is more sporadic, especially in rural or underserved urban areas. Police response times may vary significantly depending on location, which allows car thieves more leeway. Moreover, Japan's judicial system enforces stricter penalties and has a conviction rate exceeding 99%, which acts as a strong deterrent for would-be criminals. 2. Cultural Attitudes and Social Norms Japanese society values harmony, conformity, and a strong social order. The stigma associated with criminal behavior is immense—not just legally, but socially. A person caught stealing a car in Japan faces not only legal consequences but also lifelong social shame, impacting family reputation and career prospects. In contrast, the U.S. has a more individualistic culture, and while crime is certainly stigmatized, the social repercussions are not as severe or long-lasting. In some communities, particularly those struggling with poverty, car theft may even be seen as a survival tactic or part of a subculture. 3. Vehicle Design and Anti-Theft Technology Japanese automakers prioritize security features, especially for the domestic market. Many Japanese cars come with immobilizers, encrypted key fobs, GPS trackers, and advanced alarm systems as standard features—even on lower-end models. In the U.S., anti-theft features vary significantly by brand and model. Older vehicles are particularly vulnerable. In fact, the most stolen car in the U.S. in 2023 was the 2006 Ford F-150, a model with minimal anti-theft protection compared to modern standards. Interestingly, Japanese thieves prefer foreign-made luxury cars like Lexus or European brands over domestic brands, largely due to high resale value on the black market. Even then, car theft remains rare. 4. Urban Planning and Parking Behavior In Japan, it's common for vehicles to be parked in designated, secured, or indoor parking lots. Many residential areas require proof of a parking space before allowing car registration. This infrastructure significantly reduces opportunities for theft. Conversely, in many parts of the U.S., vehicles are parked on the street or in open driveways, often unattended for long periods—especially in suburbs. This increases their exposure to opportunistic theft. 5. Surveillance and Technology Use Japanese cities are heavily surveilled with CCTV cameras —not just in public areas but also near residential complexes and businesses. This makes it difficult for criminals to operate without being recorded. In the U.S., while major cities do employ surveillance, it's not as pervasive. Many suburban and rural areas lack public security infrastructure, making it easier for thieves to go undetected. 6. Insurance Systems and Reporting Accuracy One lesser-known factor is how car theft is reported and tracked. Japan's centralized insurance and police reporting system ensures that every theft is recorded with precision. In the U.S., discrepancies in how theft is defined, underreporting due to lack of insurance coverage, and misclassification can slightly skew data—but the scale of theft remains much higher regardless. Interesting Facts: Honda Civics and Accords are among the most stolen cars in the U.S.—not new models, but often from the early 2000s. Japan's most stolen vehicles are often Toyota SUVs or vans, but total thefts are extremely low by international standards. In Japan, even bicycles are frequently locked with two or more security devices; this culture of caution extends to cars. GPS tracking in Japan is widely used in both personal and commercial vehicles, and in some cases, includes remote engine disabling. What the U.S. Can Learn from Japan Reducing car theft in the United States doesn't require reinventing the wheel. Simple policy improvements like encouraging more secure parking, mandating immobilizers for older cars, and increasing neighborhood surveillance could lead to substantial reductions. Moreover, community-based policing and social programs can help create a deterrent rooted not just in punishment, but in values. Japan shows that when society collectively frowns upon crime—and reinforces that with legal, social, and infrastructural tools—car theft can become a statistical rarity. It is beyond statistics The stark contrast in car theft between the U.S. and Japan reveals much more than crime statistics—it's a window into societal structures, values, and policies. While it's unlikely the U.S. will replicate Japan's near-utopian safety levels overnight, adopting a few key lessons could steer things in the right direction. If you want to reduce your risk of car theft no matter where you live, remember this: park smart, lock up, and always stay one step ahead of those who think your car is theirs for the taking.
Free Malaysia Today
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Zelensky defends contested anti-corruption law changes
President Volodymyr Zelensky said defending Ukraine requires a strong enough law enforcement system. (EPA Images pic) KYIV : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today defended legislative changes removing the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies, sparking the first major protests in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion. 'We all share a common enemy: the Russian occupiers,' Zelensky said after meeting with top law enforcement and anti-corruption officials. 'And defending the Ukrainian state requires a strong enough law enforcement system – one that ensures a real sense of justice,' he added. 'We all hear what society is saying,' he said, promising to 'resolve existing issues'. The bill would place the national anti-corruption bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and specialised anti-corruption prosecutor's office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor-general, who is appointed by the president. After meeting with Zelensky, NABU and SAPO repeated their criticism of the changes and said 'unambiguous legislative steps are required to reinstate the guarantees revoked by parliament'. Zelensky signed off on the widely criticised law yesterday, the same day it was passed by parliament. The law sparked the first major protest in Kyiv since Russian troops invaded in 2022, with over 1,000 people taking part. Large gatherings are banned under Ukraine's martial law. 'Serious step back' While the government says the law will make the anti-corruption agencies function better, its critics say it consolidates power in Zelensky's hands. They also argue it will allow government meddling in high-profile graft cases. The Anti-Corruption Action Center, an NGO, said the law would render the agencies meaningless as Zelensky's prosecutor-general would 'stop investigations into all of the president's friends'. The European Union called the decision a 'serious step back'. NABU began work in 2015, as Kyiv sought to bring the country closer to Europe after a 2014 pro-European revolution. Since its inception, the agency has uncovered widespread graft, including among figures in Zelensky's administration. On Monday, law enforcement conducted large-scale raids at NABU, detaining one employee on suspicion of spying for Russia. Transparency International's Ukraine office called the raids an 'attempt by the authorities to undermine the independence of Ukraine's post-revolution of dignity anti-corruption institutions'. Transparency International ranked Ukraine 105th out of 180 countries in its 'corruption perceptions index' in 2024, up from 144 in 2013. Supporters of the law warn that a political crisis over the legislation could work in Russia's favour by undermining unity in the country. Commenting on the protests at a briefing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov today said there was 'a lot of corruption' in the country and the issue was 'a sensitive topic' for Ukraine.
