Apr 10, 2013 — Essex County lawmakers have given initial approval to a measure that aims to change the county-wide last call for bars from 4 a.m. to 3 a.m., not 2 a.m. as had been previously proposed.

Chesterfield town Supervisor Gerald Morrow introduced the resolution at Monday's Public Safety Committee meeting. He said he changed the time to three o'clock for the sake of compromise.  Go to full article

Apr 05, 2013 — Two days after a state senator was arrested for trying to bribe his way onto the New York City mayoral ballot, an assemblyman has been accused of accepting payments to sponsor legislation that would benefit developers of an adult day care center in the Bronx.

It was d�j� vu all over again, as US Attorney Preet Bharara stepped to the microphones yesterday to announce that yet another New York State lawmaker has been accused of bribery and corruption.  Go to full article

Apr 05, 2013 — Forcing young women and men into a life of prostitution is a very lucrative business.

It may sound like the stuff of Hollywood, but the sex trafficking trade is alive and well in Central New York, but a movement to end it in New York State is gathering momentum, with a bill in the legislature to protect those who are trafficked, and bring traffickers to justice.  Go to full article

Apr 04, 2013 — The scandal centered around new York State Senator Malcolm Smith is setting off repercussions in both political parties and at every level of New York state's government.

The state's Republican Party Chair is calling on two top party officials in New York City accused of taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes to resign their posts. Governor Cuomo, on an upstate tour to promote the recently passed state budget, is dogged by questions about the scandal instead.  Go to full article

Apr 03, 2013 — State Senator Malcolm Smith, a former Senate Majority Leader, has been arrested and indicted in a far reaching bribery and corruption scandal.

The corruption case against Senator Malcolm Smith spans village, county, state and New York City governments, as well as both major political parties.  Go to full article

Apr 03, 2013 — According to a study by Hofstra University, more than 11,000 people in New York State have been victims of human trafficking since 2000. They may have been sex workers, or forcibly employed at restaurants or factories or on farms.

They're among the estimated 27 million people who are victims of human trafficking worldwide.

Several organizations this week are drawing attention to what's often called modern-day slavery. The state Department of Labor has announced a new partnership with businesses to expose illegal labor trafficking.

A handful of students from SUNY Canton held a march yesterday to raise awareness of the issue.  Go to full article

Mar 27, 2013 — When Governor Nelson Rockefeller pushed through his landmark drug laws in New York forty years ago, he argued that any alternatives to his new tough on crime zero tolerance approach had failed:

"I was on this kick of trying to get the addict off the street, into treatment. Now this was a beautiful concept, except it just didn't happen to relate to the realities because the pushers keep finding new people. And I have to say that as far as I am aware, there is no known, absolute cure for addiction."

But in recent years, those Rockefeller Drug Laws have gone through a series of reforms. These days, cash-strapped states like New York are struggling to reduce inmate populations so that they can close expensive prisons. Governor Andrew Cuomo plans to mothball two more correctional facilities downstate this year.

And reducing the number of people behind bars means experimenting with diversion programs for non-violent drug offenders: States are offering counseling programs, rehabilitation and therapy, and opening alternative, "drug courts." The goal is to battle drug addiction without incarceration.

This week, as part of our Prison Time Media Project, Natasha Haverty follows the journey of one man through a system that's trying to turn away from mass incarceration. Here's part one of her three-part series.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Mar 25, 2013 — Police and emergency personnel gathered in Lake Placid last week to learn some critical skills and techniques for responding to an active shooting incident.

Law enforcement agencies from across the North Country took part in the training sessions, which were held at the former W. Alton Jones Cell Science Center in Lake Placid. Participants included members of New York State Police; the Essex, Clinton and Franklin County sheriff's departments; Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid police departments; and state environmental conservation officers and forest rangers.  Go to full article

Lake Placid, NY, Feb 25, 2013 — Chris Ortloff's plaque has been removed from the Lake Placid Hall of Fame.

Ortloff is a former state Assemblyman, reporter and state Parole Board member who was convicted of federal coercion and enticement charges in 2010 after he was arrested in a sting operation. Ortloff had arranged to meet who he thought were two underage girls at an Albany area hotel for a sexual tryst.

Ortloff was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998 for his contribution to the 1980 Olympic Games, which were held in Lake Placid. Up until last week, a plaque and a tribute on ORDA's website could still be viewed by the public.  Go to full article

Utica, NY, Feb 19, 2013 — In the wake of the Newtown tragedy and the contentious push for new gun laws in both Washington and Albany, it's often easy to forget that we've been experiencing a major decline in crime in America.  Go to full article