HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, TN—June 30th, 2013

FROM THE DESK OF JIM HAMMOND

In this issue:

Sheriff Hammond,

Pages 1-2

Branum’s Briefs,

Pages 2-3

Did You Know,

Page 4

Technology,

Page 5

Health, Page 6

Corrections

Communiqué,

Page 7

Spotlight, Page 8

Clark’s Safety,

Page 9

Chaplain’s Corner,

Page 10

What’s Cookin’,

Page 11

Birthdays,

Page 11

Late Breaking News

Page 12

Continued next page

By the time this edition of The Roll

Call is released, I should be just

about completing a twelve day po-

lice mission trip to the country of

Albania along with seven criminal

justice colleagues. Five are from

law enforcement, one is from the

FBI, one is an attorney and the

other is the director of the 911

Center here in Chattanooga.

Joining me for this trip are two

other HCSO employees, Greg Bow-

man from Civil Process and Marty

Ray, one of our School Resource

Officers. Greg and I traveled to Ro-

mania on a similar trip several

years ago, however, this is Marty's

first venture of this type. Also on

the trip was Dee Hobbs, who is a

staff attorney for Hamilton County

assigned to handle HCSO legal is-

sues. We worked alongside our

law enforcement counterparts in

various regions of the country

sharing our professional police

knowledge and experience of

democratic policing.

By the way, for those who are a bit

rusty on their geography, Albania

is located next to Greece and along

the Adriatic Sea. Only a few years

ago, this was a totally dominated

communist country. Albania prid-

ed itself in being an atheist coun-

try and for many years was domi-

nated by the former Soviet Union,

but today it is predominately a

Muslim country. While some of

the past influences still linger, the

nation has been a republic since

the early 1990s and is attempting

to move toward more democratic

laws and practices.

People are people wherever you

find them throughout the world

and I am always amazed at how

the bonds of friendship develop

regardless of language, social, cul-

tural or religious differences.

Our team traveled as part of The

Fellowship of Christian Peace Of-

ficers which has hosted a number

of such trips over the past twenty

years. When we travel, we usually

spend about ten days in country

sharing our profession with fellow

2 The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 Continued next page

law enforcement officers, and,

as we build relationships with

individuals, we share about

our families, our departments

our country and our faith.

We share our professional law

enforcement expertise by

meeting with government offi-

cials in the host country and

by working alongside our

counterparts in SWAT, patrol,

training, corrections, narcotics,

and other departments.

Once we get over jet lag and

back to work, I am sure you

will see an article or two and

perhaps a few pictures in up-

coming issues of The Roll Call

from those who made the trip.

It may just encourage some of

you to consider our next global

adventure.

Jim Hammond, Sheriff

Legal Briefs Chief Deputy Allen Branum

A new gun law goes into effect

in Tennessee this summer that

allows handgun carry permit

holders to store firearms and

ammunition in their vehicles

no matter where they’re

parked. But now, the state’s

attorney general says busi-

nesses can still create rules to

ban guns in their own parking

facilities.

The Tennessee Safe Commute

Act (TSCA) creates a number

of new provisions in the state’s

gun law starting on July 1,

2013, including:

People with valid handgun

carry permits can store fire-

arms and ammunition in

their privately owned vehi-

cle as long as it’s parked in a

location where it’s permitted

to be.

The law applies to all private

and public parking lots, with

the exception of lots at or

near schools, public parks or

playgrounds, or other public

buildings or facilities.

Whenever the permit holder

is in his/her vehicle, the

weapon and/or ammunition

must be kept out of ordinary

observation.

Whenever the permit holder

is not in the vehicle, the fire-

arm or ammunition must be

locked within the trunk, a

glove box, or interior of the

vehicle or within a container

that is “securely affixed” to

the vehicle, and

Businesses are exempt from

liability in a civil suit for in-

juries or death resulting

from or arising out of some-

one else’s actions involving a

firearm or ammunition

transported or stored under

the law.

To clear up exactly what em-

ployers can and can’t do under

the law, a state representative

asked Tennessee Attorney

General Robert Cooper Jr. for

his opinion on four questions.

Here are the questions and

Cooper’s replies:

1. Question: Does the new

law prohibit an employer from

terminating an at-will employ-

ee who brings a firearm or

firearm ammunition onto the

employer’s property?

Answer: No. The new law

doesn’t impact the employer/

employee relationship. TSCA

governs criminal law only. An

The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 3

employer may establish em-

ployment policies that an em-

ployee must follow in the

workplace, and such policies

may restrict otherwise legal

activities.

The plain and unambiguous

language of TSCA does not

prohibit an employer from ter-

minating an employee for pos-

sessing a firearm or ammuni-

tion on the employer’s proper-

ty.

2. Question: Does the new

law apply to a handgun carry

permit holder operating a pri-

vately owned motor vehicle

that has been leased, rented or

borrowed by the permit hold-

er?

Answer: No. The phrase

“permit holder’s privately

owned motor vehicle” does not

include a vehicle leased, rent-

ed or borrowed by the permit

holder.

3. Question: Under the new

law, does the permit holder

violate the requirement that

the firearm or ammunition be

“kept from ordinary observa-

tion” when a parking lot secu-

rity camera records him or her

placing the firearm or ammu-

nition into a non observable

location in the vehicle?

Answer: Yes. The law requires

the firearm or ammunition

must at all times be “kept from

ordinary observation.” Obser-

vation by a security camera

would constitute “ordinary ob-

servation.”

4. Question: Would the law

authorize a handgun carry per-

mit holder to transport and

store both a firearm and am-

munition in the permit hold-

er’s vehicle?

Answer: Yes. Even though the

language in the law says

“firearm or firearm ammuni-

tion,” the law allows the per-

mit holder to possess both in

the vehicle.

A special thanks to Captain

Lenda Clark for this submis-

sion.

Chief Deputy, Allen Branum

We are now posting our

Tennessee Legislative

Updates on our Intranet for

your information. They are

found under the tab “HCSO

News” and then under TCA

bills.

The Tennessee Sheriff’s Asso-

ciation does a good job of

keeping us informed of all the

bills moving through Nashville

that relate in any way to the

criminal justice system, specif-

ically law enforcement. I

would encourage our employ-

ees to at least scan through

these bills as they are coming

up for vote in Nashville.

It would be most advanta-

geous to us in law enforce-

ment to contact your state

representatives regarding

some of these bills to let them

know how we feel. It is defi-

nitely in our best interest that

some of these bills are voted in

and some voted out. Some of

our state representa-

tives know us and our agency

personally and do listen to and

value our opinions.

Please make your voice

heard. It affects us all.

Director Bennett

Leadership 301 “Only a man’s character is the real criterion of (his) worth”

Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt – 1884-1962

4 The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013

THE ROLL CALL IS PUBLISHED

EXCLUSIVELY BY THE HAMILTON

COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES

ARE AT 600 MARKET STREET,

CHATTANOOGA, TN 37402

(423) 209-7000

FAX: (423) 209-7001

EXECUTIVE EDITOR, G. A.

BENNETT. ASSOCIATE EDITOR &

PUBLISHER, JOHN E. WATERS.

CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ISSUE

ARE: JIM HAMMNOND, ALLEN

BRANUM, G.A. BENNETT, JOHN

WATERS, LENDA CLARK, JANICE

ATKINSON, SHANNON WILSON

AND CHARLES BOWMAN

The Cotton Tail Commentary

by John Waters

Did You Know? Flag Day is always June 14th

On Saturday, June 14,

1777, the Second Conti-

nental Congress deter-

mined the design of the

American flag. The res-

olution reads: Resolved

that the flag of the thirteen United

States be 13 stripes alternate red and

white, that the union be 13 stars white

in a blue field representing a new con-

stellation. There are now 50 stars where

there were once 13. Our nation has wit-

nessed 236 years of a unique history

since the birth of the famous Stars and

Stripes.

Flag Day is recognized on June 14, the

"birthday" of the Stars and Stripes, as a

result of the efforts of a Wisconsin teach-

er, Bernard John

Cigrand. In Waubeka,

Wisconsin, in 1885, Ber-

nard John Cigrand a nine-

teen-year-old school

teacher in a one-room

school placed a 10 inch, 38-star flag in an

inkwell and had his students write essays

on what the flag meant to them. He called

June 14th the flag's birthday.

As a result of Cigrand's efforts, Flag Day

was officially proclaimed by President

Wilson in 1916 to be celebrated on the

anniversary of the Flag Resolution of

1777. It was President Truman, however,

who signed an Act of Congress on August

3, 1949, establishing June 14 as Flag Day

in the United States.

You have heard the joke: “Do you know what

the Redneck’s last words were?” “Hey, watch

this!” Unfortunately, most of us have seen

someone engage in an act that defied physics

and reason and which came to an undesirable end. Prior to

every “Hey, watch this!” is an errant thought with a subsequent

rapid decision to act. You say, “Cops would never do such a

thing. They are the ones who clean up these kinds of disasters.”

Did you know that you and I are all just one decision away from

making a big mistake - or getting it right. We need to be re-

minded that real cops are not perfect and perfect cops are not

real. The old timers had a saying, “What we spend our lives

putting in the well will inevitably come up in the bucket.”

Police Technology - 3D Printed Guns iHLS News Desk Intelligence

bulletin starkly warns it may

not be possible to stop 3D-

printed guns from being

made – or from getting past

security checkpoints unde-

tected. 3D-printed firearms

can be made without serial

numbers or unique identifi-

ers, making ballistics testing

difficult, and that advance-

ments in technology and de-

creasing 3D printer costs will

mean even more sophisticat-

ed printed guns will become

easier to acquire. The 21 May

bulletin, compiled by the Joint

Regional Intelligence Center,

was obtained by Fox News.

The guns can be made (or

“printed”) by downloading a

file containing the blueprints,

and then using the blueprints

to guide a milling machine to

create three-dimensional items

from melted plastic.

Fox News quotes the intelli-

gence bulletin to say that the

guns “poses public safety risks,”

and that currently these guns

are beyond the reach of regula-

tors. The guns may make 3D

gun control efforts – for exam-

ple, a bill sponsored by two

New York lawmakers, Senator

Charles Schumer (D) and Steve

Israel (D) – irrelevant.

“Significant advances in three-

dimensional (3D) printing ca-

pabilities, avail-

ability of free

digital 3D print-

er files for fire-

arms compo-

nents, and diffi-

culty regulating

file sharing may

present public

safety risks

from unquali-

fied gun seekers who obtain or

manufacture 3D printed guns.”

Fox news notes that the DHS

bulletin refers specifically to

Defense Distributed, a nonprof-

it company which has success-

fully demonstrated a 3D plastic

gun called Liberator, whose on-

ly metal parts are the bullets

and a firing pin. The company

made the blueprints file availa-

ble on line, and about 100,000

people downloaded it before

the U.S. State Department told

the company to remove it so it

would not be shared. DHS ad-

mits it is a battle that cannot be

won. “Limiting access [to the

3D gun blueprints] may be im-

possible,” the bulletin says.

Law enforcement sources told

Fox News that the plastic gun

will make it difficult to protect

large public events or events

attended by the President, be-

cause magnetometers aiming to

prevent people from bringing a

firearm to the event would not

pick up a plastic gun. “This is a

serious threat,” the law en-

forcement source told Fox

News. “These could defeat mag-

netometers. The only security

procedure to catch [the 3D fire-

arms] is a pat down. Is America

ready for pat-downs at every

event?”

Magnetometers may fail to de-

tect the Liberator, depending

on device sensitivity. Though it

is prohibited by federal law,

manufacturers may deliberate-

ly omit the unnecessary metal

insert, leaving only a small nail

and ammunition as the sole

metal component. Future de-

signs could further reduce or

eliminate metal entirely.

Unqualified gun seekers may be

able to acquire or manufacture

their own Liberators with no

background checks. Look for

legislation, but is the genie al-

ready out of the bottle?

iHLS News Desk

The Liberator

The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 5

“Universally, the most feared

contagious diseases for law

enforcement officers are HIV

and Hepatitis C as there is cur-

rently no vaccinations to pre-

vent these life-threatening in-

fections. However, treatment

for both diseases has become

increasingly effective

Human Immunodeficiency Vi-

rus (HIV): HIV is a virus con-

tracted from an infected per-

son's blood, semen, vaginal

fluid, breast milk, saliva, and

body fluids surrounding joints

and organs. To contract the

disease infected body fluids

must come in contact with an

uninfected person’s blood.

More than one million people

in the United States currently

are living with HIV/AIDS. Of

course the risk of contracting

HIV is ever present; the truth

is that the perception of the

risk far exceeds the probabil-

ity. The risk of contraction is

0.03%; only about

one in 300 of HIV ex-

posure incidents

(needle stick or cut)

results in transmis-

sion of the disease.

There has been no

case to date where an

individual has been

infected with HIV via

contact with an envi-

ronmental surface.

HIV is a fragile virus

and is easily killed by hot wa-

ter, soap, bleach and alcohol.

The virus can only last outside

the body as long as blood or

body fluid remains liquid.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV): Hepa-

titis C is basically contracted

the same way as the HIV virus

is. More than four million peo-

ple in the United States cur-

rently are living with HCV. The

risk of contraction of Hepatitis

C is 1.8% (6 times greater than

HIV). The hepatitis C virus, or

HCV, can live outside the body

for up to 4 days. However,

many experts think it usually

only survives up to 16 hours at

room temperature.

Hepatitis B Virus (HVC): Previ-

ously officers had an increased

risk of contracting Hepatitis B

than the general population.

However, a person who has

received the hepatitis B vac-

cine and has developed im-

munity to the virus is at virtu-

ally no risk for infection.

According to the National

Criminal Justice Reference Ser-

vice (NCJRS), the diseases that

should most concern law en-

forcement are those that are

spread by casual contact be-

tween individuals, such as the

flu or measles. If there is an

outbreak in the community,

officers will be exposed re-

peatedly.”

Pamela Kulbarsh

HEALTH - Bio Risks

6 The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013

The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 7

Humor and laughter can re-

duce stress and provide many

positive benefits. Since law en-

forcement is a very stressful

career, it is not unusual that we

often turn to humor to help re-

duce stress, boost morale and

ward off burnout. However,

what is humor to one person

can also alienate other people

and create a hostile work envi-

ronment, even sparking law-

suits, all of which creates more

stress in the end. This being

said, it is very important to

know the difference between

healthy humor and unhealthy

humor. Here are some tips on

keeping it clean:

1. Think about the message.

Ask yourself what the underly-

ing message of the joke is. Are

you using humor to say some-

thing to someone that you

couldn’t say without joking

around?

2. Know your audience. Make

sure you know with whom you

are joking around.

3. Leave serious topics alone.

Don’t joke about topics that are

controversial. Stay away from

politics. Your political views

are exactly that, your political

views, so keep them to your-

self. When in doubt, leave it

out.

4. If you’re not sure how a joke

will be received. Play it safe

and don’t tell it. Don’t be the

office clown. Not everything is

a joke; sometimes people just

want to get their work done.

5. What is off limits? Never tell

a joke about race, sex or physi-

cal deformities. And remember,

if you do tell a joke that offends

someone, make amends imme-

diately. A simple apology goes

a long way.“

Workplace Humor: How to reduce

Stress With Inoffensive Office Humor

written by Elizabeth Scott, M.S.

Submitted by Charles Bowman

On June 18, 2013, Sheriff Jim Ham-

mond presented a Challenge Coin to

Deputy Jim Delashmitt for the quick

action and attention to detail that re-

sulted in the arrest of kidnapping sus-

pect, Charles Graham.

A “Be On The Lookout” (BOLO) was put

out to all deputies on March 6, 2013, re-

garding the kidnapping of a female party,

as well as a description of the vehicle be-

ing operated by the suspect, Charles Gra-

ham. Deputy Delashmitt observed a ve-

hicle that fit the description given in the

BOLO and made a traffic stop. While

talking with the female, she advised she

was being held against her will and had

been sexually assaulted. Graham was also in the

vehicle and was taken into custody at the scene

and charged with especially aggravated kidnap-

ping and aggravated rape.

Deputy Jim Delashmitt is shown with wife Tammy

(a police officer with the RBPD), and the Sher-

iff. He received a Challenge Coin on June 18,

Spotlight “Hey, There’s Luther!”

8 The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013

Our spotlight this month fea-

tures retiree Luther Tilley,

who retired from the Sheriff’s

Office in 1998 after 39 years of

service as a Court Officer. Lu-

ther started with the Sheriff’s

Office as a part time employee

under Bookie Turner working

second shift patrol after he got

off work at DuPont. He retired

under John Cupp.

After Luther retired from

DuPont, he heard there was

going to be a full-time court

officer position available. Lu-

ther states that he worked un-

der a total of six Sheriff’s at the

HCSO. He applied and started

working for Judge Hinson and

Judge Meyers. Luther was

able to be part of some very

high profile cases. One that he

has vivid memories of is the

Jimmy Hoffa trial. Since

the Judges had a hard time

getting jurors, Luther and

the other court officers

would go out at lunchtime

and stop employees on their

lunch break from Provident

and take them into the

courthouse to be jurors.

Imagine that!

Luther has been married to

his beautiful bride, Marie

for 63 years. Luther and

Marie are the proud parents

of a son, who is in law en-

forcement and one daugh-

ter. The Tilleys’ have one

granddaughter and three great

grandchildren with whom they

love spending time.

Luther served in the Air Force

during the Korean conflict and

is proud of his service to his

country. One of his greatest

passions is riding his motorcy-

cle around town. Luther loved

working for the Sheriff’s Office

and said there are no finer peo-

ple in the world and misses

seeing his former working

friends.

Luther’s advice to current em-

ployee’s is, “Do unto others as

you would have them to do

you,” and, “Always do the

best job you can for every-

one and yourself.” He would

love to hear from you and can

be reached at 423-877-8351.

Shannon Wilson

Captain Clark On Safety Hot dog! Summer has arrived. After months

of being cooped up inside, playing outdoors is

a tonic for all age groups. However, summer-

time has pitfalls and injury related recrea-

tion. In general, the most common injuries

during summer months tend to be involved

around water; either not drinking enough wa-

ter, or, from water recreation. Water soothes

us. It is serene, its sparkling surface invites us

in to enjoy a dip, especially on hot summer

days. But its allure can be dangerously decep-

tive.

As we head to the beach, pools and boats, the-

se simple things to remember can save your

life or the lives of your family:

Stay hydrated. If you wait to drink until

you are thirsty; you are already dehydrat-

ed. Keep water or sports drinks handy. If

someone overheats, provide generous

amounts of cool drinks. If the person cannot

drink, give an ice bath immediately, then seek

medical attention.

When swimming, keep your children in

sight. Never let them go into the water unless

you know it. In open water, use the buddy

system.

When boating or swimming in open wa-

ter, use a life vest. In your vest, do the

“touchdown” test. If it touches your ears or

chin, it is too loose or too big. Also, do not

mix boating and alcohol, as most boating-

related accidents are alcohol-related.

Learn what drowning looks like. Except

in rare circumstances, drowning people are

physiologically unable to call out for

help. Speech is the secondary function of the

respiratory system and breathing must be

fulfilled before speech occurs. The mouths of

drowning people are not above the surface of

the water long enough to exhale, inhale and

then call out for help.

Head indoors if you count 30 seconds or

less between lightning and thunder. Wait at

least 30 minutes since lightning and thunder

has passed before returning outdoors.

Sources:

http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/tips/

healthtips/safetywater.html

Enjoy your fun in the sun and the water and

be safe.

Lenda Clark, Captain

Training & Support Services

Captain Clark’s

grandson, Alex

Thompson, has been

nominated from

Hixson High School

to attend the Nation-

al Youth Leadership

Forum on National

Security, exploring

American Diplomacy,

Intelligence and Defense to be held in Wash-

ington, D.C in the fall of 2013. He was select-

ed based on his academic achievement, dis-

tinguished merit and interest in exploring a

career related to national security and for-

eign affairs. Congratulations Alex Thompson!

The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 9

10 The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013

Sheriff Hammond

For the second time in one year I had to place a 911 call for a loved one or family member

who had been suddenly stricken with a heart attack and died. On the morning of May 18 I

called after finding my Mom had passed away. Almost immediately officer Fountain ap-

peared to help. I don't know how the department can train one to be as professional, consid-

erate and helpful as Officer Fountain was. At a time when I was so upset he was able to help

us through such a bad time. Thank you for providing people like

that, not just for my family but for all of Hamilton County.

Sincerely, Dennis Allison

Editor’s Note—Deputy Nathan Fountain is

assigned to Charlie East and is CIT trained.

Letters to the Editor

Many law enforcement officers see

their role as a vocational calling and

some even view it as a divinely ap-

pointed ministry to their fellow citi-

zens. The “God of Peace” has a very

special plan for “Peace Officers” which

is best realized when the officer is

complete and without blame.

I Thessalonians 5:23-24 says, “Now

may the God of peace Himself sanctify

you entirely; and may your spirit and

soul and body be preserved complete,

without blame at the coming of our

Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” John Waters

To the HCSO Internship Program:

[Your] interns have been very well prepared, appropriately dressed, and enthusiastic about their cho-

sen career paths. They have also been very professional and motivated… I have truly enjoyed meeting

and talking with them about the FBI. I look forward to working with another group of interns.

Sincerely,

Special Agent Sally Little,

Recruiter/Applicant Coordinator, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Knoxville Division

July Birthdays

The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 11

1 Ballew, Theodore Eugene

4 Campbell, Rebecca Penny

5 Sullivan, Brian Matthew

5 Tabor, Justin Ray

5 Williamson, Bernhard Wesley

7 Burnette, Stephen Elmer

8 Owen, Frances Rawlings

9 Allison, Beau Taylor

10 Niver, Jeremiah Gage

10 Wilson, Anthony Dewayne

11 Adams, Shawn Andrew

11 Howerton, Janet Mary

12 Tilley, Barbara Lynne

13 Shirley, Teresa Lynn

14 Holloway, Corey Christopher

14 Jordan, June Osborne

15 Johnson, William F.

16 Wolfe, Joshua Clay

17 Rachels, Dewayne Jeffery

19 Mahaffey, Eliott Sean

19 Sledge, Charles Edward

20 Dewey, Nicholas Bruce

20 Lang, Roberto

21 Siler, Andrew Morrow

21 Stone, Danny Ray

22 Marthaler, Adam William

22 Ruefenacht, Keith Leroy

25 Macera, Laura Stapp

26 Smith, Jerry Lee, Jr

28 Tittle, David Wayne

29 Clark, Lenda R.

29 Makemson, James Eugene

30 Bredwell, Steven Travis

31 McGowan, Billy Frank, Jr

31 Rominger, Shane Dale

31 Scruggs, John Allen, Sr

Summer Pasta Salad From East Sector

This salad tastes best if made several hours

ahead of time.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package medium seashell pasta

1 pound sliced bacon

1 1/2 cups light Ranch-style salad dressing

1 small onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until tender, about 8

minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.

2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat until browned and

crisp. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.

3. In a large bowl, stir together the Ranch dressing, onion, and tomatoes. Mix in the cooled pasta.

The pasta will absorb some of the dressing, so don't worry if it seems like too much. Refrigerate for

several hours or overnight. Crumble bacon over the top just before serving.

What’s Cookin’ @ HCSO!

We are saddened to report the loss of one of

our HCSO Police Service Dogs, K-9 “UBS.”

K9 UBS was a 10 year old Belgian Malinois

that has served the department for over 8

years. Detective Hank Ritter noticed when

he got home that UBS could barely stand or

walk. He took him to the veterinarian and

they kept him for testing. The veterinarian

determined that UBS had cancer and that it

had spread from his liver to his pancreas

and he had blood entering his stomach. The

veterinarian advised that there was nothing

that could be done to ensure a quality of life

so it was recommended to put him to sleep.

On June 26, 2013, around 1500 Hours, K-9

UBS’s watch ended. Please keep Detective

Ritter and his family in your thoughts.

K-9 UBS - PSD #307HS, END OF WATCH

A Strange Affinity

Do you trust people more if

they’re like you, or a part of

your community? Scammers

bet that you do. Every day,

they take advantage of that un-

conscious trust. It’s called

“affinity fraud.” Might you be

willing to hear more about a

deal if a member of your

church asks you to? Or take

advice from someone who

speaks your same language?

According to Dan Choi, an at-

torney with the Northern Vir-

ginia office of the Legal Aid

Justice Center, “Our immigrant

clients tend to place a special

trust readily and rapidly with

other people who share their

language, culture and physical

attributes. In some cases, this

fellow community member at-

tends the same church and

knows the same people. In oth-

er cases, this fellow communi-

ty member is a complete

stranger, hundreds of miles

away.”

Once affinity frauds happen,

they can get complicated for

those who get scammed. Choi

notes that many of his clients

don’t have the knowledge or

language ability to get help.

Some immigrants tend to

avoid reporting fraud to law

enforcement — perhaps based

on their experiences in their

home country.”

Whether an “opportunity”

comes from your neighbor, a

family member, someone from

your church or hometown or

someone who speaks your lan-

guage, taking steps will help

you hold on to your money and

keep it away from scammers.

Go to ftc.gov/complaint for

help and to report scams.

By Lois Greisman, June 26, 2013

12 The Roll Call, June 30th, 2013 - late breaking news