New York Subway Crime Rising:  In the late 1980s New York's subways were dangerous.  The stations had lines of transients sleeping on the floors, fare-beating was common and there were roughly 50 major crimes occurring in the subways every day.  Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Ed Sandoval of the New York Times report that in 1990, after subway thugs stabbed and killed tourist Brian Watkins as he tried to protect his mother and father, the city initiated a crackdown, which dramatically improved the safety of riders.  But today, they report that subway crime is increasing, highlighted by the December attack of a police officer by five vagrants on a train platform, the January stabbing of a sleeping rider, and the February 3rd murder of a man at a Queens station. While officials say that they will not tolerate violence in the subway, crimes were up 3.8% last year and fair beating is again becoming routine.  As is often the case, law abiding riders are feeling the decline in safety and changing their behavior well before there is official acknowledgment that there is a problem.  Recently, former NY Police Commissioner William Bratton noted that just as in the 1980s, when the increase in subway crime was an indicator that widespread increases in crime were coming.  "the quality-of-life declines and warning signs are all there for it to happen once again," he said.   

llegal Held In Sexual Assaults:  An illegal alien has been arrested for the sexual battery of several children under the age of 14 at a South Lake Tahoe Goodwill Store last week.  South Tahoe Now reports that Sergio Antonio Recendiz-Rodriguez, a resident of Gardnerville illegally in the U.S., was arrested and charged with multiple counts of juvenile sexual battery.  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a hold on Recendiz-Rodriguez for deportation.  Police expect more victims to come forward.