Month: July 2023

Press Release – LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR SEVERE WEATHER EMERGENCY ALERTS

Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general and New York City in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand language access for critical government alerts sent to cell phones, known as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). In a comment letter, the coalition acknowledges the important steps FCC has taken to expand access to WEAs but notes that this proposal would require wireless companies to use machine translation rather than human translation for WEAs and would only include translations for 13 languages. Following multiple severe weather emergencies across the country, Attorney General Tong and the coalition urge FCC to adopt its alternative proposal to use human translators, which are far more reliable, instead of machine translation, and to increase the number of available languages from 13 to at least 25.

“Severe weather emergencies—like the floods we are seeing across Connecticut this month—can be life-threatening and fast developing. Machine translation is just too glitchy and imprecise for this type of highly sensitive message. As our country experiences more dangerous, more frequent weather emergencies fueled by climate change, we need to do everything we can to get as many people as possible accurate, timely warnings,” said Attorney General Tong.

The FCC proposes the use of machine translation applications on cell phones that would translate English WEAs to a user’s preferred language without any review by human translators. However, machine translations are not always reliable.  A recent joint study by UCLA and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that the accuracy rate of machine translations from English varied widely for different languages – from 94 percent accuracy to as low as 55 percent accuracy.

During severe weather emergencies, which are increasingly fueled by climate change, current and accurate information can be critical to survival. Even a slim chance of error in translation could have severe consequences. Instead, the coalition endorses the FCC’s alternative approach of using alert templates for various emergency situations. Those templates would be created by humans, pre-installed on cell phones, and activated when an English-language WEA is received by the phone.

If FCC moves forward with its proposal to include only 13 languages, immigrant communities with high rates of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) would be excluded from WEAs. To reach more of these communities now and in the future, Attorney General Tong and the coalition recommend that WEAs be supported in all languages spoken by at least 300,000 people in the U.S. over five years old – a total of more than 25 non-English languages. The coalition also urges FCC to consider adding additional languages every few years based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data on spoken languages and LEP rates.

Bridgeport News: NYC Cops Barricades Himself, 5 Guns Recovered, 1 Cop Injured–GOES UNREPORTED

Bridgeport News: NYC Cops Barricades Himself, 5 Guns Recovered, 1 Cop Injured–GOES UNREPORTED

2023-07-30@5:30AMish– #Bridgeport CT– Viewers reached out to me that early Sunday morning, a former New York City police officer barricaded himself inside his home in the 1100 block of Iranistan Avenue holding his wife against her will. The Bridgeport Swat team was activated. A video of the incident was also live-streamed online (see frame grab below). Bridgeport Police attempted to kick the door in but were unsuccessful at first. One officer was injured “blowing his knee out” and taken to the hospital after a failed attempt to kick in the door. A third attempt was made and the door opened and the suspect was taken into custody. The wife was covered in blood and her face was rearranged according to neighbors. I’m told that the suspect’s badge, radio, and 5 guns were recovered.

Police spokesperson Scott Appleby said in a statement “The City of Bridgeport does not report on incidents of domestic violence for the safety and privacy of all parties involved including any victims and any children. This does not change based upon anyone’s previous employment. An individual was arrested and will proceed through the court process”.

Should you be kept in the dark because it is a domestic situation? Once a news story spills into the streets including suicides it should be reported. So I guess we won’t know who was arrested or any other details of weapons according to this. All is well in Ganimville….

BURGLARY AND LARCENY SPREE ENDS IN ARRESTS AND RECOVERY STOLEN CAR AT TRUMBULL MALL

Trumbull Police apprehended two (2) men and one juvenile male after they broke into vehicles, shoplifted, and attempted to flee police from a stolen car they were entering at the Trumbull Mall, on Thursday, July 27th. Edgardo Mercado, age 21, John Adorno, age 19, and a sixteen (16) year old male, all from Meriden, were arrested and charged for their involvement in these crimes.

At approximately 12:30 PM, Trumbull officers were notified that a stolen white 2014 Kia Sorento was on mall property. The vehicle had been reported stolen to the Bristol Police Department, on Wednesday, July 26 after the vehicle’s key was stolen from a locker at the Bristol Planet Fitness, leading to the theft of the vehicle. This Kia also matched the description of a suspect vehicle that was involved in breaking into other vehicles in Trumbull.

Officers located this Kia unoccupied in the mall parking lot, and later apprehended Mercado as he was entering the driver’s door of the stolen Kia with shopping bags of merchandise and the vehicle’s key in his hand. As the other suspects were entering the Kia and saw the police apprehend Mercado, they ran back into the mall with Trumbull officers chasing after them on foot. Adorno was eventually located and apprehended inside a women’s fitting room in Macy’s and the juvenile male was apprehended in the food court area.

Trumbull Officers had previously been detailed to investigate vehicle break-ins at the Planet Fitness and Edge Fitness locations in Trumbull where purses had been stolen. A witness observed the white Kia SUV pull into the one gym parking lot where a male exited and threw an object through the window of another vehicle. A male then entered and stole a purse from inside this vehicle before returning to the white Kia and fleeing the area.

Credit cards stolen from the car break-ins were used by these suspects to make approximately $2000 worth of fraudulent purchases at the mall, and they also shoplifted numerous items as well. Officers recovered the used stolen credit cards from Mercado’s possession. Police also recovered merchandise purchased with these stolen credit cards along with other items stolen from the mall. Mercado initially provided a false name to police, but officers later confirmed his identity. The remaining suspects avoided capture and remain at large.

The sixteen (16) year old male was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Larceny 2nd degree, Larceny 4th degree, Larceny 5th degree, Burglary 3rd degree (2 counts), and Credit Card Theft. He was eventually released to the custody of his mother on a Promise to Appear in Middletown Juvenile Court on August 4, 2023.

Adorno was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Larceny 2nd degree, Larceny 4th degree, Larceny 5th degree, Burglary 3rd degree (2 counts), and Credit Card Theft. He was held on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on August 8, 2023.

Mercado who has previous convictions of unlawfully taking other vehicles and was also found to have five (5) outstanding warrants for his arrest. He was charged with Larceny 2nd degree, Larceny 4th degree, Larceny 5th degree, Forgery 3rd degree 4 counts), Burglary 3rd degree (2 counts), Interfering with Police, and Credit Card Theft. He was held a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on August 8, 2023.

Anyone that may have any information regarding this incident or leading to the identity of the remaining suspects are asked to contact the Trumbull Police Department at (203) 261-3665. Anyone providing information may remain anonymous.

Bridgeport News: 2 Shot

Police UPDATE:

On July 30, 2023, at approximately 12:15 am Bridgeport Police received reports of (2) victims shot outside the Bank Sports Bar located at 102 Bank Street. 

Officers quickly responded to the area to find both victims had already been transported to an area hospital via private vehicle.  Officers identified a crime scene along Bank Street and inside the McLevy Green.  The McLevy Green is a public square that runs adjacent to Bank Street.  Officers secured that area and contacted the Detective Bureau.

Officers made a follow up to the hospital and confirmed 2 victims had arrived with gunshot wounds.  One victim, identified as 29-year-old Bridgeport man, suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.  He is listed in critical condition.  The second victim, identified as a 31-year-old Ansonia man, suffered a gunshot wound to the leg (non-life-threatening).

The Detective Bureau has responded and taken charge of the investigation. 

Public safety cameras have enhanced our ability to responsibly monitor public spaces.  As a result of this technology leads were quickly developed in the case.  The getaway vehicle and driver have been located. 

The driver, identified as 24-year-old Kaishon Duncan of Bridgeport CT, was placed under arrested by Patrol Officers and transported to the Bridgeport Police Department.  Duncan is charged with two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Assault in the 1st Degree 53a-48/53a-59.  Bond is set at 100,000.  He is scheduled to appear arraigned in Bridgeport Superior court on Monday July 31, 2023.  

This is an on-going investigation with suspects at large.  2 suspects fled the area on foot running down Bank Street towards Main Street.  Both are described as wearing masks and all black clothing.  At least one of the victims appears to have been singled out/targeted in this incident.  No further information at this time. 

Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the case officer, Detective Todd Toth, at 203-581-5244 or utilize the Bridgeport Police Tips Line at 203-576-TIPS.

2023-07-30@12:16pm–#Bridgeport CT–Police were called to Water Street for two possible gunshot victims. Searches by Bridgeport and transit police could not locate the victims. A short time later Bridgeport Hospital reported that two gunshot victims arrived by a private vehicle.

Earlier in the day a person was shot in a shootout at East Main and Berkley Place.

Stratford News: Free Concert

The Stratford Library Children’s Department will be hosting a free library concert featuring Chris from the LeafJumpers Band on Monday, July 31 at 6 pm. It is free and open to the public.

Chris will be performing songs from the 80s, 90s and 00s and his concert is recommended for anyone over the age of 12. Parents with small children (ages 5-11) are invited to drop them off at the Children’s Department before attending the concert. Infants are welcomed at the concert but walking toddlers and preschoolers should stay home.

The concert will be held in the Library’s air-conditioned Lovell Room from 6-7:30 pm. Nonalcoholic beer tasting will be offered at intermission.

Register online at: https://stratfordlibrary.libcal.com/event/10436248

ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINSCOALITION TO EXPAND LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR SEVEREWEATHER EMERGENCY ALERTS

Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general and New York City in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand language access for critical government alerts sent to cell phones, known as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs). In a comment letter, the coalition acknowledges the important steps FCC has taken to expand access to WEAs but notes that this proposal would require wireless companies to use machine translation rather than human translation for WEAs and would only include translations for 13 languages. Following multiple severe weather emergencies across the country, Attorney General Tong and the coalition urge FCC to adopt its alternative proposal to use human translators, which are far more reliable, instead of machine translation, and to increase the number of available languages from 13 to at least 25.

“Severe weather emergencies—like the floods we are seeing across Connecticut this month—can be life-threatening and fast developing. Machine translation is just too glitchy and imprecise for this type of highly sensitive message. As our country experiences more dangerous, more frequent weather emergencies fueled by climate change, we need to do everything we can to get as many people as possible accurate, timely warnings,” said Attorney General Tong.

The FCC proposes the use of machine translation applications on cell phones that would translate English WEAs to a user’s preferred language without any review by human translators. However, machine translations are not always reliable. A recent joint study by UCLA and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center found that the accuracy rate of machine translations from English varied widely for different languages – from 94 percent accuracy to as low as 55 percent accuracy.

During severe weather emergencies, which are increasingly fueled by climate change, current and accurate information can be critical to survival. Even a slim chance of error in translation could have severe consequences. Instead, the coalition endorses the FCC’s alternative approach of using alert templates for various emergency situations. Those templates would be created by humans, pre-installed on cell phones, and activated when an English-language WEA is received by the phone.

If FCC moves forward with its proposal to include only 13 languages, immigrant communities with high rates of Limited English Proficiency (LEP) would be excluded from WEAs. To reach more of these communities now and in the future, Attorney General Tong and the coalition recommend that WEAs be supported in all languages spoken by at least 300,000 people in the U.S. over five years old – a total of more than 25 non-English languages. The coalition also urges FCC to consider adding additional languages every few years based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data on spoken languages and LEP rates.

Exit mobile version