During my term as Chair of the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention, I have a visited cities in the United States, England and Belgium to discuss successful crime reduction strategies with local crime prevention officials. One thing that struck me was how similar their experiences were. In each city there was a serious crime problem, a focussed response and a substantial improvement in both the reality and the perception of safety.

The indictment alleges a conspiracy in which the five defendants schemed to get Carona elected and to corruptly use the office of sheriff to enrich themselves. In addition to the conspiracy, the indictment charges Carona with witness tampering, including his attempt to convince Haidl, as recently as August, to lie to a federal grand jury.

These charges are the result of an investigation the FedRent Initiative launched by the HUD Office of the Inspector General (OIG) to ensure that federal employees receiving housing benefits from HUD properly disclosed their wages and assets to HUD.

a former shop steward and Executive Delegate of Local 157 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners (the “Carpenters Union”) -- pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge BARBARA S. JONES to one count of aiding and abetting the embezzlement of monies from employee benefit plans.