Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 4-29-16 Bookstore Edition

Features
DOJ Finds No Bias In Bicycle Citations Investigation
School District Wants To Hire 1,000 Teachers
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Tuesday, the Depart- ment of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Polic- ing Services (COPS), released the findings of their investi- gation alleging discrimina- tion by the Tampa Police Department.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn and then Chief Jane Cas- tor requested the investiga- tion after an article in the Tampa Times focused on racial disparities pertaining to stopping and ticketing bi- cycle riders.
MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN
Ronald Davis said the re- port revealed, “There were racial disparities in stops and ticketing of bicycle riders by the TPD. In fact, 73% of rid- ers stopped between January 1, 2014 and August 30, 2015, were Black and 26% were white, while the estimated
population of bicycle riders during the assessment period was 40% Black and 49% white.”
The report further said the program was not validated by the data and “the stops did not reduce crime or result in any measurable impact on public safety.”
However, the report stated, “While there were racial disparities in the data uncovered during the assess- ment, there was no evidence to suggest that the racial dis- parities were based on dis- criminatory practices or racial animus by the TPD.”
The report also outlined a series of recommendations that the Department of Jus- tice feels will strengthen the department’s data collection and to implement strategies to prevent future disparities.
By Holly Mooneyhan and Dr. Althea Walker
Hillsborough County Public Schools want to hire 1,000 teachers for the 2016-2017 school year and to accomplish that, a variety of informational and hiring events are being of- fered.
On Tuesday, June 13th, the district will host “Teach In Tampa: Becoming a Teacher Information Ses- sion.” Registration for this event will begin May 1st.
“Throughout the year, we will host information sessions designed to allow people in- terested in becoming teachers to learn more about their next steps. In particular, partici- pants will learn more about certification requirements, the application process, and how to acquire employment,” stated Dr. Althea Walker, Department Manager for the Application Center and Teacher Recruitment.
To prepare students for life, Hillsborough County Public Schools seek to recruit and hire diverse educators who mirror the district’s student population. In particular, the district is actively recruiting bilingual teachers for the up- coming school year.
“We actively recruit and hire throughout the year. We
want passionate teachers committed to serving our stu- dents,” stated Holly Mooneyhan, Department Manager for the Application Center and Teacher Recruit- ment. Teachers are needed in math, science, English, art, and to teach students with special needs.
The School District also welcomes individuals with di- verse work and life experi- ences who are considering transitioning to the role of ed- ucating students. It is the goal and responsibility of the school district to educate the next workforce and they are seeking dedicated educators who are ready to help students succeed.
Hillsborough County Public Schools offers career and tech- nical programs where stu- dents may earn industry certification. Individuals with verified years of work experi- ences in careers like firefight- ing, cosmetology and culinary arts may consider becoming teachers.
Anyone interested in teach- ing in Hillsborough County Public schools should contact the Office of Teacher Recruit- ment at (813) 840-7167, or visit www.teachintampa.com to learn more about the dis- trict, register for events, and to apply for employment.
COPS Office Director
Tampa Man Convicted Of Identity
Theft And Credit Card Fraud
Last week, a federal jury convicted a Tampa man of several counts of identity theft and credit card fraud.
According to court docu- ments, Yannier Arias was found guilty of 17 counts of conspiracy, aggravated iden- tity theft, and access device fraud. His sentencing hear- ing is scheduled for August 9, 2016.
He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison on the conspiracy charges and 10 years’ impris- onment on the access device fraud, followed by 2 years on the aggravated identity theft charges.
Arias was indicted on August 27, 2015.
According to evidence presented at trial, Arias first conspired with another Tampa man, Dariel Sardi- nas Lopez, to “skim” credit card numbers from identity
theft victims at various gas stations in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Sarasota coun- ties; produce counterfeit credit cards encoded with that stolen account informa- tion; and then use those counterfeit cards to make thousands of dollars of fraudulent purchases in Florida and Michigan.
After Lopez was ar- rested, Arias entered a sec- ond conspiracy with Jose Ojeda Vera, another Tampa man. It again in- volved the use of counterfeit cards encoded with the ac- count information of identity theft victims to make similar purchases, including at lux- ury retailers such as Versace, Armani, and Louis Vuitton.
All of the victims still had their cards in their posses- sion when they learned that their accounts had been un- lawfully used.
Bethune Cookman
University
Launches Record
Label
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Bethune-Cookman University is getting into the music busi- ness.
The Daytona Beach-based university is launching a new student-run record label.
The label is called HBCU Records in homage to the his- torically black colleges and universities of which Bethune Cookman is one.
HBCU Records has already signed two recording artists, and the label is hosting a re- ception at the school for them on Thursday.
The artists are gospel singer Paul Jackson and hip hop artist DJ DGlove.
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