Scott Henson reporting on a police officer sentenced to federal prison for extortion (accepting a $5000 bribe from undercover federal agents to protect a phony shipment of cocaine) notes that the local paper ‘bragged’ about the new and improved police force:
Describing the sentence, the McAllen Monitor optimistically concluded, without apparent irony, “Elsa’s police department has had considerable turnover since the men’s arrests; however, none of its officers has faced drug-related charges this year.”
So, I clicked the article, and the ‘Most Viewed Stories’ caught my eye. I assume these change daily or even more frequently, but when I looked there were 10 most viewed stories listed.
Most Viewed Stories
- Former Rio Bravo mayor, five others murdered
- Five Valley football teams head to high school playoff games
- Gunmen kill former Rio Bravo mayor and 5 others
- Police: Football player to face charges in wreck that killed freshman
- Brownsville driver dies after colliding with vehicles at strip club, dealership
- 10th Street fire ruled arson
- JP’s son sentenced to 18 years for murder
- Long waits and rudeness
- A family feud and a dash of spite heat up a pizzeria rivalry
- ‘ABOVE & BEYOND’: Belize-bound consul forged bonds between Valley, Mexico
One story about high school football (of course), and one about the Mexican consulate in McAllen, Texas.
The other eight? In order: murder, murder, possible Intoxication Manslaughter – but at least criminally negligent homicide, possible non criminal but fatal collision, arson, murder, Canadian/Texans being harassed by rude border agents, and finally two sisters that hate each other and run competing pizzerias virtually across the street.
During the Soviet Union’s perestroika period, didn’t the crime rate increase? Or don’t I remember reading that, no, indeed it didn’t increase, but people thought it did, because it was now being reported?
It’s Friday night, I’m tired. Not sure what the point of all this was, but feel free to add comments if you can help me finish this off into something that makes more sense…