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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GROUND ZERO™ who wrote (701108)	9/9/2005 10:41:55 PM
From: paret	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Police find 57 evacuees in Colorado have felony criminal records by: Deborah Sherman I-Team Reporter 9News.com 9news.com 9News Investigative Reporter Deborah Sherman says thousands of evacuees flying into Colorado have not been checked against the national terrorist watch list. 6 p.m. September 9, 2005. AURORA - When Lulu Ballet realized she had nothing left to lose in New Orleans, she went to the airport to catch a flight to Colorado. Like thousands of other victims fleeing the hurricane disaster area, Ballet didn't have any identification with her, just the clothes on her back. Normally, the Transportation Security Administration would not let anyone on a plane without identification because names have to be checked against a terrorist watch list. "I ain't lying about who I am. I am Lulu," said Ballet. Still, she and thousands of other evacuees got on board. Since the hurricane struck, the TSA has suspended some of its security regulations, according to regional spokesperson Carrie Harmon. "In this national emergency, we've had to make accommodations for the evacuees trying to get out, who through no fault of their own, do not have id's," said Harmon. That means the TSA doesn't know if the passengers are terrorists. As a precaution, Harmon said Federal Air Marshals are on board every flight with evacuees. Also, the evacuees are going through secondary screening. When the electricity went out for two days at the New Orleans Airport, the evacuees were screened with hand wands, according to Harmon. During the screenings, the TSA has confiscated more than 82 firearms, 400 knives and 250 other prohibited items, such as razors and boxcutters, said Harmon. When the evacuees arrived at Denver International Airport without identifications, Aurora Police began collecting names, social security numbers and did background checks. Of the 873 hurricane survivors in Colorado, 57 have felony criminal records, including assaults, theft, sex offenses and murder, according to Aurora Police Chief Terry Jones. "The community does not have to be concerned," said Chief Jones. "We think people are safe because all of these evacuees have served their sentences. None of them are wanted in Louisiana, there are no warrants out for anyone's arrest and no one has broken any laws at Lowry." Chief Jones said the police department ran background checks because they were concerned for the evacuees and needed to help reestablish their identities. The Colorado Bureau of Investigations is also fingerprinting hurricane survivors who volunteer for the service. The CBI hopes the fingerprints will stop the evacuees from being victimized again by identity thieves who may find their wallets in the hurricane debris, according to Public Safety Spokesman Lance Clem. Many of the survivors like Lulu Baker in Colorado got new identity cards on Friday, issued by a first-of-its-kind North Central credentialing mobile unit run by the Denver Sheriff's Department and Aurora Police. "We're producing id. cards for them, getting housing assignments for them and any immediate services that they need," said Captain Craig Meyer of the Denver Sheriff Department. "We've been able to find families, keep mothers and children together and all we hoped it would do," said Capt. Meyer. Meyer said he realized that the metro area needed a mobile unit after September 11th. "We had problems with communications, finding personnel and maintaining a perimeter," said Meyer. "This now gives us an ability to make sure residents at the dormitory are safe, secure and can access the services they need." The Captain turned to the company Secure Network Systems to build a mobile unit that could collect information about everyone on the scene and credential first responders. Secure Network Systems offered their time, equipment and knowledge for free to help the evacuees, according to President Betty Pierce. "We are leading the nation in these efforts," said Pierce. "We wanted to take care of the evacuees who are newly arriving in Colorado and give them access to services and such and protect their identity information." The hurricane victims can walk into the trailer set up by SNS and get their picture taken for identification cards. Those cards can be used to get free meals from the Salvation Army, free bus rides on RTD and will be accepted by local banks to cash their social security and FEMA checks. Lulu Ballet said she was happy to get her identification card Friday after being in Colorado for a week. "I feel like I got my life back," she said.