For many, the holidays mark a season filled with celebration, cheer and family. However, for many people, holidays are a tough reminder of how hard it can be to make ends meet financially.

Because of this, it has become a repeating trend that theft increases dramatically during the holidays. Not only are people trying to provide for themselves and their families, commercial spending leads to more people carrying around nicer things.

Let this serve as a reminder to follow the national campaign “Hide, Lock, Take“. This campaign reminds drivers to hide their belongings in their car to where they aren’t visible through windows, lock their car and take their keys with them. Police claim that this can decrease the likliehood of a break-in.

This holiday season, also keep a close eye on the things in your home. Around Coppell, various things are being stolen from yards and garages more than any other time of the year. Sophomore Caroline Overman experienced the issue first hand.

“We noticed our mail wasn’t in the box, and then we found it in our trash with some of our other neighbors [mail],” Overman said. “Christmas cards were torn open and looked through. We think this is because theives were looking for cash or gift cards.”

In response to the issue, the Coppell Police force is doubling its efforts this season to combat these issues along with possible DWI increases. Remember to keep safe this holiday season!

Following the Penn State University scandal involving ex-coordinator Jerry Sandusky, another scandal seems to be coming to light at Syracuse University within the basketball program.

After initial allegations were brought up, head coach Jim Boeheim vehemently denied the possibility of long-time assistant coach Bernie Fine being a child molester.  Shortly after, more convincing evidence of Fine’s guilt came forth after a recording of Fine’s wife was released over ten years ago testifying to his sin and insanity.

One question now at stake is the future of Boeheim.  Former Penn State head coach Joe Paterno lost his job for not doing more to report his assistant’s crimes.  If it becomes clear that Boeheim had knowledge of Fine’s molestation charges, then Boeheim’s job could be in jeopardy.

Only time will tell if Boeheim, a distinguished, respected college basketball ambassador, will suffer the same fate as Paterno.

Staff Writer

Coppell police arrested Nicholas Monroe Morehart on Saturday as he was charged with a series of car vandalisms and other criminal mischief in the community, with several victims being Coppell High School students.

Morehart, a former Coppell student, faces several serious charges for his conviction including two Class A Misdemeanors for his recent burning of two American flags and his evading arrest. Even more seriously, Moreheart was convicted of one 3^rd degree felony for criminal mischief resulting in destruction of over $20,000 worth of property.

On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, more than 20 vehicles were reported vandalized, bringing the total of vandalisms to over 60 cars since mid-July. Ranging in severity, almost all crimes shared several similar characteristics, specifically scratching and tire slashing. Police reported that the vast majority of the vandalisms occurred between midnight and 6 a.m.

The Fillingim's car was one of the many vehicles and other property that was vandalized. Photo by Jack Ficklen.

Senior Sam Fillingim experienced the issue first hand.

One night during the week of Aug. 28, Fillingim’s father noticed a scratch on the side of his white Volkswagen Passat, about six inches in length. His father asked if he had scratched it accidentally and Fillingim knew nothing about the issue and, at that point, realized that the car had been vandalized.

“I was pretty sure I wasn’t being targeted because I didn’t really think anyone was out to get me,” Fillingim said. “It just goes to show that anyone is at risk. Our car that was parked on the street was the one that got scratched, but the one in the garage was left fine.”

Because the damage wasn’t too severe, the Fillingims decided not to report it to the police.

To victims in general, however, crimes like these can be expensive and inconvenient to endure. Damages can cost up to $500 to repair, and certain types of vandalisms, like tire slashing, can impair a car from being street-legal.

Coppell High School assistant principal Sean Bagley encourages students and adults alike to report any information on criminal mischief they have to the Coppell Crime Commission, an organization dedicated to making Coppell a safer community.

“We believe that if used, the commission can play a vital role in solving crimes,” Bagley said. ”A few years ago, people could only earn about $25 or $30 for tips, but now the organization is sponsored and people with information can received anywhere from $200 to $1000. The idea behind the commission is to reward the supporters who help bring justice to the community.”

In response to the vandalism, students are being cautious with their vehicles. While there is no guarantee that any one car is completely safe from vandalism, there are some important precautions to take that can put a vehicle at lower risk. Most importantly though, any driver should consider the location where the car has been parked. Look for areas that are well lit and park in a garage when able.

“It only makes sense to pay attention to where you park and leave your car. With things like this going on, I definitely think that it’s important to focus on keeping your car safe,” sophomore Natalie Hinson said.

Crimestoppers: stopping crime one tip at a time. Crimestoppers: snitches get stitches. These are the two slogans dominating the news surrounding the Coppell Crime Commission’s recent program, Crimestoppers. Whether you believe the program will help clamp down on crime in Coppell or think that the policy of paying off tipsters is unethical, it is certainly evident that the program has made waves in the community. Advocating the collection, use, and rewarding for tips on criminal activities, the Crimestoppers program has lead to at least nine arrests in the past six months. So how exactly does it work?

The Crimestoppers program is run under the jurisdiction of the Coppell Crime Commission inc., a non-profit organization that is operated by private citizens in Coppell. The program, which is certified as a Texas Crime Stoppers Program by the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council, was started after local business owners became more interested in assisting police in solving crime. Although the program is backed by the city and works closely with the Coppell Police Department, it is only governed by the state bi-laws of the Texas Crime Stoppers Advisory Council.

So if I report a tip I’ll get a reward?

Not exactly: all rewards (up to $1000) are at the discretion of the Coppell Crime Commission’s Board of Directors. Once a tip leads an arrest, the tip will be brought up for review at one of the group’s bi weekly meetings. A point system is used to determine the amount of the reward, which is paid for using donations to group.

So how can I report a tip? How do I know it’s anonymous?

The Coppell Crime Commission uses high-tech software that allows the informants to provide information to the Crimestoppers that is then passed on to the police. All phone calls, emails, and text messages are automatically encrypted before being received or sent out from the crime stoppers call center in Houston, TX.

“When you text in a tip or call in a tip, the program the Crimestoppers use totally encrypts your number” school officer Craig Parrish said. “This way the person at the call center working with you doesn’t know your number at all. Eventually the informant is given a code through which to contact us and we’re given a code to contact you; this way I only know you as, for example, subject XKJS.”

Only once a tip leads to an arrest can it be eligible for an award. Even then a payout can only be authorized at a committee meeting.

“A tip can lead to an arrest but it’s likely an informant will have to wait for the reward,” Parrish said. “Once the reward has been decided by the Board of Directors and the payment authorized, the Crimestoppers send the informant a code with which they can redeem their reward.”

“The program was brought to the attention of the school at the beginning of the year,” Assistant Principal Sean Bagely said. “It’s a program that allows communities to report on crime in their area. It’s not just focused on drugs; it deals with robbery, theft, vandalism, all crimes.”

Staff Writer

Theatre Coppell’s newest show, entitled It could be any one of us, is a murder mystery by Alan Ayckbourn with a comic twist and a surprise ending. The show originally debuted in 1983 in Scarborough, England. Theatre Coppell will be performing this unique show on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Feb. 11 to Feb. 27 at Coppell Center For The Arts, which seats over 100 audience members on 3 sides of the stafe. Showtimes are usually either 2:30 pm or at 8:00 pm depending on the day.

It could be any one of us weaves the tale of three underachieving siblings who live together in a large house. When a murder rocks their world, an investigation pinpoints three of the main characters as suspects. However, there are three possible endings to the story each time. The ending is usually decided by the cast via a card game after Act 1. Each ending concludes with a different character being revealed as the murderer. 

This murder mystery will keep the audience guessing until the very end, even those that know the story. It could be any one of us also has a comic undertone, despite the serious subject matter. These aspects make it a lively and entertaining show.

Coppell Theatre’s rendition of It could be any one of us is being directed by George Morrow. Ticket prices range from $14 to $16 per person. Check the Theatre Coppell website to order tickets or for additional details.

The annual senior girls self defense classes are being offered again this coming semester. Sponsored by the City of Coppell and the Coppell Police Department, seniors will be able to register for this 6-week course in self-defense. Self-confidence, skills and new, useful knowledge about protecting oneself in dangerous situations is what girls walk away with each year.

The course is free and begins Wednesday, January 19th. Weekly classes (every Wednesday from 6 to 8 pm) will be held at the gym of Coppell Middle School East and will be instructed by the Coppell Police Officers.

To register for this class, contact Officer R.J. Harr at 972 304-3625, or e-mail him at rharr@coppelltx.gov.

Piracy is illegal. And you can get caught for it

By Wren Culp

Staff Writer

Taking cars, iPods and cell phones is what people call stealing. Physical stealing is illegal. But what most people don’t think about is the fact that stealing something over the Internet is also stealing. It’s called piracy. And it’s illegal.

Since the dawn of the Internet in 1989, music artists had a new way of reaching audiences, companies had better ways to get their products out, and online shopping even emerged. The internet was a revolution.

But of course, there are always people that want to take a shortcut when it comes to paying for stuff. The textbook definition of stealing is “to take the property of others without permission or right”. And in the case of pirating, you’re not stealing physical property, your stealing something that someone designed or created.

“It doesn’t shock me,” CHS technology manager Lynn Hardin said. “It’s sad that people don’t have better morals and have to resort to stealing.”

Pirating software and other items dates back to even before 1980, where anyone could freely copy computer programs and pirate without any legal restrictions whatsoever. The U.S. Patent Office recognized copyrights on the computer software, but only the source code. Despite the clear illegality of pirating software, illegal software accounts for roughly half of all the software in use, according to the Business Software Alliance.

Before the Internet however, thieves used dial –up bulletin board systems to upload and distribute software to local computer owners. Thieves could get on a telephone connection and download the files to their computer, or meet other people who pirate and trade floppy disks that contained the material.

Law enforcement was rendered useless to the “software bandits”. Then the Internet came into play. Anyone in the world could download any software for free if they wished. Authorities were in hot water now.

Then, along came 1990. And a new concept was introduced. It’s called Peer to Peer sharing, or more commonly known as P2P. Peer to Peer networks, specifically BitTorrent clients and Napster, allowed users to share files with millions of people around the world, and leave no trace that it ever took place.

“I’ve downloaded a lot illegally,” said an anonymous source. “I’m not proud of it but sometimes I don’t have the money to pay for things that I want or need.”

For a while after that point things tended to slow down a little bit. But then the major punch to the gut came. In the late 1990s, personal computer sales jumped tremendously.  It all started when Microsoft released Windows 95 which required few literary skills from the user, thus making stealing software easier.

People have been caught in the past pirating software. One of the more famous cases is when Microsoft filed a law suit against Chris Fazendin for posting a “crack”, a way to make programs run without authentication, for Microsoft Office 97 on his web site. Microsoft won and forced Fazendin to repay the $345 standard cost of the program for each time someone downloaded the crack from his web site. When he could not pay anymore, he was forced to surrender his computer and promise never to do it again.

Software is not the only thing being downloaded illegally though. Ever since the DVD revolution took place, DVD’s have been popular to “rip” at their computers. Ripping means taking a copy of the movie and putting on your computer, and is becoming a very popular thing to do.

The maximum penalty for getting caught pirating anything is going to prison to up to 10 years and/or a fine of $250,000. In April of 2009, the founders of the popular torrent hub called the “Pirate Bay, were sentenced to a year in jail with fines of roughly $3 million to be dispersed among entertainment companies like Warner Bros. and Sony.

With Internet pirating growing as fast as the Internet is, at some point pirating may not be traceable at all.

You can buy a police scanner online for anywhere from 100 to 500 dollars. However, you could also listen to the same material online by clicking here.  

It doesn’t give you current news in Coppell, but it does keep you updated on news in Dallas, and what’s more, it’s the news as its happening, and not just second sources reporting like on the TV or newspaper.

But don’t think I’m just advertising; this won’t contribute at all to my huge journalist’s salary. I do, however, think it’s interesting to listen to on occasion and connects newsreaders right to the source.

For other information about ongoing crime and police reports, see the online Coppell open records, courtesy of Laserfiche, by clicking here.

A number of Whispering Hills residents have reported to police that it appears a man is looking into the windows of homes.

Though the voyeur has not been caught yet, he has been identified as a Caucasian male, approximately 6 feet tall and weighing between 140 and 160 pounds who plays the role of a peeping tom between 8 and 10 pm.

Police advice residents to be on the look out, but not to confront any persons matching this description and instead report the incident to police by calling 972-304-3604.

For more information, click here.