Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York • Page 23

SB DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2000 Cops investigate link in 6 Brooklyn slayings Lawmakers tackle school violence THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK A woman strangled with her own shoelaces before her half-naked body was dumped in a vacant lot could be the sixth victim of a serial strangler targeting prostitutes in Brooklyn, police said yesterday. Police Commissioner Howard Safir said a task force has been formed to investigate a string of slayings that began last year. All the women were strangled, either with their own shoelaces or with electri cal cords, in the Williamsburg or Bedford-Stuyyesant sections. "We're treating all these homicides as possibly being linked," Safir told reporters. Police, he said, "do have some suspects." He refused to discuss the case further.

DNA evidence suggests that three of the women may have had sex with the same man shortly before their deaths, said a police official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The official described the victims as "street people known to have engaged in prostitution." ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF JAY GALLAGHER ALBANY Both the state Association of School Boards and the state's largest teachers union yesterday hailed the passage of bills that allow teachers to throw disruptive students out of class and require the fingerprinting of all prospective school employees. "One or two chronically disruptive or violent students should not be allowed to poison the learning environment for everyone else," said Alan Lubin of New York State United Teachers. "Requiring school districts to develop and enforce strict codes of conduct, and giving teachers the authority to remove those students whose bad behavior prevents them from teaching and the rest of class from learning are ing it to all school personnel made it more palatable. The School Boards Association has been opposed to letting teachers remove disruptive students from the classrooms.

But Ernst said shortening the amount of time for such suspensions from 10 days to five, making them subject to restrictions set by school boards and giving principals review power made it acceptable. The fingerprinting bill was sponsored by Assemblywoman Naomi Matusow, D-North Castle, Westchester County, and Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie. The safe-schools bill was sponsored by Assemblywoman Susan John, D-Rochester, and Sen. Thomas Mora-han, R-Clarkstown, Rockland County.

The bills will be sent to Gov. George Pataki. a to police. Allow the state education commissioner to withhold state aid from any district that fails to enact a code of conduct. Require education and law enforcement personnel to diagnose the needs of youths who commit violent acts.

Set up a program of grants for school-safety and violence prevention activities. Strengthen the penalties for some violent crimes committed on school grounds. Fingerprints would be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the state Division of Criminal Justice Services for screening. The individual would be assessed a $74 fee. "We objected to this before when just teachers were to be fingerprinted," Lubin said, adding that apply smart approaches to improving the learning climate." The fingerprinting requirement, already in place in 34 other states and in New York City, was especially welcomed by the School Boards Association, said spokesman David Ernst.

"We were concerned we were becoming a magnet for people with the kinds of pasts" that needed to be hidden, he said. The union had lobbied against making current staff submit to fingerprinting. The bills, which gained final passage by the Assembly yesterday, would: Require immediate removal from a classroom of any student committing a violent act. Mandate that allegations of abuse in schools be reported Purchase pecial "7 Vioflx Oreck XL Upright Hurry' Better when Caw' they Full 3-year Warranty! Try It, then buy It! BOTH VACUUM ONLY X-' Gun control 299.95 Oreck XL features Weighs just 8 lbs. Picks up pollen, Pet hair, dust, avran rlnct mifat in nna nnti FROM PAGE IB lice within 24 hours from the time the theft is discovered.

Penalties would be established for individuals barred from possessing firearms who illegally attempt to buy weapons, a Includes reporting by The Associated Press. right balance." Other provisions of the bill include: A program would be created within the Division of Criminal Justice Services to prevent guns from illegally entering the state. All stolen guns would be required by law to be reported to po Try our 8-lb. Oreck XL free for 10 days. Vacuum with your old dust wifa the amazing 25-footcord 1 0 yr.

guarantee on the housing put them in office," said Bill Powers, public affairs director for the NRA. "They will be very hard pressed to ever gain that trust again." The NRA and other opponents had contended that taking ballistics samples of bullets would be a first step toward national gun registration. They also scoffed at the idea that the new laws would reduce crime. "I'm sure New York criminals are shaking in their boots that driver's licenses are going to have to say they were born 21 years ago before they can get a gun," Powers said. "It's ridiculous." A Oreck bag.

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All word marks product configurations are owned used under the authority of Oreck Holdings, LLC. I 1P00A Scolisyille Suite 450 Located next lo Airport Free Parking The bulk of opposition came from upstate Republicans. Just five Democrats in the Assembly and none in the Senate voted against the bill. Some Democratic senators who voted in favor of the bill said the legislation did not go far enough, in Five states require safety locks. Eleven set the handgun-permit age at 21.

Eleven have licensing systems. Six ban assault weapons, modeled after the federal ban. Some considered the centerpiece the "Gun DNA," system. It would require manufacturers to submit shell casings from the test firings of guns in their inventories to the State Police's forensics lab. These bullet "fingerprints" could be checked against bullets and casings found at the scene of a crime.

The barrels of guns leave telltale markings on bullets and shell casings. "I know it's not something where every single crime is solved," Pataki said. "But there will be crimes where a shell casing is left behind at the scene from a gun where we do have that ballistic image in our State Police database." Pataki said the proposal on background checks would close a loophole in the federal Brady Law, which requires that gun sales by federally licensed firearms deals must be accompanied by a background check. Sales at gun shows currently do not require checks unless the firearms are sold by a federally licensed dealer. Gun rights supporters were critical of backers of the measure.

"It's unfortunate that Gov. Pataki and some members of the Legisla- ture have betrayed the lawful gun owners and sportsmen that have cluding the provision tor a statewide gun licensing program and a child access prevention mea sure. The states assault weapons ban was also not expanded to include "post-ban" weapons, they said. this or $1000 "This is a positive step, but we're doing nothing more than taking the federal definition of weapons. Cash Allowance financing We're not dealing with the crime of after-ban weapons, said Sen.

Richard Dollinger, D-Brighton. The governor said he still sup ports gun owners' rights and he not ed that gun-control activists were saying he didn go far enough. 'The fact thatttwe're getting criticized from both sides," Pata ki said, "means we've struck the Dodge Neon $1,000 Cash Allowance fapr or financing How they voted ALBANY Here's how your state Assembly members and senators voted on several key issues that came before the Legislature this week, as reported by Gannett News Service. STATE ASSEMBLY 1. A bill increasing penalties for "hate crimes," in which a victim is selected on the basis of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or age.

Passed 119 to 26. Goes to governor. 2. A bill allowing local authorities to ban or limit jet-skis and other personal watercraft. Passed 139 to 5.

Goes to governor. 3. A bill requiring pesticide companies to notify neighbors 48 hours before applying pesticides, Passed 136 to 8. Goes to governor. 4.

A bill to give Nassau County's Board of Cooperative Educational Services $300,000 in state aid to help purchase a building. Passed 81 to 63. Goes to governor. 5. A bill raising the age for obtaining a handgun permit from 18 to 21, regulating gun show sales, mandating safety locks on handguns and requiring that gun owners report lost or stolen weapons, among other gun control measures.

Passed 99 to 41. Goes to governor. Votes 1234 5 James Bacalles, R-Coming Daniel Burling, R-Alex. YYN David Gantt, D-Rochester YYYYY Susan John, D-Rochester YYYYY Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua David Koon, D-Perinton YYYYY Joseph Morelle, D-lrond. YYYYY Charles Nesbitt, R-Albion NNNNN Robert Oaks, R-Macedon NNYNN Joseph Robach, D-Greece A David Seaman, R-Lockport STATE SENATE 1.

A bill raising the age for obtaining a handgun permit from 18 to 21, regulating gun show sales, mandating safety locks on handguns and requiring gun owners to report lost or stolen weapons, among other gun control measures. Passed 39 to 20. Goes to governor. 2. A bill that allows new mothers to deliver their newborns to a safe place and leave them without facing criminal prosecution.

Passed 58 to 1. Goes to governor. 3. A bill allowing local authorities to ban or limit jet-skis and other personal watercraft. Passed 59 to 0.

Goes to governor. 4. A bill increasing penalties for sexual assault, raising the age for statutory rape from 14 to 15 and increasing penalties for the use of so-called "date-rape" drugs. Passed 60 to 0. Goes to governor.

5. A bill restricting access and creating an advisory council to study violent video games. Passed 57 to 2. Goes to Assembly. Votes 1 2 345 James Alesi, R-Perinton Richard Dollinger, D-Brighton YYYYY John Kuhl, R-Hammonds.

George Maziarz, R-N. Ton NYYYY Patricia McGee. R-Frank'ville NYYYY Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette NYYYY Mary Lou Rath, R-Amherst NYYYY Dale M. Volker, R-Depew NYYYY Dodge Stratus this or $W00 financing Cash Allowance Dodge Intrepid (3HOT3Q ST. MICHEALS CHURCH Dodge Different.

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