European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 3, 1992 the stars and strikes b Page 7more police slain by guns in 91, report says Miami up a the number of police officers killed in the line of duty nationwide dropped by 15 percent in 1991, but the number of officers slain by gunfire increased an annual Survey has reported. The american police Hall of Fame and museum said wednesday in its yearly report that 104 police officers were killed in 1991, Down from 123 in 1990. There were 57 shooting deaths among police up from 54 in 1990. In 1989, when 189 officers died in the line of duty 72 were shot to death. A while preliminary figures show a decline in officer deaths we certainly Are not encouraged by the statistics or the tragic stories behind them a said Gerald Arenberg executive director of the National association of chiefs of police which operates the Hall of Fame and museum. The group has maintained police death records since i960. A we continue to find frightening the . Again Breaks murder record apr washing in 490 homicides Washington ton ended 1991 wit four More than 1990 when the nations capital was also its murder capital a based on per capita killings. The last homicide of the year was an unidentified Man shot about 8 20 . Tuesday police said. The new year started off with three fatal shootings in the first four hours. Washington which has a population of about 600,000, led All cities in the country in 1990 with a homicide rate of 77.8 per 100,000 residents. The official murder rate for 1991 wont be released until later this year. The District broke its homicide record for the fourth straight year in 1991. Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly has announced get Tough proposals designed to curb youth violence. The proposals include tougher bail Laws longer sentences and prevention programs. Unrelenting Rise in the frequency of gun related deaths which May be attributed to a general increase in crime and to a still greater surge in violent crime and felonious firearm use a Arenberg said. He said better officer training and greater use of bulletproof vests and Auto Matic service weapons have helped lower the death rate. A but we must remember that the number of officers on our nations streets has declined in recent years while the number of private Security personnel a and Security officer deaths a has risen a Arenberg said. For the third straight year Texas led the nation in terms of the most officers killed with 12. But that was Down from 18 each in 1989 and 1990. California had 10 officers killed in the line of duty and Michigan and Missouri reported seven each. The 57 shooting deaths nationwide included 39 committed while a felony was in Progress 10 in Domestic disturbances and eight during traffic stops. The police deaths also included 27 traffic accidents five aircraft crashes four heart attacks two stabbings two drownings and one deadly assault. Six officers died front miscellaneous causes ranging from an explosive package and a fall from an embankment to a downed Power line. The Fri uniform crime report said the average age of an officer killed is 27, the most dangerous Day of the week is thursday and the most dangerous time is Between 10 . And 2 .robber was Solo police determine Placentia Calif. A a Man whose robbery and false bomb threat left 29 people trapped in a Bank for 6y2 hours on new years eve acted alone authorities said wednesday. Another Man who authorities initially thought had taken part in the robbery was instead a fugitive who happened to be cashing a Check at the Bank. The robber Jaime Sabogal 38, a native of Bogota Colombia killed himself after taking two Bank employees hostage commandeering a car and driving onto a nearby Highway that was jammed with traffic. Sabogal had said he left a Satchel containing plastic explosives in the Bank of America Branch and suggested he had an accomplice Placentia police it. Chuck Babcock said. No bomb was found. The 20 Bank employees and nine customers trapped in the Bank were unharmed. Hundreds of spectators friends and family members cheered and yelled a Happy new year a As the group left the Bank late tuesday night. The employees and customers began leaving the Bank More than an hour after a Man initially believed to be a second robber walked out. Police later concluded that Gregory Robert rambo of los Angeles Wasny to involved in the robbery. Rambo 30, is wanted on felony larceny warrants issued in Dade county Fla. He was being held at the Orange county jail in Santa Ana caif., Babcock said. Rambo also known As Robert Charles Gregory confused Fri agents and police outside the Bank with his erratic behaviour delaying attempts to search for explosives and free those inside authorities said. Rambo talked to police by phone for several hours and moved about the Bank frightening those inside. Police kept an open phone line to the Bank manager who was with the others in a conference room. The drama began when the robber wearing a Gray suit announced he had a bomb and displayed a gun said Thomas Parker assistant special agent with the los Angeles Fri Field office. Police responding to a silent alarm surrounded the building and watched As the Man walked out with two women. He stopped a passing car ordered a woman and her 13-year-old son to get out and drove off with the hostages. Police chased the robber onto a Highway where the car collided with three vehicles and got caught in traffic at an interchange Babcock said. The robber ordered his hostages to get out of the car and shot himself in the head with a .45-caliber revolver authorities said. One of the hostages Barbara Kelting 36, was treated at a Hospital for minor injuries Brea fire capt. Dave Mahlstede said. The other woman was unhurt. Gregory Robert rambo looks Over his shoulder while waiting in a police car at the scene of a Bank robbery tuesday in Placentia  seeks to Lessen Impact of dams on wildlife Washington apr More than 200 dams on Rivers from Maine to Oregon Are up for re licensing for electric Power generation this year and environmentalists say they want fish and other wildlife to get a better break this time around. A these dams look very clean and do not pollute the air but they have had profound Impact on the environment a said Matthew Huntington director of Hydro Power projects for the organization american Rivers. Huntington spoke tuesday at a news conference held outside the Headquarters of the Federal Energy regulatory commission As the commission was receiving the last of 160 applications covering the 231 dams. He said his group will seek restrictions and protective measures in the new licenses such As fish ladders increases in Stream flow or limits on operating hours. Thomas Russo chief of the Eastern Branch of Fercy a division of project review said the Agency a has a mandate to look at the Power produced and balance that against environmental benefits and will do so. American Rivers distributed a Sheet listing some of the dams involved including Edwards dam on the Kennebec River in Maine built in 1837, which the organization said blocks upstream fish passage to spawning grounds. Others included the Bend project on the de schutes River in Oregon where the group said it will seek to reduce the number of wild Rainbow and Brown Trout killed while passing through generating turbines. A fifty years ago recreation and ecological issues were not a Factor a said Richard Bowers a spokesman for the american Whitewater affiliation. A today they Are hopefully More in the forefront of Peoples  the commission Hopes to reissue licenses for most of the dams before the current 30 to 50-year licenses expire in 1993. Tuesday was the deadline for filing applications for renewal. For the next 60 Days the Public will have a Chance to request additional studies. Huntington said the dams most of them built Early in this Century Are Small producing a total Power output about equal to perhaps three Coal fired generating stations. He said Many of the modifications being sought would Cost less than 1 percent of the revenues from the dams. Congress passed a Law in 1986 requiring Fern to give equal consideration to Power needs and to the natural values of Rivers. Huntington however said a we firmly believe that Fern has failed in that  Russo said the Agency has complied with the Law. He a of a a s 01 de in the commissions licenses. Jav to a a a a. To r recommendations from other government agencies on fish and wildlife issues ate include said 90 percent if the commission is not Able to re License a project by the expiration of the current licenses on . 31, 1993, the projects would operate on a year to year basis until the commission completes action Russo said