Cop Killer
Put him in jail: What is a guy like Shawn LaBeet, who was obviously dangerous before he killed multiple police officers ("Officer Down," Michael E. Miller, February 13), doing out of jail anyway? Police alone didn't face this savage every day; the whole community did. And at least the police are trained to protect themselves. What about us civilians? Either give us all guns or just get the animals like LaBeet off the streets and in jail! frankd4
Feel for police: This story certainly makes me appreciate the unpredictable danger police face every day. Joe LaDuca
More creeps out there: There was nothing about this creep that snapped. He was simply a bad seed from the moment of his conception. It is not surprising how these losers murder or are eventually revealed as criminals. This creep is now out of circulation for good, but sadly for our society, there are more like him still walking the streets. cr.mart
Got what he deserved: I hope Shawn was indeed the suspect in both the police shootings, as your reporting suggests, because if so, he got what he deserved. What senseless killings. Manoli Collaros
Historic Lies
Old, angry rant: I clicked on this article ("Black History Month Is a Lie," Luther Campbell, February 13) hoping to find some authentic places of importance from Miami's black history to visit this month. Instead, it reads like an old, angry man talking about what was "taken from us." How does this guy have an outlet in New Times? Taken by whom? And when? This whole column is gross. charlienj
Victors write history: You are right. We should give the West back to the Indians. New York should go back to the Dutch. All of South and Latin America should be given back to the Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs. All of America should live on a space as big as Staten Island. Also, when we play sports, the winning team shouldn't get credit. The world should be a giant tie. Face it, idiot — it's survival of the fittest. Maybe the West Indians lost? Accept it. Kirkslade1
Redevelopment isn't bad: Uncle Luke complains that "now we are seeing developers trying to wipe out what's left of the West Grove's Bahamian community." By doing what exactly? Oh, you don't know what you're talking about. Pretend I never asked. Harry The Handyman
UM's ID Heist
Total catastrophe: The massive amount of patient information that University of Miami Health System has misplaced ("Privacy Pratfall," Allie Conti, February 13) has been used to commit fraud and is being investigated by the Miami-Dade Police Department. It has affected my nearly perfect credit score by 80 points. The credit-monitoring agency that UM is giving victims has been completely useless. The credit agencies are refusing to take the marks off credit reports because they say they have no way of determining which is real and which is fraud, and the police department insists I am not a victim because I have not been made responsible by the banks to pay for the charges even though they appear on my credit reports. It's a complete nightmare. piggyfiveo
The eye of the beholder: Excellent reporting! I have a question about the health system's response, though. If the data was lost in June 2013, why weren't folks notified sooner? And I find this statement from the health system's spokesperson even more puzzling: "It is unclear how the Health System knows exactly whose records were lost." sarahtonin
Bad security: This is alarming. Why are patient records stored offsite in the first place? Peter Kovas
Not unusual: It's not surprising that UM Health System didn't report this theft sooner. It often takes months for companies to notice mass data thefts like this. IT security standards are substandard throughout the consumer retail industry, health care, etc. It took Target a few weeks to realize it had lost the biggest batch of ID theft ever, and Neiman Marcus didn't know a thing about its data breach for over six months. El Negro Mama
Winning!
Miami New Times managing editor Tim Elfrink has won the George Polk Award in sports reporting for his series on the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Coral Gables. The award, established by Long Island University, is one of the nation's most prestigious. Winners this year include the New York Times, the Washington Post, and legendary writer Pete Hamill. Elfrink's series is also a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.
