The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that police have announced a serial rapist has preyed on at least seven Cleveland women since 1996 and that it's impossible to say whether, when or where he will strike again.

From the story:

Calling the predator "unpredictable," Cleveland Police Chief Edward Lohn said:

"I think it's important the community know this individual is out there."

But warning the community isn't easy: Police have few clues because until recently they had no idea the same man had raped the women.

Old-fashioned investigative tools didn't link the crimes, which occurred at different times and in different places over eight years -- between 1996 and 2004. Plus, the victims gave different descriptions.

"The victims see something different each time," Lohn said, explaining that people often have trouble giving accurate descriptions after traumatic events.

Facing such varying descriptions, it took DNA tests through a state program to link the cases.

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The news story reports DNA samples from the serial rapist's crimes didn't match DNA of any perpetrator on file with the state, but they did match the seven Cleveland rapes and a February 1998 rape in Erie, PA.

Police told reporters the offender is familiar with Cleveland State University, since he raped an 18-year-old in a science-research classroom in August 2001.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Date: 4 Mar 2005
From: Scott
Subject: RE: Posting of signs
To: OFCC CCW Discussion List

Had a discussion with a nice chap who owns a Shell station down here in the Columbus area--he had a "GhostBusters" [gun w/ circle-slash] sign up that had "fine print" to the effect that "Unlawful Carry" was prohibited. The sign came in a package with other stuff (Min. Wage, Workman's Comp., etc. from Shell, I believe).

Like most people, I keyed in on the GhostBusters part of the sign, and
explained [to the manager] what I thought was wrong with it... He promptly tore it down and won me as a customer!

He said he hadn't had much time to think about it or learn what the Ohio CCW law had to say about the issue---being a sole proprietor makes one focus his priorities a bit higher on Maslow's Hierarchy--but he was definitely pro-gun (and an NRA member!)

I had left a "No Guns, No $" card [before we talked], and [now gave him] a Ohio CHL Holders Welcome sign...and have submitted his business as a Safe Alternative. He is very interested in OFCC and will be checking out the website.

Scott

Keep up the good work! Your activism makes a difference. More Ohio businesses remove their "no-guns signs daily. Click here to view the EXTENSIVE list of businesses across Ohio which have removed their "no-guns signs and opened their doors to Ohio CHL-holders.

March 7, 2005
Toledo Blade

By James Drew
Columbus Bureau Chief

When the Ohio attorney general's office released a report last week on how many law-abiding citizens have received licenses to carry concealed handguns, Toby Hoover had a question.

"Are we ever going to stop talking about this?" asked Ms. Hoover, executive director of the Toledo-based Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence.

The answer, as she immediately acknowledged, is no. But barring some real-life sequels to Death Wish, we may wonder many years from now why so much time was spent debating an issue that seems hidden from our everyday lives.

Since the concealed-carry law took effect on April 8, 2004, county sheriffs have approved 45,497 concealed-carry licenses in Ohio.

Given that there are 7.5 million Ohio residents 21 years old and over, Ms. Hoover said the report showed that the legislature spent a lot of time debating a law that only a small percentage of Ohioans wanted to use.

"There are no efforts in the legislature to protect people from becoming gun victims," she said.

But Chad Baus, northwest Ohio coordinator for Ohioans for Concealed Carry, said the numbers show the need to revise the law to ensure that sheriffs don't use red tape to restrict the rights of law-abiding citizens.

He's right.

Unlike Lucas, where citizens can apply for a concealed-carry license during business hours, sheriffs in 36 of 88 counties require appointments to be arranged and several limit the hours when they take applications.

Five of the top six counties for issuing licenses are adjacent to Franklin, Hamilton, and Cuyahoga counties, all of which require appointments. Ohioans can get a permit in their county or an adjacent one.

"They are taking a 'shall issue' law and making it a 'may issue' law," said Mr. Baus, "And there is no kind of recourse provided when they break the law."

Although Attorney General Jim Petro predicted that 100,000 Ohioans would receive licenses in the first six months of the law, he made that forecast before the legislature revised the bill to make it more restrictive.

"One hundred thousand was realistic before the Senate passed some of the restrictions they passed, and before some of these sheriffs acted the way they have to restrict ability to apply. But show me another consumer protection program that has 175 people a day taking advantage of it," Mr. Baus said.

Click here to read the entire op-ed.