Of Human Interest: News-lite

THINK WHAT MIGHT'VE HAPPENED IF HE'D WRITTEN "OSAMA" ON IT

A south Florida police lieutenant has been demoted to patrolman for writing "Taliban" on an envelope addressed to his superior officer.

A spokesman for the Miami-Dade County Police said Lt. Jorge Carnero "has been assigned to the property room as a police officer," and instead of working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, he will work 3 to 11 p.m. with Wednesdays and Thursdays off.

Carnero's attorney, Michael Cornely, said he will appeal the two-rank demotion and expects the case to be heard by a hearing officer early next year. "It's an outrage. To me, it's a total over-reaction for the department to do this to someone who has 20 years in without any trouble at all," he said.

Writing "Taliban" on the envelope was meant as a joke for Capt. Bill Press, who is considered a hard-nosed commander and known as Taliban in some circles. However, a secretary at the suburban police station where they work saw the name and was upset. The fire department was called, although there was no powder on the unopened envelope to make anyone suspect anthrax.

The Miami Herald quotes department documents calling it "no laughing matter," and that "this kind of conduct is not acceptable."

Four other officers have been accused of knowing about the incident but their cases are still pending.

ONE SICK PUPPY

Authorities in Tampa say the "Peep Shoe" voyeur has done it again. They told a judge that Daniel Searfoss again used a video camera on his sneaker to peep up women's skirts -- this time in a church where he was performing community service and at the probation office.

Searfoss remains in jail on $75,000 bond set by an outraged Circuit Judge Walker R. Heinrich. "I tell you, there's something that just rubs me wrong when you're on probation and you're doing this offense," he said. "That really strikes me as really being wrong."

Searfoss, 43, was charged last New Year's Eve with voyeurism after police said the Dover, Fla., mechanic wired a camera hidden in his sneaker to a video recorder he carried in his bag. The case was dubbed "sneakercam." He was sentenced to 12 months probation, but that was lifted in September when he completed his community service.

But in November, police said he was using the device at a flea market and arrested him on charges of voyeurism. Tapes discovered in his possession also indicated he was using the camera at the church and at the probation office.

REASONS TO CELEBRATE TODAY:

THURSDAY: This is Republic Day in Malta, which became a republic in 1974.

And Sweden celebrates Santa Lucia Day, a festival of lights. Many hotels hire a young girl who, dressed in a white gown, serves guests coffee and saffron buns in the morning.

(Thanks to Chase's 2001 Calendar of Events)

BY THE WAY...

Who wrote the lyrics for the Christmas carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem"?

American clergyman Phillips Brooks, who was born on this date in 1835.