Talk about violent crime and authorities focus on guns rather than criminals. Talk about criminals or terrorists and someone proposes a “foolproof” identity card.”

Nobody seems to want to talk about better, smarter, more intelligent law enforcement. And nobody wants to deal with basics.

In this issue, there is a story about the murder of three young people and the wounding of a fourth in a bestial attack in a Newark, NJ, schoolyard (click to read). A key element of that story is the fact that the key suspect in the execution style shootings is an illegal immigrant from Peru, who has an extensive criminal history and is currently facing trial for a brutal rape that is not connected to the shooting.

The Newark mayor and New Jersey governor, with puppet police support, have immediately proposed more gun control measures.

But no one is seriously talking about why the suspect was allowed to remain in this country. No one wonders about why there is apparently no system for identifying suspects, and whether or not guilty of a specific crime, deporting them…and keeping them from coming back.

This isn’t an isolated incident. It’s more common that we realize.

Here’s just another random story from the Midwest.

Long Rap Sheet
A man charged with killing Kenosha County, WI, Sheriff’s Deputy Frank Fabiano this Spring proved to be an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record.

An NBC affiliated-TV in Wisconsin reported that despite a rap sheet going back six years, Ezeiquiel Lopez was never deported. Only after he was charged with killing Fabiano did anyone try to have him kicked out of this country.

Lopez, 44, is accused of murdering the 17-year sheriff’s department veteran while high on cocaine. Lopez’s history with the law dates back to 2001, when he was arrested in Utah for lewd and lascivious conduct.

In 2003, he was arrested in Texas on a gun charge.

In 2003, Lopez was picked up in Missouri for driving drunk.

In 2004, Kenosha police arrested him on charges of domestic battery, disorderly conduct and bail jumping.

And yet, until the shooting of the deputy, immigration enforcement had never heard of the man. “We can find no record of having had contact with this individual before or having had him referred to us by another law enforcement agency,” said Tim Counts of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of the Department of Homeland Security.

In court for an arraignment hearing, Lopez reportedly said nothing. But a fellow inmate at the jail said Lopez had plenty to say earlier.

“He was saying ‘I’ll kill another one of you guys, give me a chance and I’ll kill another one of you guys,’ ” said the inmate, who wanted to remain anonymous.

Lopez has a wife and three kids. A criminal complaint says he was angry with his wife the night of the murder. He admits to drinking tequila, doing cocaine and driving his van but said he doesn’t remember shooting anyone.

A judge at the arraignment set Lopez’s bond at $1 million, and further court proceedings were rescheduled.

Not Serious Enough
A Kenosha Police Department spokesman reportedly said that Lopez was not reported to immigration authorities because he “was never known to be an illegal immigrant.”

“He had identification cards; he had Social Security cards. It appears now that all those items are obviously fake,” Lt. Ron Bartholomew, with the Kenosha Police Department told the TV station.

Part of the reason the fake IDs were never caught, he said, is because Lopez’ previous arrests in Wisconsin were all misdemeanors. Kenosha police typically don’t investigate the immigration status of a suspect unless the crime is more serious.

Bartholomew was quoted as saying there is no good system in place for officers to check the legal status of a suspect.

It isn’t just up to the police department to refer suspects to immigration. Prosecutors and the Department of Corrections could have referred Lopez as well. However, because he had seemingly legitimate IDs and Social Security cards, it was never known that he was an illegal immigrant until he was arrested for the murder of Fabiano.

But why there isn’t a system were police, or even prospective employers, can go to check the authenticity of a person’s Social Security card or other ID. Maybe it’s because the Social Security number, which was never intended to be used for ID, has been so bastardized by our digital age government and commerce.

On the other hand, perhaps we could set up a sort of Social Security number NICS for employers, including cities.

It’s even worse than we think.

In June, Associated Press reported that a Milwaukee, WI, police officer had agreed to plead guilty to falsely claiming to be a US citizen for taking his dead cousin’s identity as a teenager, according to the US attorney’s office.

A plea agreement says prosecutors will recommend a sentence of six to 12 months for Oscar Ayala-Cornejo, 24. The maximum sentence is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Ayala-Cornejo also agreed to be deported after his prison sentence and resign from the Milwaukee police department, Assistant US Attorney Mel Johnson said.

Let me repeat the one statement in the report: Ayala-Cronejo agreed to be reported.

He was admittedly an illegal alien, admittedly masquerading as a relative who was an American citizen, but he had to agree to be deported. And he had to agree to resign from the police force.

Maybe that’s only some legal language that wraps up a variety of illegal acts, stolen identify, fraudulent employment, and illegal entry into the US, but it seems like more coddling by US authorities.

Ayala-Cornejo, who authorities said was not involved in any major cases, had been taken off the department’s payroll earlier in June. But why did someone in authority finally act and cause a problem for local and federal authorities.

Associated Press reported that in February, a US Department of Homeland Security agent received an anonymous call from someone reporting Ayala-Cornejo was an illegal immigrant but was using the identity of his dead cousin, the complaint said.

Investigators compared Ayala-Cornejo’s driver’s license to yearbook photos from two high schools he attended as two different identities, the complaint said. Relatives also admitted Ayala-Cornejo took the identity of Ayala-Cornejo’s cousin Jose Morales, who was born in Chicago about seven months before Ayala-Cornejo.

Ayala-Cornejo’s mother, Maria, told authorities her now-dead husband helped arrange the identity theft with relatives in Chicago. Jose Morales died of cancer, Morales’ brother, Jamie, told authorities. Jamie Morales said his father volunteered Jose’s identity when he died, the complaint said.

Came in 1992
Ayala-Cornejo moved from Mexico to the US around 1992, Johnson said. He started using Morales’ identity in 1999 when he changed high schools in Milwaukee, according to the complaint.

Johnson said Ayala-Cornejo could have gone through the administrative process, but instead took the illegal method.

“That was just perceived as the easy way to do it but it turned out to be a bad decision,” Johnson said.

No sentencing date has been set when this story broke.

Police said Ayala-Cornejo’s brother, Alexander Ayala, who is also a Milwaukee police officer but is a US citizen, has been assigned to administrative duty.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Jon Reddin said Ayala-Cornejo was involved in 23 cases since he’s been on the force; of those the defendant pleaded guilty, the charges were dismissed or Ayala-Cornejo wasn’t a crucial witness, Reddin said.

“He doesn’t appear to be a terribly active officer,” Reddin said. “We’re fortunate he wasn’t involved in any major cases.”