CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

A man who was once one of the most notorious jewel thieves in the U.S. has cleaned up his act enough to become an honorary police officer—the first ex-con in the country to receive the honor. Larry Lawton spent 11 years in a federal prison after being convicted of racketeering. The grim experience of being in jail led him to change his life, and since his release in 2007 he has become a motivational speaker discouraging young people from turning to crime. Lawton, 52, was sworn into the Lake St. Louis, Mo., police department this week.