SO DISAPPOINTING

A few days back Annie Sweeney of the Sun-Times wrote an article about TRU passing out gifts in the 5th district on Christmas Eve. The article was positive for the most part but couldn't be written without the obligatory mention of recent scandals plaguing the CPD. I have a few friends in TRU and asked one of them about the gift give away in 5. He told me that the unit had a toy drive and three groups were designated recipients, La Rabida, Gold Star Families and a women's shelter. This Sgt also told me that 300 gifts were needed and that there was an excess of toys that were received. It was later decided on Christmas Eve that when the cars were deployed to the various level two DOCs each car could take a few gifts out and pass them out to some local kids.
How did Annie Sweeney come to know about this story and be present when it occurred? My source claims that the WC told the Commander who then told the Deputy and someone up there called media affairs. Obviously someone up high saw this as an opportunity to shed a better light on a department that gets shit on on a regular basis. Its called public relations and it happens all the time. Someone told the press that our "heroes" aka CFD were passing out presents at La Rabida. Either the hospital or the Fire Department made that call and positive press was created. The bottom line is that the intentions were genuine and the members of that unit who participated came through for the intended recipients and some additional kids in the hood. Find some fault in that!

I had no intention of posting on the issue until seeing SCC's take on it.
SCC's post of 27 DEC "Feel Good Story" was about Annie Sweeney's story on TRU. SCC ended their post with

And the chosen subject of this feel good story? TRU. Is there anything these people can't do?

I wasn't absolutely sure if the above comment was a compliment or sarcasm but since SCC prides itself on "sarcasm and silliness" I leaned toward sarcasm. That's all and good but TRU is favorite target of many readers of SCC. Sarcasm and humor from the moderator is fine but the ensuing comments that resulted degenerated into impetuous backbiting. Like the targets before them TRU seems to take a beating at every turn. I do not have a horse in this race but I was deeply disappointed at what I read.
It seems that the post "Feel Good Story" got legs and spawned yet another post called SCC Comments where SCC defended the fact that its their blog and they will print what they see fit. Fair enough. SCC seems to take issue with a comment by Bill Schield Sgt TRU. It appears that this TRU Sgt took issue with SCC's sarcasm and the follow up comments made about TRU. My first thought was good for him he had the balls to stand up and post his name and then immediately my second thought was the shit he is going to catch from a whole bunch of anonymous tough guys. What if the comment was made by someone else claiming to be Sgt Bill Schield TRU. Either way they would shit all over him.
As of the writing of this post 137 comments were submitted on the "Feel Good Story" and 168 comments were submitted on the "SCC Comments". That's 305 comments about one group of police officers. Anecdotally I would say the negative comments were 10-1 against the guys and gals in TRU. That in of itself is so disappointing. I'm not disappointed that the comments were valid but that most were hypocritical and uninformed for the most part. You see as a sgt in a working district I dealt with TRU many times. As a sector sgt I can't turn a corner in the DOC without seeing flashing blue lights and multiple heads on the hood. I stop and they give me a thanks and a wave off. I drive by them on the street and for the most part I get a wave from one or both of the occupants. On a few occasions I would work the desk and for the most part the folks from TRU would bring in arrest and inventories that are no different then that of our gang/tact teams. The only difference is they wouldn't be bringing in the trespassers or loose cigarette hustlers. I rarely hear any grief from the guys on the watch about TRU being in the district except for the fact the the lock box keys seem to disappear when they are here. They bring their own wagon for transports they have their own supervisors for TRR's,IOD's and pursuits. I have on occasion been assigned a CR that I discover to be theirs. Big deal! I do a To-From and request it be reassigned to TRU. From what I hear they don't have too many problems in the south side districts but are treated less then poorly on the west side in particular in 11 and 15.
Schield claims there is nothing TRU can't do after SCC sarcastically questioned if there was anything that they couldn't do. Well I'm in no position to say they can or can't but SCC points out three things that TRU can't do

eat lunch without congregating

process a one bag dope arrest with less than 3 cars

take a joke

There isn't a gang or tact team that the first two criticisms don't apply to. As far as not taking a joke, there are nearly three hundred comments that go way beyond humor.
I am not an apologist for TRU and if you go back in the archives I have advocated the return of manpower to the districts. I am just tired of the same old beat downs that certain groups in this department take from the snide bitchy old ladies who share their lackluster opinions on a blog that at times can be absolutely brilliant.
That is just my opinion.