WTF IS GOING ON IN 4?

On Sunday morning around 4:30 am a member of the Chicago Fire Department's (OFI) was shot while investigating an arson at 80th place near Exchange in the 4th district.

The incident was the first time that a firefighter had been shot and wounded since about 1968, said Fire Commissioner Raymond Orozco. Paramedics have been shot at over the years, but department officials could not recall any being hit. Tribune

I hear that TRU was deployed to the 4th district, 5th district and 7th district. My question is, why wasn't the whole unit deployed to the 4th district in light of the attempt murder of a firemen? That place should have been put on lock down. However, the DOC rules the day, as does the lack of inititive, and the black BDUs were sent to their assigned level 2's.
Well at 10:00 pm on sunday less than a mile from where the firemen was shot.....

Three men were found shot to death late Sunday in what Chicago police said appeared to be a drug-related attack on the city's South Side.

The bodies of three adults were discovered at about 10 p.m. Sunday in the 7800 block of South Kingston Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood after police received a call about gunfire, Officer David Banks said. Their ages and identities were not immediately released.

"Right now, it's unclear if all three victims were shot inside that location," Banks said. "It appears one was found in the vestibule area of the residence and may have staggered out."

He said preliminary reports suggest that the slayings may have been drug-related.



The building where the bodies were found was less than a mile from where a Chicago Fire Department arson investigator was shot and wounded early Sunday morning as he inspected an alley where a Molotov cocktail had been tossed against a house.

The resident of that home lamented a recent rise of violence in the neighborhood, which she blamed on gang violence....Tribune

So since they can't stop killing each other in the 4th district, 5 cars from the 22nd district, including 2211, were detailed to 004. The residents of 22 should be up in arms over this.
Thanks to a south side sergeant for the heads up on this.
This also has ramifications for the residents of 16 when shit jumps off in 25 or 15.

KIND WORDS FROM A GRATEFUL FRIEND

I want to extend a “Thank You” to the excellent and heroic work done by the two tactical officers from the 5th District, and the one tactical officer from the 22nd District, last night at SXU in their attempts to save a young man from drowning in Lake Marion.

Officers, your actions were selfless, commendable, and heroic. Hold your heads high as you have nothing to be sorry about. Your actions made me and my two little boys proud to be the spouse/family of a CPD Officer. You tried your hardest to save that boys life, I know, I was there and saw you, and I commend you for going into that water and when so many others just sat and watched. My sons were so excited to tell their father when he woke up for work about seeing the police officers in the water when we got home last night.

After seeing the news last night and then reading the paper this morning, I realize that the reporters think it was members of the CFD who jumped in to save him and not the members of the CPD. I guess you guys in the CPD will never get a break from the media, especially if it is something that is commendable.

I just want to let you know that I, and my family, appreciated your efforts and we are thankful that you are out there for us. I am sure if people asked you, you would just say you are doing your job, but I know that was not the case. You did so much more then just your job. I only wish that the public could see and hear about all the fine work that the CPD Officers do, day in and day out, that receive so little fanfare or even a mention at all.


Thank you!


A wife & a friend of the CPD

OPEN POST FOR SCC

The Second City Cop site seems to be down and like Crimefile I too will hold an open post for SCC readers.

RECENT SHOOTINGS

In todays Tribune I read about the outrage by a certin group of "reverends" over recent encounters that our fellow officers have had with armed individuals.

Recent police shootings, coupled with rising violence in some neighborhoods, have added tension to the already frayed relations between community members and authorities this summer, a group of Chicago ministers said Monday.

Spurred by seven shootings by Chicago police in the last two weeks—four of them fatal—the group met Monday morning with the head of the Independent Police Review Authority to complain about the pace of police-shooting investigations.

It makes me sick that these people are given an outlet and we are forever put in a shadow of doubt. I often ask, why call us? Why do we bother? And then I was reminded of something written by Lt. Col. David Grossman (retired,US Army)

Warrior Ethos

One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another.
Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million.

Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep.

I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin's egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful. For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators.

"Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there that will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial.

"Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I'm a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf."


If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero's path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed.

Let me expand on this old soldier's excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, which is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids' schools.

But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid's school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep's only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial.

The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, cannot and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours.

Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn't tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa."

Until the wolf shows up! Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog.

The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door.

Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero?

Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous
battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones.

Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn't on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference.

There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population.

There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself.

Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I'm proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs.

Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let's roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one
hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- From sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground.

"Do you have any idea how hard it would be to live with yourself after that?"

"There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men." - Edmund Burke
Here is the point I like to emphasize; especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn't have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision.

If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior's path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door.

Thank You Lt.Col David Grossman.
Stay safe everyone and to hell with the wolves in sheep's clothing.

Leave it to the media. Relatives of the assholes who have recently been shot claim the police are "overzealous". Keep giving them an outlet.

Mayor Daley said he will wait to see what his Independent Police Review Authority has to say, before deciding if Chicago police officers are becoming too trigger-happy......WBBM 780

Nauseating!

ISRAELI APPROACH TO AIRPORT SECURITY

Excellent job by TSA

Israeli-Style Airport Security Coming to U.S.?

Security experts familiar with Israel’s behavior profiling system have long since criticized U.S. airport security for its approach. The lion’s share of TSA’s $4.9 billion annual budget is spent looking for bombs, not bombers. This is why TSA agents insist on confiscating your five-ounce bottle of shampoo at the security checkpoint and why Israeli agents will give you a steak knife once you’re in flight............read the whole story at Pajamasmedia.com

DC GUN BAN

D.C. Police to Check Drivers In Violence-Plagued Trinidad

D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier announced a military-style checkpoint yesterday to stop cars this weekend in a Northeast Washington neighborhood inundated by gun violence, saying it will help keep criminals out of the area.

Starting on Saturday, officers will check drivers' identification and ask whether they have a "legitimate purpose" to be in the Trinidad area, such as going to a doctor or church or visiting friends or relatives. If not, the drivers will be turned away.

The Neighborhood Safety Zone initiative is the latest crime-fighting attempt by Lanier and Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who have been under pressure from residents to stop a recent surge in violence. Last weekend was especially bloody, with seven slayings, including three in the Trinidad area.......
Washington Post

ST. SABINA

Fr.Pfleger may be no more. Cardinal George has asked him to take a sabatical and the parishioners of St. Sabina's are not happy. Why should they be? Fr. Pfleger has been there since 1981 despite church rules limiting a parish priest to 2 six year terms. It appears that Pflager has finally pushed it too far with his evangelistic style more suited for a store front Baptist Church than a Catholic parish. Good riddance!
Here's the punch line. Fr. William Vanecko, the priest selected to replace Pflager, is mayor Daley's cousin! The good father may be a victim of circumstance but is no place sacred from Daley's reach?

NEW VEHICLES...........

Wishful thinking but an article in Congressional Quarterly, Homeland security section, covers the subject of law enforcement specific vehicles.

“I still find it shocking that six years after 9/11 our country’s 800,000 women and men in uniform are patrolling our communities in a vehicle designed in the 1970s as a retail passenger car with some lights on it,” Li said, “and somehow the fire department has their own vehicles, the hospitals have their own ambulances, the military has a huge fleet of purpose-built vehicles. Jeez, your mailman and your garbage man have a special purpose-built vehicle". -William Santana Li, chairman and chief executive officer of Carbon Motors Corp

An interesting article while we still drive around in 175,000 mile Crown Vics.

GET A SIDE JOB

One P.O., from 25, was arrested on federal charges for insurance fraud. Read the entire story at the Tribune.
Work special, get a side job do something but don't compromise your integrity.

BLAME THE FIREMEN

From FOP Lodge 7:

PENSION PORTABILITY PROGRESS 06/02/08

The language for the Pension Portability issue that we have been working on for the past 6 years was attached as an amendment to SB2520 last Wednesday, May 28th and sent to the Rules Committee. On the 29th it was sent from Rules to Personnel and Pensions. On the 30th, Personnel and Pensions voted in favor of it unanimously. In the meantime three other amendments were added to the bill, the last being by Local 2, Chicago Firefighters which stalled the entire bill in being called up for a vote. By the time it did get called up it was at 2200 hours on the 31st and was voted in favor almost straight down party lines. This happens all too often in the last hours as nobody is playing well with each other and others who see the potential for a Pension Bill to move will jump on board often causing the legislation to sink. As I said it passed out at 2200 hours, unfortunately the Senate, which needed to concur on the “amendments,” had already adjourned for the session. So we are now in a position that requires the Senate to vote on concurrence before the bill can be sent to the Governor for his signature. This can happen if the Senate is called back in over the summer as is being discussed, or in the veto session in November. After all that was done to get the City, the Pension Board and members of the legislature to agree to our language, it is disappointing that our issue has failed to pass. Actions are under way to ensure its passage as soon as we can get it back into the Senate, but this delay should not have been allowed to happen.

Like little children....Me Too!

DEPARTMENT GOES TO GLOCK

The current class of recruits is now required to purchase and train with either the Glock 17 or 19, according to the Sun-Times.

Supt. Jody Weis made an argument for a uniform weapon in March, speaking at the Union League club.

Current sworn members will not be affected by any of the changes, and they will still be allowed to choose any gun they want from the approved manufacturers.

According to the article the officers primary weapon will be the Glock during their 18 month probation but it is unknown what their options will be after probation.