FOP PRESS RELEASE

Read Mark Donahue's press release concerning "No Confidence" vote on Jody Weis. FOP PDF

SOUTHSIDE IRISH PARADE

A heads up from a reader for those who intend on attending this years parade.

Sunday is the Southside Irish Parade. Oak Lawn and the Ill State Police will have a DUI checkpoint on 111th st between Pulaski and Cicero. The surrounding Suburbs (Evergreen Park, Alsip, Blue Island, and Oak Lawn will have will have approximately 50 to 70 Ill State Police working DUI enforcement in the area. I can not give exact numbers because I don't want this coming back to me. As we know many Officers and their families go to this event and indulge in a "POP" or two. People need to keep in mind that with the new changes in DUI laws, a refusal to blow is an automatic one year suspension. For the Police that means no-pay status for that year. This info is not being given out to help anyone who decides to drink and drive avoid a DUI, but rather to hopefully avoid a big mess for themselves, their family and the department. Please leave the car at home and avoid being headline news monday.

I have no way of confirming this but if the end results are less drunk drivers then BRAVO!

Last year I made it no secret that I have finally had enough of seeing drunks pissing on lawns, girls squatting in alleys and 16 year olds toting coolers of beer as if this was "their" right of passage. Granted the east side of Western is suppose to be for families, however the sights and smells of the west side of Western can still overwhelm. This parade was created years ago by local kids riding their bikes through the neighborhood and over the years it has degenerated to a public display of bad drunken behavior. 20 years ago this didn't bother me but then again I didn't have small children. No, this Irishmen and his children will not be partaking in this years festivities along Western Avenue.

I hope that all of you that do attend have a wonderful time and please be responsible.

BUSINESS AS USUAL

Mayor Richard Daley and his wife went to Singapore in 2006 on a private jet furnished by a student loan charity that provided funding for Maggie Daley's employer at the time.

According to CBS News, the Daleys were frequent passengers aboard the jet that belonged to EduCap, a Washington-based, not-for-profit loan group.

Federal tax records show that EduCap donates millions of dollars a year to the Academy of Achievement, a non-profit group that paid Maggie Daley $100,000 in 2006 and $50,000 in 2007. Tribune

That reminds me, I just received my Board Of Ethics 2009 Statement Of Financial Interest form in the mail. Go figure.

IPRA WEBSITE TO POST SHOOTINGS

Posting shooting investigation results moves the agency's actions even further into the public view, especially because cases that are not sustained against officers will be included, IPRA officials said. The reports also will be more detailed, including a summary of the incident, evidence and witnesses accounts.

Names will be withheld.

The first postings are expected to go up on IPRA's website as early as Thursday, IPRA officials said.

Sun-Times

US MILITARY IS NOT THE CAUSE OF AMMO SHORTAGE

An increase in the use of “patrol carbines” in law enforcement

Some agencies prefer to call them “patrol carbines”; others refer to them as “tactical rifles.” But whatever you call them, rifles based upon the AR-15 are becoming increasingly common as a weapon deployed to police officers outside of SWAT units, for some very logical reasons. AR-type rifles extend the range at which patrol officers can engage armed criminals, and because rifles have more practical accuracy than pistols, they can potentially reduce the number of shots fired to neutralize a suspect. Paired with the right kind of ammunition, the .223 Remington/5.56mm caliber rifle also has surprisingly less over-penetration, theoretically reducing threats to civilians who might be downrange. Each of these weapons will also require officers carrying them to fire hundreds of rounds in training each year, and in a city that rotates rifles from one shift to another among their patrol units, this can necessitate tens of thousands of rounds of training ammunition.
The whole article via Pajamas Media............

GO RICK

EXCELLENT

Great job from the guys over at Second City Cop.

VIDEO

The IPRA is investigating the alleged abuse of a non-fare paying CTA customer, in other words a thief. When the thief refused to pay the posted fare that all customers must pay the driver asked him to leave the bus. Now asshole is a trespasser, she then calls for the police. The responding officer sternly orders the offender off the bus and the offender begins to slur (appears intoxicated) that he paid. Officer tells him that he isn't going to argue with him and continues to order him off the bus. The officer attempts to reason with the man by telling him they could talk about it after he gets off the bus and that the man may be able to catch the next one. Nope this doesn't work and the officer relies on his presence and verbal commands. The officer raised his voice and used profanity, this prompted the man to get up. The problem is that from the distance of the camera and its angle one can not know if the man made any threatening gestures towards the officer. The officer then used control tactic to place the man in custody. That is how I saw it having been in the same situation myself. The bottom line is that the subject in question had committed at least two criminal acts and that the actions of the officer were reasonable. However, in the age of political correctness some "candy ass" liberal is going to second guess that officer because he was offended and because this little coward post it on YouTube some copper is going to have to pay a price. I'm sure this officer will be hung out to dry and when he is I will do all I can to ensure that everyone knows about this.
He did his job.
VIDEO

OFFICERS INJURED IN CRASH

FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS
Two Chicago Police officers and two others were injured Monday night when a squad car and another vehicle collided as the officers responded to a shooting on the Northwest Side.

About 11:20 p.m., a Chicago Police Department vehicle responding to a call was struck by a civilian vehicle at the intersection of West Belmont and North Kilbourne avenues, police News Affairs said.

...... more

NYPD COUNTERTERRORISM

NYPD reloads after Mumbai with training program

By TOM HAYS
Associated Press Writer

The nation's largest police department launched a counterterrorism initiative this month to train a new team of officers with semiautomatic rifles loaded with armor-piercing bullets. The officers also are being trained in tactics for close quarters combat and rescuing hostages in hotels and other high-rise buildings.

more

BAD RULING

From FOP Lodge 7

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009

ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT RULING 02/05/09

The Supreme Court of Illinois has denied the Lodge’s petition for leave to appeal the case of People v. Carey. As has already been reported, the Appellate Court ruled that the use of an administrative breathalyzer examination at a criminal proceeding is permissible. The Lodge filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking an opportunity to argue our position. The Supreme Court denied our request. Accordingly, the ruling of the Appellate Court remains in effect. Evidence obtained by IAD, whether for a criminal case or an administrative case, will be admitted into evidence at any subsequent criminal proceeding, as long as the recovery of the evidence does not violate the exclusionary rule. To be clear, the fact that evidence was obtained administratively does not in and of itself violate the exclusionary rule and will be admitted into evidence. The Lodge will continue to monitor what it believes was an incorrect ruling by the Appellate Court and will inform the membership of any new developments.

It is the right of a law enforcement officer to be free from compulsory self-incrimination. The basic thrust of the Garrity Rule is that a department member may be compelled to give statements under threat of discipline or discharge but those statements may not be used in the criminal prosecution of the individual officer. The courts have held that choosing to work in a police department does not give a person a “watered-down” version of their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Apparently a citizen has the right to refuse to submit to a breathalyser and a police officer is not afforded the same protection. In essence evidence is gathered from the officer because he is compelled to incriminate himself while under duress.
How is this not a violation of Garrity?
This is in no way an endorcement of drinking and driving.

RIP

John Jay Risley 1953-2009

God Bless you boss.

You will be missed.

Thoughts and prayers to the Risley family.

ARRANGEMENTS:
Visitation Friday 1 to 9 p.m. at Dalcamo Funeral Home, 470 W. 26th St.
Funeral Saturday 8:45 a.m. from the Dalcamo Funeral Home to All Saints-St. Anthony Church. Mass 9:30 a.m.
Interment Resurrection Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Chicago Police Memorial Fund would be appreciated.

JAMMING

I spotted this article at the Washington Post via Pajamas Media.Com. The article is about the use of equipment by federal agencies to jam wireless devices and the desire to allow local law enforcement the same abilities.

It is an increasingly common technology, with federal agencies expanding its use as state and local agencies are pushing for permission to do the same. Police and others say it could stop terrorists from coordinating during an attack, prevent suspects from erasing evidence on wireless devices, simplify arrests and keep inmates from using contraband phones.

But jamming remains strictly illegal for state and local agencies. Federal officials barely acknowledge that they use it inside the United States, and the few federal agencies that can jam signals usually must seek a legal waiver first.

The critics would rather that law enforcement find non disruptive techniques to obtain the desired results rather than disrupt Joe Citizens phone call.

"When lives are at stake, law enforcement needs to find ways to disrupt cellphones and other communications in a pinpointed way against terrorists who are using them," New York City Police Commissioner Raymond F. Kelly told a Senate panel Jan. 8. He also cited the Mumbai terrorist attacks, when hostage-takers used media spotters and satellite and mobile phones to help them outmaneuver police at hotels, train stations and other targets.

Occasionally suicide bombers have second thoughts and decide that they aren't really ready for "martyrdom,” unfortunately, a handler will step in and activate the explosives wirelessly.

14 YEAR OLD DETAILED TO 003

What can I say that hasn't already been said over at SCC? At last glance the original post was at 469 comments. That's a lot of opinions, some are sarcastic and some are right on, while others are just plain hilarious. In the end its an embarrassment for the second largest police department in the United States. The officer that rode with the habitual impostor will be second guessed from top to bottom. She is definitely the easy target but lets not forget that the desk called her in to work with him. Will the sergeant who had the traffic car on his log be crucified? Where does the watch commander on 2nd watch fit in all this? What does this say about the quality of recruits that the academy has been producing when this kid can't even raise suspicion because he is no worse than past recruits sent to 3. Better yet how about the culture of our department that allows people to freely flow in and out of the station to conduct all sorts of business from bust out shoe shiners to Streets and San workers to swipe out. Security is nonexistent. In the suburbs 4 inches of bullet proof glass and key cards separate the police from the citizens but not here in Chicago.
There will definitely be a knee jerk reaction to this incident. I am not even going to guess on the discipline, if any, that will be taken. I only hope that a lone patrolmen and or a street level supervisor (sergeant) not be made the scapegoat in what can only be described as a monumentally embarrassing lapse in security.
Back in 1968 they chanted "The whole world is watching", and now in 2009 the whole world media from Australia, Germany. UK, Canada, Ireland and the rest of the US are reporting on this story. Does this put into question our ability to have a safe and secure Olympics? The 3rd District will never live this down.

By the way, this story made the Drudge Report, with its nearly 18 million hits a day.

GUEST POST

A letter from a reader

Hey SCS,
We all know that the state of policing in this city/country is bleak and deteriorating fast, but I’ve been bothered by several observations lately. The police on the ghetto streets are unprepared. I’m not sure who to blame for that - my list of suspects is long. Regardless, these young guys and girls need to step up their game. Too many times have I seen officers taking a load of shit from street trash that have no business handing it out. I’m not saying they should kick ass every time. Obviously those days have long since passed. However, we have books filled with remedies for just such situations. All it takes is a little time, a little typing and a little thought. Lock these people up! It is critical now, more than ever, to hold our ground.
This is a simple fact that has been true forever and bears repeating: if he gets away with m-fing you and your partner then he will surely up his attack with the next coppers he encounters. If he runs from you and is caught and set free because he ditched some unknown contraband, he has won. He will run every time, there has been no consequence. If he shoves you out of the way in order to run, come on. That’s an easy one. If he threatens to beef or sue and is subsequently let go, then whatever your reasoning was for not making the arrest, he will think it’s because he scared you with his threats. You’ve got good intentions, we know, but you are doing a disservice to the rest of us.
If you need to make a ‘pimpy’ arrest, so be it. These blogs can be our worst enemy. No one wants to be called ‘the hair-gel police’ or ‘the two-year wonder’ or ‘the pissing/drinking/crack-pipe police’. There are a lot of heroes sitting behind their keyboards making it sound like the only arrests that should be made are the ones that result in a prison sentence. Not so. Sometimes you just need to house ‘em for a little while to prove a point. You have a great power. Restrict their freedom for just a little while and you remind them of that. Take their shit when you have the authority to do so. You don’t need to be heavy-handed or use ‘creative writing’ or to use any other measure that would compromise your integrity or your job. Use what is at your disposal. You should be hard pressed to drive by any vehicle traveling in the ghetto, any person standing on a corner or any group of thugs walking down the street and be unable to find a handful of laws being broken or ordinances being violated. If during an encounter with them, they seem to be begging you to set them straight, by all means, comply.
Obviously this doesn’t just apply to street trash. Perfect point is the Alderwoman that attempted to bully the coppers on the north side. Sounds to me like she pushed, and thankfully, they pushed back. It needs to be done. We cannot send the message that we lose. Ever.
So thanks for allowing me to ramble. I just wonder where are the supervisors sending these officers out on the streets every day. Why aren’t they insisting on smarter police work from their officers? These coppers are smart, brave and professional and I personally expect a lot from them. What I don’t expect from them is that they become punching bags for anyone. That includes the mutts on the street, business owners or politicians, ASAs or even other cops or supervisors. Come on guys, stand up for your people and remind them that it’s ok to be the police. That they can be ‘modern’ police and still be effective. If you can’t guide them or advise them when they need it then maybe you need a little reminder of your mission, too.
And before anyone begins with the litany of criticisms, no, I’m not a company guy. I could give a rats ass about Jody or the mayor or anyone else that far out of my loop. It’s not about making numbers to make someone look good. It’s about holding our ground and doing our part to send the message that the police will not be stepped on or around. It’s about trying to keep a few coppers from getting their asses kicked or worse.

I couldn't agree with you more sarge.

If you have a topic you wish to be posted please drop me a line at cpdsarge@gmail.com

MORE GOOD MONEY WASTED

City OKs $2.25M to home invader's kin

by Fran Spielman

SunTimes

Ald. Bernard Stone (50th) voted against the settlement, declaring, “I cannot see giving taxpayer money to the family of a home invader. It encourages lawlessness.”

Are you kidding me? Alderman that cats been out of the bag for some time now. Law firms like Loevy and Loevy boast on their website that they have earned "$80 million in jury verdicts for our clients". A great deal of that money coming from settlements with the City of Chicago.
These "civil rights" attorneys hold press conferences and make statements that distort the facts of the case. They minimize their clients intent or even disregard it entirely. They grandstand and are given a public forum to do so via the mainstream Chicago media. The public never hears the side of the involved officer. All the public hears is the tragic outcome.

Attorney Don Shapiro, who represents the Salazar family, has called $2.25 million a “great settlement” for Chicago taxpayers.

“They were tucking tail, running away as fast as they could. There was no reason to shoot and kill this young boy. Police officers are supposed to arrest people. They’re not supposed to be judge, jury and executioner,” he said last month.

Here are the facts. The "boy" was only 14 but he was accompanied with his 26 year old accomplice. They were armed with a pellet gun, wore yellow ponchos and their faces were covered with a mask. These two misguided youths knocked on the door of an off duty policeman's parents house. They forced their way into the house and the officer's elderly mother began screaming that they have a gun. The off duty P.O. was in the basement and gave chase and fired his weapon striking both the offender and his own father.
720 ILCS 5/7‑5{a}.....he is justified in using force likely to cause death or great bodily harm only when he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or such other person, or when he reasonably believes both that:
(1) Such force is necessary to prevent the arrest from being defeated by resistance or escape; and
(2) The person to be arrested has committed or attempted a forcible felony which involves the infliction or threatened infliction of great bodily harm or is attempting to escape by use of a deadly weapon, or otherwise indicates that he will endanger human life or inflict great bodily harm unless arrested without delay.

The officer had every reason to believe that the two home invaders had committed a forcible felony which involved the infliction or threatened infliction of great bodily harm and that their escape would further endanger human life. My question for Mr. Shapiro would be, what if Juan Salazar was running from the officer and made good his escape by entering your home? Oh that's right, it was only a pellet gun.
Can you tell the difference in a split second?

SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT "update"

I received an email from one of my readers that I would like to share with you.

Dear SCS,
I think that maybe you should let the rest of your readers in on the nonsense that is going on in the comments of an old post. I stumbled across it by accident, looking for some old information. I doubt very much that any other readers will see it and I think they ought to. I’m sure that many of our colleagues, as well as other right thinking people may have something to say about this. Even if not, I think it’s worth sharing.
Brief description of what’s going on: On November 12th you posted about a murder victim’s mother and her reaction to the subsequent murder of her son’s killer. You titled it, very appropriately if you ask me, SHE HAS EVERY RIGHT. At the time of the post, there were very few comments, certainly nothing surprising. Then, on December 30th there appears some off-the-wall comment that has led to a little back and forth amongst SCS, this constant reader and a couple of morons that obviously support gangster life (and death). I just thought you might consider reprinting it and exposing these fools as what they are. (I have yet another response to the latest comments posted by these silly bitches, it is forthcoming).
Just a suggestion. Thanks

I agree with you and if anyone has not seen this post you can read it here.

PB&PA

Via PB&PA website:

Update: 04 January 2009
Previously we had presented a counter proposal to the City addressing the below captioned points. On 18 December 2008 we were scheduled to meet with the City’s negotiating team to discuss these issues. Shortly before this meeting the City notified our attorneys that they were still reviewing our counter proposal and requested additional time to respond. Since the City did not flat out reject our proposal we felt this was a reasonable request and a positive step in moving these contract negotiations forward.

Issues addressed in our counter proposal.

5 year contract
Inadequate wage & benefit package.
No increase in Watch Bids within District Law Enforcement (currently 5 per watch)
Changes to section 8.4 of the current contract.
Maintain sustained C.R. numbers for the entire career of the officer.
Inclusion of on-duty random alcohol testing
Mandatory alcohol and drug testing for any off-duty incident involving the discharge of a firearm.
Audio recording of all statements given by officers to I.P.R.A. and I.A.D.
We expect the next contract negotiating session will be in late January, but as of yet have not set a date due to scheduling conflicts on both sides. It is our intention, as well as the City’s to keep these negotiating sessions moving forward.

Since we already had scheduled a meeting with the City for 18 Dec 08, we suggested that we utilize the time to discuss the status of establishing a retirement health savings plan or VEBA (Voluntary Employee Benefit Association). This plan, if approved by the membership would allow for members to contribute pre-tax dollars to a health savings account to be utilized for health related costs during retirement. These plans have strict IRS guidelines which dictate how any plan is designed. The City is in the process of reviewing vendors and proposals for establishing a plan. Once we have the final proposal we will disseminate the information to our members for their review and approval. No plan will be agreed to or implemented until our members have had time to review it and vote on it.

Sincerely,

John Pallohusky
President
Chicago Police Sergeants’ Association

CREDIT UNION THEFTS

SCC warned of this a awhile back.

8 arrested in ring targeting police credit unions
Read in Breaking News at Tribune

OFFICERS INJURED

Breaking news from Tribune:

A Chicago police officer suffered injuries to his face while trying to break up a fight tonight between suspected gang members in an alley near a South Side funeral home.
The police officer responded at 7:28 p.m. to a call of a fight near the funeral home in the 600 block of West 37th Street (map), Officer John Mirabelli said. When the officer approached the people who were fighting, he was hit in the face.

Other officers were called to the scene, Mirabelli said.

When the man who police believe hit the officer was arrested, he kicked out the windows of the squad car, Mirabelli said.

The crowd, who police said were suspected gang members, became furious when the man was arrested and attacked the police with bottles and their fists, Mirabelli said. Police said the people had attended services at a nearby funeral home, he said.

The officer was taken to a local hospital to be treated. The severity of the officer's injuries is not clear, Mirabelli said. Two other officers also were injured, but not seriously, he said.

What a shock that there would be "civil" unrest at a gang banger funeral.