INFO FOR SERGEANTS

Special General Membership Meeting
17 December, 2009, at 1800 hours

On 22 November, 2009, the Board of Directors of the Chicago Police Sergeant’s Association held a special meeting to discuss recent events effecting the organization. At the meeting the board took the following action:

•The Board accepted the resignation of John Pallohusky effective immediately.
•The Board accepted the resignation of Mary O’Toole effective immediately.
•Vice President Robert Kirchner has assumed the office of President immediately.
•Sgt John Stahl from the Inspection Division, who worked as an accountant before joining the Police Department, was appointed as Treasurer.
The Board also wants to inform its members that the association is well funded, including the legal defense and PAC fund.

Contract negotiations between the organization and the city are continuing, and the union offices are open and continuing to operate.

The Board has an annual financial Report prepared but in addition has decided to have an independent audit conducted of the organization’s accounts. However, at this time, all of our financial records have been turned over to the State’s Attorney’s Office.

As further information becomes available, the Board will share this information with the members.

John Pallohusky has retained his own attorney to represent him in this matter. Attorneys who work for the organization are not defending John Pallohusky.

The Board has announced that there will be a special general membership meeting held on 17 December, 2009, at 1800 hours to review these matters.

Robert Kirchner
President

BAD WEEK

Dear Readers,
From time to time I go out of town with my family. This past week I went out of town with my son on a hunting trip. With that being said, I wasn't unable to create a post about news involving the CPSA, as a matter of fact I didn't even hear about it until Sunday evening. Had I been aware of this incident and access to a computer I certainly would have commented.
Thank you to those of you who understand that this is only a hobby and all other aspects of my life take priority.

WOW

We are all aware of the stance Dick Daley has on gun control. Chicago possess some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Chicago also possess some of highest rates of murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and armed robberies. Despite the cities prohibition on gun ownership, criminals still manage to ply their trade. Whenever a school violence incident occurs somewhere in the country Daley always manages to use the incident to further his demand for even stricter gun control.

Last week at Ft. Hood, Texas, Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, a muslim, decided to bring jihad to his fellow soldiers. Hasan was armed and entered the Soldier Readiness Center, shouted "Allahu Akbar!" and began shooting, two police officers engaged Hasan and put an end to his murder spree. 13 were dead and 30 wounded. Hasan survived his injuries.

Dick felt a need to interject his opinion on the terror incident at Ft. Hood.

If this wasn't such a dreadfully serious matter, it would almost be funny watching Democrats insist that there’s no elephant in the bathtub. Perhaps the most bizarre of these claims is that of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who insists that the core problem behind Fort Hood is that “America loves guns.”

And the idiot keeps getting elected.

If Mayor Daley wants to argue about the inner city gang violence problem, let’s have a serious discussion about why liberal-controlled cities have become cesspools of violence, while many other parts of America have few gun control laws — and little violent crime. Pretending that the Fort Hood massacre wasn’t a terrorist attack — and more outrageously, pretending that the Fort Hood massacre is typical of civilian gun crime — is dishonest pandering to both the multicultural crowd and the rapidly shrinking gun control movement.

via PJM

JARED STANKER

On October 27th young Jared Stanker of Evergreen Park, Il was killed in Arghandab Valley, Afghanistan while serving with the 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.
Jared attended Brother Rice High School and was a parishioner of Queen Of Martyrs Catholic Church. An email campaign began in the neighborhood a few days ago calling on all of us to support the Stanker family by attending Jared's funeral on Saturday. I am confident that the good people of the southwest side will be there to honor Jared and show their support and gratitude to his family.

The procession rode north on Pulaski Road in front of Brother Rice High School. The quiet was only broken by the faint hum of a TV helicopter overhead.

The procession then went east on 99th Street and south on Central Park Avenue to the funeral home.

The 1,450 girls who attend Mother McAuley High School, next door to Brother Rice, also stood quietly, holding flags.

The same held true at Southwest Elementary, which Stanker attended.

There, the 335 students were dressed in red, white and blue, Principal Denise Thomas said.

Finally, at Queen of Martyrs School, the 446 students stood in silence along Central Park Avenue.

Southtown Star

FT. HOOD

Huffington Post

Thoughts and prayers to the victims of the senseless murders at Ft. Hood Texas.

SECOND CITY COP MOUNTS CAMPAIGN TO CUT ALDERMEN IN HALF

SCC has begun a campaign to reduce the amount of aldermen in Chicago from 50 to 25. This campaign is on the heels of Ald Ed Smith's call for police and firemen to take pay cuts.
See the CBS2 story in response to SCC's call.

Many interesting suggestions in the comments at SCC, i.e. term limits and special elections for aldermanic vacancies. Keep up the good work SCC and as always you can count on this site for support.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Thoughts and prayers for the tragic accidental death of Officer Eric Berger.

An off-duty veteran Chicago Police officer was killed in a rollover crash on the Kennedy Expressway early Monday on the Northwest Side.

Eric Berger, a 17-year veteran of the force assigned to the Albany Park District on the Northwest Side, was pronounced dead at 4:42 a.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

NBC5

PENSION NEWS

Special Pension Seminar
10 AM October 15, 2009
Academy 1300 W. Jackson (2nd Floor)
*Special Guest Speaker Jim McNamee from IPPFA (Illinois Public Pension Fund Association)
Pension trustees and staff will be giving presentations on-
• Investments
• Retiree Healthcare
• Korshak Decision
• And other pension topics
Q&A session will follow the presentations to address any questions concerning the pension.

NO OLYMPICS

The quick loss represents an embarrassment of international and local dimensions for a mayor who has dominated the city landscape and is used to getting what he wants.

Clout Street

SGTS SAY NO

By a 92 percent vote, Chicago Police sergeants are refusing to swallow a new five-year contract that could have freezed their pay through 2012 and mandated physical fitness requirement tied to new promotions.

John Pallohusky, president of the Chicago Police Sergeants Association, said the vote counted today was 926-to-84 after the Daley administration attempted to play hardball.

In exchange for allowing sergeants to retire at age 55 with premium health benefits, the city demanded that sergeants agree to a pay freeze that would only thaw if an independent arbitrator awarded a pay raise to the Fraternal Order of Police.

Sun Times

Most captains and approximately half the lieutenants would be eligible to retire at 55 during the next three years. I would have to believe that was the driving motivation behind their vote to accept the cities ultimatum. Sergeants on the other hand had a couple hundred eligible and only 84 voted to accept. I think we are no worse off by rejecting this offer.

THIS IS WHY WE WAIT FOR BACKUP

Complaints have come in that there was a police car at the end of the block when the Fenger incident occurred. Over at Second City Cop they are covering that allegation on a post.
As SCC points out, "And a single 10-99 unit isn't going to stop a riot, or many "mini-melees" which is what we see on the tape. All you can do is call for back up and wait for the cavalry to fly in."
The officer in Missouri is lucky bigger people and more of them didn't get at him before his back up arrived.
Thanks Fox News Network for showing what most media won't.

SGTS REJECT CONTRACT OFFER

Not official but I received word that of 1010 ballots counted 928 were against.

UPDATE: It is now official we overwhelmingly rejected that horrible ultimatum.

WHY LIBERALS HATE FOX

Michelle Malkin brings to light the corruption that is Chicago and why Obama needed to go to Copenhagen.

OBAMA BEHOLDEN TO DALEY

John Kass hits another home run with his latest on the Olympic bid.

If you think Chicago's Olympic push is about sports, you're mistaken. Sports has nothing to do with this. It's like in the old movie, with Michael Corleone telling truths to his future wife, saying, "Now who's being naive, Kay?"

Read the whole Kass piece here.

TIME DUE DENIED/ INFO FOR THE POLICE

FOP has a survey on it's site and it wants members to fill out and keep detailed accounts of denials. Click here for survey link.

WGN COVERS THE ANTI BID

 

Daley himself was the issue for many of the protesters.

Robert Johnson, 57, of Chicago, held a life-sized stick figure of the mayor with an orange prison jumpsuit. "I worry that the Games are going to lead to corruption on steroids," he said.

Read the whole thing at Breaking News

Fox News Channel is covering this story from different angles.
Glen Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren had the Chicago Olympic bid as stories in relation to Chicago corruption, violence in the city and Obama now going to Copenhagen.

BACK ONLINE

For the last 3 or 4 days I had an Internet problem that has been resolved.....Thank You for your patience

I'M VOTING NO

Yes sir, I'm voting no. My initial reaction to the city's offer was absolutely not! Nothing that I have read here has even remotely swayed me to side with the yes vote.
Lets be honest here, the city hasn't made us an offer, they have given us an ultimatum.
They are offering a select group of members a benefit that they themselves have claimed would be a money saver for the city.

The city of Chicago and the Fraternal Order of Police have agreed on a change that will allow officers to retire five years earlier with full medical benefits--providing millions of dollars in savings to the city during the current budget crisis, officials said.

Chicagobreakingnews.com July 22, 2009
However, it is incumbent upon us to accept a contract with an offer of, no raise, a fitness test to be promoted to sergeant and alcohol testing on and off duty with levels far below federal standards.
We have been without a contract for 2+ years and this is what the city deems their best offer.
A small portion of our membership would benefit from the retire at 55 and no medical cost. What about the rest of us? This is not a contractual benefit and therefore no guarantee that after 3 years it would even exist.
We have a "me too clause" with or without this contract. An arbiter may award us more than the FOP and he may not. He may agree that the fitness test is not unreasonable and may agree that it is. He may allow for random alcohol testing and he may not. He may also deem that the city has not negotiated in good faith and award us what we asked for and then again he may not.
Like most of you I have a few more than 3 years to go and I'll take my chances that arbitration and "me too" will garner us much better than what we have been offered.

BALLOTS HAVE ARRIVED

17 September 09
The ballots have been mailed out for active sergeants to cast their vote to accept or reject the City’s proposed 01 July 2007 through 30 June 2012 Contract. The ballots were mailed to each sergeant’s residence. If you do not receive your ballot within the next few days, please contact the C.P.S.A. office to have a ballot sent out to you. You may also arrange to come to the C.P.S.A. office and cast your ballot in person.

Ballots must be returned to the C.P.S.A. office by 30 September 09. The ballots will be counted on 01 October 09.

The C.P.S.A. Board is recommending that you vote NO and REJECT the City’s contract proposal.

NEVER FORGET