Wednesday, November 16, 2005

An Open Letter to Mark Brown

Mark Brown, Sun-Times columnist, has contacted us via e-mail. He had a question regarding contact cards being filled out on fishermen by the Marine Unit. We thought we'd respond via the blog and open it up to discussion.

Dear Mr. Brown,

Thank you for your letter of 16 November. Sorry about the delay in getting back to you, but family and work obligations limit the time we spend here. As a rule, we don't answer e-mail as there are too many ways to identify it's origins and we're too cynical to believe we'd get a fair shake from the powers that be. We do read EVERYTHING we get though. We'd like to respond to your letter in reverse order.

Firstly, as you pointed out, we are a wee bit rough on Ms. Speilman and Mr. Main, but we feel with good reason. Too often, their articles are blatantly pro-administration and anti-police. Seldom, if ever, do they seek out alternative info from non-administration sources. That's not reporting - that's cheerleading. As Republicans, we are believers in the "liberal bent" of the media and inherently distrustful of them as most police are. We are however, great admirers of Warmbir's and Novak's "Hired Truck" series, and have even linked to your colleagues when they write about the Department screwing up. Believe it or not, we don't consider you overtly liberal; you may have a liberal bent (your words) but we've never thought of it that way, so maybe you're more middle of the road than you believe. Frank and Fran are convenient foils for us.

As to your question regarding contact cards being merely "make work" for the Marine Unit in order to gin up numbers, we doubt it, but we'd need more info to make an educated guess. We mean, how many fishermen are on the lakefront? A few dozen? A hundred? Are they fishing near the Filtration plant? - terror alert patrols are intensified. Are they fishing during the posted hours or not? - revenue from fines cover the $100 million dollar gap in the budget. Are they warming themselves with open fires or perhaps a little "pick-me-up"? - alcohol and fire restrictions on Park District property are among the most ignored of all city laws. It could be that the Marine Unit was a little casual in the past and the new Commanding Officer is doing a little "shake out" cruise. Part of their duties are undoubtedly checking licenses and such, not just for boats, but fishermen. It's not just the Conservation Department nowadays.

If the Department wants generated numbers, it's so much easier to deploy the Targeted Response Unit or a few gang and tactical teams to "hot spots" to get cards. In fact, it has been bandied about on this site for a few months that regular beat cars from "low crime" areas are being deployed to "hot spots" in other districts far away from where they should be. The Department denies there is a manpower shortage, but this past weekend, they began hiring back officers at time and a half to work their days off. We'd appreciate your looking into that - contact the FOP via the link on the right hand toolbar. We'd recommend a phone call to President Donahue himself. If nothing else, citizens should know that they're being deceived as to the police coverage they are paying for. If you do, please mention that you are in contact with us and read our blog occasionally.

Hope to hear from (or read) you soon,
SCC

NOTE TO EVERYONE ELSE (and Mark Brown if he's still reading): We post the standard disclaimer that as an open public board, we can't prove that any poster is from Illinois, let alone a police officer. We've solicited readers to contact the media on behalf of certain issues and (obviously) you've complied. We again ask you to watch your choice of language and words - it reflects on all of us. Keep it clean.

76 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I work on a tac team within area#1 won't comment on dist because of (retribution)Just go to a DOC meeting on any friday.The area chief and his house-mice scrutinize and number crunch!!!! Afterwards there is embarrassment,call it accountability "no" more like a power struggle amougst the brass.
These commanders and captains aren't going anywhere! (clout heavy)So what happens "quotas" or the correct term we have an index! shortage. Commander whispers sweet nothings and there you have it, a contact card CAR for the night, no arrests. Captains go to Management personnel on their nice beat cars, and you have more contact cards and "hot spot" dispersials, yes beat cars calling for gang and narcotic dispersials. It's smoke and mirrors.
Maybe the marine unit is attempting to prevent a drive by shooting. Sometimes they rather have paper floating around then a physical arrest.
Why all these unsolved agg. batteries with firearms, gang related? We have plenty of gang intelligance officers, oh forgot no arrests just "gang conflict" reports and contact cards.
Someone look into it! no follow up arrests ever made by gang intelligence! "WHY"
so the answer to the contact cards "quota".... but please don't tell.

11/16/2005 11:23:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Contact cards are for the purpose of an interview regarding suspicious activity. and all that Terry stop stuff.

Not solely just because.

What about "CAPS" walk and talk?

11/17/2005 12:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You know what cracks me up is all these units making dispersals but no one ever gets locked up, ever. I never see any case/arrest reports in the basket for arrests either.

11/17/2005 12:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What was Mr. Brown's question? I'm assuming it was simply why are contact cards being done on stops of fisherman on the lakefront - but was there something more to his inquisitive mind?

11/17/2005 12:23:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can you post the email from Mark Brown so we understand what you were responding to?

11/17/2005 12:25:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Considering that the lakefront is such a vulerable and open area to the threat of terrorism, I hope the Marine Unit is doing a contact card on every person fishing (or should I say "fishing"?) on the lakefront. The terrorists who hijacked the planes on 9/11 didn't just decide that day that they would take over those planes. They did their homework. They tested airport personnel long before 9/11 as to what kinds of weapons could be concealed and brought onboard. Do you really think that Osama's band of merry men would prepare less for an attack on ourlakefront?

11/17/2005 12:35:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

While traveling through the suburbs have you ever seen Police Officers stopping and jumping out of vehicles demanding I.D.'s writing down names & addresses?
I think not.

11/17/2005 12:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like identity theft to ME....

11/17/2005 12:59:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

this INDEX reqirement is for the city to receive federal grants
for all their units and to place their connected personnel into.

11/17/2005 01:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

reqiurement typ0

11/17/2005 01:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Seems like this quota/index is just like when curfews and yellow pages went hand and hand.

11/17/2005 01:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You gotta love this new BLACKBERRY addiction with all the bosses. They remind me of teenage kids when they attack those little gadgets with abandon. Cute little kids with a new toy. They don't get much accomplished but it still looks cute.

11/17/2005 01:14:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

99% of the homicides involve a firearm, what is going on with oofenders that do a drive by and the guhshot victim lives.

Cline prays that all gunshot victims live, just for the sake of his homicide rate!

After treatment piss on them!

11/17/2005 01:20:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

CPD can't even find rival gangbangers that commit homicides, let alone terrorists!
Do you think a Dick is looking up contact cards at the location of a homicide?

11/17/2005 01:26:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

About the Blackberrys. I have a source in finance that related to me they cost the department $400.00 a month for each unit. That's because the bosses have to have all the toys, ie., internet, web access, phone, etc., all activated. They give them to all the exempts and who know how many other hand picked officers. Look around 35th st. and will see a lot of po's with them. You know the are cpd units because they have cpd numbers on them.

Anyone out there got the balls to do it, I dont, but you can FOIA a request to find out how many are out there and what the department is paying for them.

11/17/2005 05:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

As a detective, I must say that when it comes to conatct cards, we DO SEARCH them, but since I have seen officers putting five different gangs, different races and incorrect demographic data for just one person at different times, they don't mean much.

I still search them becuase some officers care about what goes on them, but I know it's a pain in the arse to fill them out and then log them in. Remember the GO regarding the necessity of them though if you're asked by OPS/IAD. They have jammed coppers for less.

11/17/2005 06:40:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anyone out there got the balls to do it, I dont, but you can FOIA a request to find out how many are out there and what the department is paying for them.

11/17/2005 05:33:29 AM

Not to mention WHO is being paid for them...

11/17/2005 07:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If we need to prevent crime be proactive drive by and wave.
If we need something to wipe ourselves with after a number two then write a contact card.

11/17/2005 08:26:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wasn't surprised Mark Brown won't admit his co-workers Fran and Frank are pro-Daley. The mayor has controlled Chicago media since his days as State's Attorney.

I must point however dear SCC, that not all contributors to this site are Republicans. Do not forget myself and Shady, admitted card-carrying members of the left, are also here.

Yours in Marx,
your pal, "lefty"

11/17/2005 08:30:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree, If completed properly and logged, the contact cards are a good source of information. They helped me identify offenders in a couple of different cases.

11/17/2005 09:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The problem with contact cards is all the stupid dispersals Gangs and Tact teams have to do. Every team in the city has a quota, not an index.

I know guys who do contact cards on the same shi!hea#$ every week. If we could go back and at least remotely be the police. Real contact cards would be done that have more than bullshit on them.

11/17/2005 10:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It used to be, long time ago, that an officer would do a contact card on some mope he knew was up to no good, but couldn't manufacture an arrest, so he made it out and hoped it would become useful. He often kept his own "file". Then, in an Area far far away, some bright Dick used a contact card to solve a big crime. Then the management mopes caught wind of it and thought is was such a good idea, that they would keep track of them in a "data base". Then they got disappointed when no one handed any in. So they got out the whips and began flogging the patrol division. So, as sh*! goes down hill, the poor beat office' gets bloodied. Then the DC's go to the DAM or the DOC or the VISE and they see the Dick's aint using them. So then the management goofs, instead of saying, oh well, this ain't working, begin floggin the D units. So, as we see, another fantabulous idea that involves massive hours of computer inputting, jobs for sworn personnel inside, who of course need supervision.....and this will continue. The whips are in need of use. Now, can anyone tell me of another case solved by contact cards other than the one that started this mess? I only know of ONE. But boy, the exempts LOVE to put 'em up on graphs and yell at the tact team that didn't get any.

11/17/2005 11:34:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Contact cards on fishermen? Nothing the CPD does would surprise me anymore (maybe the CPD wants to have intelligence on who's fishing at the lake), but...how about those cards? 35th St., after a shooting, then grills the affected Dep. Chief, Cmdr., Tact. Lt., etc.: "how many contact cards were written on Beat **** in the last so many days? So the dist and area teams go out and contact card every schmoe within eyesight (including some kid on his way to school, some girl going to the store, etc.), sometimes the same people over and over again. Issues: 1) the legality of stopping people and collecting their names, especially in certain neighborhoods etc.? (hello, defense attorneys, the media); 2) a quota/index on cards ?; maybe its time to subpoena some of the bosses who are directing this, and compare itheir stories to the testimony of the officers made to collect the cards?); most likely illegal, definitely unprofessional; 3) the accuracy of the info on the cards? anyone audit the cards to see if the same "John Smith, aka Pookie", whose name used to appear on a curfew slip years ago, now appears on a card?

11/17/2005 11:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HAS ANYONE EVER HEARD OF CRIME INFORMATION CHECKPOINTS? ITS JUST LIKE A SEAT BELT MISSION BUT INSTEAD OF WRITTING TICKETS YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO STOP VEHICLES UNDER THE GUISE OF SEEKING INFO RE: ANY CRIME IN THE DOC IE: THERE'S A SHOOTING IN THE DOC, SET UP THIS CRIME INFO CHECKPOINT, STOP EVERY CAR, LOOK FOR ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES, OPEN VIEW, ETC.. BUT JUSTIFY IT BY HANDING OUT FLYERS REQUESTING INFO ABOUT THE SO CALLED DOC CRIME. THESE DO EXIT I AM JUST ASKING IF ANYONE EVER HEAR OF THIS AND IF SO HAS ANY ONE PARTICIPATED IN IT AS WELL.

11/17/2005 11:45:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

FORGET DOING CONTACT CARDS JUST TO DO THEM. THATS THE PROBLEM, ALL THESE BOSSES WHO WERE NEVER THE POLICE, (NEVER KICKED DOWN A DOOR, KICKED SOME BAD GUYS ASS, HAD CR AFTER CR FOR DOING REAL POLICE WORK). THEY ARE ALL ON THE CON.CARD BANDWAGON. GO TO THE DOC, SHOW THE GOLDSTAR CLOWNS THEY GOT 2,000 CONTACT CARDS IN THE DOC AND EVERYONE IS HAPPY TILL NEXT DOC MEETING. I USED TO MAKE CON.CARDS ALL THE TIME BUT I KEPT THEM AS MY OWN FILE. I KNOW YOUR NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THIS BUT I DOIN'T GIVE A FUCK. I DID IT AND IT WAS A GREAT TOOL TO USE WHEN LOOKING FOR SOME GANG BANGER WANTED FOR A SHOOTING OR WHATEVER. IT WAS SOMETHING WHEN SOME ASSHOLE I STOPPED 4 DAYS EARLIER SAID HE WAS A THIS OR A THAT AND HE WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT(WHACK, WHACK). CONTACT CARDS ARE A TOOL A GOOD INVESTIGATIVE TOOL WHEN USED CORRECTLY, NOT LIKE THEY ARE NOW JUST TO SHOW NUMBERS. YOU KNOW THIS HAD TO COME FROM SOME INSIDE NEVER BEEN THE POLICE ASSHOLLE WHO THINKS THAT MORE CONTACT CARDSS EQUALS LESS CRIME.

11/17/2005 11:55:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jeeez, SCC, even you have to get digs in on TRU........

11/17/2005 12:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I ca see doing contact cards after lets say a shooting which is under investigation, still looking for bad guy. Dicks need leads, but what a waste of time because the cards and canvass sheets are not used. The names on these cards and sheets are not interviewed....
but it looks "NICE" in the file!!!!!

11/17/2005 01:19:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've been on the job over 10 years working in some of the busiest districts. I know that contact cards and arrest reports that properly document an offender's identifiers are great resources. Just obtaining an offender's correct nickname or documenting his tattoos are huge. The bosses have have ruined this great resource by putting a "quota" on them.I'm also very realist in that I know that if some coppers were not pushed into things they would gladly come in empty handed every day.

11/17/2005 01:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HEY DO DECTECTIVES DO CONTACT CARDS,BECAUSE THE PURPOSE IS FOR THEM TO BE PUT IN TO A DATABASE FOR THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT TO USE AS A TOOL. NOT JUST FOR THE DICKS WHEN THEY NEED A LEAD.
I KNOW DICKS HAVE THE OWN NOTES AND SUP'S BUT WHAT ABOUT CONTACT CARDS?
CAN ANY DICK CONFIRM OR DENY?

11/17/2005 01:24:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TYPO DETECTIVES SORRY NO DISRESPECT JUST WONDERING

11/17/2005 01:27:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

01:20:14

you said it all a great tool destoryed by an overloading of horse shit.
thanks to quotas, I mean index.

11/17/2005 01:30:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Detectives do use the contact cards as well as your canvass sheets. They are useful and we do also conduct interviews with those listed.
We also appreciate your assistance and the assistance of the specialized units in locating wanted subjects and usually request the help through known and trusted officers.
We especially enjoy common sense when it's put to use.

11/17/2005 01:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hopefully with all the contact cards TRU units do a detective will utilize one of those properly completed cards, solve a homicide or crime pattern and then put the TRU officers in for a D.C. award.

11/17/2005 02:02:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That would be to much work for that BRASS BITCH PERRY.

11/17/2005 02:03:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Check the workin dicks on the first watch in Area 4,1,and 2.

They have made fifty or so on suspicious people, circumstances, stops initiated by the dicks.

11/17/2005 02:39:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

G I G O = Garbage in, Garbage out.

If those contact cards are done right and subsequently put into the database in a timely manner, they do help. I stated earlier, information on contact cards have helped in a couple of my investigations.
Doing them just to get numbers is nonsense.
The bean counters dont see the forest for the trees.

11/17/2005 02:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

to: 02:47... you hit it right on the head...contact cards done intelligently, with purpose, and according to the law, can be useful...but when the boneheads at 35th st. look at the cards in a quantitative fashion, i.e., how many did you get?, then that's when the quality of the "product" goes down the sewer.....AND, maybe a defense/civil rights attorney takes a look at the entire process, and, upon legal scrunity, the entire system unravels (and justifiably so)........

11/17/2005 03:16:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Re: Parking Tickets and Contact Cards.

You need only recall that during the summer of 1977, NYC was terrorized by the .44 caliber serial killer known as the "Son of Sam".

After he killed Stacy Moskowitz in a lover's lane in the 62nd Pct., the NYPD learned that about that time, a PARKING TICKET was issued to an auto that had been illegally parked on a nearby fire hydrant. Ultimately, the NYPD Task Force learned that the auto was registered to one David Berkowitz of suburban Yonkers.

As they say, the rest is history.

11/17/2005 03:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

and, professional and routine police activity can be productive; ......pushing for "numbers" is an insult

11/17/2005 03:29:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey don't forget our fine peer who worked in 018 and was made Sgt. for writing a ticket on Andrew Cunanan's car when he was killing Lee Miglin.

11/17/2005 03:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't this ridiculous contact card mania began in Area 3 when Mauer was Dep Chief there? I seem to remember a friend of mine who was on the A/3 Saturation Team complaining that Mauer would rather have 10 contact cards per officer than 10 arrests per officer.

Is it possible that once he made Chief of Patrol, the lunacy continued, only on a grander scale?

Don't forget, he was the self proclaimed "General Patton" of the Department. * throws up on keyboard *

11/17/2005 03:54:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

to: 03:54..........excellent point; there are many who either don't know, or who have forgotten, the lunacy of bosses past...

11/17/2005 03:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Speaking of Mauer:

How did a guy that worked inside for the last 25 years of his career end up wearing EVERY award given by the Department?

He looked like a Mexican General, for Christ's sake!

I remember one New Years Eve, when I got sent to babysit Cabrini Green along with around 300 other coppers, General Mauer gave us some "inspirational, rally speech" using an analogy about sailors. He said, it was their duty to go out in rough seas, but not there duty to return...much like our own duty.

Way to psyche the men up for a long, boring, cold ass night standing in the piss smelling breezeway!

Anybody have one of his autographed 8x10's that he used to hand out? WOW!!!

11/17/2005 04:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The contact card concept is a great idea, if you don't force it down people's throats. When you make a quota or tell the cars they need to come in with 15 contact cards on a January night, you're asking for them to make them up. If they're done without the pressure of having to do them, the system would be VERY helpful. When you're forcing cars to write them, you're killing the validity of the database.

11/17/2005 04:39:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, Brooklyn South, the same thing happened here in Chicago a few years ago. There was a shooting in 018, on the 1600 block of Orchard. The case was going nowhere, the Dics were stymied, nobody could produce a witness, things looked bad, the case wasn't going to be solved, yada,yada,yada. In walks Master Tac Officer Chuck Schweir, a grizzly salty old veteran, who after listening in on the conversation proudly proclaims that he got into a beef with a guy on the 1600 block of North Orchard the night of the shooting and was so pissed off that he wrote him a parking ticket which the recepient tore up and tossed to the ground. Chuck went and retrieved his copy of the ticket which naturally could not be read. So the Chuck, the Dics and all the bosses (it was a heater case) involved shot over to where the shooting occured and lo and behold what did they find? Chucks parking ticket lying on the ground where the jagoff gangbanger tossed it. The Dics ran the plate, and found the offender who is now probably still in the joint. So it goes to prove that even something as simple as writing a parking ticket can help solve crime. I don't think Chuck ever got anything for his nice piece of Police work other than the undying admiration of his team mates and the satisfaction that the because of what he did, the jagoff that he got into the beef with was charged with the shooting.

11/17/2005 05:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

05:06:31

you say hes ticket couldn't be read.
but they go back and find the one tore up.
how could that be read if the p.o.'s copy couldn't?
you dumbass!
I'm sure the ticket broke the case,but not the way you say.

11/17/2005 05:40:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
05:06:31

you say hes ticket couldn't be read.
but they go back and find the one tore up.
how could that be read if the p.o.'s copy couldn't?
you dumbass!
I'm sure the ticket broke the case,but not the way you say.

11/17/2005 05:40:35 PM

You must not be the police or you are a house cat, because if you were the real police you would know for the last 40 years the officers book copy of parkers and movers are illegible.

11/17/2005 05:53:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ok stupid you just keep writing your book of parkers and two movers each day for your W/C.
and don't forget those contact cards moron. How could numbers not be legible ....it's called figure it out....tell the story right or not at all beat off.

11/17/2005 06:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey 6:05 your the beat off. Have you ever seen a ticket book or the officers copy? It's a good story true or not. I dont know the officer involved. But its nice to read a blurb commending a p.o. instead of condeming him. Now put down the paper clips and go make another pot of coffee for the desk sgt. YOUR JUST A SECRATARY WITH GUN, SPANK.

11/17/2005 06:22:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

true I'm off the beat, four the past three years doping just that paper.remember I may be inside but I still protect the working police.
CR# came down on a copper for a "drop ticket" who was trying to do the right thing after it was learned it was a p.o.s plate#
All taken care of by an insider.
so what I'm saying is if you look hard enough you can figure out the copy. just open your eyes jackass.
remember you have help around you when you don't even know it.

11/17/2005 06:56:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm glad to hear you would help a P.O. and not just slander them. But I bet you whined like a bitch the entire time.
There's nothing wrong with having an inside job. So to all the desk crews out there I apologize. I know it can be a shitty place. There's no escape from the endless stream of B.S. walk ins and phone calls. "DID BOO BOO'S PRINTS CLEAR YET?" and so on.

11/17/2005 07:23:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

SINCE I'M THE THIRD GUY ON A CAR, THERE ARE TIMES I GET ASSIGNED TO THE DESK. I DON'T LIKE IT BUT THE DESK PERSONNEL SMOOTH OVER ALOT OF BEEFS AND COMPLAINERS AND SEND THEM ON THERE MERRY WAYS.

11/17/2005 07:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Actually Mr. Inside Housemouse I don't really give a fuck if you believe the story or not. As the other poster said,the last 40-years or so we haven't been able to read the Officers copy on movers or parkers. If you would get your big fat ass outside of the station house once in awhile you would know that. And just think, then you would really have something to bitch about.Better yet stay inside. You'll just get in the way if your out on the street. This way you can tell the world or anybody that will listen, how you"saved a working copper from a CR# cause of a drop ticket".Big fucking deal. Your a legend pal. In your own mind.

11/17/2005 08:01:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The story of the Uber-Tac Guy is a great one, no doubt. I'm sure it was pretty amazing when he was able to link the shooter to the crime via his ticket, no matter what the details were, but one question amazes me in the story: Why the fuck didn't he lock up the stroke when he tore up the ticket in front of him and threw it on the ground? Thats an open challenge, a slap in the face, an affront to the Uber-Tac Guy's position. If one is challenged in such a fashion, one must rise to the occassion with a physical arrest or whatever is called for. Hell, he might have recovered the gun on scene.
Then again, there was most likely better court time to be made on the murder pinch as opposed to the gun.
Nice story either way.

11/17/2005 08:27:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

who cares if he tore up the ticket. Better he does not pay it. Let them pile up and his car gets booted. If you get upset over someone tearing up a ticket you need to chill.

11/17/2005 08:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love when they tear up a paper bullet (aka a parker), even better when its a mover. Then I know I really got their blood pressure up.

11/17/2005 09:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

responding to 08:01:40
hey basher I work in side too. I don't consider myself a housemouse and would not tolerate it if anyone told it my face. 43 years on the job I saved lots of P.O.'s asses and some have saved mine! I was 19 as a cadet. 21 on the street 10-99. 36 years on the street I've been there done it. last five years inside no housemouse here. I help anyone in the station I can from my bag of tricks I've learned over the many years. First thing I learned was respect. I'm 62 now and give credit to all. Something you need to understand.
you smartass.

11/17/2005 09:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

God bless you, officer. You paid your dues a long time ago.

Any details on the two 2nd watch home invasions on Beats 1622 and 1623 today?

11/17/2005 10:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

43 years on the JOB!!!!!!!
I'm only 30 yoa with 7 years on....
this OFFICER was working 13 years before I was even thought of by my parents.
It's true others should not cast a blanket over the station crews. Because you never know who you are dealing with!
I'm sure you have survived many times over.

11/17/2005 10:57:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm just about in the same saddle there 43yr. vet. I'm looking at 27 and a half. Still work the 3rd watch doing contact cards and parkers no movers hate the traffic to get to traffic court. Every hloding the offender goes to jail cause I still do my job, that I love. Can't run anymore so no good pinches for about the last 15 years.But I feel ready for a sit down spot.
I tell you I would be a great I house F.T.O. I wish for xmas.

11/17/2005 11:12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

43 years on this job? Let me guess no life no family, best friend is a cold beer. sound about right?

11/17/2005 11:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes, you got it right. Being the police is my life.

11/17/2005 11:19:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Old timer they wouldn't want you. They want 2 years wonders, that are computer geeks! who know nothing about the street.
They rather put you out to pasture than take care of you and give you what you deserve.

11/17/2005 11:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I give it to the 43yrs on the job. watch the news we got dip shits with 2 to 5 yrs on always being fired indicted and put in prison.
Hes done pretty good for many years!

11/17/2005 11:26:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

uh yuh cant lock a guy up for tearing up a ticket
maybe an ANOV for littering

11/17/2005 11:46:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

and to officer 43 years
Number one
congradulations May God Bless you with a long retirement

Next respect is a very important thing which it seems that many of our younger officers lack
Sorry guys Its my opinion


Lets see how long it takes for some young one to prove my point by telling me to go to ths nursing home and call me an old fuck

11/17/2005 11:50:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

29 years and a day almost said...
uh yuh cant lock a guy up for tearing up a ticket
maybe an ANOV for littering

11/17/2005 11:46:38 PM


You can't lock up someone who needs to be housed? 29 years and a day doing what?

11/18/2005 01:02:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"3) the accuracy of the info on the cards? anyone audit the cards to see if the same "John Smith, aka Pookie", whose name used to appear on a curfew slip years ago, now appears on a card?
11/17/2005 11:42:34 AM"


Didn't this person finally come on the job and become a sergeant in the Detective Division?

Oh, and to the young pups and puppettes (not a typo, this is female pups, not puppets like the alderpersons), if you think it is not hard to read some of the last copies in the old ticket book, ask an old dinosaur police officer for the last copy on the sixth copy of the yellow onionskin paper that we used to have to write to-froms on. Yep, now that was fun, six copies and five sheets of carbon paper! Everything I learned from Sister Mary Holy Water on printing went out the window, as you'd have to press really hard. I'm sure one would give you a sample copy, since we'd need really strong reading glasses for them, now.

BTW, SCC, keep up the good work. If the press is interested, you know you have hit the right nerves.

11/18/2005 07:07:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
29 years and a day almost said...
uh yuh cant lock a guy up for tearing up a ticket
maybe an ANOV for littering

11/17/2005 11:46:38 PM


You can't lock up someone who needs to be housed? 29 years and a day doing what?

11/18/2005 01:02:09 AM



Obviously covering his own ass. Tearing up a ticket isn't an illegal act. I fully understand the mentality behind locking him up, but I hope YOU understand that the bottom line would be that it IS a violation of his Civil Rights to lock him up for that. Or would you have made up a better story to cover self...which would have been an even bigger violation of the Law. You guys just don't understand that sometimes it's better to turn the other cheek. I know, I know...."I ain't afraid of no lawsuits!!!" Well, you know what? If that's true, then you are dumber than you come across here.

None of this is real, son. The only thing that matters is going home to my family each night and living long enough to see every penny of my pension and then some.

11/18/2005 10:04:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Experience does count....no doubt.....but I lose a little respect for the guy that lets you know how many years he has on every time you see him....

11/18/2005 10:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't see the problem.
Conduct a field interview, identify subject and fill out contact card.

Submit an information report to the attention of traffic court and identify the subjects actions so that he cannot deny receipt.

Attend court and tender copies of your investigation to the ASA and tell him you'll wait to testify if needed.

See, you'll really screw that offender.
R. Hubberband

11/18/2005 10:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

YOU GOT 43 YRS. ON THE JOB? YOU ARE ONE FCUKING SOFTBALL. HERES A FLASH, RETIRE REITRE RETIRE!!!!!! GET A FUCKING LIFE. YOUR WORKING FOR LESS THAN 25% OF YOUR PAY YOU GOOF.

11/18/2005 06:29:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

43 years on the job! I'm impressed he knows what the internet is. Leave him alone if he wants keep putting into your pension, (mayor Daley's future personal bank account), Good. We'll pick some flowers from the street planters for his grave. Besides why leave now when he can pay more for health care later.

11/18/2005 09:17:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

to 01:02 :09
twenty nine years and a day (almost ) here.

What Ive been doing for almost 29 years and a day?

Besides crossing you to school, (which turned out to be a waste of your teacher's time).

Then, I spent time putting my boot in your ass instead of wasting the lockup keeprs time, in hopes that you'd learn something. Turned out that was a to waste of time, too.

So I guess Ive been wasting my time for 28 + years trying to teach you something, like class and manners

Now you're on your own. Good luck

Thanks for saving the CPD from drowning. I cant believe we lasted as long as we did without you.


By the way, it isnt against the law to piss off the police.
You cant lock people up who didnt break the law. C'mon you've only been out of the Academy for a year or so right?
If the act of a citizen tearing up a ticket enrages you so, maybe its time to see if you can get your old job back spraying disinfectant into shoes at the bowling alley.

11/19/2005 01:14:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

GOOD ANSWER 29 years and a day.
NOW GO FISHING

11/19/2005 01:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

1 year on the job 29 times. There are many like that on this job. I meet them all the time. Oh well, this happens when you "policed" on the northside your whole career. For shame.

11/19/2005 05:11:00 AM  

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