The Hidden Story?
- A 22-year-old motorist was in police custody early Monday after his car struck a police squad car and he fled the scene while apparently driving under the influence late Saturday on the South Side.
At 11:30 p.m., the man was driving a 1993, two-door Nissan Sentra east on 61st Street when he passed a Grand Crossing District police squad car traveling west on 61st Street, according to Calumet District Police Lt. Tim Bickham, who was assigned to the Grand Crossing District the night of the accident.
Did you catch it? No, we're not talking about the drunk who hit the squad car. The cops are ok and the goof is facing lots of charges. We're talking about this:
- Calumet District Police Lt. Tim Bickham, who was assigned to the Grand Crossing District the night of the accident.
A Lieutenant from 005 assigned to 003 for the night. That means 003 was short a Captain and any number of Lieutenants if they had to go recruiting across the entire Area for an Acting W/C for the night. This is not nearly as uncommon as you'd think. Would it be untoward to imagine the manpower shortages being experienced by every single district across the city is being felt by the supervisor ranks as well? At least in the Patrol Division?
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
33 Comments:
Just curious, does the CPD have the portable breathlyzer's or a DUI Unit? I have never seen either.
I was almost hit two nights ago, some drunk coming out of Marianna's 63/Central. I had the light to cross and he turned on a red, swerving into both lanes.
I had to run to avoid getting hit....
If this is a suprise you dont work in area 2, it is very common to see LT's substituting in other districts, usuall districts within the area, but somtimes out of the area.
i am on the southside, our district always has visiting wc's
Actually, I'm the guy mentioned. No, not the drunk. I'm Lt. Bickham. I'm on an open ended detail to 003rd Dist from 5.(poss 90 days.) 3 only had one Lt on 1st watch, but with the new capts getting made, 3 is almost up to par.
Maybe the other district was having their Christmas party that night.
Who gives a shit about 1 LT. What about the 10 to 12 cars downed on every watch. No one wants this job anymore, so those bosses and clout babes better be prepared to start manning beat cars.
Can only speak for a south side district...we are short on everything...okay, we are NOT short of offenders. Our tac/gang team is short, all three watches, not enough supervisors of any rank and it's getting worse... HELP!!!
Hello? This happens almost DAILY. SCC talk to someone in any Deputy Chiefs office about the W/C details. There are a few a day. Bad news is when a LT from 004 has to go to 24 to work because there is no one else.
see it here in 006 all the time
Dear Leo - please just shutup! Nobody gives a shit. You were probably drunk too! What goes on in this Dept. is none of your fucking business! Get a life!
Bickham is assigned to 005, but detailed to 003 due to the shortage of lieutenants.
12/05/2006 12:30:28 AM
Too bad you didnt.
We KNOW it happens regularly and city wide and just about every night somewhere. It's just amusing that the city claims we're up to strength everywhere and then - OOPS - it inadvertantly leaks out that they have to move Lieutenants around just to cover the shifts. But no one notices.
The shortage is endemic to the ENTIRE Department. But while the press can run with bullshit stories about how responses times suck in the ghetto without even looking at the manpower shortages, it's hilarious that they'll publish how a 005th District Lieutenant is assigned to 003 and not even question THAT particular shortage.
The media is such a tool of the political adminstration of this city and this Department
Don't Lt's who work as a WC out of their area get DOUBLE TIME????
Hello? This happens almost DAILY. SCC talk to someone in any Deputy Chiefs office about the W/C details. There are a few a day. Bad news is when a LT from 004 has to go to 24 to work because there is no one else.
Don't feel too sorry for the LT. detailed out of area, he/she is receiving time and a half when detailed out of his area of assignment.
Lt. Tim, I worked with you in the past and it's amazing you're not a Commander yet. You are overqualified for this department altogether ! Don't let em pass you around from District to District. You are feared by the likes of C.White and other southern scat because of your intellect and work on the west side.
12/05/2006 06:30:15 AM
HEY Jagoff, you wonder WHY civilians have an atittude toward you, if you are a cop.
If you can't fucken be a cop, then get a job working patrol, asshole.
You're most likely the same asshole who let that drunken city worker who was drunk, get off last January when he slammed into a lightpole, and that veteran CPD copper was on the scene for his buddy.
Let me, as a travelling Lt. assure that it is very common for us to go to different Districts as W/C. A good many Lts. are hidden. Patrol is always screwed, and no one cares.
DID U SEE THIS BS YET???
paste this into your browser.....
http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=0YWgVGdYU_M
Yes, time and a half when detailed out of the area, AT CAPTAINS PAY. Check their contract.
if you want to see how many Lts there are just go into the dept personnel reports on the intranet and run 9171 it will tell you how many and where they are.
make that 9173
leomemorial said...
Just curious, does the CPD have the portable breathlyzer's or a DUI Unit? I have never seen either.
I was almost hit two nights ago, some drunk coming out of Marianna's 63/Central. I had the light to cross and he turned on a red, swerving into both lanes.
I had to run to avoid getting hit....
12/05/2006 12:30:28 AM
Sorry to hear that but you made your first mistake driving that close to Mariannas at closing time. That would be the 008th District, and they all are fast asleep in their respective holes after 0300 or 0400. Next time your rolling thru that area look at Signature Flight at about 57th or 58th and Central. Early Sunday morning I saw 4 cars from 8 in there.
My advice is to do side streets around that intersection anytime after 12 on party nites
SCC, wake up please. This is nothing new. Lts. are loaned around like condoms in a whorehouse. And no, Lts. are NOT paid double time, or even time and a half, when they are loaned to other Districts WITHIN THEIR AREA
(like Areas 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5). You're just loaned out, period. Of course, the Lt. puts in a slip for Capts. pay for that night, as every Lt. will when they assume the duties of watch commander for more than 2 hrs. during a tour of duty. Now, if a Lt. (or Capt.) is loaned OUTSIDE OF THEIR AREA....then the real $$$ get made!
[Sorta on topic]
I'm sure SCC you'll address this latest edict soon. Because there are a shortage of PO's citywide there happens to be a lot of RAPS [no cars available]in the busy Districts. So,
typical throw the baby out with the bathwater syndrome, what does the city do?
They come up with a BOS [it SHOULD read BS] order that states that ALL cars MUST not log off until 15 past the hour, NOT enter the station until 15 past the hour and OEMC can dispatch a job until 15 past the hour!
IF the city hired up to the required level of strength, we wouldn't have this half-ass, band-aid approach!
Don't even get me started on LT Bickham!!!!!
If you are a bid LT you get time and a half for a detail out of your district. If you don't have the seniority for a bid, time and a half is only for out of area. I don't bitch about being detailed out but it would be nice to know an hour or two ahead of time. Usually you get the call at 1pm that you have to be on the other side of the city in and hour and a half and need to get your vest etc. from your home district and then drive back in the opposite direction. If you try to not answer the phone the shit you get once you show up at your assigned district at your assigned start time is unbelievable. And I'm not meritorious so I don't have a spot.
Rumor has it that Cline is keeping the lieutenant rank understaffed so that he can make his son Matt in the first class off the new list.
Lieutenants are currently down a total of 21 citywide, with more vacancies due after the first of the year.
A fresh batch of Lts. will be made this coming January. It won't be a big class either.
Don't go trashing Lt. Bickham. He got his bars on his own (no merit, no clout), and has never complained about where he
was shipped out to work, or detailed. He's an all around decent, fair guy. The shame of this blog is, many people who post here wouldn't know a good boss if they tripped over one.
We all know a few shitty bosses. 005 happens to have a few good ones, like Capt. RW, Lts. Panek, Mitros, and Washington. The midnite Capt. is a decent guy too. Every day Capt. CW works puts her one day closer to pulling the pin. I would work for any of the bosses I've mentioned here (EXCEPTION: Capt. CW!!).
The city is regognizing their future problems with being able to pay pensions, and want us to solve their problem of not properly funding our pension
And we will bend over and let it happen because we are a bunch a fuckin stupid idiots. Do you think for a minute that any of those puke politicians are getting their pensions touched? Their pensions will get funded by the money we let the city and jagoff daley steal from us. Makes me wanna launch at how we stick together.
BICKHAM RULES!
I don't have a car, and often have to walk home much thanks to the CTA running late and missing the last bus home.
DRUNK IN CAR vs PEDESTRIAN. Who do you think will win?
Anonymous said...
A fresh batch of Lts. will be made this coming January. It won't be a big class either.
12/06/2006 04:19:42 AM
And right after that, one more class (At Least) will be made off the Old Sgts list. They are still working on grading the latest test. It is all messed up. The questions were all F**ked up. Expect either a class action law suit or the test to be re-done.
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