Law? What Law?
This is just hubris - arrogance gone wild. From the Sun Times:
- City Hall has raked in more than $200,000 in fines from trucking companies over the last five months by having compliance officers in the Department of Consumer Services pull over trucks that appear to be overweight.
- Civilian compliance officers have no authority to make traffic stops using city vans with yellow lights, according to Tom Stellman, president of Geneva-based Catom Trucking, and retired Master Sgt. Charlie Hamilton, a former State Police official specializing in truck enforcement.
- The Illinois Vehicle Code talks about failure to yield or stop for "authorized police vehicles" and requires them to be marked with blue lights, Hamilton said. Consumer Services vans with yellow lights do not fit that description, he said.
Once again, a police function being carried out by civilians. First of all, this is a violation of State Statute - a rather LARGE violation. It certainly looks like someone from City Hall decided to get cute with compliance violations and tried to get away with what they could until they got caught at it. Secondly, this would appear to be a violation along the lines of the recent grievance won by the FOP when the City attempted to "civilianize" the security around Soldier Field for large events.
It is this type of arrogance coming out of City Hall that led the administration to thinking they could tear up runways in the dead of night just because they thought they could get away with it. That decision cost a half a million dollar fine, the return of millions in Federal grant money and untold lawyers fees - all paid for by the taxpayers.
It is this type of arrogance coming out of City Hall that led the administration to thinking they could tear up runways in the dead of night just because they thought they could get away with it. That decision cost a half a million dollar fine, the return of millions in Federal grant money and untold lawyers fees - all paid for by the taxpayers.
posted by SCC at 12:01 AM
20 Comments:
Once again we must ask, WHERE IS FOP?
Can you say "civil rights violation"....
FOP?
Are you kidding me? We are members of a Fraternal Orginazation- college frat or sorority.
Look at the Credit Union. Loan Rates are no great Deal, My neighbors credit union has better rates than ours. When are they gonna add their REPO's to their webpage?
We sworn officers are so use to getting it stuck in our asses that we now just come to expect it, and dont even flinch or complain when it happens.
last week I double parked on lincoln ave...had my flashers on
in front of blockbuster video ran and dropped a movie in the drop box, ran back to my car (total of less then a min) and drove away
I was then pulled over by a yellow tow truck. with a guy who was wearing jeans, no uniform and had a badge hanging from a chain around his neck, he stopped me at the next red light and told me to pull over so I did.
he then started writing me a parking ticket then handed it to me and walked away...the ticked was for obstruction of traffic....I then asked the guy who was he, and what right did he have to give me a ticket. he then stated that he could write anyone a ticket and that he could call a police car and he would lock me up if I would like...I asked him if he was a cop and he said no but he had the powers of a police officer
so I shut my mouth and took it from some bum....
just trying to figure this one out has this happened to anyone else ?
Ok, up until 2002/03, there were actual Chicago Police assigned to the Department of Consumer Services who among other duties, actually assisted with the weighing / issuing of citation of these trucks.
Needless to say, they've been re-assigned and replaced by civilians.
Now you ask where's FOP? Yeah Ok, like the same FOP who allowed civilians to be hired by city of Chicago traffic control/and also to provide traffic control on what should be Police Details?
Thanks FOP! and don't blame it on the fact that you were trying to get us this Part-Time job at our pay scale. There are only a few part-time jobs out there where guys are making close to what we make doing our real job.
Oh! But lets create another worthless Unit/"Deptartment of" so we could Promote/Hire that lucky someone to run that unit, then hire our family,friends, and people we owe. Hmmm sounds like some of our elite police units too.
I'd like to see the accident statistics involving this unit and how many they've caused. Traffic Management my ass!
FOP sued and won that case against the traffic aides. It's the City that is appealling the judgement.
To 01:39:53 and 06:50:56
Beleive me, I know as well as you that FOP is useless. The comment "WHERE IS FOP" is made sarcastically.
WE NEED TO BYPASS THE UNION AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO FILE A FORMAL COMPLAINT WITH THE STATE POLICE/SECRETARY OF STATE OR ATTORNEY GENERAL SO SOMETHING CAN BE DONE. OH WAIT, THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHICAGO, HEADED BY KING RICHIE II. THERE IS NO OUTRAGE FOR ANYTHING UNJUST UNLESS IT'S RACIALLY MOTIVATED ALONG THE LINES OF MARY MITCHELL. SO GET USED TO IT!!!
What everyone fails to realize is that the City Hall doesn't care. They believe they are above any law.
If the FOP sues over this, (My guess is that they will)nothing will change. The City will drag it out in court and keep doing the same thing. When they lose, they will appeal. When they lose again, they will appeal again.. Five years later something will change.
The only hope here is that the State will get involved. It is a possibility since a Master Sgt from the State Police is involved. The State will then change the law and the corp counsel will find a loophole. The State will change the law and the city will cry and give up.
The first thing that needs to be put on the agenda when the State Senate and Congress get back to work again is eliminating Chicago's home rule. I can't understand for the life of me how everyone who doesn't live in the city tolerates Chicago being able to set their own rules. That is as long as they can show a good reason. Lets all of us think back to when Blago did the only decent thing since he's been GOV and put the signed sworn affidavant into law. The City fought it right away. To many shitheads who vote like to file bogus complaints against the police. The State had rewrite the law because this scumbag of a mayor and city doesn't care about you or your rights!!!!
Keep voting democrat all you shitheads and connected suckholes, you get what you vote for!!!!!
12/08/2006 07:34:12 AM Anonymous said... "FOP sued and won that case against the traffic aides. It's the City that is appealling the judgement"
Okkkkkk... What did we win? And as far as "Traffic Aids" are concerned, the real "Traffic Aids" that have always existed know how to do their job. (I don't consider those Traffic Management Employees "Traffic Aids" - Is that what they're calling those civilians in the bright yellow outfits? "Traffic Aids"?
Either way, we should've had the option to work, while the city appeals. Or if the FOP really won the case, why are these people allowed to continue to work? Well, no matter - just another slap in the face. Be safe out there Boys and Girls!
Anybody that pulls over for any vehicle other than a police vehicle is a idiot and deserves that ticket and shame on you if you are a actual p.o. and took the ticket.
The greatest thing that the police could do is lock up one of these civilian city workers making the traffic stops for false personation. Think King Richie would enjoy that story on the news. I could hear the ASA and Watch Commander blubbering when they saw the paperwork.
Wait until one of those assholes pulls down a hijacked semi, or decides to pull up next to "the obstructing traffic" offender, who in reality just stuck up Blockbusters, and gets his clout-heavy ass blown away ...I'll bet they don't pull these shennanigans in 007,005, 010, 011, etc., where they might end up on the bussiness end of Mr. Doodlebugs .9mm...
Nope! Won't be pulling anyone over on the West-Side.
The last time I saw one of their set ups/homemade city weighing station was... believe or not... on 37TH and State about 2 Months ago. What did they think they could get back up from HQ personnel if they had to call for help? Ha!
poster
12/08/2006 04:34:55 AM
is not a cop
just FYI
Damn Revenuers!
0746
Well didn't you kind of figure he (0434) wasn't a cop? Duh..
I'm not one either, but for the minion that I do know would have told the wannabee police to f&ck off.
Now here's my question. If the traffic aids/supv (who have badges and drive cars with green or yellow mars) Get involved chasing me down the street because I refuse to pull over for them, do we still punch a ticket for a traffic pursuit?
I agree with the poster that says that these individuals driving non-police vehicles and effecting traffic stops should be locked-up for impersonating a police officer. Further, making traffic stops in other that police vehicles sets a bad precedent for the general public. All would be rapists have to do is put an amber light on their "working van' and start making traffic stops of targeted victims. That is just one of many other nasty scenarios that come to mind.
To 12:20, you do not have to take off and initiate a pursuit, plus if you do, I dont believe they have a law on the books that allows them to pull you over let alone pursue you, the REAL POLICE cant even do that.Drive normal do not acknowledge them and if they cause a acccident by attempting to stop you, sue the F--K out of them and the city!
After reading the post and the replies in detail, here's what comes to mind. NO ONE can get locked up because they are following orders given to them by authority of the city.
A big part of this issue stems from Richie's lack of hiring REAL Police. State law allows "Civillianization" by way of the "Deputization" statute.
This statute allows ANY Police Officer, or ANY municipal official to "Deputize" another. These "working vans" with amber lights writing tickets have been in essence....deputized acording to law via contract with the city, which is perfectly legal.
Example: CAPS Volunteers, Security Officers aka Public Safety Officers, and municipal Public Safety Officers/Employees are all sworn in the SAME manner you CPD Officers are sworn. They all have different job descriptions / responsibilities, and some don't get paid a dime.
The reason I mention CAPS Volunteers is because a whold load of them were sworn legally on Dec. 2nd 2006 by Chief Judge Timothy C. Evans of the Cook Co. Circuit Court.
ESDA (Emergancy Services and Disaster Agency) personnel can write tickets, make arrests, etc, depending what division of the agency they are assigned to and what their training certifies them for.
Other than those people....let's not forget IL.C.S. 725 / 107-3 Arrest by Private Person (while laws are being listed and spoken of)
So, if a copper is going to arrest anyone....don't arrest the person getting paid to do a job....arrest the person issuing the authority to do it if it was done illegally.
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