V-Tech Report Misses Something

From the Sun Times:

• Virginia Tech failed to properly care for a mentally troubled student gunman and waited too long to warn faculty and students after he killed his first two victims in a shooting spree that eventually claimed 31 more lives, including his own, a panel's report concluded.

  Had university officials not waited more than two hours to tell the campus about the initial shootings, lives could have been saved when Seung-Hui Cho later began his massacre inside a classroom building, according to the report, released Wednesday night.

  ''Warning the students, faculty and staff might have made a difference,'' the panel wrote. ''So the earlier and clearer the warning, the more chance an individual had of surviving.''

We haven't read the entire report yet, but just from these paragraphs, and most of the rest of the AP story, we can tell they missed an important point right off the bat:

• If Virginia Tech hadn't banned guns from campus (even though the State of Virginia recognizes the legal right for citizens to carry concealed), there might have been a dozen or more opportunities to stop this school shooting in its tracks.

That's all it would have taken. One qualified individual exercising their rights under Virginia law to self defense could have ended or delayed this rampage through what was ignorantly declared a "gun free zone." The police can't be everywhere and the police can't protect everyone all the time. We've gotten so far away from taking personal responsibility in this country and relying on the government to solve every single problem that as soon as government fails, no one knows what to do. And that really needs to change.

Cease Fire Loses Budget

Here's our problem with Cease Fire - it treats gangs like a mini United Nations. Like these gangs are anything but law breaking thugs, bringing narcotics, guns and mayhem to neighborhoods. Cease Fire organizes parades, rallies and insists on negotiating "treaties" between warring factions over dope turf.

These gangs don't own the streets. The streets are supposed to be owned by the taxpayers and citizens for their use, not for illegal commerce and all Cease Fire does is grant a veneer of legitimacy to criminals.

They also appear to have sloppy record keeping, making them low level criminals themselves, which really isn't surprising as they hire "reformed" gangsters all the time.

Channel 5 and Channel 7 cover the protests, but we'd rather see the $6 million spent somewhere else.

Nice Gesture

This is nice:

• A Southwest charter school on Thursday was named for a Chicago police officer who was killed in the line of duty.
• Donald Marquez was killed in March 2002 while serving a search warrant. Family members from around the country came to the ceremony, which was held in the neighborhood where Marquez grew up.

Sometimes, it's the little things.

NOTE: This was supposed to be published @12:01 am, but we must have missed a button going through the pending queue. It's up late and the time adjusted.

Mitchell v. Jakes - Community Loses

Two of the people we love to bitch about most, making two completely opposite points.

First up, hack columnist, race baiter and thug apologist Mary Mitchell actually making some sense:

• Suppose Taniya and Patrice had been mistakenly shot by a jittery white police officer who thought the unidentified male they were talking to had a weapon?

  "The people" would have packed the street to confront the cop who fired the shots, as they did after the recent police shooting involving Aaron Harrison, 18.

  Yet, it isn't the out-of-control cops who regularly kill black children.

  According to the Chicago Police Department, so far this year there have been 27 police-involved shootings -- 12 of them fatal. Of the 27 police shootings, 10 involved persons 19 years old and under.

  During that same period, 1,253 persons were shot by random civilian gunfire. Of that number, 410 victims were 19 years old and under. The total number of fatal shootings in this age group was 44. Also, four teenagers were bludgeoned, four were stabbed, one was burned to death and four others were killed by an unknown weapon.

We quoted part of her column yesterday. Notice the first two paragraphs - "mistakenly shot by a jittery white police officer who thought the unidentified male they were talking to had a weapon" and the Aaron Harrison reference. A poke at the recent shootings and the contention that Harrison didn't have a gun (even though a gun was found). Mary tries to avoid being labeled an Uncle Tom (Auntie Tomeka?) by calling on the community to stand up when black folks kill black folks, but still getting in her anti-police digs to maintain her "ghetto" credentials.

Next up, we have play reverend, failed mayoral candidate and race baiter extraordinaire, Paul Jakes who is quoted thusly:

• The Rev. Paul Jakes, a former mayoral challenger, counted 20 shootings at the hands of police this year, 10 of them fatal. "There are too many trigger-happy cops out there, and they think black life is cheap," Jakes said.

Let's see those stats up close:

• Mitchell claims 27 police shootings (12 fatal) amidst 1,253 "civilian" shootings (anyone got the latest homicide numbers?)
• Jakes claims 20 police shootings (10 fatal) and a free fire zone led by police stacking up dead black people so you cant drive down the streets.

Mitchell is still backing the vice lords over the police by insisting Harrison was unarmed and Jakes is declaring war on the police. Any responsible black columnist, politician or reverend want to speak up? Because you've got some 150+ dead bodies out there that you can't lay at the feet of the police. Grow up and step up.

"Elite" Ain't That Elite Anymore

At the District level, your Tactical and Gang teams are supposed to be your "elite" guys and gals. The workers, the people who go out every day and make exceptional arrests, get the felons and do some long term stuff that might make some headlines. In reality, Tact and Gangs have turned into number generators - contact cards, pod missions, SUB arrests, "wolfpack" missions, etc.

For many years, Special Operations was touted as the "elite" of the Department. SOS was sent places to increase visible manpower on the streets. They didn't have to answer radio calls. They were given quite a bit of leeway as far as being able to go after guns or dope or just run up the head counts in hot districts. We all see how well that worked out in the long run. Now, SOS is just fighting to stay afloat.

Now, we have the Targeted Response Unit - the new "elite." TRU was created do one thing - generate numbers, no matter what the number was supposed to be. Contact Cards? Parkers? Impounds? Movers? DOC missions? All within TRU's charter.

So to be "elite," you barely have to do anything that's considered police work anymore. You just have to do numbers that the bosses can tout at "accountability" meetings although no one is actually ever held accountable and promoted/demoted based on crime rising or falling.

Kind of amazing how much its changed.

More Judicial BS

We shouldn't be amazed. After all, it's New York City, hotbed of liberalism and leftist thinking. But we thought there were a few lines that even judges wouldn't cross. Not anymore:

• The mother of slain NYPD Officer Russel Timoshenko was appalled to find out that a woman suspected of hiding the weapon used to kill her son is poised to leave jail today.

  A Brooklyn judge yesterday drastically reduced the bail for Nicole Bostick, 36, whose brother and boyfriend are two of the three suspects accused of murdering Timoshenko and wounding his partner, Herman Yan. Supreme Court Justice Plummer Lott agreed to cut bail from $50,000 to $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash.

  "It's laughable. I'm speechless," Tatyana Timoshenko said during a visit to her son's grave. "How can the judge do that?"

  Bostick is charged with hindering prosecution for allegedly dumping three guns in a garage after hearing that her brother Dexter Bostick and boyfriend Lee Woods were involved in the July 9 shooting.

Accessory after the fact? Involved in the capital murder of a police officer? Does any of this ring a bell with the judge? Hell, in Texas or Oklahoma, this woman would be facing the death penalty for hiding evidence (and rightfully so).

But again, what's a dead cop or two? NYPD Rant covers the outrage.

Come Back Police!!!

That "No Snitching" line of clothing, posters, CD's and such is really working out for the south and west sides, isn't it? Mary Mitchell writes today:

• According to the Chicago Police Department, so far this year there have been 27 police-involved shootings -- 12 of them fatal. Of the 27 police shootings, 10 involved persons 19 years old and under.

  During that same period, 1,253 persons were shot by random civilian gunfire. Of that number, 410 victims were 19 years old and under. The total number of fatal shootings in this age group was 44. Also, four teenagers were bludgeoned, four were stabbed, one was burned to death and four others were killed by an unknown weapon.

  Chicagoans like Patrice Brown's grandmother are begging authorities to do more.

  "The police need to clean this block out," Darlene Brown said after the shooting. "These people are just rowdy. They walk down the street selling their drugs and shooting their guns; they just don't care."

So now they want the block cleared out? And how will the Department accomplish that? Sorry Ms. Brown and you too Ms. Mitchell. But you, your reverends, and your community have been beating up on the police for far too long to expect us to shift gears that quickly.

How about an gesture of good faith on your parts since we've been the ones shit on recently? Turn over the shooters. We know that you know who did it. Turn over the gun. It's still out there. You know where it is and if you don't, you know someone who does. Then maybe we can have something to talk about.

How Much is Left?

Once again, proving that government should keep it's fingers out of what should be the purview of business:

• Rising costs, declining demand and increased competition from private Internet providers have prompted Chicago to shelve its ambitious plan to build an $18.5 million wireless Internet access system with a reach that extends into the city’s poorest communities.

Just an observation, but if the poorest communities can afford computers? Then they really aren't that poor.

And where is what's left of that $18.5 million headed?

Sneed Carries Water for Phil

Again:

• Sneed hears former Police Supt. Phil Cline, who now serves as executive director of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, added a new way to help families of cops killed in the line of duty.

  • • Translation: At a candlelight vigil planned next month to mark the first anniversary of the Police Memorial Park behind Soldier Field, Cline will announce the foundation will now provide college scholarships. Bravo.

College Scholarships? When did this become part of the Memorial fund raising? We didn't remember anything in the initial push about a mission "beyond the Memorial," and we know we never ever saw anything about scholarships.

This is sounding more and more like a racket rather than a remembrance of our dead. Sorry if that offends any of our readers, but we're entitled to our opinions.

Idiots

Jesse and Phleger once again demonstrate their irrelevance and complete ignorance of guns. Their entire act consists of "Eek! Guns bad!"

• Rev. Jesse Jackson and three busloads of supporters marched on a Lake Barrington gun manufacturer today, calling on the suburban community to vote the business out of town.
  
  "Chicago is voted gun dry," Jackson said. "We want [Lake] Barrington to vote gun dry."

A lawyer for the company rebuts:

• D.S. Arms does not sell firearms to the public, said Michael Danworth, a lawyer who represents the company. He said it's a law-abiding company that has about 20 clients, including law-enforcement and military distributors.
  
  Danworth said it's a culture of violence that's the problem, not guns.
  
  To Jackson's charge that assault rifles manufactured at D.S. Arms end up on the streets illegally, Danworth said, "The firearms used in most homicides in Chicago are pistols. You don't see too many gangbangers on the South Side carrying rifles in their pants."

Why isn't this roadshow protesting Bryco (Jennings)? Or Lorcin? Or one of the myriad of other manufacturer that turn out cheap guns by the bushel? The gangbangers aren't running around with rifles worth a few hundred bucks.

And Speaking of Shootings...

This great quote in the Channel 7 coverage of the Patrice Brown shooting:

• Some people questioned why there aren't more police cameras in the neighborhood. The area's alderman said he's already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the visible deterrents.

More cameras? Visible deterrents?

Any media people reading, we'll offer this advice - attempt to arrange a ride along in any of the following police districts (011, 015, 006, 007, 005, 003) to see just how well these cameras "deter" crime. We could take you to dozen cameras right now and show you dope dealing going on within yards, if not directly under, these cameras. We can ask our readers to list shootings and homicides that have occurred within the operational radius of these cameras. We can ask detectives to list all the pod videos they've asked for in the hopes that it might just show a crime being committed or a criminal fleeing the scene.

The fact remains that the people of Chicago are being taken for a multi-million dollar ride. These hundreds of cameras are being fed into a server that can only handle a fraction of the data. These hundreds of cameras have helped solve exactly ONE crime that we ever heard of and that only in conjunction with a concerned citizen who followed a car after a hit and run. These "digital wonders" are at least a generation behind anything London has up and are faulty beyond belief.

They don't deter crime. They can't solve crime. They are horrible witnesses and are looking the wrong way almost as often as the residents of North Lawndale seem to be whenever the police need help solving a shooting. The only thing that stops crime is more cops on the street.

The Truth

The solution to all of life's problems can be found in cartoons. Tom & Jerry. Ren & Stimpy. South Park. And this:

Ain't it grand?

Role Model Crashes

Anyone seen this car?


Or maybe this driver?


Of course, the story is everywhere. Click any of the news links in the right hand tool bar. A $600,000 car, not even a month old and with under 400 miles on it.

By the way, anyone notice that there still hasn't been a visible protest to shooting that left one girl brain dead and another hospitalized?

Reverends? Activists? What's Up?

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

• Fenger High School seniors Patrice Brown and Taniya Ross were inseparable friends.

  But Friday night, what appeared to be a random shooting in the violence-plagued Roseland neighborhood separated them.

  Family members say Brown was left brain dead.

So one one hand, we have gangbangers and their "make believe" reverends outraged at three police shootings in the past month. Keep in mind that in two of these shootings, the dead OFFENDERS were found with weapons and the shootings ruled justified, and in the third incident, the wounded offender was observed throwing dope as he ran. When cornered, he made a play for his waistband instead of following verbal direction. As a result of these shootings, we have marches, small scale rioting, property damage and a few arrests.

On the other hand, we have two girls shot in the back, one is brain dead. Marches? Riots? Protests? Nope. Not a whisper from the community or the churches.

Kind of makes you wonder. Channel 2 also covers.

Ass Covering Begins

This is not amusing:

• City officials on Friday defended their decision not to sound emergency sirens as the storms approached the city.
• "As the storms approached the city, the storms were diminishing," said Office of Emergency Management and Communications Director Tony Ruiz. "Then and there, we decided not to activate the system, based on the National Weather Service. Now, as the storm approached the city, it did burst, (but) it was too late to activate the system."Ruiz said he watched from a room on the third floor of the city's emergency center, with the computer screen to activate the sirens only steps away. Ruiz said, however, that he decided against making the call."At no time was the city of Chicago in any imminent danger," Ruiz said.

No "imminent danger." Except for that little micro-burst that tore trees out at the roots, snapped power lines citywide and flooded just about everything. It took some of our friends over two hours to get home.

Now imagine this was a real tornado. Or worse, a terror attack. Feel any sort of confidence in the OEMC people yet?

Wasn't Us

Otherwise this would be our farewell post:

• Hoosier Lottery officials say one winning ticket for last night's Powerball drawing worth $314.3 million was sold at a Speedway convenience store in Richmond, the eastern Indiana city on the Indiana-Ohio state line. Hoosier Lottery spokesman Mark Sirkin says lottery officials won't know who holds that ticket until someone comes forward. He says it could be one person or a hundred people who pooled their money in an office pool.

Next chance for early retirement is the Mega Millions - $250 million. Drawing on Tuesday. We promise that if we win, we'll come back for one final post and a location for our party.

We'll pick up the tab.

Unreviewed Comments

Blogger finally fixed a glitch that had been annoying us since February.

We had almost 300 comments lost in the vast internet wasteland. The comment counter showed we had comments ready for moderating, but the comments themselves couldn't be located. They were in limbo.

This morning, all the missing comments reappeared in our in box. Guess what we spent an hour and a half doing? We only had to delete about 20 of them and published everything else. So if you feel like going back and finding out if your comment that you wrote in anytime in February or March ever made it to the blog, you're welcome to go through the archives and find it.

Open post in the meantime.

Drive Up Service

The most amazing things seem to happen on the west side:

• A masked shooter is believed responsible for the fatal shooting of a 30-year-old man who drove himself to the Harrison District Police station on the West Side after the incident and told police about the attack.
• The man who later died was able to get inside his car after being shot and drive to the Harrison District police station, 3151 W. Harrison St., and talk to police about what happened, the detective said. "When he [fatal victim] got here he was conscious,'' the detective said.

Kind of convenient for the investigating Detectives to have homicide victims deliver themselves to the front door.

Who's Scared?

Lovely crap from Starks in the Sun Times again:

• In the wake of a third police-involved shooting in as many weeks, acting Police Supt. Dana Starks offered assurances Friday that the department thoroughly investigates such cases, following the evidence wherever it leads. [...]
  

  But minutes later, Tonson's grandmother stood outside the building with large tears rolling down her cheeks, explaining carefully that in light of the three shootings of African-American males, she does not believe police can do what Starks said.

  "Do you think we should trust what they say?" said Gloria Simmons. "No. No. No. ... If you are that scared of these little black boys, get off the police force."

Hey Ms. Simmons? If you're not "scared of these little black boys," how about you stop calling the police every time Junior won't eat his vegetables? Or is sassing you? Or won't go to school? Or is beating his current baby's mama? Or is slinging dope in the alleys as Tonson was doing?

We're getting damn sick and tired of being the media's whipping boy over and over again when they publish this clap trap.

And speaking of clap trap, this from the Tribune:

• Holding signs saying, "Police: No Kill Zone," dozens of community activists marched in the Loop on Saturday, protesting the third police shooting this month.
  
  "What happened to the days when the police would say, 'Halt' or wound somebody?" said Rev. Steve Greer Jr., pastor of Christian Valley Baptist Church in North Lawndale, whose congregants come from the West Side. "Why do they have to shoot to kill?"

Gee, rev, verbal direction is part and parcel of every single bit of training Officers go through. It's automatic nowadays. Trouble is, certain people don't seem to have ever been taught to listen. For example, over a year ago, there was a certain state senator and "reverend" who disregarded numerous verbal directions to remain in his car, to return to his car, to stop advancing on a sergeant who pulled him over because his driver committed a traffic violation. Maybe Meeks should have listened? Maybe this dope dealer should have listened?

As for shooting to kill, that's part and parcel of training, too. Aim for center mass, remove the threat. We aren't trained to wound. When deadly force is threatened or implied by an offender. especially one who isn't following verbal direction, then deadly force is authorized by law. Why is it we've never ever seen an intelligent reverend? Is stupidity required for a divinity degree?

Taking it Easy

Friday evening into Saturday, we're only putting up the one post.

In the meantime, Open Post time for the rest of the day.

What is Starks Smoking?

He's actually quoted saying this crap?

• Gulliford, who took over SOS two years ago after the probe began, was not transferred for his performance, but because Starks wanted to put a black commander in charge of the elite unit, which was perceived to be preying on poor, minority communities, a source said.

So, because SOS patrolled high crime violence prone areas of the city, they're what now? All racists? We think we can all agree agree SOS had it's problems with some out of control coppers, but to paint everyone with this brush is just goofy and panders to the worst sort of expectations people have about cops in general.

How about Starks says "We put in a qualified individual"? Oh wait, that'd be a lie evidently, since there seems to be a shortage of "qualified" individuals amongst the exempts lately.

Another Police Shooting

And once again, bad guy in the hospital, cops go home safe, and about 147 witnesses who'll swear the offender wasn't selling dope, pointing guns or raping, robbing and pillaging the various neighborhoods of the west side:

• Chicago police shot and wounded a man late Thursday night on the city's West Side, police said.
  
  The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of West Wilcox Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, said Chicago Police Officer Amina Greer.

Starks' Hatchet Job

This has all the hallmarks of a set up, a cover up and a blame game writ large:

• The head of the Chicago Police Department’s scandal-plagued Special Operations Section was replaced today, signaling an effort by the interim superintendent to reform the unit and put his own stamp on the department.

  [...] The elite SOS unit has became an embarrassment for Mayor Daley. Officer Jerome Finnigan and six officers in the unit have been charged with operating a robbery ring from 2002 to 2006 and other officers are under investigation. They have been charged in state court, but federal authorities also are investigating.

  At a City Council hearing a few weeks ago, Starks acknowledged a need to rein in members of the elite unit after Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) called the behavior of Finnigan and his co-defendants “another form of abusive power.”

The FOP is actually stepping into this one, too:

• Donahue said it would be unfair to pin the SOS scandal on Guilliford.

  “The gentleman who’s in there hasn't been there that long,” Donahue said. “He has been taking steps to address identified problems at SOS. I don’t think he can be blamed for the scandal.”

Unfortunately, that's what seems to be happening. Sneed, Spielman and Main are doing the dirty work. Gulliford took over in July 2005. The SOS scandal had actually been brewing for three years at that point and the State's Attorney had wiretaps, forensic accountants and probably an empaneled Grand Jury looking into the scandal. When IAD started calling SOS Officers down for statements and such, Gulliford pulled the officers off the streets and did everything that would be expected of a Commander to limit the damage. When the whole thing blew up, he did everything asked and ordered from downtown.

And now he's playing the whipping boy for a Department desperate to protect people, some of them retired, who had more to do with bringing allegedly dirty cops back into a unit they had been banished from years before. It's a shame, but truth be told, no one expects anything different from downtown, especially with the current crop of people in charge and those left behind by Cline.

7,253? Can Someone Verify?

From the Comments Section:

• SCC, Here are the numbers, 7253, Thats right that is the number of P.O's in Districts 001 thru 025. This number dosen't include TRU, S.O.S., Narcotics, G/I, Vice, or people at headquaters. This number is the amount of people in the Patroll Division who could possibly be given 911 calls. Now subtract the number of people in each district that are in the front office, c.a.p.s. office, tact teams, and detailed out personel, ect. that do not answer radio calls. Subtract the number of people on medical, furlo, or I.O.D. Now divide this by three watches and seven day off groups. What do you get? A frighteninly low number of P.O.'s who go out there and do a thankless job and get burned everytime something goes wrong. You ask again and again what is wrong with this job. Here it is! Its on the computer for all to see. WE DO NOT HAVE 13,500 P.O.'S ( meaning blue shirts)IN THIS CITY!! Forget the phrase "support personel" how about you take a shift, take a period do some time out on the streets and see how things are now out there if you haven't been on the beat in a while. Im not talking about riding in a car but to go out and DO the job, get dirty make arrests remember why you became the police, LONG LIVE THE HUNT!! I've had it with this rant. Add this to above post or let it stand on its own but these are the numbers and the numbers DO NOT LIE (unlike our department). Hows that for accountability

Evidently, someone took the time and not so little effort to run a query on each district, one by one, and that's the number they came up with.

A few questions for the readers:

• Is this ONLY Title Code 9161 - Patrol Officers? Because if it is, it certainly explains why we see entire districts running for days at a time with zero Rapid response cars on days and afternoons while downing two or three midnight beat cars.
• The reader brings up a fair point - when you take out "Detailed Out" personnel (where we work, it's about 80, 60, 70 and 60), you're talking well over 1,000 people missing from that 7,253 base number.
  
• Then front office people, watch personnel, desk, lockup, warrant officer, review, etc etc, that's another 20-30 per District - that's another 500 or so from the base number of 7,253.
• Now let's cover schools, furlough, RDO, Medical/IOD, Tact/Gang Teams.

Is anyone actually out there driving the Beat Cars?

Weather Related Blogging

We ain't doing it.

You want weather related coverage, click on any of the news links in the right hand tool bar. Every paper, every TV station, every single media outlet is in a lather over something that happens every day - weather. We get half an inch of snow and Jerry Taft, Tommy Skilling and all the talking heads have to have their pants let out because they get so excited. A possible tornado? They're in heaven and won't be down for a week minimum.

All we know is that all the trash in the 011 District got relocated to 012 and was replaced by all the chip bags and empty bottles from 015 which is now the cleanest it's been in years. Hegewich is missing upwards of half a dozen trailers. 016 is reporting about a billion downed trees along with 022. Area 1 can't tell any difference at all.

No hair gel related damage though. That stuff wears pretty well in the face of hurricane force winds.

Bad News All Around

You don't have to look far for bad news about the Police Department today - it's everywhere:

• In the Operation Family Secrets mob trial today, a Chicago Police officer admitted that he had a year's-long relationship with top ranking members of the Chicago outfit.
• Former Chicago cop Anthony Doyle is one of the five men charged with outfit crimes in Operation Family Secrets. While many Chicago Police officers moonlight to supplement their city salaries, federal prosecutors say Doyle's side job was with the outfit as a loan shark and an informant, that he gave mob bosses inside police department information about evidence in a gangland murder.

The Outfit - CPD connection continues to this day. Anyone who denies it is being willfully blind. It's isn't as obvious as the Outfit - Mayor's Office connection, but it's there. And more bad news:

• The crooks knew just what to say to the young teller to get her to cooperate.

  Two dirty Chicago cops had made sure of that.

• Two corrupt Chicago Police officers -- Broderick Jones and Corey Flagg -- allegedly sold Upchurch the information, according to interviews and court records obtained by the Sun-Times.

  The robbers would pay the cops $500 to $1,000 each time, Upchurch would later testify.

Neither officer was ever charged with aiding and abetting these currency exchange stickups and the US Attorney's Office declined to say why they never pursued charges. Something stinks here, and the fact that it's on the front page of Thursday's Sun Times only serves two purposes - to further tar the reputation of the CPD as out of control and to plant the idea in the minds of the public that the CPD can't be trusted to discipline it's own (even though in this case, it's all on the US Attorney).

Anyone else sense the mysterious hand of mayor's office?

F#$% the French

Isn't this just great?

• The man suspected in the murder of a Chicago doctor will not be extradited to the United States. Dr. David Cornbleet was murdered in his Michigan Avenue office last October.
• The man seen in surveillance video from Cornbleet's building is believed to be Hans Peterson. He surrendered to police on the Caribbean island of St. Martin and has allegedly confessed. He also reportedly obtained French citizenship.
• France has denied a request to have Peterson sent to this country.

This guy murders a doctor in Chicago, flees to St. Martin in the Caribbean, applies for French citizenship there in case he ever gets caught, DOES get caught, allegedly confesses, and now won't face any sort of justice in an American courtroom.

You can count us among those who think anchor babies for non citizens are a big problem. But "anchor citizenship" from a supposedly friendly nation? To escape justice?

Mette Fundraiser Tonight

From the Mike Mette Defense Fund website:

• We have many great items lined up for the silent auction at the August 23rd,event. We have Cubs,White Sox, Bears and Bulls Tickets. We have a seven day stay at a condo in the Florida Keys. Two day overnight package in Galena. Overnight stays at some of Chicago and suburbia's best named Hotels. We have autographed sport's memorabilia and golf passes for some exclusive golf destinations! We also have many dining certificates at some great area restaurants.

  We have received many calls and emails regarding tickets! You will be able to purchase tickets at the door on Thursday

Head up north tonight to help one of our own. We'll be there. Incognito.

Cops Shoot, Kill Armed Offender

But no marches? There aren't any vice lords on the south side to organize a protest?

• Chicago Police fatally shot a 22-year-old man who allegedly charged a police officer with a gun early Wednesday in the South Side’s Gresham neighborhood.

  A Gresham District police officer shot the man, identified as Johnny Goodwin by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, about 12:15 a.m. at 8147 S. Morgan St., according to police News Affairs Deputy Director Pat Camden. Goodwin’s home address and pronouncement information were not available at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

As of the 10pm newscasts, the shooting had been ruled justified.

Sorry this wasn't up earlier, but as we've explained before - we post once a day, usually around midnight. Between midnights, we work, attend court, go to CAPS meetings, have family time, etc. If the wireless connection is up, we can post from the car. Sometimes though, we just can't get to it as quick as we'd like to.

UPDATE: And here comes the "He didn't have a gun" bullshit drama:

• But just a few blocks away, at 83rd and Morgan in the Auburn community, Goodwin's mother stood in her doorway, leaning on the doorjamb for support. Janet Goodwin said her son did not carry a gun or keep one in their home -- and cops had no reason to shoot him.

  Her reaction echoed comments from relatives and neighbors of Aaron Harrison, an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by Chicago Police two weeks ago.

  "I know he didn't have a gun,'' Janet Goodwin said. "He was the type to fight with fists.''

You know, we're seriously considering applying for full duty disability because of all the back problems we're having from carrying around all these damn guns we have to plant on dead gangbangers. And the pounds and pounds of narcotics, too. Ever since the Department took away the SUV's, we've had to carry so much of this stuff in our personal cars, it's starting to affect the gas mileage.

First Line of Duty Death?

CPD attributes the first ever Line of Duty Death to Officer Casper Lauer. Now a new website purports to bring new evidence to light and prove that a Constable James Quinn was killed in the Line of Duty 9 months prior to Casper Lauer.

The site brings a bunch of high powered evidence in the form of Chicago Historical Society records and such. They also delve into the conspiracy category by alleging that the reason Grau and Williams didn't get the Superintendent spot is because the mayor found out both lied about an Awards Committee meeting that was to deal with the Quinn/Lauer controversy. We'd need to see proof of that one.

SCC has no dog in this fight and merely brings it to the attention of our readers because we found some of it interesting and some of it entertaining. And any remembrance of our dead is a good thing. Click here for more.

Officer Injured

Prayers and well wishes only please:

• An off-duty Chicago police officer was seriously injured Wednesday afternoon when his motorcycle collided with a pickup truck at a busy Northwest Side intersection, police said.
  
  The wreck happened about 1 p.m. at Irving Park Road and Cicero Avenue.
  
  The Albany Park District tactical unit officer, who has not been named, suffered severe leg and hip injuries and was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was in serious condition, Lt. Steve Regnier said.

A speedy and full recovery Officer.

Terror Probes?

This isn't the first time we've run across this story.

A few years back, it was overheard that there were a number of suspicious incidents on ferry boats that ply the waters around Seattle. In fact, via Michelle Malkin, we learned of over 157 incidents (surveillance, security breaches, videotaping, etc) reported by the Seattle Times in October 2004, 19 of which were serious enough to warrant full FBI scrutiny.

Now Ms. Malkin is reporting that the FBI is looking for help in identifying a couple of persons of interest who have been acting suspiciously on the boats, but the Seattle Times refuses to run pictures to assist in the identification of these subjects. Why? We figure it's because the subjects look like this:

• The FBI is asking for the public’s help two identify two men who have been seen acting strangely aboard Washington State ferries recently.

  According to federal agents, passengers have seen the men on several occasions exhibiting unusual behavior. The FBI did not say precisely what that unusual behavior entailed.

  Anyone who knows the men or there whereabouts are asked to call the FBI at (206) 622-0460.

Of course, the minute terrorists make a run at the ferry boats, or manage to detonate a device on them, or sink one, or slaughter a bunch of school children on a field trip, we're sure the Seattle Times will be leading the charge to lay the blame on the feebs, the local PD and whoever else they can, asking why some hint wasn't identified before this incident was allowed to happen.

Hopefully, at that point, the residents of Seattle will storm the Seattle Times building and lynch everyone they find within before burning the building to the ground. Unfortunately, it's Seattle, so they probably won't.

Tax Increases Ahoy!

Thanks to decades of mismanagement and endemic corruption, Daley is about to stick it to everyone:

• Mayor Daley hates raising property taxes about as much as Chicago homeowners despise paying those increases.

  Part of it is fear of political backlash. The other is a pragmatic desire to leave the door open for Chicago Public Schools to tax to the max, as it has in 10 of the 13 years since Daley's school takeover.

  But with a $217 million budget gap and the next election four years away, it looks like the mayor may have no choice but to bite the bullet this time. That's even after crusading for property tax relief to soften the blow of reassessment increases.

And here comes the blame game!

• None of the city's $713.4 million property tax levy is available for day-to-day operations. It's largely eaten up by pension obligations.

  "How do you go on like that while giving police and fire pay raises every year and with pensions and health care going off the charts? They're all afraid of the headlines. But, take the polls and stuff 'em. You need to govern," the source said.

Ah Fran Spielman, using the "anonymous sources" to do the mayor's dirty work of blaming the Police and Fire Departments for the upcoming property tax increases. Isn't having a tame media creature around to do your bidding just the greatest thing? If that "anonymous source" wasn't sent by the fifth floor to start the ball rolling on the mayor pleading poor once the contract meetings actually start, then we don't know anything about how City Hall operates with a complicit media to bilk the taxpayers out of billions while stealing everything that isn't nailed down.

Shot by Magic

There aren't any guns on the street anymore, right? We mean, 6,700 guns turned in for cash, marches all over the west side insisting that the altar boys aren't packing heat, etc etc.

So how does stuff like this keep happening?

• A man riding a bicycle was shot when the gun he was carrying accidentally discharged early Tuesday in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side, police said.

  The man was riding a bicycle in the 1500 block of West North Shore Avenue when the gun he was carrying, possibly in his waistband, discharged about 12:30 a.m., according to a Rogers Park District police lieutenant.

• Police said Tuesday morning that a 12-year-old boy may not have been the intended target when he was shot while playing with friends near his Little Village home Monday night.

We're just saying.

Rot in Hell Ryan!

Will someone somewhere please toss this jagoff behind bars?

• Former Gov. George Ryan will remain free while he pursues a second appeal of his sweeping fraud and corruption convictions, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled late this afternoon.
  
  In a crushing legal blow to the former governor earlier today, a three-judge panel from the appeals court denied Ryan's initial appeal 2-1. The judges found that Ryan received a fair trial last year despite a series of juror controversies.
  
  Though Ryan had been allowed to remain free pending that appeal, the court had warned that Ryan and co-defendant Lawrence Warner would have to report to prison within 72 hours if they lost it. Ryan faces a 6 1/2 -year prison sentence.

According to a couple of legal opinions we've heard, Ryan's chances on appeal are slim, so he's still looking at Christmas with his family before reporting to prison. We only wish it were sooner.

Esther Cepeda in the Sun Times

We kind of like this lady's writing style:

• In the process she made life more difficult for legal immigrants and U.S.-born Hispanics who will continue to endure the wrath of a country that's disgusted that there seem to be one set of laws for "us," and a more lenient set for the 12million "them" who toil here for next to nothing at the cordial invitation of businesses and bargain-shoppers everywhere.

  Though she only learned a rudimentary amount of English while in sanctuary -- enough to deliver a brilliantly written speech I'd bet my life she didn't compose -- her message was crystal clear. Maybe not with her words, but with her actions Arellano did in fact say, "Catch me if you dare."

  Now that Immigration and Customs Enforcement called her bluff I can be clear, too: Adios and good riddance.

Go read the whole thing.

Politics as Usual?

The Department never fails to disappoint:

• SCC,

  Starks strikes again. Seems one of his "dollies" washed out of horsie school and went whining to him. Lo and behold, she's back in horsie school.
  

  Doesn't actually qualifying for anything mean anything anymore?

Actually, no, it doesn't. And the fact that this person, regardless of gender, is lowering the training and qualification yard sticks for everyone by using political pull to get into a spot they couldn't qualify for physically, is shameful, dangerous, and an insurance liability of massive proportions.

A liability that we as taxpayers are on the hook for should anything happen.

UPDATE: One of our commentators puts it better than we could:

• Great, a phone call and this fem is coming back to riding school??
  What happens when she cant control the horse?? IOD?? Injured foot officers?? Injured citizens?? Then of course it wont be her fault...no, she can blame... uh... hmmmm... lessee........ dont rush me..... GOT IT!! Blame the trainers who tried to bounce her in the first damn place.. They didn't teach me... They picked on me... They gave me tough horses to ride...Boo-Ba-Hoo-Hoo!!
  What about the other officers who left or got bounced out??..Is that grounds for a beef??..This really is the frickin' age of "entitlement"..." I deserve____________" or "it should have been me to get____________"... you fill in the blanks, you all know one or more ....Here's a novel thought....try shutting your mouth and opening your ears and you just might earn the damn spot!!..soon as she "passes the class and makes" the unit, maybe she will get "detailed" indefinitely to a nice spot with the raise in pay grade... happened before.

No Cash Bags?

We were told of this shortage the other day over beers. A couple of tactical teams tried to find bags to inventory cash and were told by the desk that there weren't any. Now we read this in the comments section:

• Here's a little info. about the blue inventory bags. The city has failed to pay the vendor (once again) and there are no blue bags going to be delivered. The contract has been cancelled. We're trying to figure out what we'll use once they run out of the current stock. Prepare for some new directive from on high. That is all.

Has the City ever paid a vendor on time for anything? Ever? A few years back when they were phasing out the Inventory Books and e-Track wasn't completely bug free yet (and still isn't), there was a huge to-do about running out of Inventory Books and the contractor wouldn't print anymore because the City was months (or years) behind on paying them for past work anyway.

How hard is it to actually pay bills so we can have the supplies necessary to do the job the way they want it done? It's amazing.

Grossman Just Isn't It

We know it's only the pre-season, and we try to treat it as such, but ... opportunity after opportunity and this guy just can't be consistent:

• For Grossman, it was another opportunity to prove critics wrong, but all his frustrating adventure did was provide more fuel for his doubters.

  In 26 plays, he fumbled three times, double-clutched another snap, threw an interception deep in Chicago territory and was sacked once. Even his one good moment, a 1-yard touchdown run, came with an unusual twist: He carried two times for minus-1 yard and a TD on the drive.

We've been impressed with the off season moves to bolster the defense. But we just think a top notch QB is the missing piece to the puzzle.

Pandering to Whom?

The deportation of the convicted illegal immigrant Elvira Arellano has provoked outpourings of support and outrage across the board:

• Arellano and her son now represent "the human face, the human suffering" caused by immigration law that "rips good families apart," said a spokesman for Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.). But Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said Arellano was a blatant lawbreaker. "They are trying to portray her as a modern-day Rosa Parks," said Mehlman, whose group wants tighter border enforcement.

And the emotion is especially running deep in the Latino community:

• The Latino community also seemed divided over Arellano, with some viewing her as a less-than-perfect icon for the plight of the undocumented. At Taqueria Aguascalientes, a restaurant on Cermak Road in Cicero, Miguel Alvarez shrugged when asked about the Arellano deportation. "It's messed up," said the U.S.-born Alvarez, 19, whose parents are both immigrants. "Let her stay. Doesn't she have kids or something?"
  
  Waiting for work with other day laborers down the street outside a Home Depot, Ricardo Garcia Perez said he was happy to hear of Arellano's arrest. "She reflects badly on all Mexicans," said Garcia Perez, a Mexican native. "It seems fair. She got caught. It was terrible that she stayed in that church. There are many people who get caught. They go."

Disregard for the law, especially in a nation supposed to have been built on the rule of law, reflects badly on everyone, especially those who actually made the effort to follow the rules and become legal, productive citizens.

Well, It's About Time

Finally, someone took action against this criminal:

• An illegal Mexican immigrant who sought refuge inside a Chicago church for a year was arrested in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon after taking her campaign on the road.
• "Arellano, who was taken into custody without incident, is being processed for removal to Mexico based upon a deportation order originally issued by a federal immigration judge in 1997," the statment said. "Arresting and removing criminal aliens is one of ICE's top enforcement priorities and the agency will continue to pursue these cases vigorously."

Tribune, Sun Times, Channel 2, Channel 5, Channel 7, Channel 32 coverage.

In any event, one down, 11,999,999 to go (or 19,999,999 if you believe the high end estimates).

Mette Update

Someone is asking about Mette T-shirts being sold in 011 to help cover legal costs. Anyone have any info?

And the CNN interview that was supposed to air last week ended up canceled for the Utah mining disaster and the brewing Gulf hurricane news. Has anyone heard about a reschedule time?

Also, Thursday is the big fundraising event. Hop over to MikeMetteDefenseFund.com for details.

Mayor Buying Votes

That is exactly what he's doing:

• Speaking about the increasing number of home foreclosures in Chicago and in the nation, Mayor Richard Daley said Saturday that the city hopes to compile a list of people who lost their homes to foreclosures, in an effort to try to help them.
  
  "We have to take a list of all of them, get all the mortgage companies and have to try to build their lives," the mayor said at a news conference announcing a new principal at Harper High School in West Englewood. He did not specify what the city would do with the list.
  
  The mayor said the increase in foreclosures is a national problem and faulted the federal government for not regulating the issue.
  
  "Where was the federal government on this?" he said. "They completely failed."

The federal government is to blame? Then why aren't we seeing waves of indictments against these subprime mortgage lenders? Probably because the lenders followed the rules in place. The lenders took risks and so did the borrowers. It didn't pan out and the lenders seem to have over extended themselves a bit. How is that our problem? How is that the City's problem?

This reminds us of the Rosemont casino license debacle - certain politically connected investors had a "can't miss" opportunity and when it all went south, they expect the taxpayers of Illinois to bail them out. Doesn't the mayor have a $218 million hole in his budget? Shouldn't he be taking care of that instead of trying to pick up votes from people who can't manage their finances properly?

And speaking of subprime lenders, we read this over at Captain's Quarters:

• As a presidential candidate, Democrat John Edwards has regularly attacked subprime lenders, particularly those that have filed foreclosure suits against victims of Hurricane Katrina. But as an investor, Mr. Edwards has ties to lenders foreclosing on Katrina victims. The Wall Street Journal has identified 34 New Orleans homes whose owners have faced foreclosure suits from subprime-lending units of Fortress Investment Group LLC. Mr. Edwards has about $16 million invested in Fortress funds, according to a campaign aide who confirmed a more general Federal Election Commission report.

After preaching about "two Americas" for the past few years, seems Edwards contributes to those "two Americas" in words AND deeds. Maybe he and the mayor could get together and work out a few of these loans.

Funny Readers

We have some of the best readers in the universe:

• ok, as we all know this weekend is a wash out with the rain and all,so I'm bored. Some of you remember a song from the 60's, Hello Mother, Hello Father,(hello muddah, hello faddah)
  Well, the first post inspired me to add some new lyrics.
  
  Hello muddah, Hello faddah,
  Here I am at Camp Headquaders,
  You remember, PhillyNilly,
  He just left us and our building’s getting silly
  
  Our board meetings, get real hairy,
  We have gangbangers, they make it scary
  We need protection, we just don’t doodle
  Still I fear we’ll all get beaten with a wet noodle
  
  And our sick leave, they abuse it
  Officers go on it, for a face zit
  No one stops them, no work but full pay
  Their on for years and the bosses say it’s ok
  
  We lead the world in, techy gizmos
  But our equipment it really does blow,
  Most computers freeze if someone farted
  My adult arrestee was a juvenile when I started
  
  And the community, they think we’re mutants
  Their kids are angels, and med students
  They think we’re bullies and we’re racists
  And the media takes their side in most cases
  
  Please come save me, I’m not faking
  I’m starting to quiver, my knees are shaking
  This job is to dangerous and it’s no fun
  I just heard they named the new Supt and his name is Sharpton

We wish we had this sort of time on our hands.

Wish We Had This Problem

Why does this never happen to us?

• North Dakota authorities say two Chicagoans stopped by a state trooper on U.S. Highway 83 say they did not know how more than $10 thousand in cash got in the rental car's glovebox.
• The man and woman had rented the car in Chicago, and were stopped in North Dakota in April. They told the trooper they were returning home after visiting a relative, but the car didn't have any luggage in it. The two had different Chicago addresses.

Hmmm.

They Just Give it Away

No wonder there's a huge budget hole in County government:

• Stroger Hospital of Cook County is charging a co-pay for prescriptions for the first time in memory, and it has created a stir among patients and staff.
  
  [...] the Cook County treasury is so poor, the county has begun charging the poor for their drugs. It is a nominal fee, at only $3 per drug, not to exceed $10. And not everybody has to pay.
  
  But since Tuesday, when the county launched the co-pay, pharmacy patients say they have been confused. Some, like Dorothy Bennett of Calumet City, say they are worried.
  
  "I've been to the county (hospital) out here five days this week, and you can imagine how much gas that cost us," Bennett said, "and we were just thinking, what are we going to do? A co-payment on top of all that gas? That's terrible."
  
  Gloria Vargas says the co-pay is a burden.
  
  "It used to be very good before because I was unemployed and a lot of people got their stuff free," she said. "When you're not working, even $10 on medication is going to be a lot of money."

At St. Roger's five days this week? "Free" stuff? This entitlement crap just gets worse and worse.

Doing More With Less?

For all the complaining that goes on here about manpower shortages citywide (and we count ourselves among those who have been railing at the shortages), crime is still down?

• Virtually every major crime category was down in Chicago in July, according to statistics released by the police department on Friday.

  Homicides decreased 7.9 percent from January to July compared to the same period in 2006, while overall crime was down 6.4 percent, according to a release from police. The only crime category to show an increase was arson, which was up 3.1 percent.

  Since January, there have been 245 murders in the city, compared to 266 a year ago, the release said. Overall violent crime showed a 5 percent drop, including sexual assault down 3.4 percent, robbery down 5.5 percent, aggravated assault down 7 percent and aggravated battery down 3.4 percent, according to the release. There have been 208 fewer shootings in the city since the same period a year ago.

So in spite of the perceived up-tick in aggravated batteries to police, in spite of the massive upsurge in shootings of altar boys and honor students by racist police officers, regardless of the recent spate of riotous behavior by members of the vice lord community, crime is still down?

You know what? We think we deserve a raise. A big one.

Luggage Missing Again

And guess what was on board?

• A Massachusetts man said he checked his luggage at Midway Airport this week, but when he got to Rhode Island, his luggage -- with the guns he packed in it -- was missing.
• Cook left Midway Monday on Southwest flight 1839, for Providence, R.I., inside his checked luggage. He had Smith and Wesson 38-caliber and 357-revolvers, and two semi-automatic pistols -- a Glock 9 millimeter, and a 22-caliber Browning.
• He reported the packed firearms to Southwest and TSA officials, but they never arrived in Providence

Someone be sure to check the next gun turn in.

In the meantime, we'll be letting the NRA know that guns shipped and transshipped through Chicago have a better than average chance of never making it out of the city.

The best part of the article?

• Early last year, at least 10 guns were reported missing from luggage checked with United Airlines at O�Hare. After two United employs were questioned by police -- but not charged -- the thefts stopped.
• Both Chicago's Aviation Department and the TSA insist there's been no pattern of gun thefts at Midway.

That's why Monique is spokescreature for the Police Department - she couldn't keep a straight face relating that last line to the press.

Police Board Meeting Mayhem

Oh boy:

• A disruptive crowd angry over the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old man by a police officer prompted an abrupt adjournment Thursday night of a routine Chicago Police Board meeting.
  
  About 15 minutes after starting, Board President Demetrius Carney adjourned the meeting when audience members started chanting "No justice, no peace!" and approached the nine-member panel.
  
  After adjournment, board members and Interim Supt. Dana Starks left the meeting room at Chicago Police Headquarters through a side door. Rows of police officers lined up between board members and the crowd.

And the typical conspiracy theories abound:

• Community activist Queen Sister of the It Takes a Village organization told the board that the community suspects that police are planting on civilians the same guns turned in during gun buy-back programs.

And according to a sharp eyed commentator of ours:

• I just finished watching the 9:00 P.M. WGN News regarding the protesters at the Police Board meeting. The reporter then interviewed a protester. The protester was no other than Kenny Shannon. Yes, the same Kenny Shannon that is a top leader for the Conservative Vice Lords. Yes, the same Kenny Shannon who is responsible for at least 20 years of murder and mayhem on the westside. Nice!

We didn't see this coverage, but if Kenny Shannon, aka Kenny Shoulder, one of the top generals, if not the top guy in the conservative vice lords is being quoted and interviewed by the media, then the North Lawndale community has a major problem with credibility and questionable motivation. Has anyone else seen the Intelligence bulletin put out by Squad 60 outlining the conflict in 011 between the "lawndale crazies" and the various vice lord factions? If someone has the whole thing, it shows that the dead OFFENDER was an integral part of this criminal organization.

Dispatchers Suspended

As usual, the lowest on the totem pole take the beating:

• Officials at the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) announced Thursday that two police dispatchers will face unpaid suspensions for failing to dispatch police units to a July 14 disturbance on the city's Southwest Side.
  
  The investigation determined that the dispatchers failed to send police units to a reported disturbance at Durkin Park, 8445 South Kolin Ave.
  
  "This incident is simply unacceptable," said Tony Ruiz, Executive Director of OEMC. "It is the nature of this incident, and the manner in which these dispatchers failed to do their jobs that demanded a stern response."

Should the dispatchers have recognized that something bad was happening at Durkin Park based on the tenor and volume of calls? Sure, and they ought to get tagged for it. But this is merely the end result of an undermanned Patrol Division and a failure of the leadership to adjust the arcane dispatching priority system. OEMC shouldn't be sending cars to every single EMS call. Or to "domestics" involving a 5 year old who won't eat his vegetables. Or getting cats out of bedrooms. The policy of sending the police in as social workers instead of law enforcement officers is shorting the community of proper police protection and officers of backup for hot calls. Reform starts at the call taking level.

All This Money

It's amazing how it turns up when the mayor needs to buy votes:

• Mayor Daley on Wednesday committed $276 million -- from low-income tax credits, bonds, loans and tax-increment financing subsidies -- to finance construction of 2,673 units of new affordable rental housing.

  The 29 developments in line for city financing include 11 for seniors, eight for families and five for single-room-occupancy or special needs residents.

How about taking that $276 million and closing the $220 million hole in the budget that Daley and the aldercreatures are attempting to cover by raising taxes on bottled water and everything else under the sun?

Or how about this Total Compensation Summary crap that we had to sign for this week? We were laughing out loud at the line item labeled "Pension Plan." This line item reads in the neighborhood of $15,000, yet we know for a fact that the pension plan is funded at under 52%, meaning that this is nothing more than a lie put to paper.

Doesn't anyone in the media have access to an accountant that could point out the BS that the mayor passes off as budget numbers?

Oh Shit, It's the Feds!

Things just went from bad to worse for the SOS scandal:

• The U.S. attorney's office has joined the ongoing criminal probe of an elite squad of the Chicago Police Department, working with Cook County prosecutors to investigate why police officials did not stop rogue officers who allegedly robbed and kidnapped civilians over at least four years, sources familiar with the investigation said.
  
  The move raises the stakes for the Special Operations Section officers who now face the specter of harsher federal punishment and also signals that more cops could be swept up in the probe as law enforcement authorities reach back at least a decade for evidence of criminal conduct.

Federal prosecution means the possibility of RICO charges and that means asset seizures.

SOS is finished and probably won't last out the year at this rate. People are bailing left and right and no one is getting in.

Asking Questions

We've been called out by a bunch of people, unhappy for questioning the Memorial, its practices, its methods, where it's headed. We've been called a bunch of bad names, too. When you can't attack the message, attack the messenger we suppose. It works for the democrats.

We've also had a bunch of support in the comments section. Thanks for that.

When we started this series of posts, we knew it was going to be heated. We still don't understand how anyone can give blindly and not expect an accurate accounting, especially given the history of corruption, not just in the City, but in the Department itself. Do we really have to run down the list of exempts who were mob connected, convicted thieves, serial sexual predators, or drug abusers?

Sorry we're so cynical as to have to question the motivations and practices of a job we really truly enjoy. We didn't come on the job like this - the job made us like this. But when we go to the Memorial Newsletter page and find the alleged "accounting" of millions of dollars, we find this:

• Chicago Police Memorial Foundation Financial Information
• From Inception Through 12/31/06
• Revenues/Donations $4,145.2 million 100.0%
• Memorial Costs $3,214.2 million 77.5%
• Fundraising/Event Costs* $575.3 thousand 13.9%
• Cash on Hand $334.7 thousand 8.1%
• Awards/Assistance $21.0 thousand .5%

For comparison purposes, go to this link for the 2005-2006 Annual Report put out by Easter Seals - it's a 68 page document outlining income and expenditures in mind numbing detail. In our opinion, what the Memorial newsletter provides IS NOT AN ACCURATE ACCOUNTING.

We realize that the Memorial Costs ate up a huge amount of the total donations. Construction materials and labor cost a huge amount of money. But its a one-time expense. What concerns us most is the $575,000 (13.9% of total monies) for Fundraising/Event Costs as compared to the Awards/Assistance of $21,000 (0.5% of total monies). What are the future expected costs and layouts? Wouldn't that $575,000 have been better spent as Awards/Assistance to the disabled or families of deceased? Is anyone else bothered that only 0.5% of the Memorial Fund actually made it out as Awards/Assistance? And where is the accounting for a "paid director" position that the former Superintendent is accepting? How much is it? Is that lumped in with "Memorial Costs"?

As to people contending that the "Mission beyond the Memorial" was always part of the plan, we (and dozens of others) don't recall that at all. The early Roll Call videos were about the Memorial, not the continuing mission.

Again, for the benefit of those attacking us - demanding accountability is NOT a fault, is NOT cowardly, is NOT an attack upon the Memorial and what it represents. It is a Duty to our Dead to ensure that their memories are not sullied by shoddy accounting practices and paid directorships that haven't existed in the past, yet suddenly appear when a retired exempt (nominally in charge of the strong arming that went on) needs a job.

Why isn't everyone asking these questions? Are the answers you're getting satisfying you? So far, they aren't satisfying us.

Thanks Greg

Now if this would just get out to the world at large. From Greg Bella, 3rd Vice President of FOP 7:

• Our officers should never be expected to risk death or serious injury when confronted by an armed offender. The choice is simple and it is made for the officer by the offender, drop the weapon and surrender or aim the weapon and be shot. This is how we are trained. We don’t want to lose one officer because of second-guessing. Second-guessing is something reserved for the Jakeses, Montgomerys and Sharptons of the world.

Go read the entire article at the FOP current updates page (linked here for your convenience)

Two Arrests for Tagging

From the Tribune:

• Bail has been set in the case of two men charged with the July 23 spray-painting of a wall at a memorial dedicated to police officers killed in the line of duty.
  
  Prosecutors said Anthony Ortega, 24, of the 2600 block of West Touhy Avenue and Robert Ray, 26, of the 7100 block of West Foster Avenue spray-painted their "tagger" names—nicknames that graffiti artists often spray in high-visibility areas—on a wall at the Gold Star Families Memorial and Park, located at Waldron and Museum Campus Drives.
  
  They were arrested and charged with criminal damage to government property, a felony. On Wednesday, Judge Raymond Myles set bail at $40,000 for Ortega and at $50,000 for Ray, a tax auditor who is on special probation for a case involving possession of a controlled substance.

Government property? Can someone explain? We were under the impression it was private property.

He Doesn't Get It

That's the simplest explanation we could come up with. From the comments:

• CONGRATULATIONS SCC, YOU'VE REACHED A NEW LOW!
  
  [Thanks? We weren't aware that anyone was keeping track.]
  
  SURE IT MAKES SENSE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT TO PUT SPIN IT THE WAY YOU HAVE DONE IS DEPLORABLE.
  
  [Spin? What spin? We started this series of posts stating that questions had been raised and we weren't sure how to approach the issue without offending some people]
  
  ALL MEMORIALS HAVE PAID POSITIONS, CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITES. THE NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL FUNDS SPENDS OVER 1.3 MILLION A YEAR IN SALARIES.
  
  [Are those salaries paid for running things like the gift shop? We don't see one of those here. For fundraising expertise? Maintenance costs? As we stated, an endowment fund could take care of all of these trivial expenses in perpetuity]
  
  MOST MEMORIAL FOUNDATIONS GO BEYOND THE MEMORIAL AND TO DO THAT, THEY NEED DIRECTION AND MANAGEMENT; AND YES THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE PAID FOR THEIR WORK.
  
  [Which was never how this was presented. This was supposed to be a straight up Memorial honoring the dead of the CPD. We don't recall any of the initial publicity material or videos or presentations ever mentioned a "mission beyond the memorial." We challenge your assertion that "most memorial foundations go beyond the memorial." Perhaps other organizations spring up afterwards, but they are presented and stand on their own.]
  
  THE MONEY FROM OUR MEMORIAL IS SLATED FOR MANY THINGS AND ALL OF IT IS FOR THE FAMILIES OF OUR FALLEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND THOSE CRITICALLY INJURED IN THE LINE OF DUTY. Ie. ONE TIME PAYOUTS TO THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN OFFICERS TO HELP OUT RIGHT AWAY; REGARDLESS IF THEY WERE MURDERED ON OR OFF DUTY, SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS FOR THE CHILDREN OF FALLEN OFFICERS (THE MORE WE RAISE, THE MORE THEY CAN PAY), AND WHO KNOWS WHAT OTHER ASSISTANCE THE MEMORIAL WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER AS MORE MONEY COMES IN.
  
  [You mean like the 100 Club? The Gold Star organization? Is the Memorial attempting to supplant or replace these organizations? Enhance? Why not work within the existing framework?]
  
  I AGREE THAT AN ANNUAL REPORT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED AND I’M SURE IT WILL, BUT YOU PEOPLE WILL ONLY BEEF THAT MUCH MORE WHEN YOU SEE THE NUMBERS. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT YOU DO; YOU CRY AND CRY ABOUT EVERYTHING. LOOK AT THE NLEOMF AND SEE WHAT THEY SPEND EACH YEAR. http://www.nleomf.org/media/pdf/AnnualReport2006.pdf
  
  [See, we aren't sure it will ever be. It should have been done before we started receiving dozens of inquires. Asking for accountability isn't a crime and it isn't whining.]
  
  I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THE SINCERITY OF EVERYONE I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE MEMORIAL. DONATIONS SHOULD HAVE BEEN VOLUNTARY AND IT’S RIDICULOUS THAT ANYONE HAD TO BE “STRONG-ARMED”. COPPERS WILL PISS AWAY HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH ON BEER AND CIGARETTES, BUT GOD FORBID THEY FEEL A LITTLE PRESSURED TO GIVE UP 4 BUCKS A MONTH TO HELP THE FAMILIES OF OUR OWN FALLEN OFFICERS. 48 DOLLARS A YEAR FOR YOU IDIOTS THAT CAN’T DO THE MATH.
  
  [Still, it's our money to "piss away" as you put it. And we believe it's ridiculous that anyone had to be strong armed, too, but not for your reason. Yours appears to be feigned outrage that everyone didn't reach deep to contribute. Ours is that people were denied opportunities if they didn't play the game.]
  
  I’M WILLING TO BET THAT EVERY SINGLE OFFICER ON THIS JOB HAS PROBABLY COVERED 10 YEARS WORTH OF CONTRIBUTIONS IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WITHIN THEIR FIRST 2 YEARS ON THE JOB. Ie. MEDICAL ABUSE, COURT OT WHEN YOU WEREN’T NEEDED, MILKING OT, ETC.
  
  [Don't go there John. Seriously, don't go there. Do you really want everyone at Area 5 telling stories about you?]
  
  ALTHOUGH I USUALLY AVOID POSTING HERE, I WELCOME THE PUNISHMENT I AM ABOUT TO TAKE FOR THIS POSTING AND YES I AM SIGNING MY NAME TO IT.
  
  [Oh, believe us, you'll be getting some flack - we've already seen some popping up in the comments]
  
  THE MEMORIAL FOUNDATION IS AN OUTSTANDING ORGANIZATION AND ONE I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF.
  
  [We like to ensure that it truly is an outstanding organization. That's why we question and demand accountability instead of blindly trusting to people who have proven themselves less than trustworthy.]
  
  
  John Garrido
  Area 5 Detective Division

Accounting 101

This is a perfect example of how Daley suddenly ended up with a $218 million hole in his budget:

• Last fall, Chicago aldermen held their noses and expanded a residential permit parking program gone wild -- by creating a $300-a-year parking permit for real estate agents, social workers and home health care providers.

  It was either that or blow a $2.4 million hole in Mayor Daley's 2007 budget.

  Nearly a year later, all but $15,900 of that $2.4 million hole remains.

So suddenly, the revenue "projection" falls short by $2.398 million? This was a completely avoidable shortage. And this is a single instance of "projections" not meeting expectations. And how will they attempt to make up the difference? Raising taxes on other things instead - like bottled water:

• Chicago should cash in on the bonanza of bottled water sales -- and help clean up the environment -- by slapping a tax of 10 to 25 cents on the cost of every bottle, a Southwest Side alderman said Monday.

  At a time when Chicagoans are bracing for post-election tax increases to close a $217 million budget gap, Ald. George Cardenas (12th) said he can think of no better or more lucrative idea to add to the menu than a bottled water tax.

  "People enjoy jogging or driving with a bottle of water. There's a cost associated with this behavior. You have to pay for it," said Cardenas, one of Mayor Daley's staunchest City Council supporters.

There's going to be another cost associated with this behavior of taxing everything in sight to cover the bloated waste and corruption epidemic in this city. It's called "shopping in the burbs" and we know hundreds of people who do it constantly, SCC staff included. Anyone want to call John Daley and ask him how that cigarette tax is working out for the Toddler and his people over on the County Board? We know for a fact that it has helped Indiana tobacco retailers out to the tune of hundreds of thousands in increased sales. Consumers will shop for the best prices and they'll travel to outside of the city and county to get them, thereby denying these governmental bodies revenue.

Nah Nah Hey Hey Goodbye

You've got to love this stuff:

• A former death row inmate who became a symbol of a badly broken criminal justice system harangued prosecutors and denounced a federal judge Tuesday before being sentenced to 30 years in prison for trading in guns and drugs.
  
• Aaron Patterson, who prosecutors claimed coordinated gang activities even as he served 17 years in prison for a double murder he insists he didn't commit, made a 45-minute expletive-laden statement to the court before his sentence was read.
  
• "You're going to put me down for a high sentence, but I'll be back. Back with a vengeance," said Patterson, his hands and ankles bound as he spoke from the defense table flanked by three federal marshals.

Slowly correcting the errors of the George Ryan pardons, one case at a time.

Blago, Jones Seize Power

Not quite a bloodless coup yet, but among the most blatant power grabs in recent history, completely circumventing the legislative process:

• The battle over the budget appears to be over in Springfield. Governor Rod Blagojevich says it is a done deal -- as he uses his veto powers to rearrange the budget passed by the Illinois House last week.
• All of the governor's ambitious health care plans were roundly rejected by Illinois lawmakers this year. But Rod Blagojevich either has some real smart lawyers or he is pulling a fast one, because with one stroke of his veto pen, and the issuance of a controversial executive order, he is getting health care, lawmakers are losing pet projects, and the budget battle does indeed to be over unless Blagojevich is challenged in court.
• "We do not plan to move to override because -- on spending that will put the governor in position where he cannot do anything for health care. That's our position. That's what we're going to do. Case closed," said Sen. Emil Jones , (D) senate president.

So Rod and Jones made a deal - Rod gets to redirect half a BILLION dollars into programs the elected legislature has rejected over and over again for over a year, and Jones won't allow debate on the Senate floor via various parliamentary rules.

Court challenges to follow?

• "Irresponsible is putting it kindly. Again, it's a gross disregard for the rule of the General Assembly and the people that we represent," said Sen. Christine Radogno, (R) LaGrange.

  "The governor can't go out and arbitrarily make changes in the whole budget without legislative approval," said Sen. Frank Watson, (R) minority leader.

  And that's why there's talk around Springfield of a possible legal challenge on constitutional grounds.

Anyone want to bet that some company or project controlled by Jones is one of the primary beneficiaries of this maneuver? (Channel 2 also covers)