A Night Game?

And we had all the snacks and beer ready to go for noon. Oh wait, did we say beer? We meant sparkling spring water.

Anyway, predictions?

Over/Under on Snow Tows

Tonight is the night! Teams of Traffic Aides and tow trucks fan out across the City, concentrating on Western Avenue, residential corridors and taverns in the hunt for revenue.

Seeing as how Shortshanks needs the money, balanced with the hiring slowdown and impending layoffs, the over/under will be set at 103 vehicles for the evening. Hopefully, the papers or Department of Revenue post their totals in the next day of so.

The betting begins now and closes upon the midnight. Guesses are time stamped in the comments. First prize is a free subscription to Star Magazine.

The Last Street Deputy

True or False?

• Sandra Day has been on "extended medical leave" for over six months, yet was driving her nice, black take home car all over the place until just a few weeks ago. Did someone finally notice?
  
  11/29/2008 08:28:00 AM
  
  *************
  
  Sandra Day was told to retire pronto or face possible 30 pending for using her city car constantly while on the medical. She is not one of the smarter cookies in the jar.

  11/29/2008 05:52:00 PM

Just another clout hack. We're assuming she'll be allowed to retire in good graces with her pension intact? It's not like she stole a $1 bag of trail mix or anything, right?

Fran Reads the Blog

Again. Our readers have been bringing this up for months:

• Mayor Daley and then-First Deputy Police Supt. Dana Starks promised a broader review of a perk long viewed as little more than a valet service.

  Nearly two years later, city Treasurer Stephanie Neely and Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th), chairman of the City Council's Finance Committee, still have police officers permanently assigned to chauffeur and protect them.

  Now that police hiring is slowing to a crawl and a 16 percent increase in homicides has made Chicago the murder capital of the nation, critics are questioning the perk once again.

However, Fran doesn't bring up that Shortshanks has a security detail for himself and his family that runs into the low 20's, all making Sergeant pay. An interesting exercise in actual journalism would be comparing Daley's entourage against that of New York's mayor, LA's mayor and a few other cities. For some reason, we'd bet that the Chicago way is a lot more expensive and expansive.

Bad Day for Retail

Black Friday became Black & Blue Friday for some:

• NEW YORK (AP) _ A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday when "out-of-control" shoppers desperate for bargains broke down the doors at a 5 a.m. sale. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.

And on the other coast:

• PALM DESERT, Calif. (AP) _ Two men pulled guns and shot each other to death in a crowded toy store Friday after the women with them erupted into a bloody brawl, witnesses said. Scared shoppers fled but no one else was hurt.

On the other hand, we finished all our Christmas shopping using the miracle of the Internet, free shipping and UPS Ground. Best of all, no sales taxes for Shortshanks and Toddler to steal.

Where'd the Street Deputies Go?

Someone pointed out in an e-mail that all the Street Deputies have been given other commands. We saw McNulty's name, but we have no idea who the others were. Have they eliminated the post and how much is that going to save?

This Is A Job For...

• Two males were shot in a fast food restaurant drive-through early Thursday on the Northwest Side.

  About 12:30 a.m., an employee at the Burger King restaurant on the 4500 block of West Diversey Avenue called police and said someone was shot in the drive-through, police said.

  When police got to the restaurant, the victims were not there but were later found in the 2900 block of North Kolmar Avenue. One victim was shot in the shoulder and the other was shot in the arm, police said.

We might not be prepared for a terror incident the size of India's, but we know damn sure how to build a sandwich that will stop gang conflict in it's tracks.

Terror Expert? Where?

We're assuming everyone has heard about the terror attacks in India. One hundred twenty five dead, including upwards of fourteen policemen. Army and Police elements are clearing buildings and the scenes of chaos and horror are a stark reminder of what is still out there. New York and Washington DC are patrolling their subway systems with fully armed and visible SWAT officers in response to at least one specific threat. We haven't heard that CPD is doing anything different, but we got this e-mail today (language has been altered slightly to conceal the District of assignment):

• Dear SCC,
  
  I arrived for work today 20 minutes early. I walked in from the parking lot and noticed how deserted it was, being very early in the AM. There are no cameras there. I walked in the side door of the station. I met no one in the hallway and went to the locker room without seeing a soul. It was a holiday after all.
  
  And after going back to the main floor, I saw a newspaper and the India attacks and was struck by a sudden thought. What if I wasn't a cop heading in for an early holiday shift? What if I was bent on destruction and I led three vans full of armed terrorists into a parking lot where no one could see us, unloaded a strike team of a dozen or more people bent on doing some real damage? We just waltzed into an unsecured lot, in through a side door, and made it to the locker room. We could have headed to the desk, the WC's office, the radio room, the administrative offices. We'd own that building and everyone in it within 60 seconds.
  
  The shotguns are locked up and the only key is in the Captain's desk. Haven't seen a rifle yet and aren't likely to if you've seen the desk crew. Did you know the India attacks started out with an assault on a police facility? Has anyone given any thought to this?

We wish we could answer that last question. From what we've seen, the answer is probably no. We aren't saying every police facility should be locked down and machine gun emplacements dug into the lobbies, but it ought to be a bit more realistic than it is now.

• video security should be upgraded, repaired or deployed in older buildings;
• some sort of reinforcement ought to be provided to desks;
• doors ought to be locked and access restricted;
• long guns should be available to any officer who wants to carry it and can qualify with it - yes, even the desk crew (again, this is common sense - the power test isn't going to mean shit if the above scenario plays out at a police station);

We here at SCC are just coming to terms with the fact that with the president-elect being from here and maintaining a presence here for the duration of his presidency, Chicago hopped up quite a few places in terms of terror targeting. We're wondering if the Department Administration is probably more than a few weeks behind our range of thinking. We're scared they might be months or years behind.

Forced Furlough Day #1

Today is the first of the forced furlough days being pushed upon non-emergency workers. Streets and San would appear to be the ones taking the brunt of the "layoffs" to save jobs and money.

One question though. We had our trash picked up Wednesday. We assume it was early because Thursday was the holiday and Friday was going to be a forced day off. All fine and dandy that the trash got removed - we're fine with once a week.

The trouble is, the truck was in the alley at 0630. Then it was covering the next block over around noon. Then we caught them in the next hood over at 1700. When we drove by the Ward yard, the trucks were still coming in after 1900 hours.

So if there is an actual forced furlough day that is supposed to be saving money, isn't it odd that the Ward yard was humming with activity well after 1800 hours the day prior? The overtime racked up prior to a holiday and "furlough" day must have been quite a total. Perhaps more than working an actual day might have totaled?

Why do we get the feeling there's more going on here than meets the eye?

The New Fleet?

No wonder we're driving hunks of shit with 120,000 miles, no brakes, no floors and no working electronics. We're saving money for these:

• Carbon Motors will be using the nine-city 2008 Pure Justice tour of the U.S. as an avenue for unveiling its all-new E7 purpose-built police car.
  
  The E7 hasn't even secured its final name yet - Carbon Motors will be relying on the law enforcement community to choose a name for the vehicle ahead of production. Nevertheless, the car is looking more like a real product that could actually come to market, and judging by the reception of the police community, the vehicle will be on at least some city streets in the near future.
  
  The tour to promote the car kicked off in Chicago next Monday, October 14, offering the first public glimpse of the car. The reveal at the 115th International Association of Police Chiefs convention today gives the best view of the car yet, thanks to the new video of the car, which shows it inside and out in real-world trim.

Diesel powered.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hopefully, you're working in one of the Districts or Units that has a decent relationship with a nice restaurant or two in the area that might send over a meal as thanks for serving and protecting while everyone else is with their families. If not, we certainly wish you a nice meal somewhere during the course of the day with family, friends or co-workers.

Stay safe boys and girls.

The Final Tally

This appears to be the official list:

• Assistant Superintendents:
  
  -- James Jackson, Assistant Superintendent -- Law Enforcement Operations
  -- Beatrice Cuello, Assistant Superintendent - Administration
  
  Bureau of Patrol:
  
  -- Deputy Superintendent - Daniel Dugan Jr.
  -- Chief, Areas 1, 2 and 4 - Eugene Williams
  -- Chief, Areas 3, 5, Central Control Group and Special Func Grp - Michael McCotter
  -- Deputy Chief, Area 2 - Dana Alexander
  -- Deputy Chief, Special Functions Group - Patrick McNulty
  -- Commander, Targeted Response Unit - Kevin Ryan
  -- Commander, 1st District - Chris Kennedy
  -- Cmdr., 4th District - Eric Carter
  -- Cmdr. 24th District - Dave Sobczyk
  -- Cmdr. 25th District - Robert Lopez
  
  Bureau of Investigative Services:
  
  -- Chief, Organized Crime Division - Ernest Brown
  -- Deputy Chief, Organized Crime Division - Nicholas Roti
  -- Deputy Chief, Field Group B - Constantine Andrews
  -- Cmdr., Gang Enforcement Unit - Leo Schmitz
  -- Cmdr., Gang Investigations Section - Joseph Gorman
  -- Cmdr., Deployment Operations Center - Steve Caluris
  
  Sodini - Inspector

So now we have two First Deputies called Assistant Superintendents? Where is Peterson in this? Brust? Who is answering to whom? We need someone to come up with the Organizational Chart for this one. You can't tell the players anymore without a scorecard.

Shaved Asks a Question

And it ought to be addressed:

• Is it true that the new citywide gang unit has the following daily operation planned?
  
  Pick up your squad car at the district you are assigned and then drive to Homan Square for a personal roll call with your leader Leo Schmitz?
  
  For district not centrally located, such as 003, 004, 005, 022, and also the far north side districts, this daily trip and whatever roll call being conducted will basically take at least ONE THIRD OF THE TOUR OF DUTY.
  
  The department is depleting the district of their gang teams, thus less coverage in a district and then wasting 1/3 of their shift!
  
  And the department has the balls to call this an improvement?

Can someone confirm or deny? We had heard that the Gang Units were moving equipment and operations to the Areas. We certainly hope they wouldn't be reporting to Homan Square for any sort of daily briefing - maybe a monthly meeting for the sergeants or a "Welcome to the Unit" address from Ric Flair. Daily? That would be insane. It would make way more sense to have the commander come out to the Areas once everything is settled in...oops, there we go using the word "sense" in anything this Department does.

We Wondered the Same Thing

Wasn't the largest sales tax increase in history supposed to alleviate all this? Wasn't Stroger bragging that he raised taxes more than was absolutely necessary in order to have a cushion and maybe defer future tax increases? Then what the hell is this?

• Just minutes after Cook County Board President Todd Stroger boasted his $2.94 billion proposed budget for 2009 was free of additional taxes, several commissioners pounced on the plan Tuesday, describing it as fiscally irresponsible.

  The budget, critics contend, cannot be balanced without borrowing $740 million through bond issues -- a tactic Stroger has been pushing for months.

We'd like the names of the banks that the Toddler is proposing to "borrow" $740 million from. Because we'd like to compare it to a list of his cousins, political contributors and commissioner relatives. Follow the money and we're sure everything would become obvious to Claypool and everyone else raising hell over this.

Shades of the Future

Maywood is doing what Shortshanks is doing, but on a grander scale:

• The Village of Maywood increased the liquor license fee for liquor stores from $1,875 to $10,000 to pay for additional police presence around these establishments.

  The Village Board voted 6-1 for the fee increase at the Nov. 18 Village Board meeting. Village Trustee Edwenna Perkins voted against the increase, calling it "unfair." The increase goes into effect next week and applies to seven stores.

  "To me, you're hijacking (the business owners)," Perkins said.

Anyone want to take a bet that instead of Maywood reaping $70,000 in licensing fees, they lose the $13,125 they were getting in the first place? You'd have to weigh it against the alleged "extra" police presence at the liquor stores, but wouldn't a better purpose have been served by requiring the liquor stores to have on-site security? You'd have the $13,125 in license fees, you'd have part-time jobs for 14 or more people providing security and you'd have a business being a more responsible entity to the village.

Instead, all seven liquor stores will probably locate just outside Maywood's border, provide jobs and tax revenue to another taxing body and contribute nothing but seven more vacant lots to an already burgeoning number of such properties in Maywood.

Now apply that to Chicago and greater Cook County with recent sales tax hikes, property tax hikes and increased licensing fees. Goodbye tax base - hello bust out city.

Changes Changes Changes

Looks like some major dumps. Post them if you got them.

UPDATE: Commander of 025? Commander of TRU? A Deputy Superintendent launched? Who's got the real info?

UPDATE: Confirmed

• TRU Commander demoted to Captain in 008.

Unconfirmed

• Commander of 001 lateraled to TRU?
• Sodini and Shields demoted to Field Lieutenants?

Sympathies to the boys and girls in 008.

UPDATE: Sun Times article lists the changes.

Shortage Hits 022

Actually, it's hitting everywhere, but this is making it kind of obvious that Shortshanks, J-Fed and anyone attached to the City is lying through their teeth to us, the media and the public:

• Residents in the 22nd Police District are being asked by Chicago police to volunteer to monitor cop surveillance cameras.

  The cameras, formally called Police Observation Devices, or PODs, are mounted on streetlights in neighborhoods and used by police to spot illegal activity, including loitering, drug dealing and other crimes.

  City police Officer Joe Hurley announced that police are looking for POD monitors during a recent Beat 2222 CAPS meeting.

Is this really a good idea? Really? We thought that cameras were supposed to be the be all and end all of 21st century policing. Now we have to ask for unpaid volunteers to monitor police devices, look for criminal behavior and call 911 to report it? What happened to the idea of retirees monitoring the cameras? Oh wait, that would cost money.

And when some civilian or teen (yes, they are accepting teens so they can cover community service hours) is found to be violating the law by peeking in windows (yes, it's going to happen) who's on the hook for the Civil Rights judgments?

Chalkie Tours

Someone sent us this picture from South Africa. We don't know if readers are able to enlarge it enough to see the full detail, but click on it and try:


The gentleman standing at the base of the tree is wearing a Chalkie 2016 t-shirt. Chalkie is touring and he's worldwide.

Just Say No

Durbin is a complete piece of shit for even considering this. Make Ryan serve the whole sentence. After all, he helped kill six kids by nurturing a corrupt system:

• U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said today he is considering whether to ask President Bush to commute the corruption sentence of former Gov. George Ryan.

  Bush, who is nearing the end of his term, recently granted a number of clemency petitions and Durbin was asked at a Springfield news conference whether he would support such an action for Ryan.

  “I am evaluating that at this point,” Durbin said. “I have not taken any steps forward to send any kind of letter to the president. I’m going to make that decision at a later time.”

Besides sending a message to other jagoffs that Illinois politics is crooked beyond repair, we're really hoping to see two former governors behind bars concurrently. The crooked Illinois political combine really needs to be brought to the national forefront. Especially as the president-elect is a byproduct of it.

More Dumbass Teen Stunts

Does no one teach common sense anymore?

• Getting kicked in the groin.

  Pelting the elderly with muffins.

  Jumping from a moving car.

  All were stunts associated with an underground St. Charles North High School scavenger hunt, documented on film with a cash prize at the end.

  But the adolescent tradition went horribly wrong Friday when a 17-year-old student apparently leapt from an SUV in order to garner "points" for his team.

Gee, let's see...Stupid, Battery, Really Stupid. And videotaping it for points. Sounds exactly like the scavenger hunts we used to have...aside from the stupid and the criminal acts included. And according to the linked article, it's been going on for years. Kane County is convening a Grand Jury, but voluntarily removing one's self from the gene pool doesn't seem to be a crime.

Input After Output

Confirm or deny? Because this is funny:

• No wonder no one trusts the leadership of this messed up department any more. They waited until after all the watch bids were over to announce the changes with the gang teams when they knew about it long ago.(It's their same old sneaky, business as usual ways.)
  
  Then J-Fed lies and says "after talking to the rank and file the decision was made" LIE! Not one fucking person heard about this cause if we knew many would have bid out. If they told us and were honest it would have gone a long way as far as trusting them goes. Today there was a memo from the deputy chief asking for input and what everyone thinks about the change.
  
  But wait, I thought J-Fed got input from all of us?

If true, so typical. Can someone get us a copy of this letter? Or confirm its existence? We've already gotten e-mail from Brass staffers who say this was a conplete surprise to their bosses.

Didn't We Predict This?

We'd like to take credit, but any Econ 101 student could have pointed this out:

• Cesar Delgado has been working at his family's booth at the Maxwell Street Market selling tools and hardware since he was 8. He's seen one big change after another come to the legendary market. But the latest one caught him by surprise.

  The City Council last week sharply raised the fees paid by Maxwell Street Market vendors to cover the cost of "moonwalks," or "jumping jacks" -- those inflatable playgrounds that the city has long provided for free to neighborhood block parties. Daily fees will double, from $40 to $80, with the yearly license fee rising to $75 from $25.

  "That's a drastic change, especially on the daily fees," Delgado said Sunday. "It sounds like something that could finish the market off. Some vendors will find it very hard to make the money back."

And as soon as the Maxwell Street Market goes under, no more Jumping Jacks again and homicide rates will reach heights never before seen in Chicago history.

Oops

Shouldn't someone be watching the door?

• Police are searching for a man who escaped from the Harrison District police station this afternoon.

  At about 4:40 p.m., a man who was arrested for possession of a controlled substance fled the station's lockup area located at 3151 West Harrison St., police said.

  Police were searching for the suspect as of 8:10 p.m.

  No further information was available.

Someone's got some 'splaining to do, Lucy.

Poetic Justice

Warms our heart and tickles the funny bone:

• Fuquay-Varina, N.C. — Authorities arrested a man whom bystanders say they hit with a frozen turkey when he carjacked a woman's sedan outside a Fuquay-Varina grocery store Sunday.

• “The lady was being beaten on the ground. She was lying on the ground and the guy was on top of her – physically hitting her,” shopper Randy Owens said.

  Bystanders intervened and hit the man in the head with a frozen turkey that Bailey bought, police said.

Time for the turkey-leg massacres and assorted holiday mayhem to begin.

Short Postings

Some damn bug is making the rounds and laying people low left and right. It's happening in the schools, it's happening in the Districts, and now it's happening here.

Open post in the meantime.

UPDATE: Spelling correction. Give us a break people. Everyone is sick and spell check said we spelled "dug" correctly. You see the spelling and grammar we let through in the comments - it isn't all that serious.

Good News for Philly

The US Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal for a new trial for Wesley Cook, aka Mumia. We aren't sure what happens next but hopefully, a short execution date will be set.

Weekend Violence

WBBM NewsRadio 780 has been providing this helpful link most of the year. Looks like at least another four homicides from Friday going into Sunday. Adding in the rest of the week, the count is pushing 480, give or take a few.

Rumors of Change

So, what are the latest rumors?

• numerous demotions and forced retirements of gold stars;
• a possible redistricting;
• combining or eliminating at least two "major" units;

There's more somewhere and the first portion is supposed to start after Thanksgiving. Where does the axe fall first?

Defining Game

Suffice it to say, this game will probably determine the rest of the Bears season.

Do they come back from the Green Bay spanking, showing resiliency, character and at least keeping up with the deadlock in the Central Division?

Or do they roll over and die a slow death, pinning their hopes on the draft once again?

As a side note, the Blackhawks are 3-0 in their circus road trip so far. We're just saying...

Smoke and Mirrors Continue

Evidently, heading up a unit that is at the center of numerous questionable search warrants and at least one well publicized bar incident isn't a barrier to advancement. That's good to know:

• Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis today announced a major restructuring of how cops will fight Chicago’s street gang problem.

  Four-hundred officers will form a new Gang Enforcement Unit and will be available to combat gangs citywide and not just in the district where they are currently assigned.

  This new plan was designed —with much input from rank-and-file officers — in an effort to free gang officers to be able to move where crime is spiking to disrupt gang activity and stay ahead of violence, police said.

Four-hundred officers. And where will these four-hundred come from? Well, it works out to sixteen per district. Obviously, J-Fed can't pull four-hundred officers out of thin air, so it looks like the District gang teams just became draftees. Smoke and Mirrors. Why not just restart Gangs North, South and West?

Any logistics to this move? Vehicle pool? Supervision? Equipment and support? Uniform requirements? And more importantly, if sixteen people just left every district for the Area, you've taken away 40% of the Tact/Gang Lieutenants job. Does anyone truly believe the Department needs a Lieutenant with a take-home car to supervise twenty-four Tactical people? Has J-Fed just telegraphed the supposed big changes scheduled for after Thanksgiving?

No More Chases for ISP

Seems the Illinois State Police have joined the ranks of 21st Century policing. The Tribune covers the big change:

• Illinois State Police say the high-speed crash of a trooper's cruiser that killed two Collinsville sisters last year has prompted dramatic policy changes.
  
  State Police Director Larry Trent announced Friday troopers must follow a four-tiered response system that limits how fast they can drive.
  
  Under the first level, called a "code one," troopers are limited to following traffic laws. Officers operating under codes two and three can drive faster than the speed limit, but must call a supervisor before exceeding 20 miles over the speed limit.
  
  And only supervisors can issue a "code red," directing troopers to drive as fast as necessary, with no limit, State Police Lt. Scott Compton said. Those cases will later be reviewed by a committee, he said.

Limit liability at all costs. Including not being able to enforce any sort of speeding laws since they won't be able to get permission to exceed 75 mph in enough time to catch up to someone doing 100-plus mph. For some reason, we see Illinois highways becoming closer and closer to DeathRace 2000 now.

A Funny Thing We Noticed

The Tribune story about the cop fired over a $1 bag of trail mix had open comments from the readers. At last count they were pushing almost 400 and may have passed it by this point. And many, probably a majority, of the 400 comments were decidedly crude, derogatory, blanket condemnations by obvious police haters.

But the Tribune story about the three pillars of the community and members of the intelligentsia who drowned while stealing a boat at one a.m. in a fit of high spirits? Comments closed.

And this isn't the only instance. Whenever there is any single police story, you can cruise the comment sections and see the depths of contempt and hatred Tribune readers hold for the police. But let one altar boy catch a stray bullet, one twenty-time-loser who was just about to turn his life around end up on a morgue slab, one future leader and heart surgeon drown stealing a 600-pound boat become a news item and :::WHAM::: those comments are closed faster than a 16-ton weight dropping from ceiling like a Monty Python sketch.

We don't expect anything more from the Tribune. They, like most of the rest of the dead tree media, aren't long for this world and they've been a disappointment for years now. McCormick would be ashamed.

Political Correctness Run Amok

Again:

• To those who have contested it since 1945, the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk has been a source of pride, a symbol of their passion for college football.

  To the NCAA, though, the tomahawk is, like Chief Illiniwek, an objectionable use of an Indian symbol.

  As a result, Illinois and Northwestern have agreed to bury the hatchet. After today’s game, the Sweet Sioux Tomahawk will be retired.

  Regardless of the outcome, the trophy will remain in Evanston. Unlike Illinois, which was ordered to curtail the use of Indian imagery or lose the right to host postseason sports events, Northwestern is not under NCAA scrutiny for politically incorrect imagery.

A hatchet is an "objectionable" symbol? To whom? It would appear that the supposed "Sweet Sioux Tomahawk" is actually a European forged metal axe head wedded to a stick. How is that remotely offensive to a Native American? Perhaps to the helpless settlers scalped by the Sioux during the push westward, but anyone with half a brain?

The next trophy they'll do battle over will be an inanimate carbon rod painted dull gray.

Cops Rescue Fire Victims

West side:

• Chicago police officers tonight rescued several residents from an apartment building on fire on the West Side that left a 70-year-old man slightly injured.

  The fire broke out Friday evening in a third-floor apartment in a building on the 2900 block of West Fifth Avenue, said Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez.

  Police Sgt. Michael Stack said he and his team were about a half block east of the building on a narcotics investigation when the officers saw the third floor of the building engulfed in flames.

At least four rescued from the burning building and only minor injuries to all involved. Excellent job Officers.

Another One-Sided Report

About yet another lawsuit:

• A third lawsuit is filed that claims Chicago police officers were involved in hate crimes on election night.

  Twenty-two people say they were targeted by officers who used pepper spray and shouted racial slurs at them as they celebrated Barack Obama's victory.

  The more you probe, the more it seems people come forward with stories of police officers out of control after the election of the nation's first African American president.

Perhaps the reporters at Channel 7 missed some of this comment posted here immediately following the election:

• A CPD squad car came under sniper fire in the 900 blk of N. Ridgeway and was struck by several gunshots. 2 arrests. No cops hurt.
  
• Citywide 14 CPD squad cars were damaged by thrown rocks, bricks, bottles. 6 officers injured.
  
• Madison, Chicago, 16th St, 47th St., 63rd St, MLK, Cottage Grove and Howard St. were closed for several blocks in either direction to account for crowds. Several businesses citywide were broken into and looted (clothing & liquor stores were the primary targets).
  
• Riot police used gas on the crowds in the following districts: 2,5,11,15.
  
• Within the first 30 minutes following the announcement of a new president, the 7th District received 104 separate calls of shots fired.
  
• It took 2.5 hours following the closing of Grant Park to clear the Loop of roving crowds and reopen traffic. Although no arrests were made in Grant Park, 19 arrests were made in the Loop (2 for UUW); these don't include those made on the train platforms or subways.

But that would entail actual reporting rather than just posting press releases given out by a lawyer with an axe to grind and a lawsuit to get paid on. It's curious that there hasn't been a single video released to slam the Department. It just seems like more fiction generated by the results of the City's lawsuit-lottery system.

March of the Ignorant

Idiots:

• Nearly 100 teens marched outside Chicago police headquarters Thursday night to protest the department's plans to equip officers with semi-automatic rifles, saying the weapons could make the streets more dangerous.
  
  Carrying signs like "Stop the War on Youth," teens said they didn't trust police with the high-powered weapons and worried gangs would be encouraged to bolster their own arsenals.
  
  "The only people who need these guns are in Iraq," said Arthur McGraw, 19, an organizer with the nonprofit Southwest Youth Collaborative, which organized the rally. "It'll shoot through brick, car doors. Say your family is in the house eating and there's some gang violence. When they shoot these [the bullets] can come into your house and shoot your kids."

That's happening already moron. And it isn't the police doing it. Ask the almost 500 dead people currently haunting the streets of Chicago.

If ignorance is bliss, this halfwit must be in jackass nirvana.

Homicide Count?

Word is that a rather violent fall week, surprising in the face of falling temperatures, is pushing Chicago rapidly toward the 500 number. So quickly, in fact, that the brass are worried we might top 520 if current trends continue.

The weekly count was at 8 last we heard. The yearly total?

$1?

Nothing like using a sledgehammer to kill a gnat:

• A 22-year veteran Chicago police officer was fired last month over charges he stole a $1 bag of trail mix from Walgreens.
  
  Aaron Pena was known as the "mayor of 26th Street" by residents in the Ogden District for his helpfulness in the community, according to testimony before the Chicago Police Board released Wednesday.
  
  City attorneys alleged that Pena went to the Walgreens in the 1900 block of West Cermak Road in August 2007, bought two bags of trail mix and then took a third from the store without paying. Pena was recorded on store security cameras.

And he had had a stroke in 2005? A stroke that affected his memory? And Walgreens had refused to prosecute, partly for this reason?

Sorry, but after reading certain cases that have gone before the Police Board, seeing certain perverts, drunks, molesters, and clout jockeys do far worse and get promoted on top of it, this is just confirmation of a system gone nuts. Just off the top of our heads, here's a partial list of people still collecting paychecks:

• Sgt with a lengthy history of sexual harassment beefs who took numerous photos of unwilling female subjects on traffic stops, might make lieutenant shortly. Mommy was a deputy don't you know;
• PO evicted from a house and two Department Motorola radios worth more than a few thousand dollars apiece are located inside;
• PO who had his Department vehicle stolen, went home without reporting it, blamed the next watch for losing the car while two jagoffs were out doing traffic stops on citizens;
  
• And does anyone downtown really want us to bring up a number of bosses who have cost the City thousands for various beefs?

And this guy gets canned for a buck? Was he even given the option of retiring for twenty-two years and a stroke?

UPDATE: A few more instances of people who shouldn't be collecting a check because they cost the City more than a dollar:

• The stalking, domesticating ADS, demoted to Lieutenant, after running a civilian's plate and stalking her at home, fired and re-hired after misdemeanor conviction - largish payout;
• the out-of-state LT (Michigan?) arrested, plea deal, rehab - daddy was a big boss - again, civil suit
  
• Did the PO doing the armed robbery of Starbucks get fired?

And to the commenter who says, "stealing is stealing," no shit. And Theft still requires something called "intent." And something else called "prosecution." And another thing called a "conviction." None of which provably existed.

UPDATE: We're looking for people who cost the City more than a dollar or put the City on the hook for big dollars. While we're all familiar with persons who ought to be in jail for various offenses, we aren't talking about them now. Hence, a number of comments off subject will be deleted for the time being.

Commander Unhappy

Oh dear:

• Cmdr. Terry Williams blew a shit fit at roll call tonight in regards to a few postings on SCC. Told the troops, NO MORE PERKS! Now get the fuck onto the streets and make some arrests. Cmdr. Williams specifically brought up the postings about him on the SCC blog and told the guys/gals basically, you get nothing from me from this point forward. But that may not be long. Word is in the wind already he is going back to Lt.
  
  I guess his daddy, the retired Chief Sherwood Williams doesn't have the juice anymore to keep this guy way over promoted by about 6 ranks.

Rumor has it the only person getting perks over that direction was someone with under ten years being permitted to use Vacation Days (as opposed to straight furlough days) when they weren't permitted to have V-Days for another two years.

Too bad the apple fell so far from the tree.

Of all the demotions deserved and fully warranted, this one would be right at the top of a long list.

Heartwarming Story

Buffalo Grove PD:

• George Marijan, 7, was presented with a service award from the town Wednesday for capturing several suspects, saving hostages and returning a valuable stolen diamond on his first and only day on the job. Not bad for a rookie.

  Marijan, 7, has acute lymphoblastic leukemia -- a cancer that affects the lymphoid white cells that help fight infection. However, he always wished to be a police officer.

  Marijan's mother, Gordy Stevic, contacted the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois in July for help to make her son's wish come true.

A very nice effort by our suburban friends.

Crooked Cop Pays Judge

Not surprising in the least:

• A crooked former Chicago Police officer today testified that he paid a judge to obtain a search warrant.

  Richard E. Doroniuk, who pleaded guilty in June to corruption charges in federal court, is a key witness against former partner Mahmoud "Mike" Shamah.

• Asked by a federal prosecutor whether he ever gave money to a judge, Doroniuk said, “He asked for it.”

  Doroniuk added that he ended up paying the judge.

Paying judges in Cook County has a long and storied history, and we don't doubt for a minute that this unnamed judge isn't the only one taking money for various favors. The odds are way in our favor. Read Cooley's book. Possley. Passarella. Greylord. Gambat. We'd lay money that the percentage of judges taking bribes in Cook County Courts is a bit greater than the percentage of cops. Hell, the incarceration rate for aldercreatures is something like 50% over 30 years.

Cops? Under a tenth of 1% for the same 30 years.

Judges probably hit double digits without breaking a sweat.

Leap of Faith?

More like a "Leap of Fiction"

• Mayor Daley’s $6 billion 2009 budget — precariously balanced with 635 or fewer layoffs, slow police hiring and $52.5 million worth of taxes, fines and fees — sailed through the City Council Wednesday amid concern about even tougher times ahead.

  The final vote was 49-1 after a two-hour debate.

49 to 1. Models of courage, those aldercreatures are. They'd put the Cowardly Lion to shame with the courage they simply ooze.

• And there’s another potential pitfall. If the mayor doesn’t seal the deal to privatize Chicago's 35,000 parking meters by year's end — and get at least $150 million from the transaction to use for operations this year and next — he’ll have to find another way to close that gap.

  The bottom line is that the City Council took what downtown Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) has called a "leap of faith" by approving the mayor’s $6 billion budget.

We're going to go out on a limb and suppose that this "projected revenue" isn't the only "guess-timate" in Shortshanks' budget. There's probably enough fiction in there to make a mystery writers convention blush.

And don't expect any help soon - do more with less!

• To save $10 million, only 200 police officers will be hired during all of 2009. With more than 400 vacancies already and an annual attrition rate of 600, Chicago could end the year 800 officers short of the police strength it had on Jan. 1, 2008.

And as more people get disgusted and leave, expect those shortages to be even more acute.

Photographer Arrested Again

Another twist:

• We checked back in with Mike Anzaldi, the freelance photojournalist who was arrested by the Chicago Police Department October 22 at a crime scene. Thinking we’d hear about the status of his arrest, we were shocked to learn he’d been arrested again - and the second offense is even more outlandish than the first!

• This officer called his name into the dispatcher - here’s where it gets weird - and the dispatcher apparently told her to detain him. The officers on the scene were confused and clearly not in the loop, but nonetheless were following orders from above. After some back and forth with higher-ups, the officer told Anzaldi that there was some sort of problem with his ID but the computer in her car was broken, so she asked him to come to the station to clear things up. They promised it would take 15 minutes and they’d return him to his car. [...]

  Four hours later, and he’s still sitting in the station’s interview room when he’s told they are placing him under arrest. He is not given a reason, an explanation, or read his rights. They put him in a holding cell, where he spent the night. The next day was Election Day, which is a court holiday, so he was brought to Cook County Jail and in front of a TV judge, where his bond was set at $10,000.

Either this guy has the worst luck in the world, he's a complete moron, or Monique is putting out a hit on his ass. We covered the first incident a week ago and roundly criticized the Department Spokescreature for an apparent Civil Rights violation. This is inexplicable to us.

Admin Blow Allowed

Looking for a direct link to the decision. In a nutshell, the Appellate Court is allowing an Administratively ordered breath test into evidence in what initially appears to be a direct attack upon the Garrity protections afforded peace officers nationwide.

That being said, we're attempting to see how narrowly this exception is being written. There certainly appears to be a bit more than a simple DUI in this case. Numerous allegations are being made and it would be hoped that these are the basis for the Garrity exception rather than just walking all over the rights afforded every other citizen of Illinois. We have stated many times before, we aren't above the law, but we certainly aren't under it either.

In the meantime, we remind everyone that the Department is not joking around with this. Walk, cab, designate a driver, make a hotel reservation, call J-Fed, call anybody, sleep it off in the station locker room (you wouldn't be the first).

Always Carry - ALWAYS

Good lord, we hope this isn't true. From the e-mail:

• Anyway you can comment on another off-duty Police Officer who was about to be assassinated on the street by two thugs after finding his star in his pocket (16 Nov 08, approx 0300 hrs in 025)? The Officer was pistol whipped and almost shot in the head for being a "cop", but was saved by his girlfriend who kicked the gun out of the second offenders hand. This hero girlfriend save the PO's life with her quick reaction. Can we comment again about why PO's should always carry their weapons...... it can save your life! Not all of us have a woman like that at our side for protection!!!

First up, if true, we'd recommend marrying this girl (unless he's already married - then he'd have bigger problems). Quick, decisive action in the face of armed felons? Good job.

Second, everyone on the job is over 21. You do what you like. But we got this piece of advice years ago and it's never failed us yet - never carry one without the other - and precisely for this reason. Obviously, you don't want to run afoul of the Rules and Regulations, especially in the current climate. But then be prepared to pay full boat at the clubs, take a cab, whatever. You're Joe Citizen from that point forward. If you're carrying the star, carry the gun and stay sober and be aware you may be approached at some point to "help out" because you fronted yourself out as a cop.

With the star, you are a target. Period. And a target without the means to defend itself or the people the target is with is no good to anyone. Especially if it all goes bad. Then you aren't just not defending yourself, you're leaving the people who relied on you to provide for them in a really bad spot.

STOP the PRESSES!

This discovery might earn someone an advanced degree! Maybe even a Gold Star!

• It's too early to tell if the economy is a major factor in Chicago's rising crime, officials say, but already one police unit is focusing on areas hit hardest by the financial meltdown.

  "Abandoned buildings breed crime," police spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

  Officers in the Troubled Buildings Unit have been identifying abandoned properties, patrolling them to keep gangs, vandals and other criminals out and getting the city involved in dealing with the owners, Bond said.

  "All cities will be faced with some crimes of opportunity as a result of a downtrodden economy, and we are addressing them," Bond said, adding that police don't know yet how much of a role the meltdown is playing.

Well if Monique says it, it must be true. Maybe this will earn us a spot in the elite Troubled Buildings Unit (TBU). Meet Chicago's newest crime fighting tool:

A Guilty Plea in Soto Homicide

But it's only a juvenile for witness intimidation:

• A teenage girl pleaded guilty today to robbing and beating a female witness in the murder case of Chicago Police officer Robert Soto and Kathryn Romberg.

  The girl was apparently angry because her former friend had spoken to police about Jason Austin, the former sole suspect in the high-profile Aug. 13 murders, according to Cook County prosecutors. The State’s Attorney’s office dropped charges against Austin, 26, citing "challenges with witness statements" on Sept. 10. That was the same day the teenager and her relative, 18-year-old Tashianda Howland, were arrested for harassing the witness.

Proof positive that the "don't squeal" culture did more to derail this investigation that anything else. And evidence that the justice system is completely undermined by a segment of society that would let cop killers and other murders go free for...what exactly? What possible benefit is derived from living outside the bounds of civilized society? We'd really like to know.

Hopefully, the judge can throw the book at this fool and the other one and shake something loose.

Taxpayers Ought to Know

Is this coming out of the Obama "transition" budget or out of taxpayer's wallets?

• The effort to secure President-elect Barack Obama's transition office in Chicago could cost the city close to $1 million, according to a Tribune analysis.
  
  The Chicago Police Department is staffing the area around the Kluczynski Federal Building this week with officers from police headquarters and the training division. But beginning next week, the department plans to assign newly hired officers to work the details as "special employment" on their days off, said Monique Bond, spokeswoman for the department. The officers will receive time-and-a-half pay, she said.
  
  That overtime tab would run upward of $890,000, with 60 officers covering three shifts and a sergeant for one shift, if all of the officers and the sergeant were at the city's lowest pay grades, according to a Tribune analysis.

Especially in these trying economic times. A campaign that raised as much as they did, much from questionable sources, ought to be paying it's own way at this point.

Philly Cop Killed

Philadelphia PD is having an incredibly bad year. Word from one of our regulars (Katey) that a sergeant was killed in a motor vehicle accident responding to a job.

Unbelievably, this sergeant had taken over a squad for another sergeant who was murdered this past May during a series of Line of Duty deaths suffered by the PPD. Even more stunning, he had moved into exact same locker after taking over for the deceased.

Coverage over at Domelights.com. Drop them a line. They visit here regularly.

Jumping Jacks Saved!

Nice to know what it takes to motivate an aldercreature:

• In an effort to prevent an onslaught of citizen complaints, Chicago aldermen today are floating a plan to save the "jumping jack" program that provides inflatable playgrounds for children at events across the city.

  Mayor Richard Daley has proposed cutting the program to save as much as $800,000 in the 2009 budget. But Alds. Isaac Carothers (29th) and Walter Burnett Jr. (27th) have countered with a plan to pay for the program by doubling the annual application and daily permit fees for Maxwell Street Market vendors. Annual fees now range from $15 to $50, and daily fees from $15 to $40.

  Ald. Joe Moore (49th) questioned whether the move might scare off some vendors. The issue will come up again at a Finance Committee meeting on Wednesday morning, less than an hour before the full City Council is set to consider Daley’s proposed $6 billion budget.

Joe Moore appears to be the only one who realizes the potential disaster looming here. Once the aldercreatures see how easy it is to save something like the Jumping Jacks just by raising the fees on a flea market, look to see if a few more fees get tagged for pet programs. Then pretty shortly, a whole bunch more fees. And then the vendors stop showing up and what used to be a reliable revenue generator turns into a money loser.

35th Street Brain Trust

From the comments:

• Off Topic: Has anyone read the FAX on the Washington D.C. Detail.
  You have to have a scheduled 1,1a,1b, or scheduled baby furlough (not C/U ETC..) in January. Your TO/FROM has to be in by 18 November. First the majority of people with 1 a 1b Furloughs are coppers with 2 years on the job, and second most districts aren't picking furloughs til later this month. What are they thinking. No Supervisors? No mention of compensation?

They want a To-From by tomorrow, but no one has picked furloughs yet. We're assuming Dress Blues, pay your own way? Good luck getting a hotel room within 50 miles of Washington at this late date. And flying your gun out there? Another nightmare. And this passes for intelligent thought.

Keesing Bandit - Contact Us

Activate an e-mail in your blogger profile and send us a note. We need to contact you. The child might be yours after all.

Comments closed in this post.

Laborer Union Caves

As someone predicted:

• The Daley administration announced today that it would reduce the number of proposed city layoffs by 145 positions.

  To close a budget shortfall, Mayor Richard Daley had proposed laying off 929 city employees.

  The council is expected to vote on Daley's budget proposal on Wednesday.

  City officials said the reduction in the number of layoffs was the result of negotiations with labor unions that represent city workers.

  The city's laborers agreed to take an unpaid furlough day.

So every laborer taking one day off saved 145 jobs? How much is Shortshanks saving with not maintaining the fleet, not hiring, not paying for new ticket books since no one is using the ones they have?

Look for this to be used as a club on other unions. CPD is already doing less with less so we don't see how he can get blood out of this turnip.

Winter Arrives

In Indiana:

• The National Weather Service has issued a Lake Effect Snow Warning for northern Indiana Monday night into Tuesday, which could see snowfall totals top 12 inches, along with thunder, sleet and visibility near zero in some parts.

This is of particular interest to all the people traveling to Indiana to avoid Illinois and Chicago taxes. We need to pick up some salt for the trailer park while we're down there.

We also get to remind everyone it's only 12 days until the full overnight Winter Parking ban takes effect and about 100 people wake up and discover their cars missing and they owe the City about $200. It's one of our favorite holidays.

We were also stretching for material. The election is over, it's getting cold, hibernation is setting in. It's slow. Open post in the meantime.

Nice Target Shirts, Target Inc!

An "unfortunate" choice of sponsor in the opinions of our readers:

• Superintendent Jody Weis says despite the latest murders, Chicago is on pace to have the fifth lowest homicide rate in the last 43 years.

  Weis made the comments Saturday morning while announcing a new CAPS program called C.I.T.Y., or Cops Interaction Targeting Youth.

  C.I.T.Y. is an athletic program is geared to children ages 11 to 14 to help them make the transition between grades. Approximately, 60 kids take part in flag football and other sports every week.

  The space is provided by Chicago Indoor Sports, and Target is providing uniforms and equipment.

And "The Picture Worth a Thousand Words"

Sometimes this stuff just writes itself.

Hey Look! A Clue!

We always liked watching Blue's Clues with the rug rats. Silly little nonsense with an obvious blue paw print on various items to enable a four-year-old to connect three "clues" and solve a puzzle. Hey! Let's play Blue's Clues here today! It'll be fun!! C'mon!!!

1. Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said Saturday he's developing a program to have his officers provide security for President-elect Barack Obama only on their days off.

   "There will be no officers taken out of districts; there will be no officers taken out of investigative services," Weis said, speaking at a South Side community policing event Saturday.
   Oh SCC!!! A Clue! A Clue!

2. Superintendent Jody Weis says despite the latest murders, Chicago is on pace to have the fifth lowest homicide rate in the last 43 years.
   
   SCC!!! Another Clue! Another Clue! And some really good spin in describing a 20% increase in homicides over the course of a year. Wow!
   
   

3. Six Chicago Police officers were seriously injured in an accident late Saturday on the West Side.

   Two squad cars crashed into each other near South Central Park Avenue and West Roosevelt Road
   
   SCC? Is this another Clue? We aren't sure.

Why, yes it is boys and girls. Because those officers injured (and we wish each and every one of them a speedy recovery) were members of the 013th District. Last time we checked, the 013th District was about 2 miles from the location of the crash. So let's review:

1. Amending a detail so no one is taken out of Districts or Detective Areas;
2. Spinning political excuses for a 20% increase in homicides;
3. 013 District officers injured in 011.

What do all these Clues add up to? Robbing Peter to pay Paul in terms of deployments? Covering politically connected asses to keep jobs? Taking entire teams away from taxpaying citizens to cover an escalating gang war? Maybe a MANPOWER SHORTAGE??? We just figured out Blue's Clues!

How much more freaking obvious do we have to make it to the public, the media, anyone with half a brain that whatever numbers the City is feeding them are pretty much a lie?

The Whitewash Begins

One of our favorite bloggers is being made aware of a disturbing, though unsurprising, occurrence on the Obama website:

• I’m told by several of my spies that the gun control page from Comrade Urkel’s “change” website (referenced here) has mysteriously disappeared.

  Quelle surprise.

  Like cockroaches, the socialist agenda always works best when it operates in the darkness.

Gee, a democrat who's entire voting career on guns is decidedly a little bit on the "anti" side, is removing all hints, comments, policies and statements that he supports the Second Amendment. Little wonder that gun sales are going through the roof. And ammunition sales. And speaking of ammunition sales, guess what time of year it is?

This year, more than ever, everyone who owns a gun ought to go out and buy the minimum suggested 100 rounds. If we might tweak the number a bit, we'd say at least 100 rounds per caliber owned, including the shotguns. If you can afford it, 200 might be a good idea. Certain people are on record as supporting a 500% tax on ammunition sales.

Debunking Another Rumor

Probably a civilian troll. He can't spell worth a shit and his abuse of the King's English hurts our eyes.

• Watch out all you stuper cops with the police hat bands and FOP stickers on your cars. There's a burglar ring hitting homes of coppers, they see where there cars are parked and steal your guns. If your weapon was not in a safe when taken, a CR# will be gotten on the PO.

We certainly hope there's a tiny grain of truth to this rumor, because as it's written (and a few sharp eyed readers spotted it, too), we're in line for a free First Issue Gun Safe.

We are glad the City's money shortage is finally over and look forward to a contract signed and certified before Groundhog Day. If J-Fed is taking orders, we'll have the 650-pound stand-up floor model with all the bells and whistles. We need someplace to store the new authorized carbine. Hunter Green please. Thanks.

"Fetch" Me Circus Tickets

The late Mike Royko described a fairly common practice in Springfield when a legislator wished to receive a "gift" from a lobbyist. The legislator would draft a bill, something along the lines of "moving the railroad tracks 6 inches farther apart" across the state (this was Royko's example - as far as we can tell, track gauge is the purview of the Feds). This would, by design, "fetch" a lobbyist to Springfield bearing gifts like dinner, tickets, trips, etc. Today, we'd call these bribes. Hell, they called them bribes back then, too. Seems some aldercreatures have brought a new twist to the practice:

• The circus industry, its lobbyist and his associates have contributed more than $40,000 in cash and circus tickets to Chicago aldermen in recent years as they've worked to block a proposed elephant-cruelty ordinance championed by Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th), records show.

• Feld Entertainment -- the producer of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus -- is represented by lobbyist Timothy Dart, the brother of Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart. Timothy Dart, his wife, Jennifer, his law partner John Nicolay and their law firm, Nicolay & Dart, have contributed $13,100 to aldermen and their ward organizations since 2004, $4,000 of that to Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke (14th), Illinois State Board of Elections records show.

  Sources said Burke played a behind-the-scenes role in engineering the City Council delay.

Connected Chicago lobbyists, lawyers, aldercreatures and "donations" to direct, delay or diffuse legislation. Who'd have thunk it?

Answering Questions

Answering a couple of questions and statements in the comment sections of various posts:

• Can anyone shed some light how 018 District Gang/Tact Teams are having their RDO's cancelled for a detail detail this weekend and instead of paying them overtime, switch their D.O.G. instead?? Contract Violation?? any FOP Reps care to explain this?? ALl Officers the city is broke, no money and no contract, this is just the begining. Cancelling RDO'S, forced Overtime, watch your back and your partners... Thanks to the new regime...[sic]

Well, as many readers helpfully pointed out, here's a copy of the Contract. Read it. We'll even help our - Section 20.7, starting on page 50. It's been in effect since 2003 with this contact and since 1999 in the previous contract, and probably in the contract prior to that one, too.

• ...the TRU secretary gets working day mini-furloughs, taken during holiday weeks but has only 8 years on. WTF! How is that possible? Got to be contract and GO violation. I was hoping someone would clarify but the comment got lost in all the responses to the fool copper that obviously can't drive. I've got more time than her and work in shit every night and can barely get a weekend off. How is this possible? Please don't make this an opportunity to bash TRU, this is some major bullshit that needs to be explained. Anyone know how this is allowed?!

Because no one brings it to the FOP's attention. Grieve it. Sign your name to a Grievance form and file it. This is an egregious contract violation and it's the most easily provable as it's on the A&A Sheets. But someone has to man-up and make the beef. No one beefs, no one knows. Of course, don't expect to remain in a Unit if you raise a stink. Catch-22.

There's plenty more where those came from. But our readers do a much better job than we do explaining the reality of various situations.

West Side Wreck

Six cops injured:

• Six Chicago Police officers were seriously injured in an accident late Saturday on the West Side.

  Two squad cars crashed into each other near South Central Park Avenue and West Roosevelt Road about 11:15 p.m., Fire Media Affairs Cmdr. Will Knight said.

  The officers were taken in serious condition to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, and Mount Sinai Hospital, Knight said. There were three officers in each car...

Any info on where they're from?

Da Bears

Any speculation? We're imagining a close a game. But then again, it's our imagination.

UPDATE: We did warn you that a close game was our imagination. We can't believe that the Blackhawks actually outscored the Bears. Too bad they lost as well.

Bad Timing for Climate Critic

We don't usually publish criticisms of ourselves or the blog. No, we don't think we're perfect, but we don't owe anyone a forum to attack us. And then sometimes, we allow it just so we can poke fun at the lack of knowledge displayed. Here's an example:

• SCC,
  
  I like your take on nuke power, but you are a dolt when it comes to global warming. 30 year cycles, my ass. The north pole will be a navigable waterway next year.
  
  Here's a suggestion, go to the Tetons in Wyoming or the Canadian Rockies. Take a look at the deterioration of all North American glaciers over the course of the 20th century. You science-deniers are really becoming a problem in the U.S.

Gee, your timing couldn't have been any worse on the first comment. Try this on for size:

• An abnormally cool Arctic is seeing dramatic changes to ice levels. In sharp contrast to the rapid melting seen last year, the amount of global sea ice has rebounded sharply and is now growing rapidly. The total amount of ice, which set a record low value last year, grew in October at the fastest pace since record-keeping began in 1979.

Boy, we'll bet your face is red. The record keeping itself only began in 1979 - thirty years ago. Thirty years mean zip, zero, nada in the climate debate. To see trends, you need to research hundreds of years, maybe thousands. And then there's this picture:
Note the date? 2008. Note the seal? National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And note where the Tetons fall just south of Yellowstone on the Wyoming/Montana border? Record cold temps this year. In fact, record and near record cold temps across 80% of the country. Glaciers run in cycles, too, cycles covering thousands of years. If we aren't mistaken, a large body of water located due east of Chicago was carved out by one a few thousand years ago.

And then there are these Time Magazine covers from 1973 and 1979 (thirty years ago by the way):



Are you beginning to see the picture? The science isn't settled and hasn't been settled in 30 plus years. Accurate measurements exist only for the last few decades. Sunspot activity, the most reliable indicator of global climate change (and currently ignored by Gore and the left) is at a 11-year low and according to this article, might herald a period of cooling unseen in 350 years.

Instead of closing off all debate, pouring this country's resources into unproven and unprofitable energy sources, and calling those who disagree "dolts," we need to view the science in a calmer light and see what, if anything, it tells us. Most of what it tells us is we don't know shit where the earth is concerned.

Some Who Might Know

Regarding the bad wiring that seems to be occurring when non-union techs have been installing Automated Ticket Writers and shorting out the PDTs and other electrical systems. If they are who they say they are that is:

• [question]Is this an electrical issue, or a union issue? Has the fuse been blown, which is an easy fix? If the circuitry has been fried, however, then you are screwed.
  
  
  [answer] Well lets put it this way we have noticed these morons have connected the +12volts to the first live wire they find. This can include the computer, airbag system, etc. And we wonder why they go out and cause other problems with the vehicle
  
  Fleet tech

And where would the liability be when one of these airbags fails to deploy in a squad car accident? We're just wondering. Somebody really ought to find a few Personal Injury lawyers that we haven't marked for death and get them on retainer.

Obama Detail Changes

Ah, that's what happened:

• Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis said Saturday he's developing a program to have his officers provide security for President-elect Barack Obama only on their days off.

  "There will be no officers taken out of districts; there will be no officers taken out of investigative services," Weis said, speaking at a South Side community policing event Saturday.

  "All of the people who will be working with the U.S. Secret Service to protect President-elect Barack Obama will be doing it on their days off."

And why couldn't this have been covered this way in the beginning?

This Has to be Addressed

We weren't even going to cover this event because we know it brings out the worst in some people. And rather than wade through the crap that will inevitably appear in the comments, we were going to let it lie. But then we read this in the papers:

• [Sun Times] The teens had been told to stay away from the water, and their teachers likely were asleep when they took the boats, Greene said.

  Some family members have questioned why the boats weren't chained down.

• [Tribune] Amid talk of re-examining school policies, some relatives questioned why the camp hadn't secured the boats. Some students, meanwhile, noted that risk-taking was part of being young.

Believe it or not, there are still some places in this country, places within 50 miles of the City, where you don't have to lock your doors at night, where you can leave the keys in the car with the window down, where lost property will be placed upon a nearby fence post so the next time you drive by you'll spot it there. Let's review:

• they were supposedly the brightest of the school
• they were told to stay away from the river
• they went out after curfew - nothing good ever happens at one a.m.
  
• they hauled SIX boats, each weighing 300 pounds, over 150 feet to the river
• they entered into these contraptions, ignorant of their function and ignorant of the missing plugs.

We don't know about you, but a 300 pound boat we don't know how to operate parked half a football field from a river we were told to stay away from seems like a pretty damn secure boat. Blaming anybody but these kids (yes, kids) is ignorant beyond words.

Obama Detail?

Did something happen to it? During it? Manning it?

Open post in the meantime.

Cause and Effect in Action

Imagine that:

• Is Chicago's souring economy prompting motorists to skip buying their city stickers? Sure looks like it.

  Through Oct. 31, investigators for the city clerk's office had issued 46,541 tickets to vehicles that either had an expired city sticker or no sticker at all. That's up 8 percent from the same period a year ago.

You raise taxes and fees beyond what people are willing or able to pay, this is what happens. Bottled water tax? People shop outside the City. County taxes go up? People buy big ticket items away from Cook County. State taxes skyrocket? Businesses leave and go elsewhere, driving the Rust Belt deeper into Illinois.

Watch for a cottage industry of homemade satellite services to start up should the amusement tax be attached to DirectTV.

Tipping Point is Here

And it's a slippery fall to the bottom:

• During the presidential election campaign many were dumbfounded upon hearing for the first time that at least a third of Americans pay no income taxes whatsoever. The Tax Foundation notes that in 2006, 45.6 million filers (33%) paid no income tax whatsoever. Under current law, in 2009 47 million filers—representing approximately 96 million individuals— will pay no income tax.
  
  The Foundation maintains that under Obama's tax plan 63 million filers— representing 44% of all returns— will pay no income tax. In contrast, in 1985, just 16.5% of filers paid no income tax.
  
  It appears Obama wasn't kidding about redistributing the wealth, although he appears to be somewhat late to the game.

Forty-four percent of Americans paying no income tax? Where's their stake in the country? Where's their skin in the game? Why are we working our asses off every year to support almost half the country? Maybe only people doing the handing out ought to be allowed to vote.

At some point (and seeing all the money fleeing Wall Street right now, that point might be now) the people who can afford to are just going to stop working, stop investing, stop creating jobs and just ride this out.

Global Warming?

It's over. Again.

• ...records of past climate changes suggest an altogether different scenario for the 21^st century. Rather than drastic global warming at a rate of 0.5 ° C (1° F) per decade, historic records of past natural cycles suggest global cooling for the first several decades of the 21^st century to about 2030, followed by global warming from about 2030 to about 2060, and renewed global cooling from 2060 to 2090 (Easterbrook, D.J., 2005, 2006a, b, 2007, 2008a, b); Easterbrook and Kovanen, 2000, 2001). Climatic fluctuations over the past several hundred years suggest ~30 year climatic cycles of global warming and cooling, on a general rising trend from the Little Ice Age.

We still remember the "global cooling" and "new Ice Age" scares of the 1970s (which follows perfectly with the above mentioned 30 year cycles.) That might not be enough to stop the Gore-icle from pressing forward with his plan to completely bankrupt the electrical industry by pouring money into "alternative" sources of energy rather than going nuclear as most of Europe and Japan have done. It's amazing that of everything the democrats admire about Europe (universal health care, confiscatory tax rates of 60%, etc.) they've never seemed to notice European reliance on the atom.