Friday, August 14, 2009

Kass Column on Muggings

  • The Lincoln Park Marauders story isn't just a crime story. It's a political story.

    The details of the crimes have been repeated endlessly in the news. Unsuspecting taxpayers walking in high-end neighborhoods are approached by thugs, who punch the taxpayers in the face, beat the tar out of them, humiliate them further and take their money.

    It happens in other neighborhoods. But in other neighborhoods, unfortunately, this wouldn't lead the local newscasts. It would be police blotter stuff, next to the motor vehicle break-ins and petty thefts and bleak, one-paragraph accounts of murder.
And he throws the police a shout out:
  • They'll catch them. Police have made one arrest and cut the suspect loose for lack of evidence, but sooner or later, the marauders will be caught. And we'll be treated to another dog and pony show. Politicians who rule from on high will thump their chests and pronounce Chicago safe. The real police will snicker and wonder when they'll ever get a contract.
Probably never at this rate.

Some truly jaw dropping entertainment at the community meeting though:
  • "[Residents] really do feel safe up here so they ignore their environment," Belmont Area Deputy Police Chief Bruce Rottner said. "It's not 1975 anymore, it's 2009 ... if people aren't aware of their environment they set themselves up to be victims," he said.
Translation - We can't protect you. And due to Daley's reckless disregard of the Second Amendment, you aren't allowed to protect yourself. Good luck!
  • "The violence aspect is what's really shocking people. People get mugged all the time. It happens. They take your money. But they don't put you in the hospital, and I think that's what people are concerned about," [Lincoln Park resident Nick Terrell] said.
Translation - I'm an idiot seeing as how anyone with a single brain cell could look around and find about 10,000 communities where people can walk around without a single mugging taking place within 100 miles of where they reside.

Labels:

47 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

So let me get this straight...
I'm a civilian. TAX PAYING, LAW ABIDING, MORTGAGE PAYING SUCKER living in the city. I decide I am tired of the news stories and the shitheads in surrounding communities coming here looking for an easy score. Right?

So if I buy myself a small, compact inconspicuos pistol or handgun to protect myself, my children and my beautiful wife of 17 years.

Then, I get stopped by the police for spotting a bulge on the side f my pants under my shirt that doesn't quite look right. It don't look like a cell phone.

They're gonna run my name, see it is clear as a bell, see that I have an unregisterable weapon to protect my family against the savages, and they're gonna lock ME up?

Two weeks ago, I had some shitheads point a cell phone at me in my alley and pretend it was a pistol and shouted out PAP, PAP, BITCH!!!
I gave chase and grabbed the little fucks. I called 911 and NO ONE showed up. I called the district later, and they said...next time call for a supervisor.

I don't think I should CALL for a Supervisor. I think, if I am paying taxes to an ADULT who has a job to do, when I call for service I should get it...or let me carry my own protection and handle my own safety when the need arises and don't hassle ME when I have it on me...

I ain't sayin' nuthin'...
I'm just sayin'

8/14/2009 12:15:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Southsider to Northsider.....
WELCOME TO MY WORLD.

8/14/2009 12:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That's because all the police are elsewhere. MSF & TRU are on the south and west sides. Hell even the northside gang and tact teams keep getting detailed out. The powers that be keep pulling and pulling from the tax paying communities. Why rob someone in 7 when you may only get $25 and there is a higher ratio of police officers. Go to Lincoln Park where there are less police and people carry more money. This was bound to happen. Glad nobody has been killed yet in these robberies.

8/14/2009 12:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Paul Kersey: Nothing to do but cut and run, huh? What else? What about the old American social custom of self-defense? If the police don't defense us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves.
Jack Toby: We're not pioneers anymore, Dad.
Paul Kersey: What are we, Jack?
Jack Toby: What do you mean?
Paul Kersey: I mean, if we're not pioneers, what have we become? What do you call people who, when they're faced with a condition or fear, do nothing about it, they just run and hide?
Jack Toby: Civilized?
Paul Kersey: No.

8/14/2009 12:24:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

HE MUST GO......

8/14/2009 12:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This same stuff was going on in the 24th district a few years ago. A group of juveniles were walking around beating people up, taking their wallets, and anything else they could get from them. It was called "GOONING" at the time. 7 to 12 black kids were going around beating up mostly white older people for no reason. Most of these kids were caught and let go to their parents because they were juveniles. If a group of white kids were going around beating up older black people, this would have been a hate crime and all over the news nation wide. Even if these thugs in Lincoln Park get caught, nothing will happen and they will just get simple battery charges added to their records. If you do become a victim to these punks, don't expect justice!

8/14/2009 01:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

* "[Residents] really do feel safe up here so they ignore their environment," Belmont Area Deputy Police Chief Bruce Rottner said. "It's not 1975 anymore, it's 2009 ... if people aren't aware of their environment they set themselves up to be victims," he said.
________________

Translation - "It's not 1975 anymore, it's 2009 ..."

Yeah, back in 1975 handguns weren't illegal and you could protect yourself.

8/14/2009 01:39:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"And now we have a heater case and that makes it political. City Hall understands, and agita -- or whatever we can safely call it -- rolls downhill. It rolls angrily from the mayor's office to the police superintendent, past the police bureaucrats and their political house cats with the 9-to-5 take-home cars, down to the real police on the street who get their hands dirty making arrests."

-------------------------

get their hands dirty making arrests? in 019? hahahahahaha!!!!!!!!
they get their hands dirty from writing tickets...

8/14/2009 02:58:00 AM  
Blogger John Northen said...

As an ardent fan of John Kass, I enjoyed his column on the current North Side crime wave. He also mentioned a great novel (forget the movie): Tom Wolfe's "Bonfire of the Vanities", set in NYC.

As a concerned Lincoln Parker, I attended last night's community meeting. Like the "politically correct" local media, Ron Rufo's otherwise excellent Powerpoint presentation neglected to mention "the elephant in the living room".

Dating even before the days of our beloved police hero, the late Annie Leybourne, perhaps the safest neighborhood in the city has been plagued by sporadic waves of violent street crime perpetrated by STRANGERS. "The Friday Night Rapist" chose the wrong victim when he attempted to sexually assault Annie, then a off-duty CPD rookie. Annie's headshot to one Robert Ellis brought his reign of terror in Lincoln Park to a happy and very final ending.

The decent, law-abiding African-American citizens of high crime areas of the West and South Sides are acutely aware that the predators are invariably young black males.

Contrary to local media, I believe that the TRUTH trumps this "political correctness" bullshit. Historically, well over ninety percent of violent street crimes perpetrated by STRANGERS, even in affluent Lincoln Park, involve black perpetrators.

During the meeting, I raised my hand, introduced myself as retired CPD and informed all present in no uncertain terms that this is a well documented fact.

Afterwards outside, a brother approached me and thanked me for "keepin' it real". I also told a TV reporter to inform the public of this tragic FACT. His response: "We can only report what (station management) allows us to report."

Incidentally, I was hoping da WEISel would make an appearance. Foiled again.

Time to take my dog for a stroll along Stockton Drive.

8/14/2009 04:00:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Simple answer is WE ARE SHORT THOUSANDS OF POLICE AND HAVE EXTREMELY POOR MANAGEMENT! We have a city hall full of thieves and liars with the top being daley and his 50 merry spineless wonders! Add to it no contract and daley betting everything on a hopefully failed olympic venture,which he wants to giveaway billions to his friends and assorted thieves!

8/14/2009 06:38:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

WAIT TILL THE TOURIST GET HERE IN 2016.

8/14/2009 07:12:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The tac team from 016 will be out of district for the foreseeable future and then some.

The Mayor will take care of the rich folk at the expense of the middle class.

The residential burglary problems mentioned previously on the blog, like the one at Grace & Oxceola will be ignored.

8/14/2009 08:10:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

But, Dude, LP is sooooo close to Wriggley and the Cubbies! It's not like I can get a job just ANYWHERE.

8/14/2009 08:40:00 AM  
Anonymous a victim said...

But I voted for Obama!

8/14/2009 08:43:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm waiting for Daley to say that law-abiding citizens should be properly home (and in bed) by 9 pm, so that they're not out and about as mugger-fodder for street crimes. That's basically how my family is already living here. We don't go out at night, and we live in a supposed "really nice" neighborhood, but too much is happening within blocks of our home.

Sorry, but profiling did work, and I expect that profiling will come back as acceptable police practice as liberal voters get wholloped by street crime.

I lived in New Haven Connecticut in early 80s, when street crime was out of control and people worried about being mugged by young teens with automatic weapons. People walked away from suspicious looking teens, walked sidewalks facing against traffic, and severely limited nighttime strolls. New Haven was infested with guns, because of its history of gun factories, gangs, and organized crime.

8/14/2009 08:49:00 AM  
Anonymous the Vigilante said...

Where's Bernhard Goetz and Paul Kersey when we need them?

8/14/2009 08:50:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

8/14/2009 08:53:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is a news story because the victims ARE taxpayers. not like in da hood where they are tax leeches, sucking the blood and sweat of taxpayer funded programs, getting the most police services because of their total lack of morality, and not paying taxes at all. no one really cares what happens in the shallow end of the gene cesspool.

8/14/2009 09:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

John Kass seems to REALLY get what is wrong in this City/County/State. Is he that rare of a commodity that no other media outlet can come up with someone like him?

Does no one else have the stones to do these stories?

Does no other media outlet have the independence to allow these stories?

How awesome would it be to have about 5 Mike Roykos' sprinkled around the local TV news, radio and newspapers?

Oh, for the good old days!

8/14/2009 09:14:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Fuck "CeaseFire". We need "Open Fire" to declare open season on these vicious predators.

8/14/2009 09:26:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are right on the money with this one!! Law enforcement spokespersons reduced to "spinning" a message because nothing is now wrong or even criminal. No one should go to jail - the worse you are the more attention you get.

See the Trib article this morning on the Markham courthouse and huge volume of juvenile crime - "now trying restorative justice." This concept has been tried around Cook County for almost ten years now and does not work for any number of reasons. The story hints at how horribly damaged these kids are. Restorative Justice has now become a vehicle for expanding another bureaucracy within the criminal justice system for political hacks - check out some of the grant recipients.

There are always those who take advantage of any well-meaning program for their own profit and they are out there on this one. Once again making a profit on the misery of their own and doing nothing to solve the problem.

8/14/2009 10:20:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

TO ALL NEAR NORTH CITIZENS:

The police aren't in your districts because Daley & Co have them all deployed to the west and south sides to keep the these unruly citizens (and illegals) in some kind of chaotic control. We are seriously understaffed and no one in the upper ranks will bring that to the table because they do not want to lose their high paying jobs.

Daley has allowed the store front reverends (who are thieves themselves under the guise of saving souls and shouting out jesus a few times)dictate who is the commander, where to patrol and how much freebees to hand out to their flock.

Gun control is non-existent to the thugs and gang bangers. The normal law-abiding citizen is forbidden to carry because of Daley's rants about gun control.

Get rid of Daley, allow to carry & conceal under strict guidelines and you will see less of what you are seeing on the north side.

In short, the police can't solve the problem because there are hardly any police out there in your district. Continue to allow this and your neighborhood will soon be the west and south side. DEMAND what the numbers are in your district!! COMPARE to what is out there in the ghetto districts and you will be appalled of the shortchanging of those who are taxed up the ass.

8/14/2009 10:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry, but profiling did work, and I expect that profiling will come back as acceptable police practice as liberal voters get wholloped by street crime.

True. One of the smartest things said on this blog for a long time.

8/14/2009 10:49:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"If you do become a victim to these punks, don't expect justice!

8/14/2009 01:08:00 AM"



Carry justice in your pocket.

8/14/2009 11:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"What do you call people who, when they're faced with a condition or fear, do nothing about it, they just run and hide?
Jack Toby: Civilized?
Paul Kersey: No.

8/14/2009 12:24:00 AM"



Pussies?

8/14/2009 11:17:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"This was bound to happen. Glad nobody has been killed yet in these robberies.

8/14/2009 12:18:00 AM"


Yeah.

Yet.

8/14/2009 11:19:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Southsider to Northsider.....
WELCOME TO MY WORLD.

8/14/2009 12:16:00 AM"



Bring it.

8/14/2009 11:20:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I called 911 and NO ONE showed up. I called the district later, and they said...next time call for a supervisor.

I don't think I should CALL for a Supervisor. I think, if I am paying taxes to an ADULT who has a job to do, when I call for service I should get it...or let me carry my own protection and handle my own safety when the need arises and don't hassle ME when I have it on me...

I ain't sayin' nuthin'...
I'm just sayin'

---------------------------------------

How are we supposed to respond in a timely manner when we are backlogged answering disturbances 4 deep at 3am that were called in at 10pm the previous day. I understand where you are coming from and I would hope that if I needed it the police would come right away but we need to face the facts. We are short handed and we are not able to handle the jobs when they hit the board... even priority jobs are not dispatched right away.

I have spent more time on calls lately trying to help the citizens understand why it took us so long to get there instead of the main reason why we were called in the first place.

I would say call your alderman and ask for more police but I'm not sure it would help...

8/14/2009 11:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I think, if I am paying taxes to an ADULT who has a job to do, when I call for service I should get it...or let me carry my own protection and handle my own safety when the need arises and don't hassle ME when I have it on me...

I ain't sayin' nuthin'...
I'm just sayin'

8/14/2009 12:15:00 AM"



I think if you are an adult, you can figure out what to buy and how to carry concealed enough to not "....get stopped by the police...." AND to not wait to have someone 'let' you exercise your GOD GIVEN RIGHT to defend yourself.

And to place blame where blame belongs, smack dab up the mayor's ass.

Oh, and don't forget to include the stretched wide ass of your alderfuck.

8/14/2009 11:31:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OH MY GAWD IT'S SUMMER OF SAM I FEEL LIKE I'M LIVING IN BENSONHURST!

8/14/2009 12:33:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

....Ron Rufo's otherwise excellent Powerpoint presentation.....

RON RUFO!?!?!?!?!??

Are you fucking kidding me?

Take ite easy "Northside." Your ignorance is showing.

This is the same Ron Rufo that told customers and employees of Jimbo's that they didn't have to, and shouldn't, answer questions from A/1 Detectives. IN FRONT OF THE DETECTIVES!

Rufo has never done SHIT on this job. He has his lips surgically attached to Alvarado's ass.

He collects a paycheck telling old ladies how to carry their purses.

Fucking Powerpoint. Gimme a fucking break.

8/14/2009 12:58:00 PM  
Anonymous Old Timer said...

Apparently Rottner was not on the job back in 1975. It was the same old story in 018 even in the '60s.
Black robbers and rapists, even murderers, preying on naive Lincoln Parkers.

8/14/2009 01:05:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I gave chase and grabbed the little fucks. I called 911 and NO ONE showed up
---------------------
Your district was in a RAP. No cars available . happens every day. It's just reality. Only so many cars and only so many calls.

8/14/2009 01:08:00 PM  
Anonymous the Obamanation said...

America needs an open dialogue on race.

BULLSHIT! That would be "RACIST"!

8/14/2009 01:35:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Kass was on fox this morning blasting the political police vs the real working street cop. I give him the thumbs up for standing up to the Dick Machine and all other political theives. He also give credit to the right Officers who the streets.

8/14/2009 04:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Chicago has the best politicians that money can buy!

8/14/2009 04:56:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Now that this crimewave has gone north and has touched the rich and connected. I hope we have your attention. We as the police ask you to help us put an end to all this political bs that ties the hands of every working officer. Make your calls and have the judges impose sentences instead of tossing a case out. Ask the States Attorney prosecute cases and stop plea bargaining or even rejecting charges. Prosecute the case before them and don't expect a case wrapped, sealed and delivered. Ask politicians to stop stealing everything not nailed down and concentrate on what the community they serve need. Make it mandatory that laws on the books adheared to. Create laws to prevent criminals or their family from reaping large sums of cash for injuries or death resulting from a criminal act. Those who have extensive criminal records and come into large sums of cash should have to pay back the state and county for dollars spent housing them for past offenses. Their previous victims should also benefit from those funds. Help pass conceal carry laws which will only benefit the law abiding citizen. As the police I don't fear the law abiding citizen. It's the habitual criminal/thug/gangster because he fears no man made law. He lives by the laws of the streets/jails. So north side residents if you could take a few minutes to make a call we would really appreciate it.





SCC I hope you publish this. Now the Gold Coast knows what it is like to be under attack.

8/14/2009 05:31:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So what are you guys telling us citizens? That if we catch some asshole and get the jump on him, that you probably won't show up for a while? Is it okay to rough them up a little then?

I always thought if some gangbanging piece of shit was found stomped to death in an alley you guys would pretty much just say, "oh well, case closed."

8/14/2009 06:35:00 PM  
Blogger BWGYM said...

Despite what I keep hearing from people about crime rising in uptown, we continue to get virtually no cases .There are good probation officers and good judges for that area , but there's nothing we can do if the cases don't make their way into court for whatever reasons.Surely not blaming the police , but lots of these kids need to be arrested , have their cases filed by the State's Attorneys office as opposed to being screened out , prosecuted, convicted and brought into the system. If need be, give them supervision , at least thats a start.Sure, they'll get only supervision or probation, but at least we'll have them and can violate and send away the ones who don't get the message . I've always believed you can help some of them, but many just need to be gotten off the street. Now , we are probably going to be redistricted because of lack of activity. Can't wait to see what happens when that new development of 178 units of low income housing opens at the new development at Montrose and Broadway, sure all hell will break loose.Who thinks of these things ?
Many of the low income families are already trying to get new housing because things are getting bad and they're just taking their problems to new areas.

8/14/2009 06:59:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO REALIZE HOW SHORT STAFF WE ARE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. many residents of 023 or 019 are beefing because they call 911 and no one shows up, well cops can't show up when they are processing an arrestee in the station. on weekends, by the time police go out on the streets, the entertainment areas are WIRED with drunks. time for the news to start asking for work sheets. and please don't blame anyone in the department, we all know that we are SHORT. citizens need to hold their politicians accountable. no one in the police department has the power to hire cops. that decision comes from CITY HALL.

8/14/2009 07:47:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"I would say call your alderman and ask for more police but I'm not sure it would help...

8/14/2009 11:21:00 AM"



Correction:

I would say call your alderman and ask for more police but I'm sure it would not help...

8/14/2009 07:48:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Sorry, but profiling did work, and I expect that profiling will come back as acceptable police practice as liberal voters get wholloped by street crime."


How much 'wholloping' do you think it will take?


.1% of liberal, white voters?

1% of liberal, white voters?

10% of liberal, white voters?

20% of liberal, white voters?

30%?

40%?

????????????????%?

8/14/2009 07:52:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ROTTNER another political hack residing out side of the city. Hey Bruce how's lil' Tommy BYRNE doin?

8/14/2009 10:00:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How are we supposed to respond in a timely manner when we are backlogged answering disturbances 4 deep at 3am that were called in at 10pm the previous day. I understand where you are coming from and I would hope that if I needed it the police would come right away but we need to face the facts. We are short handed and we are not able to handle the jobs when they hit the board... even priority jobs are not dispatched right away.

I have spent more time on calls lately trying to help the citizens understand why it took us so long to get there instead of the main reason why we were called in the first place.

I would say call your alderman and ask for more police but I'm not sure it would help...

8/14/2009 11:21:00 AM

**********

Officer:
Please understand, I was NOT beefing about the lack of response by an OBVIOUSLY understaffed Department, as if to lay blame on the individual officer. I come from a LONG line of CPD/CFD.
And I strongly believe you don't put a beef on a working cop.

I pray for you officers EVERY day.
I was just venting on this site because it IS THE PREMIER SOURCE of the PULSE of the DEPARTMENT AND the CITIZENRY.
You folks do a job that others cringe or run from. I applaud you, and would race down any gangway or alley to assist an officer who needed it.
I just need to vent once in a while.

Sorry if I set you off...


I ain't sayin' nuthin'...
I'm just sayin'

8/14/2009 10:32:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Different means of attack:
on the north side the dudes just come up to the victim then punch and slap him/her around and take their shit.

On the south side they shoot the victim first, knowing he/she are probably armed then rob him/her.

8/14/2009 11:51:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"PEOPLE REALLY NEED TO REALIZE HOW SHORT STAFF WE ARE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. many residents of 023 or 019 are beefing because they call 911 and no one shows up, well cops can't show up when they are processing an arrestee"

---backlog in 19 and 23???? Tell me you are joking!

8/15/2009 02:33:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Southsider, are you proud of "your world"?

8/15/2009 03:00:00 AM  

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