Are Police Unhappy?
Despite what you might have heard from all those mayoral candidates during the past several months, not to mention from most any police officer with whom you might have spoken in the last year, Mayor Daley insisted Wednesday that morale is good in the Chicago Police Department.
That’s a straight line if I ever heard one, and while I find it both amusing and interesting, my punch line might be different than what a police officer would offer.
My first thought: Is morale ever good in the Chicago Police Department? Or put another way, are police officers as a group ever happy?
Police work is a thankless job. Everyone is happy when the fire department shows up. No one is happy when the police do though. It's the nature of the job. We see society at its worst, day in and day out. And when we do our job, stopping cars, writing tickets, making people obey the law and listen to rules (laws and rules passed by a duly elected legislative body by the way), we're the assholes. And don't even get us started on the political shenanigans we've seen posted for the past six years or the biased reporting that contributes to the public perception that we're a group of out-of-control drunken frat boys committing murder and such with impunity. Nothing could be further from the truth.
It isn't all sunshine and roses out here. The economy continues to sputter, the Daley machine still runs shit, political animals get richer of the taxpayers backs while we have to wait three years for a contract, the chances for advancement are rapidly approaching zero, and we're getting painted as greedy when we expect the city and state to live up to their pension promises.
We still like what we do and the few "thank yous" we do get are stories we tell the family about at the dinner table. Happiness is relative we suppose. Brown concludes:
It’s not like there’s a tracking poll to monitor the relative happiness or unhappiness of Chicago police at any given moment, although Rahm Emanuel might want to get right on that.
Perhaps we could convince the folks at Second City Cop to start a Morale-O-Meter to let us know when morale is up and when it is down, because from the outside, it’s only degrees of down.
Still, I wouldn’t argue the point it might be a little better today than it was two days ago. I just don’t expect it to last.
Labels: scc responds
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
59 Comments:
the police department is in a serious tail spin and it started way before j-fled got here--- coppers may look dumb, but they are not stupid--- if nobody has their back they will not do shit--
I for one feel much better since the superintendant Weis left. My morale is up a few notches.
Brown is obviously just an asshole.
Jody and da Mayor says everything is fine and dats all folks!
Hey Mark Brown... Since you're such a fan, Blow Me!!!
You have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about, since when has reporting become pure speculation?
Morale has been in the tank since he buried Billy Cozzi, look nationwide, crime is down proportionally the same everywhere, NOT JUST HERE!
JFled had absolutely nothing to do with it!
If you want to check a statistic, rather than just make this shit up,
Why don't you check the arrest numbers? They're down substantially since he took over!
How about Homicide clearups?
Look at the percentages, not the numbers...
Complaints are down across the board also, why? Are we better behaved? Or is that we don't care anymore, let the savages kill each other, why take a chance and do something right in the ghetto, and have this moron come after your job because of some unfounded allegation.
Bottom Line???
We Quit on that asshole Three years ago!
If you can't make up something nice to write about, Write about the Daley/ Vanecko Crime Family...
Or are you afraid to because there might be some truth to that?
"Police work is a thankless job. Everyone is happy when the fire department shows up. No one is happy when the police do though. It's the nature of the job."
OK, SCC, let's get this straight. As a non-Police COC upper level supervisor, and as a Chicago resident who has, in both capacities, called CPD on a number of occasions, I am ALWAYS glad when you guys show up. You do as much for the civic health as CFD, and quantum levels more for the citizens than the alder scum do.
Further, when my inspectors need assistance from someone who thinks citizenship in a third world country gives them extraordinary rights in this country, we do appreciate and enjoy your presence during an interesting investigation. The only thrill killer on our part may be the "oh, you woke me up" attitude on some of the West side beats.
Never think you're not appreciated by the honest citizens in this city. It's only the scum bags you need to worry about, and so do we.
For a long time, I've told my crew 'nobody ever calls 911 to say stop by and have a cup of coffee'. They call because it's the worst day of their lives, for whatever reason.
We see people at their worst, in the worst moments of their lives (or deaths) and we are rarely the bearers of good news in the course of our work.
That being said, I always enjoyed what I did until JPWeis showed up. He made it difficult to trust anyone who outranked me. He made it difficult to properly supervise, as he insisted on punitive disciplinary measures, rather than restorative measures. I have never known another superintendent to outright lie, manipulate the media to his own ends, to pit the rank and file against itself, to blatantly seek out and promote incompetents, to the extreme, as this one did.
I was shocked at the pit morale was in when I went back to patrol from a unit. The heart had been beaten out of thousands of good people. The desire to do the right thing had been supplanted by the desire to stay out of the line of fire of the superintendent and his clique.
There is a HUGE difference between us coming to this site to vent a little (i.e. unhappy) and the travesty that was imposed upon this department the past three years (demoralizing, demeaning, dismantling and overextending the people of this great department). A HUGE difference. "Unhappy" doesn't BEGIN to describe it.
Coppers will complain no matter what. The only good time that a copper will ever admit to was "back in the day", which is a different period in time for everyone. The only good time, ever, for any policeman, regardless of age, was "back in the day". Everything else is "bullshit". Coppers even hate other coppers. It's just who we are. It's been that way since the beginning of policing. The happy-go-lucky types just don't take this job. It was the same thing with soldiers when I was in the Army.
Well said SCC. Walk a mile in our boots and then be our judge.
Twice this week, I was in line at Starbucks waiting to buy coffee. Twice...the person in front of me said "I've got his coffee or whatever the officers getting, I got it..." I thanked them both times, tried to pay but through much insisting, the folks in front of me paid. I have 11 years on and I have NEVER had that kind of treatment, and these were the liberal types that you wouldn't think would do this too. I gess a few nice people out there still appreciate "Officer Friendly". I love what I do and appreciate every moment on this job.
For a long time, I've told my crew 'nobody ever calls 911 to say stop by and have a cup of coffee'. They call because it's the worst day of their lives, for whatever reason.
++++++++++++
And that is why my kids and I, or I alone walking the dog, always wave and say "good morning/afternoon/evening" when we see you guys and gals drive by. Some of you return the wave, some of you don't see us, and some of you look cynically back at us (completely understood because you're underappreciated and it's probably a bit of a shock).
And that is why, when I see you dining in a restaurant, I pay the waiter/waitress for your tab. We are thankful that you are here.
I'm generally happy when you guys show up but then I've never had a moving violation. I try to be careful to not upset you guys.
I was in a situation a few years ago where I interacted with CPD alot: sometimes it was good, sometimes it was bad, other times it was confusing.
To mayor dick and all, yes crime went "down," but moral is low. We are profeshanals. We do the job we are paid to do.
Now a question to dick. Where are the results of jfleds moral survey from a couple of years back? As a tax payer I want to see where my money went v
Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
Morale is basically the same, except it's in the face of opposition.
morale–noun
emotional or mental condition with respect to cheerfulness, confidence, zeal, etc., especially in the face of opposition, hardship, etc.: the morale of the troops.
Remove the opposition, and we're happy. We should all be on the same page.
Can a FOIA be filled to get the results of the morale survey?
Just asking....
Damn Dawg said:
Why are we not posting about the IDIOT,in Unit 193 none the less, who inventoried a COCKED and LOADED rifle in Area 2?
WTF is with that?
Damn Dawg!
3/03/2011 05:13:00 PM
FYI the downward spiral began years ago. To me it was federal judge prentice marshall (may he rot in hell). 1973 sgts exam tied up in the courts till 1977. Quotas,affirmitive action etc. were the result. "temp sgts.) were made. the exempt ranks explode. Units once run by a sgt. lt. or capt. became commander spots, starting the drain on the pension. We became like the post office, people with no experiance doing the job in management positions.
There are already a lot of good thoughts on this thread. SCC, you should put this at the top of the posts for a while. Let me continue:
Some of us were happy that a Fed came in. We were under the mistaken impression that it would keep Daley away like garlic repels a vampire. We were wrong. In fact, the Mayor's diddling only seemed to intensify. Outside influence in not only promotions, but cases, went off the charts.
J-FLED's enormous head was only eclipsed by his galaxy sized ego. He never learned to listen and kept making mistakes. That is why we didn't like him.
My wife says we all talk like old women at the laundry but we're the first help out. I don't like a lot of what I have to see on this job, the politics and evil in our society, but I wouldn't do anything else. The average citizen will never see what we see daily (Daley too), WE make sure of that. I can live with that.
The CPD has been going down hill for quite some time. Morale was in the toilet at the end of the Matt Rodriguez regime.
Terry Hilliard came in and was a breath of fresh air. Officers performance improved during Hilliard's first year. Hilliard was clearly burnt out (he was fucking coppers over left and right his last year and a half) at the end of his tour and needed to go.
Phil Cline came in and did more damage to the patrol division than imaginable. Cline brought the backstabbing and phone calls to an all time high. Cline made more units and increased the size of others. He made the CPD Us vs Us. Cline made the political animal known as the CPD brass just plain vicious. Workers got to work under Cline but arrogance reigned supreme. Things were never more obvious that if you were a friend of Cline you would be taken care of. Should you not be a Cline guy you were done. Make no mistake about it, during Cline there were far more high profile media scandals. The Cline regime took care of far too many CPD that belonged in jail or at a minimum of getting fired. Cline certainly wanted to fight crime and did. Cline had good ideas and did make some POs good money. Those who worked hard still didn't get ahead without a phone call. The song says meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Nothing changed.
J Fraud came in and many wanted to give him a chance. The fraud said quite a few things that had PO's heads nodding in approval. The fraud did name those who were merit promoted. The fraud also had the fortune of Corp Counsel fighting lawsuits most of which were extremely frivolous. The rest of the fraud was all BS!!!! Bill Cozzi sunk the fraud and the SS CPD took on heavy water from that point forward. He lied about officers getting a fair shake at getting into units or meritoriously promoted. He got rid of so many exempts that those who took place of the old bosses didn't have a clue. The fraud was clearly not in charge as those promoted had more baggage than the cargo section of a 747. J Fraud showed the average non connected working PO that he or she was going nowhere without a phone call. The fraud was a self promoting media whore to which the CPD had never seen before. I don't mind if an outsider comes in but at least be a police officer not a fed. FEDS treat the police as second class citizens. Those who have worked with the feds know this all to well.
In closing. The CPD morale is also horribly low because of the basics from any job. The CPD hasn't promoted anyone to the rank of detective in over 3 years. That dicks are horribly short and some blue shirts would like to move up. The list has been up forever and no one is getting promoted. The Sgt list is stagnant. How many years have gone by and we are only at #150 on the Sgt list??? Those who scored in the top 350 studied hard and have had to sit and wait to get promoted forever. The merit hacks taking the spots of those who scored well just kills morale. Officers don't want to be Officers for the rest of their career. A huge department is supposed to have the chance for advancement. That has not been the case for the entire Weiss reign of terror. Sure more units have been made but who wants to go out and bust heads for 25 years?????? Thats a long time to run and gun.
YES
very well said 1:44am,you sound like a good guy to work with/for/under
It's really all about the cops and bosses that work with you. The mayor and superintendent don't have as much to do with your morale as the the people you see every tour of duty.
Good cops with good bosses even in the worst areas can have higher morale than if you worked some extra special unit where you could be here today gone on a phone call.
There are still a few good, mostly old time bosses out there; learn from them. There are a lot of really stupid, mean, all-for-me bosses out there also; learn from them too.
He writes for the sun-times....
We bitch a lot because we see, more than most people should, the dark side of humanity and the nasty politics that enables it.
Add to that the politicians trying to steal our pensions and the press constantly trying to make us look bad and this is what you get.
Mark: are you that hard up for material that you have to tap onto the large daily readership over here at this "insignificant" blog, which is probably very close to your rags readership as well? If you want a good picture, file a FOIA for the morale survey which was never released. And while you are poking around why don't you ask for the merit promotion history and do a little geneology work? When the chance for career advancement is taken away from so many due to this unfair system and the realization hits that you'll be humping a beat car for 30 years hits sand you see some of the incompetents that are promoted multiple times via this program, you'd understand a little better!
We are the guy that gave them the parking ticket they deserved 15 years ago. We call them out in front of the world when they do what ever the fuck they want. We remind them some people still believe in responsibility and consequences for your actions.
Hey Mark!
Use your power of the press and simply file a FOIA to retrieve the results of the former Supt's 'Morale Survey.'
It was taken but never published, obviously because of unfavorable results.
Do your homework, then publish the facts from the poll. Now you'll have an accurate barometer in which to make a statement and a future comparable.
If you really want to know what it's like to be a cop, then merely read the brief synopsis in the SCC reply.
So until you walk a mile in our shoes, kindly comment in an area in which you have expertise or fact to back it up.
We all know what they say about, 'Opinions.'
God Bless all our Police and Fire first responders.
Brown may indeed be on to something, but for sure,
we've had a whole lotta shit the past 3 years to be miserable about!!!
Ehhh... Disillusioned. Pissed. Estranged. Heart-Broken.
My morale is up a few notches.
3/04/2011 12:16:00 AM
are you sure it's not just your belt?
Part of original post, said!
"Despite what you might have heard from all those mayoral candidates during the past several months, not to mention from most any police officer with whom you might have spoken in the last year, Mayor Daley insisted Wednesday that morale is good in the Chicago Police Department."
And;
"That’s a straight line if I ever heard one, and while I find it both amusing and interesting, my punch line might be different than what a police officer would offer."
Now;
There is no "N" in Lie!
The sentence should read.
That's a straight LIE if I ever heard one!
The first five years were great, couldn't wait to get to work. Then the lawsuits started coming, took the wind out of my sails a bit. You see we know when we take this job that we are going to be called names, we know we are going to be physically attacked and shot at, we know we are going to get in car accidents. we know we are going to get hurt, but when we go out and try to do the right thing day in and day out we don't expect to become the DEFENDENT. Partner got put on BIS, which was like putting us both on BIS, that really took the wind out of his sails. Of course the city eventually told him that they shouldn't have done that, but the trust of the department was gone. Didn't mind going to work for the next two years but felt very limited. Then Mr. Douchebag Tony Abatte decided to wail on a bartender, a deplorable act which will permanently stain this department. This of course was captured on camera and was a legitimate media story. HOWEVER the video has, is and will be relentlessly played by the media over and over and over again. I saw it as recently as Tuesday when Weis retired. Since the Abatte incident the media, of which you are a member Mr. Brown, has been on a witch hunt of the CPD and made every opportunity to demoralize us with attacks and implications of guilt and wrong doing without due process or any sense of unbiased reporting. This continuous attack by the media was partially responsible for Mr. Weis being offered the Supt. job, a job he had not applied for and a job he promptly extorted an additional 130K a year to do so poorly, that even those in the department that welcomed an outsider in grew to despise him. The amusing part is that the media spent the better part of Weis' tenure attacking him, but in the end for the purposes I still don't understand praised his leadership. So the last three years haven't been so great Mr. Brown. Three years under enormously incompetent and repressive leadership not to mention ten line of duty deaths has really taken its toll. Ask your average police officer about morale under Cline and I think you would get a positive answer, under Hilliard a fairly positive answer.
Chicago Breaking News
Chicago officer detained by fellow cops wins false-arrest suit
Federal jury awards $200,000 to police detective arrested outside his home
By Annie Sweeney, Tribune reporter
3:30 AM CST, March 4, 2011
A Chicago police detective was awarded $200,000 Thursday by a federal jury after he sued his own department for false arrest and other civil rights violations, according to court records and his lawyer.
Typical Daleyesque Journalism in Shitcago. We have no responsible reporting at all in this city. It is a daley Machine News Bureau. If the Press doesn't truthfully report it, it never happened, Right !!!!!!
"There's nothing as sad as a policemen's lot." -Oscar Wilde
A Morale-O-Meter would be an interesting idea. At least it can track ups and downs from one day or week to the next.
As a civilian--what the COC Supervisor said!
When I'm out in public, and I spot cops, here's what is probably going through my mind: "Oh, good, I'm safe for the moment, no scum will try anything while they're around." And sometimes "nice horse" or "what breed of dog is that?" or even "what interesting uniform options they have nowadays." Guess that dates me ;)
It is quite possible to be happy as a person and still able to point out the negative things that you observe in the world.
Today, Was my first day back to work, and I was SO HAPPY for several reasons.
1) JFED is gone
2) Penny is gone(kudos to the people who aired this event)
3) Daley is leaving.
4) Proud that I am associated with the finest group of Policeman in the world.
AND most importantly:
5) Wife saw fit to have sex with me prior to work!!
So, I wrote 5 movers, 5 ANOVs, 10 Parkers and a few Contact cards. WOW havent done this much work since J-Fed got here.
Morale has been on a steady decline for about 12 yrs.
These fucks( Daley, Weis,reporters,public) have no idea. Most cops don't hate the job. They hate the fact the regime makes it very hard if not impossible to do the job.
Weis was right. There are clicks. Most, political in nature. That doesn't serve the best interest of the average officer or citizen. It's self serving.
The department is a reflection of our soon to be GONE leadership. Corrupt and bankrupt in honor and integerity
Officers thought J-Fled might set it straight. He didn't. Cozzi got wacked federally under his tenure.He never adressed it and seemed happy with the outcome. Sacrificial lamb to prove he was tuff on misconduct even though the punishment was already given. Well how about a big FUCK YOU
Is water wet?
Is the Sky Blue?
Do City Politicians fuck the public?
3/04/2011 01:44:00 AM
Great post!
Since Trahanas left 011, my morale is way way up!
Everyone is happy when the fire department shows up. No one is happy when the police do though.
***
Au contraire.
I lived in east Rogers Park for almost twenty years (‘88 to ‘05). I’m part of the majority of citizens that rarely come in contact with you. I don’t commit crimes; and, fortunately, I haven’t been the victim of a crime. Any officer working in east Rogers Park in the late ‘80’s and ‘90’s knows how frightening it could be at times for a civilian. I even had an officer say to me early one evening, “Lady, look where you live”.
In the summer I ran the dogs on the beach about 5:30 a.m. and I always felt safer when I saw a squad car down there. Even with a Dobe, I never really felt secure especially after a woman was raped down there early one morning. So, why did I continue to walk there? Because I wasn’t going to let a criminal deprive me of the joy of walking along the water and watching the sun come up.
What I’m trying to say is that I really appreciate the police, as do most of the citizens, and the job that you do. There’s just no way you’ll ever know it.
OT: Jody Weis was on Roe Conn again. According to Weis anyone who has ever worked with him knows he's not a coward. And, he never ran from the scene. Once again he said he never heard the shots; however, his (something?) came up and said they had to leave. He also said had he gone to the scene he would just have evaluated it, been a distraction, and he has detectives for that job. They took one call from an officer who talked about fighting lawsuits which will save police officers down the road.
Morale is up, up,up.....
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Typical Daleyesque Journalism in Shitcago. We have no responsible reporting at all in this city. It is a daley Machine News Bureau. If the Press doesn't truthfully report it, it never happened, Right !!!!!!
3/04/2011 01:11:00 PM
Remember the scene from the movie "St. Valentines Day Massacre" where Capone is walking around the table with a bat. All of his flunkies sitting at the table were scared shitless that they would be the one Capone was going to brain. Well Daley reminds me of Capone, and Chicago press members remind me of the flunkies sitting at the table.
I know the media looks at this blog. Why don't you eunuchs grow a pair and start doing your job? Because if society continues its downward spiral, you all will be out of a job. A big reason this country is in bad shape is because the media runs interference for the socialists. How do you think you will be treated under Sharia Law if your lucky enough to not lose your head?
OT: Jody Weis was on Roe Conn again. According to Weis anyone who has ever worked with him knows he's not a coward.
Can't ask Joe Airhart
To 3/04/2011 04:34:00 PM
Merci
Hey Brown, how did you type your column with daley standing behind you with his hands holding your shoulders ???????
You're daley's punk !!!!!
3/04
4:34pm
Worked in 024 during part of that time. Went there from a "busy" district and was surprised how bad it was up on the north side.
Thank You very much for telling us how you feel and the truth be known no matter how much this job gets to us we all took it to help the people like you. Thank You again and thanks for your support.
....do I look like i'm smiling!!!
Morale is up, up,up.....
3/04/2011 04:49:00 PM
so, the viagra is working for you?
Old Retired Guy Here:
This is a topic, I must stick my, two cents worth,in. I did 32plus years on the job. Most time as beat cop, except for some years in SOG, and Gang Crimes, under the late, Great, Joe McCarthy. I got on the job when I was 22yrs old, I knew at the time, this was the best job, I was ever going to have. You cannot allow yourself, to get frustrated with the injustice of the promotion system. You can't allow yourself to get involved in the gossip. You can't allow yourself to become jealous.
Go to roll call, grab your gear, and run out of the station. Hook up for coffee, etc, with a good group. Go to all the calls you can, and ask,if they could need anything. A report, set of complaints, whatever. Many will look at you with suspicion,only you will know, you are sincere, and will enjoy doing it.
The reason I am on this site, is because I loved the job, and miss it. Some Day You Might Also.
Mark Brown...
Yes, morale is low in the police department, for many different reasons. Police work in itself is a thankless job, and I bet if you ask citizens in any city or suburb, rich or poor, anywhere in the United States they will not trust their police department.
Citizens of this country generally distrust the government.
People do not trust the CIA or FBI because they do not understand their day to day operations.
People think FDR allowed Pearl Harbor to happen
People believe JFK had M. Monroe Murdered even though she attempted suicide 3x before she was fianlly successful.
People think the moon landing was faked.
People do not believe Oswald was the lone assasin.
People think George W. and company planned, and carried out 9/11.
And so on
Problem is, those mentioned above are out of reach of the common citizen. But guess who is within reach on a day to day basis...Police Officers. Officers must bear the brunt of all the hatred and mistrust of the citizens.
Liberals dont like the police because they see us as an occupying army who abuses the citiznes. (Nazis, jack booted-thugs etc.)
Right wingers don't like the police because they see us as the government who is going to take their guns. (Waco, McVeigh, etc.)
Now, when a news worthy event is in the papers and you folks run with it (the Abbate video), all we ask is that everyone takes a breath and not judge all by the actions of one. But that is not how it happens.
When we say we want someone who has our backs, we are not asking them to cover up what happens, all we ask is that they act as OUR leader and not heed to the call for blood by the politicians, media, reverends etc.
Look at your paper's accusations of a cover-up regarding the investigation of Daley's nephew this entire week. The case was fully investigated and the ASA's decided not to charge the offender.
Well said SCC. Walk a mile in our boots and then be our judge.
Hey no one forced us to put the boots ON! You make yourself happy. This is the job "I" chose nobody made me take it. You weren't drafted you know.
I can't wait to get back to work. But because of what I have wrong with me I don't think the department will let me right now. I most likely will be at call back which is like a knife in the heart to me. Talk about low morale well I have it. I am getting depressed thinking about it. I have no family only this job. Keep your chin up boys and girls in the blink of an eye you could end up with me in the village of the damned
can't wait to get back to work. But because of what I have wrong with me I don't think the department will let me right now. I most likely will be at call back which is like a knife in the heart to me. Talk about low morale well I have it. I am getting depressed thinking about it. I have no family only this job. Keep your chin up boys and girls in the blink of an eye you could end up with me in the village of the damned
I hope you have someone to reach out to and I hope things get better for you than they are for you now. There are alot of P.O.'s who still feel like "family" so talk to someone--please!
Keep your chin up boys and girls in the blink of an eye you could end up with me in the village of the damned
3/05/2011 11:50:00 AM
it takes a village to raise a knucklehead.
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