Good Point
Yesterday, we asked, "Safety? Or Cash?" Our question was facetious - it was always about the cash. But someone brought up some very good points and proofs about this whole sorry business being only about the cash:
- Can a camera pull a car over for this traffic offense?
Can a camera check for a valid d.l. and insurance?
Can a camera see if there are any other infractions?
Can a camera take a suspended/revoked/unlicensed driver off of the streets?
Can a camera detect whether or not the driver is driving through said school zone under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
Can a camera detect whether said driver or occupants are wanted on warrants or registered sex offenders?
Can a camera see contraband in plain view in the passenger compartment?
Can a camera search the vehicle and recover contraband?
Can a camera testify at court as to the probable cause for the vehicle stop and subsequent charges?
Can a camera observe gunshots in the school zone and respond?
The answer to all these questions is NO.
What can a camera do?
Generate cash flow for the city. Generate cash flow for the company.
Give the impression of a safer city for those who drink the kool aid.
Not collect a salary or a pension.
Rahm, hire more police. Consult the courts and nail them down on what they will find a legitimate tool for fining and convicting speeders. Buy said equipment. Encourage your police and back them up. Now you have a marked squad car stopping speeders and potentially worse lawbreakers generating your beloved income and most importantly providing legitimate safety to those in and around schools.
There is no greater deterrent to crime than the presence of a uniformed police officer. This will you make you much more popular with the public than a camera program.
So you see, it's all about the quick $100 and not actually addressing citizens' safety.
And as someone else pointed out - how many more children have been shot than have been hit by cars in school crosswalks?
And as someone else pointed out - how many more children have been shot than have been hit by cars in school crosswalks?
Labels: from the comments
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
69 Comments:
Perhaps if the police would get out and write tickets again, we wouldn't need traffic cameras.
When will someone realize that the police department is the only city department that could turn a profit. Any officer could easily write their salaries in tickets, anovs, and arrests that resulted in fines if collected properly. Wake up mr mayor a content police force could generate a lot of revenue.
Have you noticed when you drive around the burbs many traffic stops? Many tickets being written? Wonder if it is proactive policing or bullshit cameras making the stops? The burbs are raking in huge dollars but the coppers are properly treated unlike us! Was at 18th and state the watch commanders office was boarded up with plywood, many areas have plywood boards, they are using DUCT TAPE to hold the floor down by the rear entrance! Wonder who built this? Wonder which of daleys criminal crew had this done? A newer building in this condition?
Nailed it. Now if the camera had the laser guided lead projectile USB attachment then it could be more effective at crime deterant. What about using drones for red light crosswalk 'protection?
How do you prove who's driving??? ”I let lil snoopy borrow my car..he musta sped thru that.school zone....prove it was me”.......good luck.
A wise copper once said:
Lots of arrests, lots of problems
A few arrests, a few problems
No arrests, no problems....
This whole camera business is perfect for the city....makes it look like crime is down because a camera cant make an arrest or find dope. A camera can get you a $100 bucks per violation.
And remember, that $100 is pure profit for the city....none of it goes to the state or county.
A point of order Mr. Blog'administrator. Aren't there speed bumps around all the schools? I mean really, every school I've been by has speed bumps. There's no speeding by a school, as a practical matter. So now I'm thinking
Rahm is trying to slip by an ordinance that seems to protect children but the small print is they can use this technique everywhere! That's right, just as city stickers were only going up a little on larger vehicles, and then slipping in the weight reduction definition on those effected vehicles so it impacts thousands more vehicles. You know it's true. There aren't any schools without speed bumps, so what's really going on? Don't trust this this guy, he thinks that he's way more clever than anybody, until you understand his low class thought process.
How about putting a camera in the mayor's office and charging Rahm a hundred bucks every time he uses the F-word?
We could balance the city budget in less than a month!!
.
encourage your police and back them up---- pleeeeze--- it hasn't happened yet in this century and it never will--- the playing field has changed and the police are the villians now--- they should post a disclaimer on every roll call room wall city wide--- WARNING, POLICE WORK IS A DANGEROUS UNDERTAKING AND YOU DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK--- WE WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES YOU MAY INCUR.....
Mayor Beetlejuice will just take the extra $$$ and buy more city services and shit for the chosen peeps in his old 5th Congressional District.
Example numero uno: the $7.9 million City of Chicago TIF slush fund bucks to be spent on Roseland Cemetery property that will in turn be sold to the Chicago Park District for $1.
Oh to live in Beetlejuice's world.
How many offenses can the officer ticket for at one time? I think if Rahm is smart he would use the cameras to fund the hiring of more police. A camera can possibly generate more tickets and revenue while the officer is busy with their own traffic stop. Kind of a two tiered attack.
With all the crime in this City, all the shootings, all the stabbings, all the gang banging, all the drugs, all the theft, all the crooked politicians, and all the sex offenders our dipshit mayor thinks a camera is better than an officer. While the camera is zeroing in on a speeding car the guy getting robbed under the light post holding it will get away scott free. But don't worry, Rahm says it's not about the money. You can also bet your ass none of HIS family or friends will pay tickets.
Guys and gals are being asked by other police departments at the IACP about how many we have, how many we're budgeted for, the population. It's also great when the Trib put's on the front page of the internet edition how many people are shot and killed in Chicago overnight.
Welcome IACP!!
Every school in Chicago has cameras yet none of these are accessible to CPD.
What about some inter-department cooperation? The schools expect to have CPD officers there whenever students are present.
How about the schools allowing the EXTERNAL BUILDING CAMERAS to be available to patrols, the district staff, and the HQ staff.
This would cost nothing and give enforcement another tool to use.
How do you think I find the money for no-bid contracts, 6 figure salaries for the connected, bigger city government and more cronyism?
By fucking the citizens of Chicago out every dollar I can, anyway I can, whenever I want, and as much as I want.
s/ Rahm the Magnificent
the bigger question is... can the camera generate an event number?
There is an article in the paper about ISP pulling a car over on I-290 the driver revoked, passenger 1 warrant, failure to appear. Passenger 2 warrant for murder. Will a camera be able to do that?? NO. How would the streets be safer if this car was caught on camera for speeding. They wouldn't!
Rahm, do a review of the traffic courts. Lots traffic offenders walk away with no fines. waste of time.
Can a camera even generate cash for the city when the plate comes back as bullshit?
Fuck you, Rahm. And fuck you too, Daley. It's probably your crooked friends and family that have the contract for this bullshit just like your bullshit traffic choking flower pots.
Who pays to water and weed those monstrosities? Oh, that's right. The tax payers will pick up the tab so your connected landscapers can take our money.
When you don't do your job , writing parking tickets and moving violations , you're replaced by cameras on street cleaners , red lights and civilians employees .
Police Officers are their own worst enemy .
Face it CPD at one time were dispatchers , traffic control in the loop , detail section for sporting events , but failed to produce revenue by writing tickets.
Next Chicago will hire civilians to write case reports at the 311 call back unit and to process crime scenes for less money than our ET's make.
..pay your parking ticket Rahm, you phony fraud.
No, perhaps if the citizens actually PAID for their tickets we wouldn't need traffic cameras. Ever look at some of these glove boxes on traffic stops? Wads of parking tickets jammed in there. Of course none of them paid. Therein lies the problem. Then they get suspended and nothing happens. They keep driving. Then they get TVB'd and end up revoked. Then they keep driving yet.
Perhaps if the police would get out and write tickets again, we wouldn't need traffic cameras.
10/22/2011 12:05:00 AM
--
Perhaps if we weren't always in a backlog, racing from call to call, or bogged down with time-wasting, non-productive so-called 'missions', we would have TIME to get out and write tickets again.
You must be new here, or your reading comprehension skills are non-existent. We are desperately understaffed.
We can either respond to crime in progress calls or we can write tickets. Which choice do you prefer?
Can a camera pull a car over for this traffic offense?
Nope. And that is kind of the point of having the cameras instead of wasting valuable and scarce police resources to handle minor enforcement issues like this. What need is there to pull over someone for this kind of offense?
Can a camera check for a valid d.l. and insurance?
Papiere, bitte?
Can a camera see if there are any other infractions?
Nope. It is not intended or supposed to.
Can a camera take a suspended/revoked/unlicensed driver off of the streets?
Taking someone "off the road" for the few hours it typically takes for such a person to get back on the road really serves little purpose.
Can a camera detect whether or not the driver is driving through said school zone under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
If the cop is there he may or may not be able to. But we cannot afford to have a cop on every corner and it would be a miserable society to live in if we had one.
Can a camera detect whether said driver or occupants are wanted on warrants or registered sex offenders?
Nope. But again, not the purpose of cameras.
Can a camera see contraband in plain view in the passenger compartment?
Can a camera search the vehicle and recover contraband?
Can a camera testify at court as to the probable cause for the vehicle stop and subsequent charges?
So now traffic stops are about finding a joint or two? You are rapidly losing support from the average citizen for whatever it is you have against cameras and building support for them.
Can a camera observe gunshots in the school zone and respond?
Cops can only observe and respond if they happen to randomly be in the immediate area. Which they may well not be if they are wasting time giving useless traffic tickets somewhere else.
What can a camera do?
Generate cash flow for the city. Generate cash flow for the company.
Give the impression of a safer city for those who drink the kool aid.
Not collect a salary or a pension.
All very good reasons to use them to supplement police presence. especially as the city views revenue as the primary reason for traffic citations in the first place.
This could work in your favor. If cops are no longer seen as the guys who spend most of their time looking for some way to "get" people so they can write citations to make money for the city, the average law abiding citizen might well appreciate that and over time that could be a good thing for the average cop.
Not a cop.
Anonymous said...
A point of order Mr. Blog'administrator. Aren't there speed bumps around all the schools? I mean really, every school I've been by has speed bumps. There's no speeding by a school, as a practical matter. So now I'm thinking
Rahm is trying to slip by an ordinance that seems to protect children but the small print is they can use this technique everywhere! That's right, just as city stickers were only going up a little on larger vehicles, and then slipping in the weight reduction definition on those effected vehicles so it impacts thousands more vehicles. You know it's true. There aren't any schools without speed bumps, so what's really going on? Don't trust this this guy, he thinks that he's way more clever than anybody, until you understand his low class thought process.
10/22/2011 01:23:00 AM
--
No, there AREN'T speedbumps by all schools. Just like there aren't traffic control signals by all schools.
Some schools are on side streets (i.e. no traffic lights). Some schools are on busy streets (yes, there may be traffic lights).
12:30 doesn't matter who's driving. Registered owner is responsible for the ticket, just like tickets from the red light cameras. They don't identify the driver
"Perhaps if the police would get out and write tickets again, we wouldn't need traffic cameras.
10/22/2011 12:05:00 AM"
Party Pooper.
Wake up mr mayor a content police force could generate a lot of revenue.
10/22/2011 12:10:00 AM
dumb.
it's always been a pissing contest between the police and the city........How about working together...Hey!!!! Dipshit mayor (another one) insead of villainizing the police, attacking them, falsifying information and letting the media run with it, making it an us (tax payers) v them mentality, and not have our back.......................................
How about you support us!!! How about you and the XO's support us....That way we bring in revenue. Stop attacking our pensions so we know our future (which we contribute to, and WE PAY TAXES FOR) is solidified, and not going anywhere. Stop putting political hacks in charge (bosses) of what used to be considered the most prestigous department in the U.S. Stop blaming the police for everything. The cultural is changing, becoming more violent and more anti-police.
THE BALLS IN OUR COURT WITH THE G-8- NATO COMING UP AND WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE U.S. (Occupy protests), AND THE VIOLENCE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE NEED TO STICK TOGETHER!!! WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO REALIZE A HAPPY COP IS A WORKING COP. THE SUBURBS DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY OF THE PROBLEMS THE SHITY DOES....
10/22/2011 04:55:00 AM
Was That A Speed Bump?!, or were you just glad to see me?
Today's news: "Mom shielding kids is shot dead outside NYC school"......they should have installed those speed trap cameras to protect the kids, it's all about the kids....Rahm "racoon" said so.
A website geared towards protecting public workers pensions is weareillinois.org Check it out sign up and support it....Rahm currently has something around 7 bills trying to get passed, all designed to attack or get into our pensions.
When do we get the F.O.P. Gand lodge involved? We forget the F.O.P. has he Fraternal Order of Police has over 325,000 members!!!! Why aren't we using what we have?????
We have to start doing something soon....It's going to be too late quicker than people think.
Well said! Your topic hits the nail on the head. Hire more police is the logical answer but since it makes sense, it will never happen. It's all about the cash, not public safety. It makes me sick to my stomach to watch Rahm lie lie lie all the time and it makes me even more mad that so many citizens buy into all his bullshit.
Perhaps if the police would get out and write tickets again, we wouldn't need traffic cameras.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
There's a good point. I was at the light at 111th and Talman yesterday and some jerkoff shot up the inside lane wb (on the red) just missing a car which was turning into the gas station. There was a beat car at the light, the copper looked at the goof and then just turned EB on 111th.
And save the "he was on a call" nonsense. He turned into the sandwich place just east of the tracks.
Fucking take some action will you?
Ret Sgt
I hope all our guests at the IACP are packing this weekend. It is quite dangerous in our City these days. Why the Mayor and his NYPD Police Chief will be out smiling for the camera, our depleted force will be in the trenches trying to plug the dam until it bursts.
Stay safe brothers and make sure you are locked and loaded before walking around our downtown area after dark.
You have ignored one very important point in this discussion. The city receives very little of the fines levied against traffic violators by the county judges. When they catch a violator with a city owned camera they get whatever is remaining after the company takes their cut. It’s really easy to see that this system is much more lucrative than the county traffic court system. Therefore, it's all about the money
f m all , write every violation around city hall , store front churches and all alderman offices.
That's how we the CPD can push their buttons and brings them to their knees . They can't order you not to write tickets , keep your copy , mail every ticket to news media. And document every request by a W/C if you think it will result in an illegal non-suiting of something you wrote.
A wise copper once said:
Lots of arrests, lots of problems
A few arrests, a few problems
No arrests, no problems....
Workers are rewarded with more work. A old timer told me when I was aggressive; "if it weren't for guys like you then guys like me would have to work. Thank you son"!
10/22/2011 01:23:00 AM
I don't know where you live in this City...but none of the schools in 019 or 018 have speed bumps on their streets and the parents drive like assholes to get their brats to class on time.
I was working around leavitt and mcClean a few days ago and watched a soccer mom doing about 30...going backwards in her car to get her kids to the Bus at the corner. So I pulled her over...damn if the bimbo didn't have an expired city sticker on her car also. Gave her 400 bucks worth of citations and made her go red from embarrassment as I chewed her out in front of the other parents about the concept of Child Endangerment and how much that would cost her and the family.
Her Kids were late to school as a result.
Lots of arrests, lots of problems
A few arrests, a few problems
No arrests, no problems....
------------------------------------
The department does a great job (best in this nation) at finding and arresting offenders for violent crime, rapes, shootings, robberies.
Its down side is the work ethic of many coppers when it comes to traffic/parkers to petty arrest and dope, and I blame the courts, IPRA, and lawsuits. Judges need to impose fines for Class A-C arrest and impose guilt upon offenders, IPRA is nonsense they get hard ons for jamming up or bothering coppers, if a police officer is a problem I've noticed the Dept and SA office handles it (and well). Lawsuits, unless convicted in a court of law for a crime, officers requires indemnity from these career felons and pissed off one time arrested people from their lawsuits.
But this city from the top down I feel hates the police-our media, city hall, political leaders, judges, revs, college professors/students, doctors, hell our own bosses hate blue shirts, so when your common citizens & city elitists hate you inside. The current police officers are here- afraid to go to jobs, afraid to make stops, its called de-policing not due to the fear of death or being hurt, but because of being sued & IPRA. And this stems from everyone is a victim or I'm number one, it is this made up battle-I'm oppressed, or I need to help somebody, and being the police is the institution that everyone can attack to feel good about themselves without any repercussions. Mind you, even with all that BS, Chicago Police Officers do a great job of arresting violent offenders and keeping the peace.
Mayor Beetlejuice?!?!?! That's way better than raccoon eyes!
How do you prove who's driving??? ”I let lil snoopy borrow my car..he musta sped thru that.school zone....prove it was me”.......good luck.
10/22/2011 12:30:00 AM
Don't really matter. Your car your ticket. Don't let lil snoopy drive your car and you won't have to pay the fine for his shitty driving.
A point of order Mr. Blog'administrator. Aren't there speed bumps around all the schools? I mean really, every school I've been by has speed bumps. There's no speeding by a school, as a practical matter. So now I'm thinking
10/22/2011 01:23:00 AM
Not that I agree with Rahms bullshit way of making more money with the "It's for the kids" bullshit. But I live across the street from a CPS school and there are no speed bumps anywhere near my house or the school or any other schools in my neighborhood. Just saying...
Every school in Chicago has cameras yet none of these are accessible to CPD.
How about the schools allowing the EXTERNAL BUILDING CAMERAS to be available to patrols, the district staff, and the HQ staff.
10/22/2011 07:05:00 AM
Have you ever tried asking anyone in the school to view their cameras. I have done it many times. Try getting to know the staff and ask to view the cameras. You might just be surprised that most principals and school staff will cooperate.
10/22/2011 01:11:00 PM
God forbid the Police in this city Work while in uniform. They are more concerned with their Part Time Side jobs or Special Event gigs
Without a sweat this week..I did 775 parks on just street cleaning and expired plates....wtf did the rest of you guys do?
There's a good point. I was at the light at 111th and Talman yesterday and some jerkoff shot up the inside lane wb (on the red) just missing a car which was turning into the gas station. There was a beat car at the light, the copper looked at the goof and then just turned EB on 111th.
And save the "he was on a call" nonsense. He turned into the sandwich place just east of the tracks.
Fucking take some action will you?
Ret Sgt
10/22/2011 01:11:00 PM
Hey Ret. Sgt. I bet you were quite the company man back in the day. How about this. Maybe the cop was hungry or maybe he like many of us really don't give a fuck anymore. I'm sure you were one of those jerkoff bosses who wanted more and more but never took care of the troops to bring up the morale. When you get plled over for a traffic violation will pull out the retired badge and ask for a play or will you take the ticket like a good Sgt should?
Remember when a copper could "bat for the cycle" in a period?
Male misdemeanor court.
Male felony court.
Female misdemeanor court.
Female felony court.
Dope court.
Night dope court.
Gun court.
Hoe court.
Traffic court, major & minor room.
Vehicle impound hearing.
And others we may have missed...
Remember how the old timers would tell you to be sure to "pay your salary" in parkers and movers?
We and other coppers did quite well checking the money box and the city was FLUSH WITH CASH!
What happened?
Crime King Shorty looked at the ledger and said, "LOOKIT ALL DA MONEY DESE COPPERS IS GENERATIN'! Why are we payin' 'em when dey aughta be givin' it to us fer free?"
Crime King Shorty got GREEDY and picked hard working coppers pockets by closing off various avenues to make lots of money for ourselves and the city.
"No money making for you coppers but keep generating huge revenue for us! We'll get back to youz guys at contract time... BWAAAAAHAHAA!" *Rolling on the floor laughing their asses off*
Coppers resoundingly said "fuck that noise and the muthafuckahs makin' it!"
Crime King Shorty had the nerve to be pissed when Coppers kept their pens in their pockets... It was simple-assed municipal economics at work.
It's a VERY BAD IDEA to flat out alienate the very people you need to fill the treasury.
It would be quite interesting to se the comparison/contrast of the CPD revenue generating stream over the last 20 years.
THAT, would explain a lot of why things are the way they are as far as the stat of CPD is concerned.
In addition to the budgetary presto change-o (CPD going from having it's own budget and the Superintendent empowered with control of same to that authority being stripped away by the mayor resulting in CPD funding being parceled out from the general fund. Thus setting the table for fiscal fuckery like "13.5k on the books vs. 9.5k in real life.")
Dirty muthafuckahs figured Coppers wouldn't mind having money taken out of their pockets.
Besides... Revenue generation is a side order to Policing.
Policing for the sole sake of revenue means that politics have gotten in the way.
The political powers have broken this city beyond repair with their selfishness and fuckery. The best answer & course of correction they could come up with (and a piss poor answer/course of correction one it is) is declaring war on The Police.
The Policeman didn't set the table for the current madness...
To Not a Cop....
I wouldn't expect you to understand why it is important for a camera not to take the place of a police officer because you are not a cop. About one-third of a percent of the population of the City of Chicago are currently police officers and even a smaller ratio of the population nationwide, yet everybody knows how to do our job better. The only two other occupations that come close to being as highly scrutinized are those of a NFL quarterback or a head coach of any sports team. So if my word didn't compel you to think the way many cops think about automation attempting to replace us then I don't know what would. I hope you understand that these cameras replace cops, they do not supplement them. My point is that they cannot replace what we do because of all the reasons I listed. They do not supplement us because in order for them to supplement what we do we would have to be at full strength. We are at minimum 1400 officers less strength than we were a few years ago and many will claim more (and they are probably right). It was right around the time that these red light cameras started appearing that the city slowed its hiring to a crawl. Coincidence? Has traffic enforcement gone down? Quite possibly, due to the cops feeling that big brother is exacting his financial toll on motorists so why should we add to their burden. With all the cameras in this city now, its feasible that you could compile numerous tickets a year for the same offense, with really no recourse to plea your case. A cop who pulls you over for breaking a red light may have witnessed another circumstance out of the cameras view that may have led you to disobey it. Finally, some of the best arrests I've ever made have been from traffic stops, those involving a gun have saved lives. Hope automation never affects your occupation, whatever that may be.
Why aren't "The Watchdogs" of the media on top of this story? Don't these points make it clear how the safety of the citizenry is not being protected by these cameras?
Or is that the media really could give two shits about the citizens. If so, that puts them in the same company as the politicians.
Stop writing tickets please! Stop with the movers,parkers,anovs,etc. Why make money for a city that doesn't back us? Zero the humper sheet! Be safe and back each other up and go home. Get a cta check at best!
This could work in your favor. If cops are no longer seen as the guys who spend most of their time looking for some way to "get" people so they can write citations to make money for the city, the average law abiding citizen might well appreciate that and over time that could be a good thing for the average cop.
Not a cop.
10/22/2011 11:37:00 AM
This might not be such a bad idea.
A camera can't do most of these things, but it can ticket an asshole driver. While they're at it put red light cameras up and down michigan ave. Plenty of children walking in the crosswalks. How many have been hit this year? Ticket the shit out of the taxis, valets, and bus drivers that don't understand what a red light means. This may not be so bad.
re: 10/22/2011 12:12:00 AM
Suburban cops make traffic stops because that's how we make contact with the shitheads IOTB "proactive" in the absence of citizen complaints. Many of whom are thugs from the shitty, but more and more are moving here. Thanks Section 8, it was tough having functional public schools and decent neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, we're stuck with the same useless county ASA's you are as well as this sanctuary bullshit, but at least we can waste their time and make 'em pay for the towing and admin fees.
It ain't just about the revenue with many of these toolbag bosses and politicians. It's about the POWER of them forcing you to do something. They're small dicked, twisted evil little strokes, and that's all they have to feed their ego. You guys have the ones that are world notorious, but the same small twisted pricks are all over. Stay safe.
Hope automation never affects your occupation, whatever that may be.
10/22/2011 08:05:00 PM
It's 2011 so most occupations have been affected by some sort of automation. It's not the end of the world. There will be plenty of tickets to write. No need to be a dick to the guy.
Anonymous said...
There's a good point. I was at the light at 111th and Talman yesterday and some jerkoff shot up the inside lane wb (on the red) just missing a car which was turning into the gas station. There was a beat car at the light, the copper looked at the goof and then just turned EB on 111th.
And save the "he was on a call" nonsense. He turned into the sandwich place just east of the tracks.
Fucking take some action will you?
Ret Sgt
10/22/2011 01:11:00 PM
Hey Ret. Sgt. I bet you were quite the company man back in the day. How about this. Maybe the cop was hungry or maybe he like many of us really don't give a fuck anymore. I'm sure you were one of those jerkoff bosses who wanted more and more but never took care of the troops to bring up the morale. When you get plled over for a traffic violation will pull out the retired badge and ask for a play or will you take the ticket like a good Sgt should?
10/22/2011 05:25:00 PM
You're probably right maybe he was hungry or just really doesn't give a fuck anymore. A camera would have worked.
Hey Ret. Sgt. I bet you were quite the company man back in the day. How about this. Maybe the cop was hungry or maybe he like many of us really don't give a fuck anymore. I'm sure you were one of those jerkoff bosses who wanted more and more but never took care of the troops to bring up the morale. When you get plled over for a traffic violation will pull out the retired badge and ask for a play or will you take the ticket like a good Sgt should?
We know he wont be pulled over by you...
How about its a two way street, you take care of us we take care of you. Yes the city/5th floor is full of thieves, but guess what come the 1st and 16th your money is in the bank, how about earning it. Stop acting like the shitheads that we arrest. With their attitude, what u gonna do for me, what in it for me, etc.
Not saying you should go set the world on fire, but how about a little pride, the jagoff you look the other way on today may be the one that hurts someone you care about tomorrow.
Im sure you will have some clever retort, fine, thats your right, but when you do, one thing, STFU.
Red light cameras have been proven by studies and empirical data to cause more accidents. Period. Thus their continued presence is for the generation of revenue. The Mayor's plea to " protect the children" is just an unoriginal smoke screen to grab more cash from an already over taxed, over charged and over frustrated population.
I wouldn't expect you to understand why it is important for a camera not to take the place of a police officer because you are not a cop.
-----------------
The reality is that how ever many cops there currently are, the city is in a dire financial condition and the number of cops and other city employees is going to drop pretty dramatically over the next 5 years.
The other reality is that it does not matter all that much whether the voters understand your job as you see it or not. They get the ultimate decision on whether you are doing it right or not. And there just is no will to spend the amount of money it would take to increase the number of employees in the police department at present.
At present, there is no way the voters are going to accept the massive tax hikes it would take to hire as many cops as some in CPD think are needed. They won't even accept the huge tax hikes that it would take to keep city employment levels where they are now.
I predict that the hard facts of the financial condition of the city brings the number of city employees down by 25% or more. It seems likely that the police and fire department will be hit less hard than that, but there is no way that the city can reduce the ranks of other city departments by 40 or 50% to keep the number of police and fire department employees at a steady number. That is not a viable option. You really think the other city unions will go along with that? They could care less about how many police or fire employees are left when it comes to their own survival.
My guess is the city starts outsourcing things that are not core to its mission and they don't do all that efficiently to begin with like garbage collection. There is no reason for the city to be collecting garbage in the first place, and no reason to continue subsidizing homeowners that way.
A lot of other city services could easily and efficiently be outsourced, or even just eliminated. If people wanted them they could pay for them themselves.
Really, outsourcing ticket writing is just a start. I could see a LOT of current city functions being outsourced over the next few years. It could be a very bumpy road.
Not a cop.
When will someone realize that the police department is the only city department that could turn a profit. Any officer could easily write their salaries in tickets, anovs, and arrests that resulted in fines if collected properly. Wake up mr mayor a content police force could generate a lot of revenue.
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And no doubt make CPD even more popular with the voters.
Not a cop.
Can stop SIGN cameras be far behind ?
Gave her 400 bucks worth of citations and made her go red from embarrassment as I chewed her out in front of the other parents about the concept of Child Endangerment and how much that would cost her and the family.
Her Kids were late to school as a result.
10/22/2011 03:41:00 PM
I'm not knocking a copper for doing his job, but it would have been so much more enjoyable to read about you bragging about stopping some thug instead of a soccer mom.
Red light cameras have been proven by studies and empirical data to cause more accidents. Period. Thus their continued presence is for the generation of revenue. . .
Include the city as a "reckless defendant" for disregarding this safety info
As long as they ticket the scofflaw bike riders too
Hey Ret. Sgt. I bet you were quite the company man back in the day. How about this. Maybe the cop was hungry or maybe he like many of us really don't give a fuck anymore. I'm sure you were one of those jerkoff bosses who wanted more and more but never took care of the troops to bring up the morale. When you get plled over for a traffic violation will pull out the retired badge and ask for a play or will you take the ticket like a good Sgt should?
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Yes I will ask for a courtesy, the same courtesy that I showed anyone even remotely related to a copper throughout my career. And there's no point defending the way that I treated working coppers as a Sgt. You wouldn't believe me anyway. Believe me, I did my share.
The point of my original post was that I read "protect the homeland" all the time on this blog. To me protecting the homeland means in every way. Guarding against burglars, street robbers car thieves and reckless drivers. I live 2 blocks from where I saw this. My wife and kids drive around here. maybe yours do too. I don't want some asshole driving like a jagoff putting anyone in danger. If the copper hadn't been there I would have just figured "oh well, a jagoff driver". But he WAS there and blew it off. And if you want to call me a company man go right ahead. But if I was still on the job, that lazy prick would have had to answer some questions just between me and him. How? I know the guy, and he lives around here too. If he doesn't give a fuck anymore then he can go not give a fuck somewhere else.
Hungry my ass.
Hey Ret. Sgt. I bet you were quite the company man back in the day. How about this. Maybe the cop was hungry or maybe he like many of us really don't give a fuck anymore.
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One more thing-about 5 years ago in that same intersection a car ran the redlight, t-boned an ambulance which had a copper guarding a prisoner in the back. Copper hurt, paramedic in the back hurt as was the paramedic that was driving. And I think the prisoner was hurt too but who the fuck cares. THATS why you should give a fuck.
No need to be a dick to the guy? I didn't think I was being a dick, I certainly wasn't any harsher to him than he was to me. People receiving tickets from a camera aren't going to be more in love with the police. Like it or not we are agents of the government. If the government is unpopular we are going to be the front line to deal with those who are upset. If you think that cameras are the solution, work 10-99 in a camera car and hope you don't have to call for an assist. Because if they keep paying bocu dollars for cameras and don't hire cops, there won't be an assist coming. I'm sure your family will be comforted by the fact that the camera helped lead the remaining few police to your assailant, but it won't change the fact that you are hurt or dead because there weren't enough of us to respond. If you think I'm a dick for saying this then you need thicker skin.
As far as not a cop is concerned, I'm sorry that I can't convince you that the hard answers to fixing the finances of this city, state and country isn't going after people who work for a living. Police and fire protect the economy by providing protection to people so their physical well being and their property can remain intact. Reducing our ranks is detrimental to that protection. If you want safety you need a good system in place. If you want a good system in place it has to be well manned and well funded. Messing with our manpower, salaries and pensions is not beneficial to that system. If you want high quality people in these professions you cannot pay minimum wage and say to hell with your safety and your retirement. There are over 500 officers who have never collected a pension check, not to mention all the other things in life that they have missed. You can visit them at 3510 S. Michigan, they are stars in a glass case on the wall. You won't be able to hear their feedback, but maybe it will jar a little something in your conscience that will possibly make you think about things differently and perhaps seek cuts for our financial well being that aren't as essential as this is.
Not a civilian
If the glass case at 3510 S. Michigan isn't convincing enough, they have a similar one at the Fire Academy on Dekoeven street. It has a similar number of fire badges on display. Perhaps you can enlighten them on how a camera operated sprinkler system similar to Ronald Reagan's SDI (Star Wars)erected over the entire city could potentially save millions in salary and pension. Reagan never suggested reducing the military though, because he had enough wisdom to know that just because you eliminate the threat of nuclear missles, you still need people to defend the nation. Because no matter how beneficial all the advances in technology have been to mankind, people are the most beneficial thing to each other. Because you can have all the lifesaving technology there is, but if no one responds to your cry for help it will be of no benefit.
Not a civilian
And probably being a dick right now but too bad
I'd love to see more cops on patrol in school zones, keeping an eye on the NASCAR wannabes that can't seem to slow down. Screw the cameras, hire more cops. There is nothing more that makes people straighten up and fly right than seeing a marked car near an intersection, or behind them in traffic. You guys know it. One marked car in traffic, and everyone around suddenly drives like a Parish Priest.
I think one task that cameras would be OK for is gridlock/ obstruction of traffic. Sorta like NYC does. A $500 ticket that ramps up for additional violations would get everyones attention. Not you driving? tell the city who was or it's on you as it's your car. Even cheaper would be a plain clothes squad (Number on it determined by cops themselves for their safety)with digital cameras who can show up anywhere at a moments notice. At $500 a pop you could rack up thousands in revenue in a few mins. You can't legislate good manners but you sure as hell can enforce them. Citizens should be onboard with this since who likes waiting for some a-hole who just had to pull into the intersection in front of you when the light was yellow and there was nowhere to go.
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