Happy Birthday!

Holy !@#$, has it been seven years?

It has. Seven years, 21 MILLION visits to our almost 10,000 posts.

34.6 MILLION page views while leaving over 613,000 comments.

Once again, thank you. Without you, the readers, we are just yelling into the void. We hope to continue our enjoyable hobby and bring you entertainment, info and opinionated commentary.

Prayers Needed

Sergeant takes ill on duty:

• SCC,
  
  
  Please put up an informational post and ask for all of our Brother's in Blue to pray for Sgt. Jason Kaczynski from 006 who suffered a heart attack last night just as he and his team were about to execute a search warrant in 007. Jason is the hero that shot the piece of shit that killed Thor Soderberg two years ago. He is a highly respected Cop, trusted Sergeant and one of the most loyal friends anyone could have. He is currently at U of C in bad shape.
  

The Tribune had a mention of this, but we had no idea who or what had happened. Godspeed Sergeant.

CFD Contract Fight

Hopefully, the FOP is taking notes, because we're going to get attacked the exact same way and we'll probably be able to blunt some of these attacks by expressing and maintaining solidarity with the firefighters:

• Chicago firefighters “do a great job,” but they’re not “immune from the change and reform” needed to solve the city’s financial crisis and deliver “greater value” to taxpayers, Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Wednesday.

  Tom Ryan, president of Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, has characterized the cost-cutting contract concessions the mayor is seeking from firefighters when their contract expires June 30 as “horrendous,” “insulting” and “ridiculous.”

  Emanuel refused to respond in kind, nor would he discuss specifics of his proposal to target perks that, one union leader claimed, add $7,000 to the average firefighter’s annual paycheck.

A $7,000 pay cut? We don't know about anyone else, but that would put a severe hurt on our ability to maintain a household in Chicago. Unless we moved to Englewood.

Milwaukee "CompStat" Scandal

We don't think they use the actual "CompStat" programs, but some sort of takeoff on the NYPD method. They seem to have the crime misclassification down pat though:

• When Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn touted the city's fourth-straight year of falling crime in February, hundreds of beatings, stabbings and child abuse cases were missing from the count, a Journal Sentinel investigation has found.

  More than 500 incidents since 2009 were misreported to the FBI as minor assaults and not included in the city's violent crime rate, the investigation found. That tally is based on a review of cases that resulted in charges - only about one-fifth of all reported crimes.

  Yet the misreported cases found in 2011 alone are enough that Flynn would have been announcing a 1.1% increase in violent crime in February, instead of a 2.3% decline from the reported 2010 numbers, which also include errors.

Oops. Once again, lies, damn lies and statistics. And unless anyone is looking closely, manipulation to the nth degree.

ANOTHER "New" Strategy?

At least Phil Ponce on "Chicago Tonight" pointed out that this is something like the fourth or fifth strategy being rolled out, none of which involve actual hiring of police.

Some of the prize parts of this roll out:

• "Very clearly, we have a gang problem in the city of Chicago," Supt. McCarthy said at a press conference Tuesday.

No shit.

• Chicago's homicide rate at this point of the year is up nearly 50 percent. The vast majority of those homicides are gang-related.

  "It's not OK that we had 53 shootings last week, but that 53 shootings is the same exact number of shootings that we had last year, so this is not a new problem. What it is is a new is the solution that we are applying to it," McCarthy said.

We had predicted the Department Administration would take credit for "They're killing each other at a slower rate." We were close as they're now saying, "Since the numbers are the same as last year, it's all okay." Of course, the one number that has changed? The number of officers employed by the city, meaning the "more with less" strategy is going to be touted as working.

• A computer program contains wants, warrants, known gang members with records, and their associates. That kind of information has long been available, but not packaged in quite this fashion, and within the next month, it'll be available on the frontlines to beat officers on the laptops in their squads.

Really? No mention of the entire system being down for almost 10 days? The lack of tower maintenance that's restricting our ability to get to info? The complete failure of the AIRA system (automated case reports) that means officers have to take the report on paper, then go to the station and type it into a land based system, meaning they're off the streets - a contradiction of Rahm's and McCarthy's insistence that more cops are on the street?

• As for the technology part of the equation, the superintendent says it shifts the emphasis a bit from "hot spot" policing to "hot people" policing.

So the entire last two months of "patrolling the box" was a waste of time? Just as it had been ten years ago? Has any one told the command staff who are still downing cars for "missions" that accomplish nothing at all?

It's enough to drive us to drink.....more.

CeaseFire to Get Money

We guess you can write off a few million more tax dollars:

• Following a bloody Memorial Day weekend in Chicago, police Supt. Garry McCarthy on Tuesday defended his efforts to stop retaliatory shootings — and said the Chicago Police Department will enlist CeaseFire Illinois for the first time to help.

  Ten people were shot to death over the weekend and the city’s 2012 homicide tally reached 200 on Sunday, a nearly 50 percent increase over the same period of 2011.

  Experts have several theories for the spike — from this year’s record-breaking warmth, to the splintering of Chicago’s street gangs thanks to the prosecutions of their leaders to lax gun possession enforcement.

There's a reason the CPD has kept CeaseFire at a distance and now McCarthy is being told to embrace them? Not a good idea at all.

Dumb Poll Questions

We didn't realize Rahm was out there fighting with protestors on Cermak:

• Sixty-four percent of Chicagoans approve of the job Mayor Rahm Emanuel is doing, 57 percent believe he has improved the city’s business climate, and 78 percent like the way Emanuel handled the NATO summit, a new poll shows.

They clarify later:

• The Chicago Police Department’s highly acclaimed performance during the NATO summit also reflected well on the mayor.

  Asked how Emanuel handled the summit, 55.5 percent said he did a “great job” and 23.3 percent credited the mayor with doing a “good job.” That’s an overall approval rate of 78.8 percent.

We didn't see much TV during the event, but was Rahm even in town? Nice to see he's bathing in "reflected" glory while he sharpens the long knives.

Citizen Filmmakers

An underground market has existed for years under the media radar, Citizens taping illegal narcotics sales and posting it on YouTube and related sites in an effort to shame city and police officials into taking action around their neighborhoods. Someone posted this guy's link in a comment section:

• Click here

He seems to cover a section of the 011 District and labels the characters he films, including dealers, users, dealers dad, dealers mom, etc. It's amusing.

A question though - is there any way to use this guy's videos in court? A poster said, "He's doing your job," but the truth is we haven't the manpower to do our jobs as it is, let alone go after street corner sellers.

New Holiday Tradition

Detroit had Devil's Night.

Chicago has "Close the beaches on Memorial Day."

• North ave. Beach was so out of control 1860 gave out order to close beach around 1930 hrs. 30 sec. later 1800x rescinded order and just said to close down the boat house. Lmao. didn't same thing happen last year?

And the only people covering it so far? WGN News:

• Chicago police were called to North Avenue Beach to break up a fight Sunday night.
  
  The beach was crowded with people who were enjoying the day's record high temperatures.
  
  But things got too heated, when a fight broke out on the beach.
  
  A witness says the altercation started small, but then it spread.
  
  Police SUVs arrived at the scene to break up the crowd.
  
  Officials did not say if any arrests were made.

  Police shut down North Avenue Beach in 2011.
  
  Officials said too many people were overcome by heat, and rescuers had a hard time reaching victims because of the crowds.

Ah yes, the oft repeated lie that people near 6 quadrillion gallons of freshwater can't find a way to keep cool while a few hundred gang bangers fight in full view of the public, even though ambulances have been responding to the lakefront for about 100 years or so.

Sunday was only 200 gang bangers fighting according to reports, so we can see why 1800X wanted to avoid the publicity of shutting down a beach for a second straight year. Well done! Unfortunately, Memorial Day will be here again in a year and we're betting the gangs already have plans to "celebrate" next May.

And the Totals Are...

6 dead, 37 wounded:

• In some neighborhoods in Chicago, the hot Memorial Day weekend was also a violent, sometimes deadly, few days.

  Almost 40 people were shot, and at least six people were killed.

And that's only through Sunday. Once they stopped counting the weekend, 010 Ogden (Marquette to you old timers) racked up two more. Are they leading the way after all?

• A woman died after being found shot in the head in a Little Village alley this morning, officials said.

  Chicago police have launched a homicide investigation into the shooting after the woman was found at 5:30 a.m. on the 3000 block of South Kostner Avenue....

• A man was shot to death in the Lawndale neighborhood this evening, just a few minutes after another man was shot and wounded in the West Rogers Park neighborhood, authorities said.

  A man was shot in the chest in the 1500 block of South Spaulding Avenue about 5:36 p.m. and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was later declared dead....

And in case you were wondering, while NATO was ongoing, this happened last weekend:

• Chicago was focused this weekend on the NATO Summit and the heated clashes between protesters and police in the downtown area, but across the city, seven people were killed and at least 22 more were injured by gunfire.

Remember, those are just the weekend totals. No emphasis on the mayhem that occurs regularly during the week. We must be averaging a killing-plus per day and summer hasn't even officially arrived.

Ambulance Stolen

Just needed a ride we suppose:

• A 30-year-old West Side woman was driving under the influence Sunday night when, according to police, she got behind the wheel of a Chicago Fire Department ambulance that was parked outside a South Side hospital, and took it for a ride, crashing it into some parked cars about a mile away.

  Arrested was Cassie Weathersby, of the 1600 block of North Mango Ave., who was being held after bond was set at $25,000 Monday.

  The ambulance was stolen from the emergency room parking area at Saint Bernard Hospital, in the 300 block of West 64th Street, about 10:45 p.m. Sunday, police and fire officials said.

Granted, there's a lot of equipment that needs to keep running in the b'ambulance, but shouldn't there have a switch like the troopers have so if they leave the thing running, this sort of incident doesn't happen? Might be a sound investment seeing as how this rig is now down for the count.

Not One Shooting Sunday? (UPDATE)

That can't be right, can it?

If you page through the Tribune, Sun Times and Breaking News websites, there isn't one mention of a single shooting from Sunday morning onward. The last story of any shooting is the Breaking News story about 25 wounded, one dead that originally appeared Saturday morning and was updated with new totals Sunday morning. The Sun Times does a basic rehashing of the same story yesterday prior to noon.

Maybe Sunday was 100% peaceful? Everyone was at church? At picnics? Maybe it was too hot to go our and avenge your buddy's wounding the night before? That lends an illusion of self control to the gangs that we've seldom seen before.

Or maybe someone told the papers to knock it off? Graze wounds, idiots creasing their own limbs with bullets and attempted shootings won't be reported as much. Wouldn't be the first time.

UPDATE: There it is, posted after we finished up for the morning:

• A 35-year-old man was fatally wounded and at least eight others were injured in separate overnight shootings across the city.

  The shootings, which occurred between late Sunday and this morning, continued a streak of shootings that occurred during the warm Memorial Day weekend. So far this year, the city has had more homicides and shooting incidents than during the same period last year, according to the most recent citywide crime statistics.

"a streak of shootings." Impressive.

Memorial Day

Thoughts and prayers for all those who have served, are serving or will serve in the future. God bless you all.

Bombers = Pussies

After all that bitching by their lawyers that they were being held in "isolation" and "sensory deprivation," guess what two of the three accused NATO bombers are practically begging for? If you guessed "isolation from the general population," give yourself a pat on the back:

• A day after their lawyers complained that they were being “kept in isolation” at Cook County Jail, two of the three suspects accused in a bomb plot associated with last weekend’s NATO conference have asked not to be put in the jail’s general population, and to instead be incarcerated in the protective custody unit.
  
  The two suspects who made the request, Brent Betterly and Jared Chase, were arrested with fellow self-proclaimed anarchist Brian Church on Wednesday May 16 after police found what they said was Molotov cocktails and instructions for making pipe bombs in their apartment during a raid.
  
  According to prosecutors the three planned on throwing the Molotov cocktails into a police station. They were charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, possession of an explosive or incendiary device and providing material support.

Terrorists named "Brent" and "Jared?" We remember when terrorists had really scary names like Sirhan and Yassir and Osama.

Must be the new hair-gel generation of rabble-rousers.

Police Memorial Week

In all the hubbub of NATO, the Police Memorial Week got little coverage.

But in Washington DC, our retirees stepped up to guarantee a Chicago presence at the Memorial. Click over to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation website, then click on the "Retirees" button at the top of the page. There's a good article there and a slide show.

A special thanks to everyone who was able to go and represent our Department's fallen during the NATO event. Hopefully next year we return with a record breaking turnout.

Pesky Homicides

This may have been the one that put May 2012 ahead of May 2011:

• A 27-year-old man has died two days after he was shot in the head on the South Side in the city's Back of the Yards neighborhood.

  Marcus Morgan of the 8000 block of South Ada Street was pronounced dead at 3:20 p.m. today at Stroger Hospital, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

  [...] Morgan was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital where he later died.

So that means not only was April ahead of last year, May is, too. And how many other months this year? We're sure Rahm and McCarthy will try to spin it as "they're killing each other at a slower rate than last month," but that's just bullshit spin. The fact is we are speeding ahead in the yearly totals and nothing seems to be working.

Record Heat

And somehow, the beaches remained open. Was this some sort of oversight?

• Chicago got some record-setting heat today, with the temperature reaching 97 at O'Hare International Airport to break a record set more than 100 years ago.

  The record high for today was 94 (set in 1911), and with today's high being 97, that mark could be beaten by more than three degrees. It's the hottest temperature ever recorded this early in the year, according to ChicagoWeatherCenter.com.

  If you're outside, sunscreen is probably a good idea. If you're not, you might want to power up the air conditioner.

And in other news, the Bike Unit, everybody's favorite people after NATO, got their day off groups changed with a mere two days warning so everyone was around for the holiday weekend. In other circumstances, that might be a questionable action on the part of bosses, but a volunteer unit, which the Bikes are, can pretty much be messed with at will. It doesn't make people happy though - two days to rearrange your holiday plans? Just more thanks from Tiny Dancer and his minions.

Bloodbath

Now here's something you don't see every weekend....unless you live in Chicago:

• More than two dozen people were shot across the city between late Saturday afternoon and early Sunday morning.

  One died and several others are in critical condition in shootings that left a total of 25 people injured, according to police. A 6-year-old girl was among the wounded.

And for those of you keep score at home, a list of blocks:

• 2500 W 71st St, Chicago, IL 60629, USA
  
• 6900 S Artesian Ave, Chicago, IL 60629
  
• 6600 S Blackstone Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
  
• 11000 S Normal Ave, Chicago, IL 60628
  
• 400 E 87th St, Chicago, IL 60619
  
• 700 E 38th St, Chicago, IL 60653
  
• 900 E 79th St, Chicago, IL 60619
  
• 6800 S Claremont Ave, Chicago, IL 60636
  
• 2400 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608
  
• 3800 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60651
  
• 500 W 57th Pl, Chicago, IL 60621
  
• 2900 N Lawndale Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
  
• 4400 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60624
  
• 700 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60612

We're looking at well over 50 for the weekend, probably over 60 or 70 if the trends hold for Monday. Interesting how the farther south you go, the worse it gets.

Hey?! How about that NATO thing though - those police did a great job, eh? All that complaining about being shorthanded? Good guys and gals but they sure don't have any idea how to run a police department, ya know?

Quotas in 010

Guess what brilliant policy is being reintroduced in 010?

• Here is something new and show all of us how fucked up this department is, in the 010 district commander had meeting with sgts, sgts were allowed to pick po's that work 2nd watch, to be supervised under them. And at the end of the tour sgts have to write a to from with the activity from these po's. 4 contact cards, parkers/movers are required otherwise you will lose your car/starting times. Isn't all this quotas, oops I forgot we don't have quotas. Goes to show you what happens when you have a commander that has been promoted thru merit and doesn't know how to run a district effectively. Ruiz was moved the 4th district because he did such a good job in 010 why all the changes.

We certainly hope someone got the directive in writing. And someone else is keeping copies of the To-From reports the sergeants are filing out. It can only help when the inevitable lawsuit comes down. And all you officers in 010 ought to start coming in with zeros across the board.

Someday, someone will win a shitload of money from one of these multiple meri-clout-orious promoted hacks and the entire structure that allows unqualified, incompetent and ignorant people to rise to leadership positions of this department will finally be brought to public light.

Firefighter Proposals

From the comments, the supposed contract proposals presented to the CFD negotiating committee:

• Be prepared for a long fight folks.
  This is from Local 2's website:
  
  The Fight Is On!!!!!
  
  May 25th, 2012
  
  Brothers and Sisters,
  
  City representatives met with Local 2’s Executive Board yesterday and presented their proposals for our next collective bargaining agreement. City negotiators did not address any of our proposals nor did they present us with any proposals on how to fix our pension system.
  
  We obviously refused to agree to any of these horrendous proposals, and if what you are about to read makes you angry, it should. This looks to be a long and bitter battle.
  
  Below is a synopsis of some of the City proposals:
  
  · Eliminate Duty Availability Pay
  
  · Only those designated as the EMT B/EMT P would be compensated as such for that shift (All would have to maintain their EMT license for their entire career)
  
  · Eliminate 7% for Cross-Trained FFPMs
  
  · Eliminate furlough buy-out provision completely
  
  · Holiday Pay would be paid to only those who work the actual day.
  
  · Non-duty lay-up coverage from 12 months in a 24 month period to 12 months in a 48 month period
  
  · Days off for Bereavement Leave would be restricted and must include the day of the funeral
  
  · Tuition reimbursement would be for EMT B/EMT P training only
  
  · Candidate Probationary period from 9 months to 18 months for new employees
  
  · Acting down to no longer be considered a variance
  
  · All double houses (Engines and Trucks) would be manned with 9 instead of 10
  
  · All BLS ambulances would be converted to ALS
  
  · Only 1 vacancy order per year in June
  
  · Eliminate Clothing Allowance
  
  · Allow indoor training during inclement weather
  
  · Eliminate Tech A and Diver Pay except for those working in that capacity on a given shift
  
  · Eliminate all Cross-Trained Pay-Grade designations
  
  · Reclassification of Ambulance Commander to F4 Pay Grade
  
  · Eliminate Physical Fitness Incentive Program
  
  We will, of course, continue to vigorously fight these insulting, ridiculous proposals. There likely will come a time when all Local 2 Members will need to join in voicing our disgust over these outrageous attacks on the wages, benefits and conditions we have fought for and earned throughout the years. The City is testing our resolve. The battle has begun! Everyone must take an active role in our future.
  
  We will continue to update you when the situation warrants.
  
  Fraternally,
  Tom Ryan
  President

Guess what time it is people?

Channel 2 Endangers Police

Creating the story instead of just covering the story:

• I am posting this to make people aware of this no good low life who fronted off my partner and me in front of the protesters as we video taped them in front of Prudential Plaza. First of all I would like to thank my Brothers and Sisters in Blue who came to our aid, backing us up getting us out of a very hostile situation caused by this inept reporter for Channel 2.
  
  Follow the link below to see his picture.
  
  This guy calls himself a reporter, but is no more than a liberal activist for doing what he did or is as dumb as a box of rocks. His name is Mike Puccinelli and works for CBS Channel 2 News.
  
  The short of it:
  My partner and I were assigned as ET's, to video Tape the "Police Perspective" of the NATO Demonstrations. We had no special riot gear on other than our body armor and gun belts. As we were working the crowd at Prudential Plaza, looking for those wearing mask's, we stopped to film some masked protesters when Pucinelli approached us with his camera man, inciting the crowd which started to grow in size. He kept asking me, by my name and star number why I was filming these people on the public way. Inciting the crowds even more as he asks "Are you under orders from Mayor Emanuel or Superintendent McCarthy to film these people. What gives you the right to film these people." The whole time the crowd swelled, becoming more and more vocal and hostile towards us. Officers had to break rank from the curb line to come to our aid. My partner sensed the danger and started pulling me out backwards by my vest while I continued filming the hostilities. Pucinelli didn't like it either when I turned the camera on him showing the look on his face and in his eyes, as I think he knew he screwed the pooch on this one. He could not stand it that we did not respond to his nonsensical questioning devised to do only one thing. Yes, he knew exactly what he was doing, and that was to incite the angry crowd, and hopefully, at our cost and risk to great bodily harm, they would do something stupid so he could record his BIG CAREER MAKING NEWS STORY and his 2 minute claim to fame. THIS NO GOOD SOB PUT TWO POLICE OFFICERS LIVES IN DANGER, JUST TO RILE THE CROWD FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL GAIN!!!
  
  Mike Pucinelli, a real credit to Channel 2 News. I would like to ask all of my Brothers and Sisters in Blue to familiarize your self with the photo of him linked below and if you see him on the street, extend to him all the professional police service he deserves and tell him the two ET's he fronted off in front of Prudential Plaza would like to buy him a beer and have a little talk. You know, MAN to man.........
  
  I will be filing a complaint through the Media Affairs Office. If the results are not satisfactory, I will hire my own attorney and take care of business myself.
  
  God Bless the CPD and CFD,
  ET JTM,
  Unit 477
  
  http://chicago.cbslocal.com/personality/mike-puccinelli/mike_puccinelli/

Typical See.B.S. antics. Someone should remind this asshole that if citizens and media are allowed to film on the streets, nothing stops the police department from doing the same thing.

How about revoking this asshat's media credentials for starters? And CBS's as well.

CFD Memorial Parade

For our brothers and sisters on the fire side:

• The 80th Annual Memorial Day Parade and Mass is scheduled for Monday to honor deceased members of the Chicago Fire Department and the department's American Legion Post No. 667.

  Uniformed members will meet at 9:15 a.m. at the corner of Morgan Avenue and Roosevelt Road, and a procession led by the Chicago Fire Department Pipes and Drums will begin at 9:30 a.m., officials said. A mass will follow at 10 a.m. at Holy Family Church, 1080 W. Roosevelt Rd.

God Bless.

Casualty Counts

More homicides, more shootings:

• Three people were killed and five others wounded in shootings across the city Friday night, according to authorities.

  Two people were found dead inside a Woodlawn home in the 6500 block of South Kenwood Avenue after police were called to the scene following a report of a man barricading himself inside, Chicago police said. Police are still gathering details about that incident.

  Two 17-year-old boys were shot, one fatally, about 2:30 a.m. on Millard Avenue just north of 16th Street in the Lawndale neighborhood, police said. Circumstances surrounding the shooting weren't clear. One victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he later died, and the other was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, police said.

Someone said 010 is leading the city in homicides. Congratulations!

Rahm Says Thanks

Did everyone check your e-mail Friday? Seems Rahm sent out a mass e-mail thanking everyone for their service during NATO.

Unfortunately, all Chicago Police Department members received an e-mail addressed to the Chicago Fire Department.

A corrected e-mail was sent out a bit later, and a side-by-side comparison shows pretty much no effort was taken to differentiate between the first responders.

Thanks for caring so much Rahm.

Guess Who's Back in Town?

Just when you thought he was out, they pull him back in:

• The conversation about Chicago hosting a summer Olympics is rising from the ashes after one of the biggest hurdles to another U.S.-based games was overcome this week.
  
  The International Olympic Committee and the U.S. Olympic Committee agreed on Thursday to a revised deal for sharing television and marketing revenue -- ending an often testy seven-year standoff that played a role in Chicago's last-place finish in the competition for the 2016 Summer Games.
  
  The resolution re-opened the door for a possible U.S. games bid, for the winter of 2022 or the summer of 2024.

Rahm has said he isn't interested in a re-bid opportunity, but Shortshanks was professing his disinterest for years before making his last shot at a legacy-type event the Olympic Games.

Of course, 12 years from now, we'll be retired. But in the meantime, Rahm should be made to account for the supposed $150 million in economic windfalls that accompanied NATO before even thinking about the Games which have nearly bankrupted a dozen cities in the not so distant past. We'll even dust off this pic from Buckley TypoGraphics:

Section 20.3 Grievance

It must be nice to just make an out-and-out declaration that portions of the Contract will be suspended during planned events without any explanation whatsoever. These are official legal documents and agreements that pretty much have the power of law, yet Tiny Dancer 9.5 can just piss all over them whenever the mood strikes him:

• The Fraternal Order of Police has not been shy about suggesting that Chicago Police officers should be compensated during upcoming contract talks for their performance during the NATO Summit.

  But now the union is being forced to play defense to ensure its members get their due under the existing collective bargaining agreement.

  The FOP has filed its fourth grievance tied to the summit, this one stemming from the city’s apparent decision not to give officers time-and-a-half overtime for working a sixth or seventh consecutive day in a week.

And of course, the other controversy rears its ugly head once again:

• ...

Oh wait, that part of the article has mysteriously disappeared without attribution regarding the "missed deadlines" and once again, quoting an unnamed administration source as "sticking it in the ear" of rank-and-file police officers along with only negotiating what has been described as affecting financial aspects of the Contract.

Summer Coming

Hot Memorial Day weekend on tap:

• Lots of heat and humidity are on the menu for the Memorial Day weekend, with an especially hot Sunday looming.

  According to the forecast from WGN-TV meteorologist Tom Skilling, temperatures should climb into the 90s on Sunday and Monday.

  Skilling is predicting a high of 97 Sunday – say hello to summer. If it does get that high, it'll break a record of 94 for that date that has been around for 101 years and become the hottest temperature reached so early in the season, Skilling said. It'll also be nearly 30 degrees above normal.

Stay hydrated folks. And stay aware of the tendency for shootings to rise if you're working, regardless of what McCarthy thinks.

Naming Rights for Jail?

County government joins the revenue hunt:

• How does the Coca-Cola lobby at the 26th and California courthouse sound? The Kraft Kafeteria at Stroger Hospital? Or even the Bianchi Busse Woods Bike Trail in the forest preserve?

  The possibilities abound, Cook County officials say, as they look to sell everything from naming rights to advertising at most of its real estate holdings — from the hospitals to forest preserve paths and nature centers to even public areas of the city and suburban courthouses as a means of generating new revenue streams.

  In a moribund economy, politicians are loath to raise taxes, and so County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s staff has been looking for new ways to raise money for the cash-strapped county government, whose umbrella encompasses the vast health and hospital system as well as local courts and jails. The forest preserve — a separate taxing district — has been in the black the last few years.

How about shrinking government instead? Or better yet, abolishing county government on a scale heretofore unseen in Illinois? Cook County is the most redundant governing body in the entire United States as far as we can tell. With very few exceptions, there isn't much the county does that isn't already covered by local or state authority.

Citizens Thwart Apple Picking

Crime continues, but citizens begin to object to the pattern:

• A 15-year-old boy is being held by police after two bystanders caught him as he tried to escape a North Side “L” station following the robbery of a woman on a Red Line train this morning, police said.
  
  The woman, age 25, was riding a Red Line train about 10:10 a.m. when the boy grabbed her cell phone and ran off the train at the Sheridan stop, 3940 N. Sheridan Road, said Chicago Police News Affairs [...].
  
  The woman gave chase, and the teen fought her off, pushing her to the ground, [...].
  
  The teen then tried to run from the station, but was caught by two Good Samaritans, who held him until police arrived...

When the predator hunts alone, sometime the prey turns the tables.

Legitimacy and Mutual Respect

It seems the Department has come up with yet another completely useless and mind-numbing bit of tomfoolery to waste money, probably in the form of block grants to storefront reverends or something similar. A sharp-eyed reader found this in the Document Management System and sent it along (B.O.P. #12-0106 issued on 07 May 2012 if you want to find it):

• The Education and Training Division has been tasked with developing a curriculum regarding Legitimacy and Mutual Respect. 007 and 011 District personnel are the first to receive this training.
  
  007 and 011 districts will select nine (9) personnel from either 2nd or 3rd watches. The personnel may be of any rank below command staff. 007 and 011 will determine how many personnel from each watch will attend. 1st watch personnel will not be selected for training at this time.

There are another two paragraphs about dates, times and contact info. But really? Legitimacy and Mutual Respect? It certainly isn't the cops running around 007 and 011 shooting people on a near daily basis, and then disrespecting the victims/offenders. Ain't nothing legit about all that. Who the hell is getting paid off for this one?

Not Wasting Crises

Rahm was busy during NATO, and once again, only The Reader's Ben Joravsky was paying attention:

• While you were distracted by all the NATO nonsense that's been consuming our city for the last few weeks, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been on the move as usual.

  He resigned to become general manager of the Cubs.

  Alas—just wishful thinking.

  Actually, he and his minions have been busy. That is, they've been giving your money to rich insiders while cutting back on the services you get in return.

  Let's start with the corporate handouts. Emanuel turned over $29.5 million in desperately needed property tax dollars to a consortium of wealthy investors who clearly don't need the money. In the mayor's defense, it wasn't his idea. He was dusting off a bad one left over from his Mayor Richard Daley

Joravsky also points out what Rahm's minions were up to in Springfield while the NATO Summit was on going. Go read it all.

Speed Cameras Unpopular

Gee, why would that be?

• Mayor Rahm Emanuel billed his soon-to-be-launched speed camera program as being about child safety and not raising cash, but a new Tribune/WGN-TV poll shows most Chicago voters are skeptical of the mayor's rationale and don't want the devices.
  
  The survey logged opposition to speed cameras from 54 percent of those questioned, while 69 percent said money — not safety — was behind the mayor's push to install automated equipment that will nab and ticket lead-footed drivers near parks and schools.
  
  The disparity between those results suggests that even some of the 43 percent of voters who said they back cameras nonetheless harbor doubts about the mayor's stated reasons for wanting them. Just 22 percent of those surveyed agreed with Emanuel that the purpose of his speed camera program was to protect children.

If you vote for the same corrupt bought-and-paid-for assholes, you're going to get exactly the same thing every single time. If you throw them out when they don't vote the way you want them to, then they are more responsive to the community they supposedly represent. But that takes an involved semi-intelligent populace, which is why the politicians have a vested interest in keeping voters in the dark.

NATO Radio

This stuff just writes itself:

Kass Article

Kass points out that all glory is fleeting:

• How long will Chicago police float on their official sea of love?

  For the last couple of days, Chicagoans have sung their praises, the people and the big shots too, saying the police did a great job handling the protesters during the NATO summit.

  They did do a remarkable job. The cops I spoke with didn't like everything about what happened. They weren't exactly crazy about the protester with the fishing pole and the doughnut as bait. But in the end, who doesn't like being recognized for a job well done?

  If there's one group that knows Chicago isn't Happy Land, it is the police. They understand the ancient law applied by emperors to their guards and by mayors to their cops: The hand that pets you now can just as easily haul off and crack you in the mouth.

  When City Hall is done basking in the reflected glory of a relatively violence-free NATO summit, the cops who made sure the city wasn't embarrassed most likely will be repaid. And not with candy and nuts. Labor negotiations will begin, and police worry that their paychecks will be squeezed and their pensions cut.

We can't think of any way to leverage the praise and thanks heaped upon the Department into something that leads to a fair shake at the bargaining table. All Rahm has to do is delay a few meetings as in years past and the collective memory of the public will fade - the summer body count rises, the economy continues to stutter, gas prices fluctuate, the November elections approach, and like-it-or-not, someone will do something stupid.

It may take a relatively long time, like the 9/11 afterglow where everyone loved the police and fire departments, but it will come. Rest assured.

And in the Non-NATO World

Shootings continue to claim a toll:

• A pair of gunmen opened fire on two teenage boys, seriously injuring them Wednesday night in the Marquette Park neighborhood on the Southwest Side, authorities said.

  The victims, ages 14 and 15, were wounded in the 6500 block of South California Avenue at about 9:15 p.m., according to Chicago police and fire officials.
  

  They were standing on a sidewalk when the gunmen approached and shot the teens before fleeing on foot, said [...] a police spokesman.

Hot weekend upcoming, but remember, weather doesn't matter.

Teachers Rally

And Rahm tells the press they deserve a raise:

• Mayor Rahm Emanuel bore the brunt of criticism from angry teachers who filled the Auditorium Theatre on Wednesday to make clear their unhappiness with the administration's efforts to overhaul public education in Chicago.
  
  The crowd of nearly 4,000 teachers, almost all wearing red union T-shirts, erupted in shouts of "fight" and "strike" when Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis asked rhetorically, "So why are we here?"
  
  [...] Outside the theater, a crowd of about 1,000, teachers, parents and members of other unions gathered in Congress Plaza chanting, "Stand up. Fight back."
  
  
• "Chicago teachers deserve a pay raise," Emanuel said. "They work very hard. They deserve a pay raise. Chicago school children do not deserve a strike. We are working with an independent arbitrator to ensure that we achieve both of those goals, and we're committed to that process."
  
  But inside the Auditorium, teachers angry about being forced to work a longer day without additional compensation booed loudly whenever Emanuel's name was mentioned. Lewis again told the story of how the mayor "cussed her out" when she questioned him over his proposal for a longer day last fall.

The Bike Unit was nearby to go hands on with the teachers if it got out of control.

We're kidding, but we'd make sure parents take into consideration the fact that schools might not start on time this year.

Fitzgerald Leaving

A new US Attorney on tap after June:

• U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who oversaw the prosecutions of governors George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich, announced today he is stepping down on June 30.
  
  Fitzgerald has been the longest serving U.S. attorney in Chicago history, holding the office for more than 10 ½ years.
  
  The U.S. attorney’s office said Fitzgerald notified the White House, Attorney General Eric Holder and U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Mark Kirk of his decision this morning.

It's not often a US Attorney gets two governors scalps as trophies, but Fitzgerald's was a mixed bag when you look at how many Daley cronies got away and Shortshanks himself for that matter. And the wire that came down a bit too early in the Blago case.

More Thanks

A lot of people deserve thanks for their work this weekend. We gave the Bicycle guys and gals their due yesterday. We'll try to cover a few more here:

• The CFD paramedics and Haz-Mat teams. All the friendly rivalry between the CPD and CFD is just that - friendly. And your people were in the thick of it with us at times or standing by in case you were needed. Many thanks for the quick responses when Officers went down;
• The Federal cops. Obviously, we weren't anywhere near the Federal security perimeters, but the DHS people downtown were great.
  
• The Illinois State Troopers. They grow them big and serious downstate, but a trip to the city is always a good time. While we can't apologize enough for the asshole politicians we send down to Springfield, we're pretty sure you don't hold it against the boys and girls in blue.
• Outside agencies who sent personnel to take over the mundane, but necessary tasks so Chicago could cover more of its own territory. We don't have a comprehensive list of everyone who came (we only met a bunch of Milwaukee cops - fun people for cheeseheads...we tease!), so if we were to attempt to thank you by agency, we might miss a few and unintentionally hurt some feelings. CPD - if you met some people from out of city/state, thank them here. If you were one of the officers from out-of-town, give yourself a shout-out in the comments.
• Everyone who stayed behind in the Districts. The folks here at SCC had people in the thick of it downtown, on the rail lines (CTA and Metra) and a few who stayed behind in the districts. To a man, the district people wanted to apologize for not being downtown. From everything we heard and saw, the downtown detail was about the crappiest of them all. Anyone not downtown did the necessary work to keep the rest available for what could have been a bad scene. Some military people told us that for every one person on the front line, between 7 and 10 support people make it possible. CPD did that with a hell of a lot less to keep a few thousand cops downtown. Don't apologize.
  

Were there glitches? Hell yeah. Dumb moves and missteps? Yes. We could spend the next week listing them we're sure. And what would it accomplish? Not much. Hopefully, some people in power recognize the shortcomings and work to address them so we can spare the next generation of cops the same mistakes. Then we'll all have war stories about how we had it so much harder in 2012.

So again, to everyone listed and anyone overlooked, thanks. It was a true collaborative effort. Be safe.

Big Oops

Not knowing the law can get you into trouble:

• Occupy Chicago activists on Tuesday disseminated over the Internet photos of a man and woman — nicknamed “Mo” and “Gloves” — who they believe are the officers or informants whose undercover work led to the arrests of NATO Summit protesters on bomb charges.

  The Chicago Police Department won’t confirm or deny whether the man and woman are cops or snitches — but police Supt. Garry McCarthy called the release of the pictures unethical and “personally disgusting.”

  “I have never seen it done before,” McCarthy said.

You've never seen it done before because it's usually illegal. There's a Federal statute about releasing photos of undercover officers prior to court cases to prevent exactly what the lawyers are claiming they don't want - violence against undercover agents, compromising active investigations and jeopardizing court cases.

There ought to be Federal charges attached to these people and the disbarment of more than a few associated attorneys.

Sergeant Chases Shooters

Nicely done:

• A Gresham man and a 16-year-old boy have been charged in connection with the shooting of a 17-year-old girl over the weekend.
  
  A Chicago police sergeant witnessed Leslie Borden, 20 and two teens flee from the shooting in the 11100 block of South Vincennes Avenue at about 6:20 p.m. Sunday and gave chase, police said.
  
  The shooting occurred near Morgan Park High School, next to the Morgan Park police district, where the sergeant is assigned. The officer chased the suspects' car until the three bailed out and fled on foot, police said. Police took them into custody a short time later.

Two charged. Good job.

Swim At Your Own Risk

A budget cut? Or an attempt to limit liability?

• Chicago beach-goers will be setting their own bacteria thresholds this summer, as the city’s Park District does away with its frequent swim bans based onE. colicounts.

  Would-be swimmers still will get advisories up and down the lakefront letting them know if bacteria levels exceed federal water quality standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But lifeguards will not stop people from wading in if tests show the level of E. coli bacteria has hit a higher mark.

  “We found those standards to be too restrictive and prone to errors,” said Cathy Breitenbach, director of lakefront operations for the Park District. “Those higher numbers are short-lived.”

We're wondering how many beaches the City is going to close for "heat related issues" this coming weekend. Did you see the weather reports?

Dumb Law to be Fixed

Unenforced and pretty much unenforceable:

• In the wake of the NATO summit, the Illinois House approved legislation Tuesday that would allow citizens to record a police officer who is on duty and in a public place.

  The vote represented a key moment for a bill aimed at fixing a state law deemed so unfair that Chicago announced it would not be enforced during the summit, a move made as the city ramped up for NATO and for the protesters who would hit the streets.

  Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy previously has said he supports letting people record the police and vice versa. Pressure for change also comes from multiple court rulings that the eavesdropping law violates the First Amendment...

This is what happens when you keep electing morons to the legislative branches of government - bad law and backtracking, not to mention the cost of defending, and then losing, numerous lawsuits.

You know....like the beating Chicago has, is and will be taking fighting Second Amendment lawsuits.

Special Salute

You bike guys and gals?

You made this happen.

We are awed by what you officers did.

An excellent job by everyone, but you led the way. Anyone who says different is fooling themselves.

Success

A long four days:

• For four days, and nearly around the clock, Chicago police guided, cajoled and blockaded roaming groups of NATO protesters, following a set of strategic goals that laid the foundation for everything they did.

  Keep protesters from damaging property or hurting anyone; keep any trouble south of the city's famous Michigan Avenue retail district, where many international dignitaries were staying; and do it all with a "soft look" that belied the overwhelming police presence and kept violent confrontation to a minimum.

  By all appearances, it worked.

That's a testament to the resiliency and dedication of the street officers for sure. That doesn't come from some outsider attempting to re-invent policing in Chicago, though we fully expect him to be taking all the glory.

We certainly expect the FOP to have an entire scrapbook of videos and articles, especially the ones quoting McCarthy and Rahm about police professionalism, ready to go at the end of June.

Best wishes to the injured, the tired, the exhausted cops and especially all families who suffered the absence and worry associated with this event.

We're Back...

....but still so tired. It's hell getting old.

Posting and comments delayed while we get our bearings.

SCC is Sleeping

Busy couple of days. Open post for now.

McCarthy In the Open

We'll give the guy his props. He was out at the parade from all the reports in the news and in our comment sections.

He didn't pull a "J-Fled" like Weis did.

Nicely done Superintendent.

Tussles

Amusing descriptions of the NATO event:

• A standoff between police and anti-war demonstrators near the NATO summit at McCormick Place left several protesters bloodied and led to dozens of arrests, as delegates gathered for the first of two days of meetings.
  
  The confrontation, which flared up late this afternoon near the corner of Michigan Avenue and Cermak Road, lasted for almost two hours, as officers in full riot gear went nose to nose with demonstrators, with police determined to keep the crowd away from the convention center where NATO delegates were meeting.
  
  It was not immediately clear how many people were injured in the tussle, but by 7 p.m., seven protesters had been treated at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Connie Murphy said.

Of a more pressing concern was the coppers hurt. We're hearing up to four injured, including one who was attacked with a claw hammer. Anyone with word on their conditions is welcome to update the rest of us.

Protest Parade Beginning

Starting shortly. Be safe boys and girls.

Open post.

Websites Down

Per Breaking News:

• Police officials said today they have confirmed the city of Chicago website has been hacked.
  
  Federal authorities and Chicago police are investigating the attack and don't know the extent of it, according to a source familiar with the incident.
  
  Authorities also exploring whether the city attacks are linked to a threat to hack NATO's website in Europe.
  
  Hackers have been claiming credit for bringing down the cityofchicago.org site and the chicagopolice.org site, according to Twitter feeds this morning.

And it's still early.

The Biggest Failure

This is truly in the "un-fucking-fucking-believable category:

• Dear SCC,
  
  "You ain't going to believe this shit..."
  
  Every good copper story starts out with that phrase, but this one is anything but good.
  
  I was assigned to the downtown area yesterday. For part of the day, my group was on high visibility patrol. Sweet gig, nice scenery, beautiful day, walk and talk with the citizens, made a lot of people happy. The other part of the day we sat around Navy Pier, did some drills, saw some demonstrations from the MFF, and got the speeches from the gold stars. The theme was "we're all in this together, let's watch each others' backs." You've probably heard them before.
  
  Then we sat and listened to the radio as downtown and Rahm's neighborhood descended into chaos. We watched our brothers and sisters downtown confronting/being confronted by these assholes on the live helicopter feeds from the various news stations.
  
  And we sat. We listened to the calls for EMS and paramedics for a couple of injured P.O's and hoped everyone was OK.
  
  And we sat. We listened to the bike teams race from one end of the protest to the other after being bused all the way from Rahm's house to downtown, set up and block streets, and then redeploy when their efforts failed - again and again and again, probably 5-6 times.
  
  And we sat some more. Two hundred cops sitting around listening to the situation devolve. Finally, we got the word we were loading the buses. We got on, started prepping equipment and were told that we were headed.....home. Back to Sox Park. Released for the night, while our brothers and sisters were being run to the point of exhaustion, assaulted and lord knows what else. Not only that, but the buses to take us back drove within sight and sound of the demonstrations up and down Michigan Avenue.
  
  I have never been more disgusted with the leadership of this Department. I can only figure that in the name of nickels and dimes, my fellow officers were put into harms way. Two hundred coppers could have made a big difference, cost be damned.
  
  So Tobias and Gulliford and Kirby? Your speeches to the supervisors we were told about all of us being a team and we're in this to make sure no coppers get hurt? You're full of shit. You had a ready force of 200-plus cops set to deploy, even blocking traffic to allow you greater freedom of movement of the meager forces at your disposal and you failed in the name of nickels and dimes. That isn't leadership. That's an accountant with a badge. You fucking beancounters ought to be ashamed. Any trust I had left is gone.
  

We are speechless.

Terrorism Charges

As reported here days ago:

• A band of out-of-state “domestic terrorists” was accused Saturday of planning to attack President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters and Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home — and firebomb police stations and squad cars — declaring that after the NATO Summit “the city will never be the same,” police and prosecutors said.

  One of the conspirators warned: “The city doesn’t know what it’s in for,” prosecutors said.

  But undercover Chicago Police officers infiltrated the group of NATO Summit protesters in recent weeks. They were with the protesters while they allegedly made Molotov cocktails — bottles filled with flammable liquid that are used as firebombs, sources said.

Probably not the only looney tunes in tow for the NATO event, but they'll be missing it while guest at our fine County Jail

More Empty Luggage

Still ongoing:

• Trains were stopped for an hour and a half on the Metra Electric District line on the South Side this morning while authorities investigated a suspicious package that turned out to be an empty suitcase, authorities said.

  Two inbound trains, numbers 114 and 116, were stopped around 115th Street about 8:20 a.m. while other inbound and outbound trains were halted near 53rd Street as canine units checked the package, according to Metra. Passengers who were waiting on the platform were moved away from the tracks, officials said.

We feel pretty safe calling this a "tactic." We've seen or heard about 8 different reports about empty luggage stopping or delaying rail, road and water traffic.

Thanks Wrigleyville

After Bridgeport's show of support, verbally and physically clashing with protestors, the North side couldn't feel left out.

Today's march near Wrigley was interrupted by members of the neighborhood, spraying protestors with hoses, tossing eggs at them and general all around cursing the Occupy folks as wastrel layabouts.

Thanks Northsiders - even though you are Cub fans, your support means a lot to us.

Here We Go Again

A child pretty much executed:

• A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed Saturday night while he was walking to his home on the Southeast Side, according to Chicago police, citing preliminary information.

  The boy was walking from a neighborhood store when someone approached about 10:05 p.m. and shot him in the head, as he neared his home in the 8000 block of South Brandon Avenue, police said.

Rahm? Garry? Anyone? How's that weekend looking?

• A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed Friday night while he and a friend were riding their bikes in the Brighton Park neighborhood, according to the victim's older sister.

And an even dozen other shootings. But hey, NATO is going so well....not!

NATO Blows Up

Downtown out of control, riot police deployed. Less-than lethal munitions are being distributed as we write. Rahm's house under siege and a police van has been damaged.

More to come.

Stay safe out there, boys and girls.

Protest Continue to Fizzle

Crowds smaller than expected.

Cops continue to maintain professionalism.

Bosses licking their chops in anticipation of taking all the credit:

• For a moment, it looked as if everyone’s NATO nightmare was about to come true.
  
  Chicago cops raced their bikes between cars on Michigan Avenue. They sped toward a swelling crowd of angry and rowdy protesters at Wacker Drive. Some in that group had begged — literally begged — cops to throw a punch, shoot a gun, anything to set off the crowd.
  
  The masses looked potentially violent.
  
  The cops appeared ready to meet force with force.
  
  In the heart of Chicago’s business district, the scene was primed to explode.
  
  But it never happened.

That's Pulitzer Prize writing right there folks.

Today is the big day though. Hot, humid, crowded. We get past Saturday and things might lighten up a bit.

Marine Unit Again!

Not only do they rescue people, they arrest bad guys, too!

• A man suspected of burglary jumped into the South Branch of the Chicago River this evening while fleeing police, but was quickly picked up by the Chicago Police Marine Unit, authorities said.
  
  The man, who was taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment after he jumped into the river near the 2200 block of South Lumber Street, south of Cermak Road, about 8:15 p.m. while being pursued by police, said Chicago Police News Affairs...

Is there anything these guys and gals can't do? When we grow up, we want to be just like them. Nice job again Marine Unit.

Jefferson Tap Verdict

Liable for $30,000 plus:

• A federal jury on Friday awarded a combined $33,700 in damages to four men who accused several off-duty Chicago police officers of an unprovoked beating inside the Jefferson Tap Bar & Grille in 2006.
  
  The jury did not award any damages against the city, which had also been sued.
  
  Four of the six officers who were hit with damages by the jury are responsible for paying the damages themselves.

Can this one go away now?

Crime Continues

Just in case you were under the impression that the shooting stopped once NATO came to town:

• A 22-year-old man was shot to death and seven other people, including a 15-year-old boy, were hurt in shootings on the South and West sides Thursday evening, police said.

  The slaying victim was shot in the chest and was dead on the scene following the attack about 7:10 p.m. in the 7900 block of South Laflin Street in the Gresham neighborhood, said Chicago Police Department News Affairs...

And that was just a mild Thursday night. The weekend promises to be a lot warmer.

And look - 79th Street again.

Breaking News (UPDATED)

(Post moved from 6:04 PM Thursday, 17 May)

Channel 7 just broadcast a bunch of whiny Occupy people demanding the release of some protestors who were arrested last night in Bridgeport. They are claiming peaceful protestors were detained and a building searched without a warrant.

What they aren't saying (and neither is Channel 7) is that these "peaceful protestors" were caught in the act filling bottles with gasoline and sitting with a bizarre assortment of weapons ranging from crossbows to throwing stars.

For those who claim "bullshit" or attempt to defend these assholes, we don't have third hand knowledge or second hand knowledge of this event. We have direct knowledge and this mayor, this superintendent and mouthpieces like Healey can go fuck themselves for keeping this from the public, encouraging the public to bring families downtown into this crap, and for sending police officers into this type of atmosphere in "soft clothes" and under-trained.

By the way, has anyone read anything about protestors throwing bags of excrement at the Board of Trade yesterday? That happened, too, and we can't find any report of it. And the additional bags of excrement at Daley Plaza today? Not a whisper in the media. Curious, isn't it?

UPDATE: To all you ignorant defenders of the rabble, ask yourself one question:

• Why would these assholes come all the way from Vermont to brew beer? We don't have dozens of microbreweries here? They don't have dozens of microbreweries there? And to brew a decent batch of beer, unlike the mass produced swill, you need more than a NATO weekend to accomplish it.

Keep dreaming. Even we recognize gasoline.

New Novel

We received a new book in the mail. It runs 180 pages or so. The plot kind of sucks, but the cast of characters? Let's just say you don't see a roster of B-list stars like this every day:

We'd like to personally thank McSuperintendent's staff for making sure we got a copy. That numbering thing leaves a lot to be desired, but we'll work around it. And don't worry - we'll be sure to treat it with the utmost care and respect it deserves while maintaining operational security.

Billboards?

These people don't live here. They don't vote here. They certainly don't pay any taxes here. So Why are we trying to impress these people? Are we thinking they'll call Rahm and ask him to give us a raise? If so, then hopefully this works:

• World leaders arriving in Chicago for the NATO Summit will be treated to a local controversy during their motorcade rides downtown, thanks to an advertising campaign bankrolled by the police union and timed to embarrass Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

  On Thursday, the Fraternal Order of Police paid to put up giant red billboards on the Kennedy, Dan Ryan and Stevenson expressways that state, “Keep Chicago Safe. Hire More Police Officers.”

  Similar ads are also going up on 54 CTA buses, fifteen rapid transit stations and on six digital screens across the city.

Maybe the money would be better spent trying to directly short circuit these supposed "reforms" in Springfield.

Use of Force Policy Changed

Unilaterally, two days before the biggest event to hit town since the 1996 Convention.

McOleoresinCapsicum has decreed that he, AND ONLY HE, will authorize the use of OC spray in a crowd situation.

Can anyone recall being notified of this, seeing a training video, or attending a refresher course anywhere prior to this order being issued? Yeah, we can't either.

Good luck with that one McDoofus.

Tetanus Shots

Someone in the comment sections wondered if it was disturbing that CFD were all given tetanus shots prior to the NATO summit, while CPD wasn't even offered the option to accept or decline a shot.

In light of the reports of excrement bags making an appearance around downtown, it's a lot more disturbing that it was two days ago. Updates on the hepatitis shots we got years ago probably should have been offered, too.

More Suspicious Objects

Looks like more "lost luggage" turned up in 015 and 011 this week. And still turning up downtown semi-regularly. A cheap and efficient way to disrupt operations without maiming, harming or killing everyone. It's hard to justify stopping and arresting someone with an empty suitcase. And it's not like we can ignore it once its been placed - maybe littering if you see them.

Continue being careful.

Channel 7 Reveals Plans

Is there anything these assholes won't do to compromise officer safety?

• For months, Chicago police have said they would not deploy officers in riot gear to deal with NATO protesters.

  In this Intelligence Report: Thursday's demonstrations are providing a better look at precisely how Chicago police are prepared for the possibility of civil disorder.

  Several protest venues Thursday were calm on all both sides, and Chicago police certainly appeared to be following through on their pledge not to aggravate protesters by showing up in black turtle suits and riot helmets.

  But what happens if demonstrations go violent, if the police in regular uniforms cannot control crowds? The answer was a few blocks away.

Then they reveal staging locations, vehicle descriptions and possible response times to anyone reading. We catch a lot of flack sometimes for stuff we publish, but we aren't posting stuff like Channel 7 is. We delete dozens of things like that every single day. The stuff that does make it through, more often than not, is accompanied by links to the media outlet reporting it. Our "scoops" as it were, are few and far between. Some of them end up big, but there aren't as many as people think there are.

Beware! Rahm is Angry

November politics are coming to the fore:

• A “livid” Mayor Rahm Emanuel is refusing to speak with the owners of the Chicago Cubs after their father was linked to a $10 million plan to launch an ad campaign attacking President Barack Obama by airing the racially charged sermons of Obama’s former pastor.

  The New York Times reported Thursday that Joe Ricketts, father of Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, is working with high-profile Republican strategists through a new Super PAC, the Ending Spending Action Fund, on ads that would have featured the controversial sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright of Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side.

  The Cubs desperately need Emanuel’s support as they attempt to get city and state help for a planned $300 million renovation of Wrigley Field.

  “The Mayor was livid when he read that the Ricketts were going to launch a $10 million campaign against President Obama — with the type of racially motivated ads that are insulting to the president and the presidential campaign,” an Emanuel aide said. “He is also livid with their blatant hypocrisy.”

Racially motivated? How would that be? Obama, who can't help but remind everyone he is black all the time, attended a black church. Wow. That's really racial.

And he attended the church of America hater "reverend" Jerimiah Wright for how many years? Oh yeah, twenty. And never once did he stand up and object to Wright's anti-Americanism and hatred of white folks. Hmmmm.

And then you have "insulting to the president," "[insulting to] the presidential campaign," and "blatant hypocrisy." Look in the mirror lately Rahm? You were all that and more for years for Clinton, while in Congress, and during the campaign against McCain, not to mention while Chief of Staff. And Obama's campaign lately with the supposed war against women, the anti-Mormon slant, the digging up supposed high school incidents that no one seems to remember in any sort of detail? We can hardly wait to see what Axelrod comes up with as an "October surprise." Maybe a completely fictitious allegation of rape?

Hacked

We've been informed about "virus warning" type windows popping up on the Department computers lately. We're told it occurs dozens of times during the processing of a simple arrest.

Guess what happened? And guess who predicted it?

• NATO protestors have infiltrated the CPD computers with a worm that is wreaking havoc across the board. 35th Street and OEMC are in a full panic. The entire Department Intranet is in danger of a meltdown on an unimaginable scale, just in time for a potential "mass arrest" situation this weekend that would bring the Department to a grinding halt. (from our e-mail)
  

Did you see that latest AdMin Fax that told everyone to change their passwords if they haven't been altered in a few years and that efforts were underway to have passwords changed every 90 days? That gaping security risk, pointed out by SCC readers almost a year ago, is coming home to roost. Good thing CPD trimmed the in-house I.T. people and never spent the money/effort on a decent internet security protocol.

This is going to cost big time. And be careful with those detachable drives - you might bring home presents for your own personal computer by accident.

"Suspicious Packages"

The Department shut down river traffic after finding "unattended luggage."

Word has reached us about other "luggage" being located near so-called "critical infrastructure." So far it just seems like empty boxes, but we're tracking half-a dozen reports. Anyone have any info?

And remember, let the Bomb guys tell you it's safe before you go near it. Those guys are going to be busy as hell this weekend.

Those Whom the Gods Would Destroy...

Remember when McCrossbow went on TV and bragged about a full day without a homicide or a shooting? Now we're looking at a 52% increase in homicides and who knows how many shootings.

He's at it again:

• After assessing the protests held thus far as a lead-up to the NATO Summit, “I think we’re off to a pretty good start,” Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said Wednesday.

  That was after another day that saw protests downtown, including an Occupy Chicago-organized rally and march by about 150 people Wednesday morning, where participants demanded a year-long moratorium on foreclosure evictions in Cook County.

  By Wednesday afternoon, McCarthy said, his police department had overseen four major protests he said involved less than 300 people — and made 12 arrests.

  “Ten of them you can call them voluntary. They were acts of civil disobedience, where people wanted to be arrested,” he said. “There were two batteries to police officers that we made arrests for.”

  However, he said, “So far, the events have been orderly. We’re equipped. We’re trained. And at this point, we feel that we’re off to a good, successful start, and we’re actually excited to get this done.”

Has anyone been checking the Greyhound Station lately? Because our network people who are monitoring the subversives relate the following:

• According to their counting, 700 members of "anonymous" are arriving from the East Coast;
• 1200 are arriving from the West Coast;
• upwards of 3300 members of the "black bloc" and associated groups are coming from Canada and Seattle;

All of this prior to Friday. Is there a bit of bravado and exaggeration in those numbers? Undoubtedly. But the ones that do show up are going to be the truly dedicated assholes just itching to disrupt, damage and destroy.

NATO - Time Versus Money

Once again, the city violates the Contract, blatantly, and expects us to just take it:

• The Lodge filed a class action grievance on behalf of all members who work overtime during the NATO summit and request to be credited with compensatory time instead of receiving a cash payment.

  The Department has printed new overtime slips (blue) that have already been completed with the “Money” box checked. Any member who wishes to be credited with compensatory time should cross out the money line and check the “Time” box on the slip. Members should keep anecdotal records of the denial of time for overtime.

  Section 20.2 of our contract is clear. Officer have the option of electing either time or money for any overtime that is worked. The NATO summit does not trump our contract. This is an attempt to defer the overtime costs of this summit to the Federal Government. Apparently, the City does not have the ability to defer the costs of time to the Feds.

Rahm is pretty much an asshole (who surrounds himself with assholes) and anything he does must be viewed in the worst possible light. He proves this day in and day out. Contract negotiations are going to be a bear.

Officer Mauled

Evidently, we aren't the only ones missing stories. This happened on Monday. We heard a single mention in our comment section yesterday, but couldn't verify it due to the ongoing schedule disruptions. The Tribune finally found some info Wednesday evening:

• A woman is recovering at a hospital this afternoon after she and a Chicago Police officer were bitten multiple times by one of two dogs which was shot by the injured officer this week in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side.
  
  The woman is in fair condition this afternoon, said Mount Sinai Hospital spokeswoman Dianne Hunter. The officer has been discharged, according to Hunter.

Word is the Officer suffered some pretty bad muscle damage to his limbs, including his gun side arm/hand. It's a long road back from some of those injuries and we wish the Officer a speedy and full recovery.

CTA Stabbing

Like we said before, posting is going to be a bit disjointed. Some stories are missed and we're working back toward them...like this one:

• Four members of the volunteer security patrol known as the Guardian Angels were stabbed while trying to nab a man who pistol-whipped a rider on a Red Line train on the Near North Side, police say.
  
  The four suffered minor cuts during the confrontation around 11:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Clark and Division stop, police said, citing preliminary information.

  The Guardian Angels were on the platform, waiting to get on a train, when they spotted a man hitting a passenger and taking his iPhone 4S, police said. They intervened and a second man pulled a knife and cut three of the Guardian Angels on their arms and the fourth on the head, authorities said.

Nothing says "lack of manpower" more than the Guardian Angels having to exist. But here's a thought - wouldn't the Guardian Angels be more effective if they were Concealed Carry Guardian Angels? Going up against one guy who's pistol whipping the victim then getting stabbed by the second? In fact, if concealed carry existed for the victim or any other onlooker, there wouldn't be any reason for the Guardian Angels to even exist as every citizen would be responsible for their own safety.

Kind of like the Founding Fathers intended.