Training Lab Named for Gordon
- Chicago police have honored one of their fallen colleagues in a most appropriate way.
WBBM Newsradio [...] reports the Chicago Police Academy training lab, where recruits learn how to administer Breathalyzer tests, has been named after Officer Michael P. Gordon, who died when his squad car was hit by a drunk driver in August 2004.
Gordon’s father, a retired cop who spent 30 years on the force in Riverside, said his son also served in the Army, in Bosnia and Korea, only to be killed by a drunk driver while on patrol in Chicago.
A fitting tribute to train officers to detect and arrest that which denied us the service of Officer Gordon. RIP Officer.
Labels: officer down
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
47 Comments:
A very nice person and fun guy to be around.
FYI the department fired Gordons other kid for some bs while on pop status, apparently he didn't have the right connections
Killed by a drunk Illegal Alien,What was his punishment?
I was his academy classmate and I feel his loss almost daily. He was an amazing friend, father, and police officer. God bless his family.
A sad but fitting tribute to one of 'Chicago's Finest.'
His memory, service and dedication will forever be remembered.
Wow Someone finally did something right on 35th. God bless.
Class of 02-08. God bless
The Gordon's are a great family and a class act. John Gordon does so much for fallen officers through the CPMF. He puts his heart and soul into it for all of the police families and to honor his brother. The Gordon family is supportive of all police families that need help. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon and John, Michael is looking down on you from heaven and he is very proud of you. John, I'm honored to know you and call you a friend.
Gee, with all the new buildings, street projects, and sports arenas the city couldn't build a proper training facility? They just use old school buildings.
A truly fitting tribute. I cannot believe it will be ten years next year that a great guy and good policeman died. Retired Sgt K Brozynski
Finally...this Department does something classy. God Bless the Gordon family and please know that Mike will never be forgotten. RIP Brother.
The issue of DUI enforcement in Chicago is sad, because of the failure of CPD to properly enforce those laws. If anybody really cared they would note that in most Districts there are only a handful of officers who will even know how to do a DUI. The complexity of the process and required court appearances makes the average "Crime Fighter" shun the process. Yet the reality is that more officers are injured and disabled by DUI drivers, than by gunfire. And that is a fact that repeats itself every year. So in the memory of officer Gordon and all the cops who struggle with the daily back, neck and shoulder pain and misery of an on-duty crash involving a drunk uninsured or under insured motorist; we should make a renewed effort to do the right thing and take the time to DUI drivers who are DUI. Yes Bottom Feeder Lawyers who reside in the suburbs will profit, but eliminating the DUI driver could save you or another copper.
Nice.
this was nice to hear. i just don't understand why it took nearly 10 years to do a tribute for this officer.
Anonymous said... Killed by a drunk Illegal Alien,What was his punishment?
11/23/2013 12:51:00 AM
He died on the same day
Anonymous said...
FYI the department fired Gordons other kid for some bs while on pop status, apparently he didn't have the right connections
11/23/2013 12:40:00 AM
Yes, it was something minor. Nothing earth shaking major that involved the loss of property or even directly related to public safety. But that is life in the CPD; those with connections can get away with almost anything. For example, in 025 1st watch, a "reverend" was on IOD and he was working. Working as security at Malcom X College. He got caught and was stripped. The Police Board decided to give him like 90 days suspension and he was not fired.
RIP Gordo, gone but never forgotten 02-08A!
So Very Sad. It's Situations As This, That Rip My Heart Out.
Just Try To Endure, Be Safe, We Love You All.
It's a nice gesture, but that's all it is. 99% of this department has never written a DUI and wouldn't know how. You are more likely to write a New York Times best seller than being arrested for DUI by CPD.
Anonymous said...
Killed by a drunk Illegal Alien,What was his punishment?
11/23/2013 12:51:00 AM
That same illegal alien can now obtain a legal Illinois Drivers License. Thank Jesse White, Dick Durbin, Little Luis Guttierez and the rest.
God Bless the Gordon Family. Fuck the drunken illegals, I have hooked and siezed more of their cars and pickup trucks and got charges on them for no DL after multiple DUI's than I can count. At one time, I was putting one or two in prison each key date. For driving offenses. That was for you Officer Gordon.
retired now, I hope you all are carrying on.
A fitting and lasting tribute to a great Police Officer.
Rest in Peace my Brother.
CPD GSF Member and PO.
Hey Gordo, still owe you a Chipotle burrito, rest well with The Lord my good friend.
Anonymous said...
this was nice to hear. i just don't understand why it took nearly 10 years to do a tribute for this officer.
11/23/2013 10:30:00 AM
This tribute was planned for several years. But Lodding would never make the necessary decisions to start the process. Lodding is gone and now the dedication to honor Gordon.
OT..was reading this site and saw that not only are they doing a benefit for the tornado victims, but also for the 100 club in dec. thought your readers might be interested..probably still a few old rockers put there, right?
http://rocktotherescue.net/news/rock-to-the-rescue-to-host-a-benefit-for-illinois-tornado-victims/
Anonymous said...
this was nice to hear. i just don't understand why it took nearly 10 years to do a tribute for this officer.
11/23/2013 10:30:00 AM
==========
By Alissa Groeninger | Tribune reporter
May 24, 2011
Dozens of Chicago police officers and officials gathered this morning to dedicate a Southwest Side street to Officer Michael Gordon, who was killed in a car crash while on duty in 2004.
Gordon’s family joined officers and public officials at 51st Street and Leamington Avenue, where they unveiled a street sign bearing his name. The intersection is near his grandparents’ former home in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood.
I agree with the above posts that DUI enforcement has traditionally been lacking. But the Michael P. Gordon Foundation has been a great supporter of CPD's DUI efforts! The offerings have been slimmer lately, but there are numerous very good in-service DUI training course available. Take one and then go out and do your job.
The comment about processing drunk drivers is true.
There should always be a chance to take a refresher, but the e-learning schedule always shows that class unavailable, as in, no planned class to be given...
Last I heard the one instructor there said he was tasked with overseeing the implementation of a soon to be announced automated processing for dui...
It should be a 4 day class, with mock court and both a.s.a, private attorney, and a judge doing a class in what to expect so you're not made to look like a goof in court, which, let's be honest, that's part of why we avoid that arrest.
I do them only when I end up with it like a hot potato, I put in whatever is needed in the boxes just to get it approved (nothing made up, of course), but never feel like I understand the various charges or how to best make my case so it's not just an arrest because I had to, but instead, one I feel confident taking to court.
Final point, and I know this will never happen, but the dui laws should be reformed. There's this waste of money on public awareness that pays for ads telling you "don't drink and drive- it's the law!" But, that's not true. The law is actually a disservice as it allows for drinking and driving, as long as it's not over a limit in two ways...
This nonsense only benefits the lawyers, not public safety.
There ought to be a ticket option for anyone found to be visibly impaired to the threshold of an officer's observation based on experience and training, with the handheld breathalyzer, along the lines of an anov, preponderance of evidence, that a driver, if no other crime, injury, or accident is involved, can opt for the anov, a driving record infraction to note history so as to disqualify the anov option upon 3rd occurrence.
The anov should include an automatic impound to ensure the respondent will not just drive away.
This would make a killing for city, allow us to truly go after drinking and driving, save lives, enforce a more effective and efficient deterrent, and save the courts some time and money with this charade, while saving the more serious offenses, like injury, accident, or repeat offenders, for the more serious possible punishments.
I worked with Mike about a week prior to the accident on a burglary arrest he had made, nice young man. I also canvassed the area for possible witnesses on the morning following the tragedy. Tell your family you love them everyday.
A/4 Detective
this was a good thing, but please don't give 35th the credit, this was all the academy' doing not thanks to the administrative manager. this idea came right from the academy and they had to fight like hell to get this far from the machines to the paint on the wall. i know the people behind this wanted to make the room look as presentable as possible as a fitting honor to Officer Gordon. They couldn't even get the floor tiled or carpet changed (yes still has the same carpet that has been their for 35+ years). Still a nice gesture and a fitting honor for a great guy. The family, including Mike's brother were very happy which matters the most. But please don't give the scum at 35th the credit, they had NOTHING to do with it.
As far as parking fees for court attendance, make sure you get a receipt and write it off as a business expense.
As far as DUI/OWI enforcement goes it does take dedicated officers to make these cases. For new officers there is no better case to train with, from first observation to completing the paperwork I can't think of any case that enlightens an officer to the workings of the system.
These cases do take at least one officer off the road for processing and those officers that remain on the beat have to pick the slack which can lead to bad blood.
A lot of PD's are too short to run special dedicated DUI enforcement teams even with federal money assistance.
The issue of DUI enforcement in Chicago is sad, because of the failure of CPD to properly enforce those laws. If anybody really cared they would note that in most Districts there are only a handful of officers who will even know how to do a DUI. The complexity of the process and required court appearances makes the average "Crime Fighter" shun the process. Yet the reality is that more officers are injured and disabled by DUI drivers, than by gunfire. And that is a fact that repeats itself every year. So in the memory of officer Gordon and all the cops who struggle with the daily back, neck and shoulder pain and misery of an on-duty crash involving a drunk uninsured or under insured motorist; we should make a renewed effort to do the right thing and take the time to DUI drivers who are DUI. Yes Bottom Feeder Lawyers who reside in the suburbs will profit, but eliminating the DUI driver could save you or another copper.
---------------
You are correct when you say that the process discourages officers from involving themselves with DUI arrests, however that is not the only reason. I'm not proficient in DUIs by any means, however I have done a few, and that's more than most of the officers I work with. The problem is our joke of a court system here in cook county; the judges allow repeat offenders to continue to drive, the defense attorneys have pages and pages of arrest report/testing reps to examine and pick apart, inevitably finding some technicality to use as grounds for dismissal, and the arresting officer is treated as the criminal during trial. And that doesn't include the arrest procedure which in itself can be anywhere from 4 to 8 hours depending on how severe the circumstances were. And if you haven't done this before, double that time because you will be spending time referring to orders and maybe another officer or two for help. All this plus you are called to court for these cases which can drag on for years, which is fine if you prefer sitting in court over seeing your family and friends. And in the end, they let these fools back on the road to do it all over again, until they kill someone. And yes, we do have officers that actually like doing DUIs and are proficient in them because they handle dozens of them every month. And guess how they are rewarded? Remember officer RF from the old 023? He was our go-to guy for DUIs- he'd handle the job if he was on-duty. He was sued by some connected jagoff who brought charges against him after getting busted for DUI. I believe the officer was found not guilty but they accused him of falsifying arrest reps because they claimed his narratives were similar/same in each of the reps. I worked on the same watch with him and I can say EVERY asshole he brought into that station was drunk- most had to be helped in because they couldn't even walk! I wouldn't blame any officer for avoiding this mess because it's not worth piss- you can thank the lawyers and the judicial system for that.
im glad they did that and god bless mike n the gordon family. i have met mike gordons father and he is trully a class act
Before you blame D.U.I. enforcement in this city. Take a look at the Major Rooms in Traffic Court! Soft Democratic Judges!
Major Rooms in Traffic court and the judges who run them are a big joke and a waste of time!
I have seen many blatant D.U.I. offenders get off with stupid supervision and then their lawyers tell the offender NOT to cooperate with Police if they get pulled over again!
I have heard that many times while eavesdropping in on conversations in the hallways of traffic court!
We are behind the 8-ball when it comes to traffic enforcement that it is a big waste of time to go to court anymore!
From an Officer who used to write D.U.I.'s, but no more until the courts change their entitled ways!
God bless The Gordon Family. Much love and respect, from a fellow CPD officer.
Anonymous said...
I agree with the above posts that DUI enforcement has traditionally been lacking. But the Michael P. Gordon Foundation has been a great supporter of CPD's DUI efforts! The offerings have been slimmer lately, but there are numerous very good in-service DUI training course available. Take one and then go out and do your job.
11/24/2013 01:15:00 AM
What happened to the DUI inservice classes? I heard the one expert they have is on an extended medical leave. But he has a replacement. Maybe the academy could start to offer DUI classes again. At least once a week?
I would like to thank everyone for their kind comments about Mike and our family.
Mike was a Breathalyzer Tech in Riverside so I think it kind of appropriate that the room was dedicated to him. In the suburbs you sometimes are a jack of all trades because the manpower isn't there.
When he was in 11 they needed someone for a breathalyzer but it was going to take a while. Mike told them that he was qualified and his license was still good. They looked at him like he had two heads.
Mike's Foundation has honored DUI and Traffic Officers the last two years with a banquet. Chicago being a big city, I feel, doesn't give them some of the credit they deserve. Not that all of you don't deserve a lot of credit for being a police officer in this day and age.
It was nice to see the men he was with that night and that he is still remembered 9 years later.
Thank you again and be safe out there.
Carol Gordon - Mike's Mom
PLEASE KEEP IT REAL! LEST WE FORGET!! Those of you who were working that night will never forget the site of Officer Michael Gordon right after his squad car was struck by a drunken illegal alien drive. Micheal lost his life to a drunk driving illegal alien. The driver, Luis Calle, was a Guatemalan whose blood alcohol level was measured at 0.177, twice the legal limit.
We are behind the 8-ball when it comes to traffic enforcement that it is a big waste of time to go to court anymore!
From an Officer who used to write D.U.I.'s, but no more until the courts change their entitled ways!
+++++++++++++++++
Perfect. The judges don't do their jobs, so you won't do yours. That's a perfect way to honor PO Gordon.
I'd bet that if judges gave every DUI ten years in prison, people still would not write them. Handling DUI's requires skill, knowledge of the laws and procedures and skill in courtroom testimony. So just keep writing cracked windshields on working people and pretend that you are making a difference.
PLEASE KEEP IT REAL! LEST WE FORGET!! Those of you who were working that night will never forget the site of Officer Michael Gordon right after his squad car was struck by a drunken illegal alien drive. Micheal lost his life to a drunk driving illegal alien. The driver, Luis Calle, was a Guatemalan whose blood alcohol level was measured at 0.177, twice the legal limit.
11/24/2013 07:37:00 PM
We are a Sanctuary City. We invite this problem to the City.
Keep voting for the same politicians. Remember they are politicians, NOT public servants.
We are behind the 8-ball when it comes to traffic enforcement that it is a big waste of time to go to court anymore!
From an Officer who used to write D.U.I.'s, but no more until the courts change their entitled ways!
+++++++++++++++++
Perfect. The judges don't do their jobs, so you won't do yours. That's a perfect way to honor PO Gordon.
I'd bet that if judges gave every DUI ten years in prison, people still would not write them. Handling DUI's requires skill, knowledge of the laws and procedures and skill in courtroom testimony. So just keep writing cracked windshields on working people and pretend that you are making a difference.
Stop using this fallen officer's name as an excuse to dismiss a very unfortunate but very REAL truth- he is 100% correct when he says the court system has to change! I agree with you when you state that it takes skill, knowledge, and familiarization with procedures - very true. However, those things take years of perfecting and tweaking. In fact, this dept should have classes to train and prep officers solely for DUI- it should be a dedicated unit where there are DUI officers for every district because it is a career in itself. In the meantime, the courts are using every excuse to let these drunks continue to drive. You can arrest every drunk behind the wheel, acting in good faith and diligence, but that will not stop anything so long as the system remains unchanged. The blame here does not lie on officers, it is solely on the laps of these judges and lawyers.
And where is the illegal immigrant who killed officer Gordon? Anyone know what his sentence was?
We are behind the 8-ball when it comes to traffic enforcement that it is a big waste of time to go to court anymore!
From an Officer who used to write D.U.I.'s, but no more until the courts change their entitled ways!
+++++++++++++++++
Perfect. The judges don't do their jobs, so you won't do yours. That's a perfect way to honor PO Gordon.
I'd bet that if judges gave every DUI ten years in prison, people still would not write them. Handling DUI's requires skill, knowledge of the laws and procedures and skill in courtroom testimony. So just keep writing cracked windshields on working people and pretend that you are making a difference.
11/24/2013 11:18:00 PM
Sounds like you NEVER been to a Major Traffic Court Room in Chicago, Hair Gel Officer! If your a dumb civilian then you are excused!
Why don't you get some more time on the job!
KMA
Train every police recruit as a breathalyzer operator and as an evidence technician to process burglary, armed robbery, recovered auto , sex offense crime scenes. It may take an extra month of training , but will pay off putting criminals behind bars with evidence from the crime scenes . Fingerprints, DNA and breath test results.
Do it , bring CPD into the 21st Century.
Remember that phony PAX 501 that allowed you to post comments and questions to jody "the weird-female pat sajak-lizard face?
I posted the request for more intensive Dui training.
Think of the opportunity to do some good, to turn around the very well known dirty secret that Chicago doesn't do dui's and and that we avoid them like the plague...
If every copper did just one a month we'd multiply enforcement 25 fold.
This would result in unspeakable revenue all around and make the new cameras look like peanuts.
It would take training, a heightened level of committment, and pride that comes from confidence and proficiency.
But think of it, who would dare criticize cops for removing that drunk from the street and keeping him in a cell while you took the time to process accordingly...
The response I got from jody?
Officers are trained in the academy and should have received the necessary training from the academy before graduation and from field training with a training officer. Any additional training the officer needs should have come from his due dilligence and if said officer still feels additional training is necessary, a written request should be submitted to a supervisor stating the officer's inability to perform their duties so the supervisor may arrange to have the required training provided.
Right... seriously, this is what happened. What a set-up and what a message sent.
Put your head down and keep doing what you're doing. Nobody cares.
The response I got from jody?
Officers are trained in the academy and should have received the necessary training from the academy before graduation and from field training with a training officer. Any additional training the officer needs should have come from his due dilligence and if said officer still feels additional training is necessary, a written request should be submitted to a supervisor stating the officer's inability to perform their duties so the supervisor may arrange to have the required training provided.
Right... seriously, this is what happened. What a set-up and what a message sent.
Put your head down and keep doing what you're doing. Nobody cares.
11/25/2013 08:13:00 PM
Jody, like Rahm, is all about appearances, the sound-bite, today's headline. Neither of them care what follows, as long as there's good press for one day. Then, tomorrow, they invent a new strategy, or plan, or program, or scheme, or response effort, or whatever they want to title it.
You know Jody didn't write that response, right? That team of twits, the advisory board, wrote it, and because they felt so superior to the likes of you and me, they wrote smarmy, condescending responses like that.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
And where is the illegal immigrant who killed officer Gordon? Anyone know what his sentence was?
11/25/2013 01:09:00 PM
He got the death penalty.
Luis Calle, driver of the striking vehicle, died a few hours after the crash.
Thanks Mr. Gordon for all you do, a fitting honor for your son. Mr. Gordon is also another face in front of the PRB. I would like to see more people, especially citizens shine a light on the board. I am glad the facility was NOT named after some two bit politician. You see, it would be highly likely it would have to be renamed when the two bit politician found his way to prison at a later date. Always a problem in IL when they fancy themselves with attaching their names to public projects.
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