Sunday, June 30, 2013

Self Cleaning Oven

Friday, a mother and her five year old are slaughtered in 009.

Early Saturday, the main suspect is located in 011, shot multiple times:
  • As family struggled to keep a boy from remembering the details of a shooting that claimed the life of his mother and 5-year-old brother Friday, a suspect lay in a hospital bed across the city with several gunshot wounds of his own.

  • As the family struggled to come to terms with the slayings, police said the 18-year-old man suspected in the homicides was found bleeding from at least four gunshot wounds Friday night on the West Side.

    The man shot Friday night is in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital. Someone walked up to him in the 2800 block of West Arthington Street in the Lawndale neighborhood about 9:10 p.m. and shot him in the buttocks, neck, leg and groin, police said.

    Less than 20 hours passed between the homicides on Winchester and the Arthington Street shooting.
An e-mailer tells us that the guard detail has been removed from the suspect's hospital room. Oftentimes that means the suspect isn't a suspect anymore or, more likely, the hospital is going to pull the plug shortly. We're betting on door number two and the family is probably hoping the same. We also are betting that his own people (or folks) executed him after finding out who he killed and realizing the amount of attention that was coming their way.

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Bloomberg Gaffe

Remember that soon-to-be-ex-mayor of New York?  The one who wants all your guns, ban all your sodas, tell you what to eat, what to wear, pretty much become your mother if your mother was a balding billionaire? Guess what he thinks about minorities?
  • Mayor Bloomberg claimed that people of color should be stopped and frisked more -- not less -- while whites are stopped too frequently.

    "I think we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little. It's exactly the reverse of what they say," Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show, in response to the City Council passing two bills aimed at reining in the controversial policing tactic.

    "I don't know where they went to school but they certainly didn't take a math course. Or a logic course.”

    The mayor was referring to statistics showing that a majority of serious crimes in the city are carried out by young men of color.
Really? We should profile? And stop minorities? Because they commit more crime?

Wow. We'd better alert Rahm and McContactCard. This might lead to some policy changes.

We wonder how many mayors are going to quit Bloomberg's Mayors Against Illegal Guns now, seeing as how any other person on the face of the planet who made these types of statement would be castigated and browbeaten by leftists and the media to no end.

If Rahm doesn't quit this week, it proves he's a racist.

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Yes Virginia, Feds Fuck Up, Too

  • Rogue FBI supervisor John Morris has testified that he gave his underling information that got a cooperating witness killed.

    He slept with his secretary and let accused Boston mobster James "Whitey" Bulger buy her a plane ticket. When his wife tossed him out, Morris lived in another informant's apartment.

    He took envelopes stuffed with cash along with so many expensive deliveries of wine that Bulger's Winter Hill gang nicknamed him "Vino."

    But, other than that, John Morris told the court in Bulger's trial, his "record was spotless."
"other than that...." Now that is comedy gold.

Every cop knows that the feebs will let 100 dope dealers or gun runners go, just to get one cop. We aren't defending crooked cops (though we'll be accused of that in half-a-dozen comments shortly) but America's supposedly top law enforcement agency has it's share of fuck-ups. They're just better at covering it up because there's no one to investigate them.

So when they're caught assisting mobsters and abetting numerous homicides so that Whitey Bulger could cement his hold over the Boston mafia, it's a big deal.

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    Feds Want JJJr's Houses

    • Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to order former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife, former Ald. Sandi Jackson, to forfeit their homes in Chicago and Washington, D.C., as part of their upcoming sentencing next week.
      The Jacksons are set to be sentenced on Wednesday, after the two pleaded guilty to criminal charges.

      Jackson Jr., 48, has pleaded guilty to misusing $750,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, while Sandi, 49, has pleaded guilty to failing to report that money as income on their tax returns. The two resigned from their elected offices before pleading guilty.

      In a motion filed with the federal court in D.C. on Friday, federal prosecutors asked a judge to allow them to seize the Jacksons’ homes in Chicago and Washington, as well as a retirement account worth nearly $80,000 to help pay off $750,000 in forfeiture, plus another $750,000 in restitution the feds have sought from the couple.
    No reason these convicts should be spared the punishment due - they are no better (and after conviction, they are certainly worse) than those who actually obey the law.

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    Saturday, June 29, 2013

    Crime is Down!

    • Four people who were shot were taken to hospitals in good condition tonight in the Uptown neighborhood on the North Side, police said.

      The male victims were shot about 7:15 p.m. in the 4800 block of North Sheridan Road, according to police News Affairs [...] citing preliminary information.
    Actually, it's five at last count.

    And on the south side, what can only be described as an atrocity:
    • At least three people were fatally shot, including a mother and her 5-year-old son, another person stabbed to death and at lest four other people shot in attacks from Thursday to this morning in Chicago, authorities said.

      Chavonne Brown, 31, and her son Sterling Sims, were found about 2:30 a.m. inside a three-flat brick apartment building in the 5300 block of South Winchester Avenue.
    A five-year-old murdered in his bed. Hey Rahm, are these the Chicago values you speak so eloquently about?

    UPDATE: Now it's 6. Give it another day and it'll probably be 10.

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    Brutal Parade


    • Over the course of the 45-minute victory parade held Friday morning to celebrate the Chicago Blackhawks’ NHL championship, the Stanley Cup sustained nearly a dozen gunshot wounds, city police officials have confirmed.

      “Multiple gun-wielding individuals, all appearing to operate independently, fired approximately 25 shots at the trophy, resulting in 11 direct hits,” said Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy, who confirmed the famous trophy’s injuries may leave many of the names of past champions engraved upon it permanently illegible, including the entire roster of the 1999 Dallas Stars.

      “We are seeking any information regarding the current whereabouts of the Cup’s assailants, as well as the identities of the 1.3 million revelers facing charges of public intoxication.” Parade coordinators reportedly elected to continue the rally, stating that the crowds of Chicagoans did not seem at all fazed by the gunfire.
    Word is that Rahm and McStreetlightMarksman are considering banning parades.
    Picture courtesy of The Onion

    On a serious note, why were the powers-that-be telephoning Districts after 2000 hours demanding additional manpower from the day crew be sent to the Blackhawks rally? They had off-duty tact teams and a regular District draw, but we still heard every District Station Supervisor walked in at 0500 hours and found out they were going to be short anywhere from a wagon to three additional cars. This is the "planning" and forethought McCarthy was bragging about since Monday?
    • In 23 years on the job and having worked hundreds of details, I can say with confidence that this one was THE worst as far as proper planning. The bosses in charge didn't have a clue who was out there and where they were when they were calling for assists.

      I should have known that it was going to be bad when they had 400 coppers staged at Waldron Parking Deck waiting fr busses and had 6 empty busses staged at McFetridge Drive waiting for coppers.

      The pick-up busses were no better. Most coppers decided to walk instead of waiting for the ride back and most actually beat the bus back.

      The only water bottles were provided by CFD, nothing from CPD. No Breaks, on post and ROT.

      Howard the Coward running around like an idiot, Adrian Stanley asking every copper that walked by if try knew how to operate a Stic radio and the best was Car 5 releasing all of Columbus Drive PPO's before the street was ready to be opened.

      It may have looked go on TV and thank god there was no major incidents but behind the scenes it was messed up!!!
    Unbelievable.

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    Guess Who Isn't a Hawks Fan?

    Word from numerous sources that under no circumstances will officers be photographed with the Stanley Cup should it appear in their Districts.  It seems there's a video circulating (from a bar of all places) of an officer sipping a "beverage" from the Cup. A Complaint Register number has been obtained and suspension time is forthcoming.

    You have been warned - while in uniform, you must pretend to be and act like a Detroit fan.

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    Friday, June 28, 2013

    The Boston Effect

    We weren't going to mention anything about it, but NBC did a big story on it last night:
    • Long suffering Chicago sports fans dream of days like a Blackhawks victory parade, but for law enforcement personnel such events are security nightmares.

      "Boston was a reawakening", says former Chicago police commander Neil Sullivan, noting that police can't afford to assume that such a happy event will be ignored by those who would do Chicagoans harm.

      "We have to be right 100 percent of the time," he says. "They only have to be right once."

      Sullivan has played the scenarios over hundreds of times. During four decades with Chicago police, he helped design security plans for countless big events, ranging from sports championships, to the 1996 Democratic Convention, and President Obama's 2008 victory rally in Grant Park.
    Boston was a game changer - a big happy crowd with anything terror-related being the farthest thing from anyone's mind - the ultimate in a "soft" target. That means the police ought to be extra alert, extra aware and thinking of worst case scenarios in the middle of what should be a very fun celebration. Be careful boys and girls and if you're an off-duty lucky enough to be in the celebration, keep an eye out anyway.

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    A Decent Bail Amount

    • A judge today set bail at $1.5 million for a man found hiding in a shed after being wounded when he exchanged gunfire with Chicago Police this week in the Brainerd neighborhood on the South Side, authorities said.

      Judge Donald Panarese set the $1.5 million bail for Richmond Wallace, according to Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokesman Stephen Campbell.

      Wallace is scheduled to appear in court next on July 17, Campbell said.

      Wallace, 22, of the 9100 block of South Laflin Street, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault of a peace office and aggravated discharge of a firearm at a peace officer, all of which are felonies, police said.
    Hopefully, a lot of prison time in this asshole's future.

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    What a Waste

    • A Wisconsin truck driver had been working more than 14 hours before he fell asleep at the wheel of his semitrailer, federal investigators have found, leading to a fiery crash that killed an Illinois State Police trooper on the Tri-State Tollway.

      Andrew B. Bokelman, 26, has not been charged criminally in connection with the March 28 crash that killed Trooper James Sauter, of Vernon Hills, court records show. An Illinois State Police spokeswoman said Thursday an investigation is ongoing.

      But Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show that Bokelman and United Van Lines have been fined for breaking a federal rule prohibiting drivers on duty more than 14 hours from driving without getting 10 hours of rest.

      Bokelman, who investigators said worked for United Van Lines agent Barrett Moving and Storage, was fined $2,500 as recommended. United Van Lines must pay $5,500.
    The criminal investigation continues, but seriously? A dead trooper, a family fatherless, and a mere $8,000 in fines?

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      Lisa Tips Quinn's Hand

      • Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said Thursday that she expects Gov. Pat Quinn to rewrite a compromise measure to legalize the concealed carrying of firearms in public.

        [...]As attorney general, Madigan has successfully sought to put a hold on a federal appeals court ruling that tossed out the state's ban on carrying a concealed firearm. She has held off on appealing the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court as she waits to see whether a compromise bill enacted in the closing days of the spring session last month is signed into law.

        Many lawmakers expect Quinn to use the issue to try to help himself politically, taking advantage of his amendatory veto powers to rewrite the bill to make it more stringent. On Thursday, Madigan said she agreed that the governor would rewrite the bill. Quinn has not said what he plans to do, other than to indicate he will act in the interest of public safety.
      "stringent" hasn't worked. Hasn't worked for decades. Yet Potato-head will once again attempt to dictate how and when you will be allowed to defend yourself while criminals go wild with no fear of prison time or the so-called "fines" Rahm wants. Daddy Madigan will pull some more strings and Lisa will do what dear-old-dad tells her to do.

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      Thursday, June 27, 2013

      An Unused Tool

      No, not McRocksForBrains. He's been used way too often.   

      But why isn't Chicago using this?
      • Kane County prosecutors have filed a lawsuit against alleged members of an Elgin street gang, the third such instance in which authorities have targeted gangs using the power of the civil courts.

        State's Attorney Joe McMahon announced Tuesday that his office filed a lawsuit late last week against 25 reputed members of the Maniac Latin Disciples. Police fanned out Friday to serve those named in the suit with subpoenas, ordering them to appear in civil court.

        Kane prosecutors have filed similar civil actions against alleged Latin Kings members in Elgin and Aurora.

        "This type of lawsuit has been effective in the past, in this jurisdiction and others, at undercutting street gangs and their ability to carry out their criminal conduct among law-abiding citizens," McMahon said.

        The suit seeks unspecified damages from the alleged gang members. It also seeks to prohibit the members from openly associating with each other.
      Prohibiting members of a known gang from associating with one another? Holding them civilly liable for acts of intimidation including loitering on corners, wearing colors, flashing signs. It has withstood a couple of court challengers and been used successfully against large criminal organizations. W'eve heard talk about using RICO-type laws against gangs....but here's one in existence already that seems to work. And based on our giant Contact Card system and "two-degrees of separation" strategies, why couldn't this work on a massive scale? Rahm might actually make some money off it to close his budget gap.

      Of course, certain politicians would have to find other sources of campaign donations, wouldn't they?

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      Any Reporter Reading....

      • Facing criticism from parents worried about their children traveling through dangerous neighborhoods to new schools, Mayor Rahm Emanuel staked out a get-tough stance Wednesday proposing stiffer penalties for gun crimes near schools.

        Whether the threat of fines and jail time for carrying guns near schools or designated school routes will cause gang members to reflect on whether they should carry weapons in those areas is unclear, however. In addition, state laws already allow prosecutors to push for considerably more time behind bars than called for under Emanuel's plan for people who break gun laws near schools.

      • The ordinance, which was introduced at the City Council meeting, would raise penalties for certain gun offenses near schools to $1,000 to $5,000 and 30 days in jail for a first offense, $5,000 to $15,000 and 90 days to six months in jail for a second offense, and $10,000 to $20,000 and at least six months in jail for a third offense.
      Can anyone, police, court worker, reporter, whomever, tell us if they have ever seen one of these fines levied against any gangbanger convicted any gun crime? For the most part, they end up with public defenders, so they have no money to speak of - how is this doubling of fines never levied going to deter anything?

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      Save $$$ = Poor Planning

      Remember when they shut down selected lock-ups? You think someone was having second thoughts the other night?
      • Don't forget a brand new lockup facility within eye sight of all that mayhem on Clark st. and Halsted Bars.

        But, if you arrest anyone you have to drive stupid a few miles away to an old lockup at Belmont and Western! Lost time for sure, who thinks this shit up!

        25 million dollars for a new Police station and you can't use the fucking lockup! Such a waste of resources!

        Time to send McJersey packing! He don't know shit about Chicago!
      Brand new lock-up, but did they ever run a single prisoner through it?  Imagine sometime in the next thousand years if the Cubs actually win something - a police station yards away, but the prisoner holding area is a few miles away.  Freaking brilliant.

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      Interlocking Gates

      News footage in various places of the rowdy drunks parading steel barricades around and other idiots surfing on top of the carried barricades. Didn't anyone install these things correctly?



      If they are put together properly, it's difficult for the crowd to disassemble them and use them to allegedly run over a District Commander. Some versions (we aren't sure which ones the city bought or rented) have a space for a padlock to be placed in one of the pins so it forms a single unit, immovable. You can order a few hundred padlocks all keyed the same from certain vendors. Or you get some banding steel and strap the things together so you don't lose the street.

      Just a few suggestions for next time.

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      The Politics of Guns

      A loophole, deliberately created and left open, means more headaches for those law abiding folks who wish to follow the rules:
      • Mayor Rahm Emanuel will move Wednesday to update and strengthen Chicago’s assault weapons ban to meet a deadline established in legislation legalizing concealed carry in Illinois.

        “Weapons that are designed for the battlefield have no place on the streets of Chicago,” Emanuel was quoted as saying in a press release.

        "By strengthening our ordinance, we will have a clear, comprehensive and enforceable law that continues to prevent dangerous weapons from threatening the safety of our residents. Chicago will continue to lead the way in enacting the toughest gun control measures possible while still respecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.

        The concealed carry bill on Gov. Pat Quinn’s desk gives Chicago and other municipalities ten days upon signage to pass new or updated assault weapons legislation.

        The legislation to be introduced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting would prohibit the import, sale, transfer and possession of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in Chicago.
      Rahm hits so many of the anti-gunner highlights that all his claims of "respecting" the Second Amendment are just so much bullshit. All this loophole does is provide Rahm with more hoops for decent people to jump through. Get a load of the "banned accessories" for guns:
      • They include: any semiautomatic rifle or handgun capable of accepting a detachable magazine and has at least one military feature; any shotgun capable of accepting a detachable magazine, has at least one military feature, or has a fixed capacity of more than five rounds; and any weapon with a fixed magazine of more than 15 rounds. Military features include “telescoping stocks, pistol grips, grenade launchers, barrel shrouds” and other features.
      Well, that's just about every pistol on the Department approved carry list, not to mention the patrol rifles. Those evil "telescoping stocks," someone better tell the Alpha Girls that having a rifle that can be swapped among men with longer reaches and women with shorter arms are banned. Pistol grips that allow extra (and ergonomic) control of shot placement is a no-no. That shroud that protects your hand from getting burned by the hot metal barrel ever present during sustained use (like in training) - that's banned, too. And lord knows what the criminals might do without a grenade launcher because grenades were used in exactly how many murders last year? And speaking of murders:
      • Richard Pearson, executive director of the Il. State Rifle Association, said he’s not surprised that Emanuel is updating the Chicago ban, jumping through the window opened by the Il. General Assembly.

        But, he argued that Emanuel is “attacking the wrong people,” noting that assault weapons were used in only one crime last year on the streets of Chicago last year.

        “To attack a firearm is pretty easy—a lot easier than getting kids to stay in school so you don’t have a 49 percent drop-out rate,” Pearson said.

      Stop talking sense Mr. Pearson! The peasants might realize that this is nothing more than another "show bill" put up by someone who has spent the past number of years protected by men with guns in Chicago and Washington DC.

      You know what we're thinking? Rahm and Highland Park and all sorts of other 'burbs run by democrats are going to put forth every single ban they can think of, since by doing so they will be grandfathered in the new law. Then Quinn will veto the bill anyway, amending it with some inanity suggested by Bloomberg or similar morons. The legislature, by which we mean "Madigan," will bluster about the override possibility, but isn't the legislature out of session for a few months?

      We sense a whole bunch of BS still to come before a watered down and unnecessarily burdensome Conceal Carry finally takes effect...and then the ISRA, NRA and Second Amendment groups will have to sue again.

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      Wednesday, June 26, 2013

      Police Shooting

      • A Chicago police officer shot and injured a gunman who had fired at police early this morning in the South Side's Brainerd neighborhood, authorities said.

        About 12:30 a.m., officers responding to a call of shots fired near the 9100 block of South Ashland Avenue saw people running from the scene, said Pat Camden, spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police union.

        The officers gave chase, and during the course of a foot pursuit, one of the runners fired shots at a police officer, Camden said.

        The officer returned fire, and when the runner pointed his gun at another officer, that officer fired shots as well, the union spokesman said.
      Jagoff was found a few hours later bleeding, but alive. Good job Officers.

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      Undermanned Again? (UPDATE)

      We teased a bit last week about the Department handing out Mass Arrest kits for the potential Blackhawks celebrations, pointing out that last time, disturbances were kept to a minimum. Of course, alcohol makes people do stupid things and last night was no exception as parts of the northside bar scene got stupid:
      • Not all of Chicago's Stanley Cup celebrations were peaceful Monday night.
        There were a number of arrests and some property damage. Hundreds of gunshots were fired into the night sky right after the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Incredibly, no one was hurt by falling bullets.

        However, when throngs of fans -- and just-plain-partiers -- began spilling onto North Side streets, Chicago police suddenly found themselves dodging cans and bottles.
      Thank goodness the south and west sides remained calm.

      In any event, quite a few observations have made their way into our comment sections and seem to point out a worrying trend that we and others have been pointing out for years - inadequate manpower:
      • God help us if the bulls ever win. IT took over six hours to control a bunch of unruly Lincoln parkers. [...] It was an eembarrassment. Countless businesses, vehicles and residences damaged and several officers hurt.
      • Very poor preparation for tonight's possible Hawks win. Poor execution after they did win. Too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Where were the arrest teams and prisoner processing areas? Sorry but that was embarrassing.
      • During the live broadcast of the mayhem, the NBC reporter even commented that he was told that the Police were prepared for the win. He then went on to say he did not think so, "there are not enough Police out there"
      • Apparently they didn't learn anything from the 2010 celebration. In that one, we never knew it would be as big as it was and the exempts back then just kept getting more and more teams until they had it under control. Wouldn't you think they would have done a little research and realized that you need a LOT of manpower to control these idiots????
      Hopefully, no serious injuries to the Officers involved, but once again, underestimating manpower needed for things like this and lack of an available large scale response unit is going to get people hurt.

      We expect the parade Friday will be different - daylight, families, less heavy drinking.

      UPDATE: Here's the article about damage - not much in scale, but pretty much nothing in the way of a police response to the area.

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      Copper Injured in Collision

      They had to cut him out of the car after the crash with a garbage truck:
      • A Chicago Police officer was conscious and talking after emergency crews cut him out of a South Side wreck involving a squad car and a garbage truck Tuesday night.

        The crash happened about 9:15 p.m. near 43rd and Ashland, police News Affairs [...] said, citing preliminary information.

        The police officer was driving a Ford Crown Victoria police sedan, “fortunately equipped with side airbags,” Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

        Emergency crews had to cut the officer out of the wreckage, but he was conscious and alert, Langford said. He was being treated at Stroger Hospital for injuries that weren’t life-threatening.
       Hitting what is essentially a giant trash compactor on wheels is going to ruin your day. Get well soon Officer.

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      Former Cub Finds Former Sox Fan

      Actually, we have no idea if the deceased was a Sox fan. He was found naked in the water on the north side, so we guess he could be anyone, but being found by a former Cubs player?
      • Former Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood found a floating corpse while kayaking in Belmont Harbor on Monday morning, a source told the Chicago Sun-Times.

        Wood found the man, who was naked but wearing a hospital bracelet, a few feet from the west wall of the harbor and notified authorities, the source said.

        The body was discovered shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday , police said.

      Wood is a big guy, you know. Anything could have happened.

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      Rifle Shortage Easing

      • After the gun control scare earlier this year, demand for AR-15 rifles went through the roof. People were maxing out their credit cards on fears that America’s favorite firearm was about to be banned by the powers that be. This cleared the entire available stock of guns, and made manufacturers ramp up to meet demand.

        It was good times for manufacturers, but now the AR-15 bubble has burst and things are looking downright depressing for manufacturers.

        By now, everyone who “needed” an AR-15 has found one. Even if they emptied their bank accounts to do it, they have their rifle. But with sales slowing down, the price of an AR-15 is cratering. People are no longer willing to buy at the inflated panic-level prices, and dealers are starting to discount the guns in order to clear their shelves.
      Feeding your rifle is still going to be a problem as the ammo shortages still exist.

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      Tuesday, June 25, 2013

      Well Hello Stranger


      We've missed you.

      Welcome back.
      Congratulations guys.

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      Sun Times Continues Dredging

      • Over the past seven years, Chicago police Officer Richard A. Rizzo has been arrested four times by fellow members of his department. The charges included domestic battery, child endangerment and aggravated assault with a gun.

        Each time, officers booked Rizzo and took his mugshot. Each time, prosecutors filed criminal charges against him.

        And each time, prosecutors ended up dropping the charges against the 15-year police veteran.

      So do they expose the clout? Nope.

      They bring up four more officers who seem to have scandal following them regularly, but never say a word about how they are protected by the political class. In Callahan's case, his wife was working for the governor (Blago we think) for years and that made him untouchable. How about the reporters hang the clout out to twist in the wind? Or would that burn too many bridges?

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      Another Idiot

      • A veteran Chicago police sergeant mired in personal debt was arrested Monday on a charge that he attempted to extort a West Side liquor store employee by offering to look up police reports, license plates and other information in exchange for cash.

        "You gotta get amnesia, you know, forget about it," Ray M. Ramirez, 49, a Monroe District patrol sergeant, was quoted by the FBI as saying in a conversation captured on audio and video recordings shortly after he allegedly pocketed one $200 payoff last month.

        Ramirez, who has been with the department since 1986, was charged in a 20-page criminal complaint with attempted extortion. He appeared in court dressed in an athletic T-shirt and sweatpants and was freed on a signature bond by U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez.

        Ramirez's court-appointed attorney, Michael Leonard, noted after the brief court hearing that the main witness had been paid more than $22,000 as an FBI informant in the past five years. The complaint stated that the worker had cooperated not just for the financial reasons but also in part because of his "patriotism."

        "I think it's a bunch of malarkey," Leonard said. "(Ramirez) has been nothing but a good officer for over 20 years."
      Malarkey?  Actually, it's the lawyer spouting bullshit. Ramirez has had a bad rep on this site for years, asking fellow officers and supervisors for "loans" that he never repaid and probably never had any intention of repaying. There were case reports generated and Complaint Register numbers obtained. 

      In any event, another black eye for the Department

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      Monday, June 24, 2013

      Weekend Totals

      • Four people were killed and dozens wounded in a spate of shootings during a muggy first weekend of summer.

        Friday, the longest day of the year, was the deadliest, with three killed and at least 11 wounded in 10 separate shooting incidents throughout the city. Saturday saw at least six shootings, including one fatality. Ten people were wounded in at least eight shootings Sunday morning.

        Those killed include a 31-year-old man who was recently freed after more than a year in jail and a 21-year-old man who had been in the country for only a few months.
      But as heyjackass.com points out, the powers-that-be will hang their hats on this:
      • At this point, 7am Sunday, EMS has had a slower weekend than last.

        Last weekend: 3 dead, 32 wounded
        This weekend: 5 dead, 22 wounded

        Last Sunday was the money shot and with 80s and sun today, it'll be a foot race to the finish.
      Less ambulance runs must mean crime is down!

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      Missing Firefighter

      • Police are asking for the public's help in locating a Chicago firefighter who went out to run errands Saturday and never returned.

        Herbert "Bubba" Williams, 41, was last seen on June 22 on the 100 block of East 73rd Street in the Park Manor neighborhood on the South Side. He said he was going out to run errands but has not been seen or heard from since, police said.

        Monday marks Williams' 42nd birthday, police said.

        He was last seen wearing a bright orange T-shirt, navy blue and orange jogging pants and a blue Chicago Fire Department baseball cap, police said.

        He is described as a black man with a medium complexion. He has black hair and brown eyes. He is 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 260 pounds, police said.
      Keep an eye out.

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      Bill Daley Misses the Point

      • Gubernatorial hopeful Bill Daley says Governor Quinn should make some changes before he signs the bill allowing the carrying of concealed weapons in Illinois, reports WBBM [...].

        As Governor Quinn nears the deadline for deciding what do to with the concealed-carry bill, Bill Daley is saying that the Governor should do more than just fix his signature.
      Evidently, Bill doesn't understand the words "court order." As in Illinois is under a court ordered deadline to pass something that will pass muster. If Illinois fails to do so, the court will probably impose rules regarding concealed carry. And Quinn can only sign or refuse to sign the bill before him - he can't arbitrarily add language or conditions to a piece of legislation.

      Then there's this:
      • “I would hope that he would mandatorily veto this so that some of the weaknesses in that bill can be improved upon and we can comply with the court order because we are the only state without a concealed carry bill. But at the same time, I think the Governor ought to put in there that there needs to be background checks and that limit the size of magazines for some of these weapons that are really designed for military use and not for either hunting or sport shooting,” said Daley.
      The Second Amendment has absolutely nothing to do with hunting or sport shooting. Never has, never will. Just about everyone who has ever read the Constitution or perused the Founders' writings knows this...only those with agendas attempt to insert hunting and sports shooting into a document that was written to limit the scope of government in personal liberties.

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      Sunday, June 23, 2013

      Sun Times Rehashing Old News

      • Two off-duty Chicago beat cops.

        Both busted nine years ago for assaults outside the city.

        Both targeted for firing by the police superintendent.

        Two similar cases — with two very different outcomes.

      The dates on the cases cited (we think there are nine) go all the way back to 2002. In each case, officers were investigated, accused of wrongdoing, was served with allegations and had their day before the Police Board. That there were a myriad of results surprises no one here at SCC and shouldn't surprise anyone who's been a cop for longer than six months or a Chicagoan for more than a year.

      The city reeks of corruption, favoritism and clout. It isn't hard to figure out and anyone with half-a-brain could put together a halfway decent list of political connections and favors owed for certain cases.

      But the Sun Times doesn't do that. They drag up old cases and don't really delve much behind the curtain of corruption that permeates Chicago. We certainly hope that they're going to run the same "investigation" at the Water Department, Streets and San, the Fire Department and other city agencies.

      Oh wait, we're the only ones in contract negotiations. We just realized that this is another smear job masquerading as journalism while Rahm pulls the strings.

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      Off Duty Passes After Bike Accident

      Injured almost 10 days ago, he passed earlier this week:
      • P.O. Brian McDevitt from 008 passed early this morning. Brian was taken off of life support following severe injuries that he sustained after he was struck by an SUV while riding his mountain bike. Brian was married with young children. Please keep him in your PRAYERS.

        Brian worked in 008 for the past 5 or 6 years. Before that he was in tru and 007 I believe. He was only in his early 30s with a wife and two very young children. He will be missed. Yes, he was a great policeman but more importantly he was a great person, husband and father.. Which is what really matters, not this job. God bless Brian. I'm sure we will be in the works to get a benefit or two going for his family.
      Coverage at the Southtown Star. If a benefit is organized, someone e-mail us the info for posting.

      UPDATE: From Father Dan Brandt:
      • Brian's wake is Tuesday from 3-9 at Blake Lamb Funeral Home (103/Cicero). St. Jude Service is at 1900 hrs as usual. Funeral Mass is Wednesday at 10:30 at St. Christina (111/Homan).

        He'll also be remembered at the next Police Mass (Sunday, 14 JUL, 1100-1130 hrs at Mercy Home - 1140 W. Jackson Blvd). Info at www.ChicagoPCM.org.

        Rest in peace, Brian.

        Fr. Dan Brandt
        CPD Chaplain

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      Opening Night

      • At least three people were killed and 10 others wounded in shootings in Chicago Friday, the first day of summer.

        At least two other people suffered gunshot wounds early today, for a total of three shot to death and 12 others wounded in shootings since Friday afternoon.
      • Three people were reported shot in the South Chicago neighborhood this afternoon, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

        Fire Department ambulances were responding to the reported shooting in the 8600 block of South Kingston Avenue after being called there at 4:34 p.m., according to the Fire Department's news office.
      Added to Thursday's totals and you have the makings of a real problem for Rahm and McCarthy.

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      Arrest in Restaurant Slaying

      • A man charged in the fatal shooting of a Cicero restaurant owner who was trying to protect his wife this week was ordered held without bail today.

        Matthew A. Brown-Turner, 25, has been charged with murder and attempted armed robbery in the fatal shooting of Giovanni Donancricchia, 64, early Thursday morning. Brown-Turner, who court records show lives in Buffalo, N.Y., was ordered held today in a Cook County Bond Court hearing.
      Buffalo? Of course, he also has arrests across the west side and seems to have been arrested in the ABLA homes in 012.

      Nice work Cicero.

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      More IRS Nonsense

      All sorts of time to target Tea Party people and conservative groups, but nothing for this:
      • The Internal Revenue Service sent 23,994 tax refunds worth a combined $46,378,040 to “unauthorized” alien workers who all used the same address in Atlanta, Ga., in 2011, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).

        That was not the only Atlanta address theoretically occupied by thousands of “unauthorized” alien workers receiving millions in federal tax refunds in 2011. In fact, according to a TIGTA audit report published last year, four of the top ten addresses to which the IRS sent thousands of tax refunds to “unauthorized” aliens were in Atlanta.

        The IRS sent 11,284 refunds worth a combined $2,164,976 to unauthorized alien workers at a second Atlanta address; 3,608 worth $2,691,448 to a third; and 2,386 worth $1,232,943 to a fourth.
      And that's just in one city. There doesn't seem to be any indication that this is a massive apartment complex or a PO Box.

      They also seem to have $70 million for bonus money:
      • The series of furloughs have been considered necessary because of the extraordinary challenges facing the agency in the wake of spending cuts and sequestration. National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen M. Kelley has soundly criticized the move for months, saying, “[f]urloughing IRS employees is further evidence of the ongoing damage sequestration is causing across the country.”

        There is, the agency claims, simply not enough money to keep the doors open.

        Except, that is, for an extra $70 million.

        Despite a directive from the Obama administration for agencies to cancel discretionary bonuses because of automatic spending cuts, the IRS is moving ahead with $70 million in employee bonuses.
      Amazing.

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      Saturday, June 22, 2013

      Criminals? What Criminals?

      • Do you remember the good ‘ole days when Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani cleaned up New York City and the crime rate dropped because he took the handcuffs off police officers and let them aggressively pursue bad guys? How he got the prosecutor’s office onboard to stop frivolous lawsuits against the police departments?

        Well, the Democrats in the City Council have sponsored a new bill that not only handcuffs the police, but will “blindfold” them “and send crime rates soaring,” as well, according to the New York Police Department captain’s union.

        This insanely, politically correct bill “will ban cops from identifying a suspect’s age, gender, color or disability,” Union President Roy Richter told the New York Post. “When we have wanted suspects and patterns of crimes, those are very important descriptive terms to let officers know who to look for,” he added.

        If passed, though, the bill would require police to “use little more than the color of a suspect’s clothing in descriptions — or risk being sued for profiling,” the Post reported.

        And, according to the Post, the bill is on a fast track – it’s being sent straight to the floor for a vote versus going through the “normal committee process.”
      Doesn't NYC have a "uniform of the day" for their thugs? White t-shirt, blue jeans, cap of appropriate color? We drive through some of the more crime ridden parts of this city and we see dozens, if not hundreds dressed exactly the same, every single day.

      What is it about democrats and their theory that "there is no such thing as a bad person," then they set out to make it as difficult as possible for police to prove them wrong. It's like they've suddenly located a time machine and it's September 10, 2001.

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      Hot Weekend on Tap

      • Seven people, including two teenagers, have been wounded in shootings on the South and West sides since Thursday afternoon.
      • A man was shot to death in the West Garfield Park neighborhood this afternoon, authorities said.

        The victim was shot in the head and abdomen in the 4400 block of West Adams Street about 1:31 p.m., said Chicago Police News Affairs ...
      • Chicago Fire Department ambulances were responding to an attack with multiple shooting victims in the Kelvyn Park neighborhood this evening.

        Five ambulances were called to the scene of the shootings in the 2900 block of North Kilpatrick Avenue about 8 p.m., according to the Fire Department's news office.
      And it's only the first day of summer - schools just let out.  Will McCompStat survive through July?

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      Karen the Commie Goes Batshit Crazy

      While we appreciate her making Rahm eat shit, now her megalomania gets out of control:
      • A day before the first set of school closings was set to begin, Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis had some harsh words about how the Chicago Public Schools are funded and managed, blaming much of the district’s problems on racism.

        WBBM [...] reports, at a luncheon on education reform, Lewis told members of the City Club that Chicago is the most segregated city in America.

        “When will there be an honest conversation about poverty and racism and inequality that hinders the delivery of an education product in our school system? When will we address the fact that rich white people think they know what’s in the best interest of children of African-Americans and Latinos, no matter what the parents’ income or education level?” she asked.

        Lewis said minority neighborhoods are disproportionately disinvested by the city, and see more foreclosures and school closures.

        “It’s as if there were a concerted effort to make sure that these are not walkable, thriving, healthy communities,” she said.
      Evidently, she's a fellow traveler with Attorney General Eric Holder, spouting off about racism and demanding an honest conversation, all the while accusing anyone who actually brings up uncomfortable facts, figures, statistics and studies of.....you guessed it.... racism!

      As to the "rich white people" knowing better, we'll just mention that whatever they're doing in the majority white ethnic enclaves across Chicago, Cook County and Illinois....well, it seems to be working. Crime rates there are lower, employment is higher, median income is better, neighborhoods are cleaner, more of their offspring go to college.

      In the real world, those in charge might actually try to emulate the successes of those areas. After all, GE, Microsoft, and Apple didn't become as successful as they are by taking failed business practices and implementing them across the board. God forbid the CPS and Chicago actually accomplish anything like that in Karen Lewis's left-wing, communist, race-baiting dream world.

      Teachers who aren't black or brown ought to be outraged that this is the face and voice of their organization.

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      Friday, June 21, 2013

      Big Wreck

      • Seven people were injured, including three children, in a crash involving a police car and two SUVs in the Gresham neighborhood this morning as officers in the police car helped pursue a suspect who had fired a gun from a vehicle, authorities said.

        The crash occurred near 76th and Halsted streets a little after 11 a.m., according to police and fire officials.

        Three children and another person were taken to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition, officials said. Three people were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in serious-to-critical condition, according to the Chicago Fire Department.

        Two of those taken to Christ Medical Center were officers, police said. None of those injured was believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries, Police News Affairs [...] said.

        Officers from the Gresham District were near 75th Street and Union Avenue about 11:03 a.m. when they saw someone firing a gun from a vehicle, [...]. The officers began pursuing the vehicle, and a second car joined them soon after.

        It was the second police car that was involved in the crash Estrada said. After the crash, the officers from the first car were able to arrest the suspect....
      Best wishes to the injured for speedy recoveries.

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      Econ 101 - Again

      The University of Chicago is home to a boatload of Nobel Prize winners in the field of Economics, yet no one at City Hall seems to have the merest inkling of how this stuff works in reality:
      • Illinois’ dollar-per-pack cigarette tax hike took effect a year ago this month. But the the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability says it's expected to fall $130 million short of initial revenue estimates.

        The increase, which hiked the state’s 98-cents-per-pack tax to $1.98 last June, is expected to bring in about $212 million in additional revenue for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30.

        That’s well short of the $350 million in additional revenue originally projected.

        That means it won’t raise quite as much as money for school capital projects. Money from the tax hike also goes to the Healthcare Provider Relief Fund to help cover the costs of Medicaid.

        The report says a decline in sales typically follows a significant tax increase. But the report also says another reason for the failure to meet projections is that consumers stocked up prior to the tax increase in 2012.
      Yeah, because cigarettes don't go stale or anything - the reporters must be morons, too. Not a word about how over the border sales are booming in Indiana, Wisconsin and other states. Just a sense of wonder that Illinois is another $130 million short that will have to be made up elsewhere.

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      Restaurant Owner Murdered in Cicero

      • Giovanni Donancricchia was not only a top-notch pizza chef whose food was featured on national and local television shows, he also was a loving Italian immigrant father who worked long hours at his Cicero restaurant to support his wife and three children, his family said.

        "He never missed a day of work and sent all his kids to college," said his son, Saverio Donancricchia. "Everything he did was for us."

        Early Thursday, soon after closing Albano's Pizzeria for the night, Donancricchia, 64, of River Grove, was shot to death inside his establishment in an apparent robbery, Cicero police said. The well-liked, longtime neighborhood businessman, who would provide pizza slices on credit, was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:56 a.m.
      Cicero has a few decent leads on this one and a tape exists. Sympathies to the family.

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      Terrorist a "Victim"

      Got to love the leftists - even a murderer of innocents is a victim:
      • New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's gun-control group has come under fire after mistakenly naming Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev as a victim of gun violence, the Daily Mail reports.

        Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old who was killed by police on April 19 following a manhunt and shootout, was among the names read aloud during the No More Names event organized by Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

        Attendees at the 900-strong rally were infuriated when they heard Tsarnaev's name announced. The New Hampshire Union Leader reported that one participant shouted, "He's a terrorist!"

      But that doesn't mean he wasn't a "victim" of the oppressive fascist police state and their evil guns, right? Even dead terrorists have rights, don't they? Bloomberg's group has since apologized, but they prove yet again that they will use anything, anybody, any lie or half-truth to take away your Rights.

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      Thursday, June 20, 2013

      Fleet Problems

      • Ford is recalling over 465,000 vehicles worldwide because of complaints about gas tank leaks. The recalled vehicles include the 2013 Ford Explorer, Fusion, Flex, Interceptor Sedan, Interceptor Utility, Lincoln MKZ, MKS and MKT, and the Ford Taurus.

        Ford said the affected vehicles might have a fuel delivery module in the tank that could leak. The recall includes 420,000 vehicles in the U.S,, Canada, and Mexico. The other vehicles are outside of those areas.

        Ford said they don't know of any accidents or injuries related to the problem.

        It doesn't look like the vehicles will be repaired any time soon because Ford said all the replacement parts won't be available until September.
      According to an e-mail we received, AVIS Rent-a-Car has "grounded" over 600 of the recalled vehicles and won't allow them into service due to liability concerns.

      But we haven't seen anything about Fleet Management inspecting, downing or replacing any of the Fords they've been putting into service for the past few months here. Is the FOP aware? Are there Safety Grievances in the works? After all, the 2nd VP was inspecting the Explorers just a few weeks ago over lack of headrests in non-cage cars that are being used for three and four man operations, usually an FTO and multiple recruits. A Ford exploding would seem to be a bit more pressing.

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        SOS Scandal Still Bubbling?

        Rumor from the Federal Building that the highest ranking member implicated in the scandal stopped by to plead guilty to tax evasion.  Anyone care to verify?

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        Poor Tio

        • In the wake of accusing him of domestic battery, the wife of the former director of CeaseFire Illinois filed for divorce this week, citing irreconcilable differences.

          Alison Hardiman filed her petition Tuesday in the Circuit Court of Cook County, nearly three weeks after her husband, Tio Hardiman, was arrested and jailed overnight on charges of beating her after an altercation at their Hillside home.

        The irreconcilable difference is that he like beating the crap out of women and she didn't like taking a whupping. Hopefully, she doesn't start confusing her civil divorce court dates with the upcoming criminal court dates that might let Tio off the hook.

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        Wednesday, June 19, 2013

        Delayed Deaths Up Weekend Total

        • Two men critically wounded in weekend shootings died Monday, raising the death toll for 2013’s most violent weekend to eight. At least 39 other people were wounded in shootings across the city, authorities said.

          The most recent fatality stemmed from a drive-by shooting early Monday in the West Side Humboldt Park neighborhood.
        And the "Theory of 10 Shot Daily" seems to be in need of some slight adjustments:
        • At least eight people were shot Monday on the South and West sides, authorities said.
        We may rename it the "Theory of 9 Shot Daily" at some point.

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          Lisa Gets Her Delay

          • The U.S. Supreme Court granted an extension Tuesday for Illinois's attorney general to decide whether to appeal a court order permitting the state's gun owners to carry concealed firearms.

            Justice Elena Kagan granted a delay until July 22, essentially a second 30 days of leeway that allows Attorney General Lisa Madigan time to craft a response. She could also scuttle the whole matter if Gov. Pat Quinn signs concealed-carry legislation awaiting his response.

            That's a separate deadline than the one on July 9, by which time Quinn must decide whether to make it legal to carry concealed guns.
          And you can tell it's a game because Daddy Madigan is saying he isn't worried about a Quinn veto in the least:
          • House Speaker Michael Madigan today dismissed any concern that Gov. Pat Quinn may veto the delicately negotiated concealed weapons legislation passed last month, saying he expected that lawmakers would overwhelmingly reject an attempt to block or change the bill.

          • The speaker pointed out that both chambers passed the concealed carry legislation with more than the three-fifths vote that would be needed to override Quinn if he should veto the bill or used his amendatory authority to offer changes for legislators to consider.

            “At the end of the day,” Speaker Madigan said, “if the governor were to veto or to offer an amendatory veto, he’ll be overridden. “

          It's almost like they're hoping for some outside events to provide an excuse to continue delaying implementation of the law and Court orders.

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          When in Doubt...

          • Unable to round up enough Senate votes for a sweeping measure to overhaul the state’s public employee pension system, Gov. Pat Quinn has backed off in favor of a plan to a form a committee designed to forge a compromise on the hot-button issue.

            The move sets the stage for what’s shaping up as an anti-climactic special session on Wednesday, which Quinn called in an attempt to break the gridlock between leading Democrats who have differing philosophies on how to overhaul the heavily indebted retirement system.

            It’s a change in plan from the one Quinn put forth late last week when he asked Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago, to call a vote on a pension reform bill that already passed the House. Cullerton reluctantly agreed, but argued support would be far below the 36 votes needed to send the bill to Quinn’s desk.
          Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed. This can is getting kicked down the road again as the election season will be in full swing shortly. This is what passes for leadership around here.

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          Tuesday, June 18, 2013

          Police Shooting in Englewood

          The citizens can shoot, maim and kill each other with impunity, but the minute the police light up and offender armed with two guns, the usual suspects are up in arms:
          • A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot by a Chicago police officer in the South Side's Englewood neighborhood Sunday night, authorities said.
          A boy? Really Chicago Tribune? How about a boy with two guns?
          • The shooting happened about 10:50 p.m. in the 6600 block of South Sangamon Street.

            Pat Camden, a union spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police, said officers assigned to a gang crimes unit heard gunfire in the area and spotted three people running as the officers responded.

            Police pursued one of the runners, leaving their car and chasing him on foot down Sangamon Avenue, according to a preliminary statement from the Chicago Police Department's Office of News Affairs. During the foot chase, the runner turned towards the officers and pointed a gun at them, drawing fire from an officer, according to the statement.
          Assailant:
          • Family members rushed to the hospital after the shooting, said Niyah Lewis, who said she was Westley's cousin.

            Lewis, 32, said the shooting happened shortly after the boy had been throwing a football in front of a Father's Day gathering at his grandmother's home.

            Relatives were frustrated at the amount of information police were sharing with them, Lewis said.

            "We know absolutely nothing," Lewis said.
          Aw....tossing the football on Father's Day. How very Kennedy-esque. And no one knows anything - how about where the jagoff got two guns? And figured it's okay to point them at Police Officers?
          • Westley was a high school freshman, said Irea Martin, 32, who said she was his aunt.

            "We're not talking about a 17-year-old," Martin said. "We're talking about a kid."

            While Lewis and Martin said witnesses had told relatives they had not seen Westley holding a gun, Camden said the boy had been carrying two weapons -- a .40-caliber handgun and a revolver tucked into his waistband.
          We're going to imagine that no one is going to snitch out where jagoff got the guns or who he was carrying for.

          Nice job by the involved Officers.

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          Lisa Playing Games

          • Attorney General Lisa Madigan has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to give her an extra 30 days to decide if she will appeal a lower court’s ruling to end Illinois’ last-in-the-nation ban on carrying concealed weapons in public.

            Having already been granted one deadline extension to June 24, Madigan’s office on Friday asked the nation’s high court for a “second and final” postponement to July 24 as Gov. Pat Quinn’s office reviews a bill passed on the Legislature’s final day of session last month.

            While Madigan has openly opined on and pressed the Legislature to take action on other issues like same-sex marriage, the potential 2014 Democratic gubernatorial primary candidate has yet to say if she will appeal the concealed-carry case.

            Quinn – who has publically urged Madigan to appeal the lower court’s ruling – along with State Police Director Hiram Grau and Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Edmonds also signed the petition for an extension.
          But this is really really really the final extension, she promises! Someone has to explain the big words to Potato-Head Quinn after all - words like "shall" and "not" and "infringed."

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          That's Going to Leave a Mark II

          • Police have launched a homicide investigation into the death of a man who had been impaled by a fence post Sunday night during a fight near his Burnside neighborhood home on the South Side, authorities said.

            An autopsy Monday determined Edward James Scott, 48, of the 9100 block of South Greenwood Avenue, died of head injuries and impalement on a fence post during an assault, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. Scott's death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner's office.

            Scott became involved in a dispute about 8 p.m. Sunday with unknown individuals near his home, according to Chicago Police Department News Affairs [...]. One of the people approached and struck him in the head, causing him to fall onto a fence post which pierced his eye socket, [police] said; he then fell to the ground, suffering blunt trauma to the head.
          Now that's just a bad day.

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          That's Going to Leave a Mark

          Remember when Mom and Dad used to tell you to keep your arms inside the car?  This is why:
          • A south suburban Burnham man died Sunday night after leaning out of a moving car on South Side and hitting a parked car, police said.

            The victim was identified as Orlando Mayo, Jr., 30, of the 2700 block of East 142 Street, who was pronounced dead at 7:54 p.m. Sunday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

            The incident happened about 7:20 p.m. Sunday in the 2000 block of East 79th Street in the city’s South Shore neighborhood, authorities said.

            The victim was a front-seat passenger inside a westbound red 1987 Chevrolet Caprice, said Chicago Police Department News Affairs [...]; he stuck his body out of the car window and hit a parked car.

            The victim was ejected and the Caprice struck another parked car before fleeing the scene.
          Gee, why didn't the driver stick around?

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            Monday, June 17, 2013

            7 Dead, 41 Maimed

            Crime is down!

            Who are you going to believe, McCompStat or your lying eyes?
            • At least 28 people were shot — six of them fatally — Saturday afternoon into Father's Day Sunday, stretching from 94th Street and Loomis Avenue on the South Side up to about North Avenue and North Pulaski Road on the Northwest Side, according to authorities. The youngest person who was killed during one of the bloodiest weekends in Chicago this year was 16.

              Shootings from Friday afternoon into Saturday left another 13 people shot, 1 fatally. The combined tally resulted in 41 people shot, and seven killed this weekend. Last year at about the same time, there were 53 people shot, nine fatally in one weekend.
            Of course,the New York set is spinning this as a "win" since last year, the numbers were higher. So we guess it's just a matter of how much violence the city is willing to accept.

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            Rahm Whacked in the Media Again

            He's out of town and the streets go up for grabs. Now he's taking another bit of bad press at the ultra-liberal Salon.com:
            • Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel cakewalked into office, from his former position as the White House chief of staff to President Obama, to succeed the two-decade reign of Richard M. Daley. Like Daley, Emanuel faced weak opponents who grumbled at his supersize war chest, thickly padded by financiers from Hollywood to Wall Street. But unlike Daley, Emanuel promised two things Chicagoans do not hear often: pledges for more government transparency, and to make “tough choices” to fix the city’s ballooning budget deficit.

              Now, midway into his inaugural term, the honeymoon is over. Emanuel faces scrutiny from groups Daley never alienated: public sector unions, liberal progressives and minority coalitions on the city’s South and West side. Since his election, Emanuel’s approval numbers started dropping, and some are charging him as racist — a “murder mayor” deaf to the marginalized swaths of Chicago suffering from escalating street violence, inadequate transit and the largest mass school closing in U.S. history. While he reigns as mayor in a city traditionally ruled by Democrats, many consider him a Republican in donkey blue clothing, who, like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), swept into office and immediately hauled out the budget cleaver.
            The entire article is just a rip job on Rahm, though we certainly wish the asses over at Salon would stop trying to push this North Shore liberal democrat into the Republican ranks. He's yours and we wouldn't have him on the Right even if you paid us.

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            Sunday, June 16, 2013

            Police Shooting in 010

            Nothing at the Breaking News sites. Anyone?

            UPDATE:
            • Police shot and killed a 24-year-old man after he raised a handgun toward officers who chased him from a car that refused to stop early Sunday morning on the West Side, according to authorities.

              The man stumbled into an alley west of Springfield Avenue and north of 18th Street in the Lawndale neighborhood after police tried to stop a car he was in about 2:30 a.m., police and Fraternal Order of Police Spokesman Patrick Camden said.

              Uniformed officers made a number of attempts to curb the car, which kept slowing down and speeding up, and after a few of the stop-and-goes a man jumped out and ran, Camden said.

              Police stayed with the runner while asking for help and he ducked into the alley west of Springfield Avenue and fell, Camden and police said.

              Officers giving chase saw he had a weapon as soon as he jumped out the car, police said.

              Police and Camden said the man raised a 9-millimeter handgun with one hand as he tried to get up with the other and police, who were out of their car at this point, opened fire.
            We sure he was getting up off the ground in order to turn his life around. Good job Officers.

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            Boston Draws Even


            After a dominating opening period, the Hawks looked flat. OT again and Boston just ran circles around them. Anyone have plane schedules to the east coast?

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            Here Comes the Pain

            • Nearly 850 Chicago Public Schools employees received layoff notices Friday, hours after officials said they had identified $52 million in administrative and operational cuts to help close an estimated $1 billion deficit in the upcoming fiscal year.

              Eliminating almost 100 central office positions and adopting more efficient building maintenance will help save $20.7 million, on top of $31.6 million in cuts announced earlier this year, officials said. They did not estimate how much the district might save through layoffs — most resulting from a Board of Education decision last month to close 50 schools and programs — because some workers will be eligible to reapply for other jobs.
            And where did most of that $1 billion deficit come from?
            • The nation's third-largest school district has been struggling to trim its deficit, which it said was inflated by a $400 million increase in its annual pension payments, salaries and flat or declining revenue.
            Those pension "holidays" are coming home to roost.

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            Average Number Shot

            We've arbitrarily set the number of people wounded on any given day at 10. Some days might be a little less, some might be a little more....like yesterday:
            • One man is dead and at least eleven other people have been wounded in shootings on the South and West sides since Friday afternoon.

              McGregory Porter, 24, was shot in the eye and another man was shot in the abdomen during an altercation late Friday in the West Side Austin neighborhood, authorities said.

              The shooting happened about 11 p.m. in the 5500 block of West Quincy Street, police said.
            Does anyone have the total number of people shot? We're just wondering if it will track with ten-a-day.

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            Saturday, June 15, 2013

            Safety Alert in Pullman

            • Chicago Police have issued an officer safety alert warning that gangs are targeting officers in one city neighborhood, ABC7 has learned.

              The alert was issued this week in the West Pullman neighborhood. Officers are not just responding to calls, they're the ones being targeted.

              On a beautiful night, West Pullman families celebrate their children's academic success, but there's a new worry now that gangs are targeting police.

              "If they are going against the police, who's protecting us?" asked Crystal Bell "That's, like, my main concern."
            Thanks for, like, your concern lady.

            And guess who makes an appearance?
            • "We cannot have these gang bangers think they can threaten police and target police. That can't happen. So I think you'll see a very strong police presence," said ABC7 safety expert Jody Weis.
            Says the guy who (A) began the downfall of the CPD, disbanding units, acquiesced to Shortshanks hiring freeze and budget cuts and (B) set a brilliant example by running away to HQ when shots went off and someone got killed not even 2 blocks from where he stood. 

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            Shooting in Portage Park

            • At least seven people were injured in shootings across the city Thursday night and early Friday. A Chicago Police officer also shot a teen who ran from officers during a street stop in the Northwest Side Portage Park neighborhood.

            • About 12:30 a.m. Friday, officers were patrolling in the 4400 block of North Mulligan Avenue when they saw three young men in an alley, police News Affairs said in a statement. The officers went to talk to the young men and asked for identification, Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden said. One of the young men said he didn’t have an ID and took off running.

              The officers chased him and the teen tried to jump a fence, police said. The officer followed the suspect into a gangway and was confronted by the suspect swinging a board from the fence, police said. The officer ordered him to drop the board, and the suspect advanced aggressively toward the officer, police said. The officer opened fire, striking the suspect.

              The suspect, thought to be 16, was struck twice and taken in good condition to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Camden said. No officers were injured and the four-foot board was recovered at the scene.

            As one wag commented, time for a lumber registry.

            Nice job Officer.

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            Detroit Defaults

            • In 2009, as the Obama administration pressed through its version of the auto bailout, creditors of companies like General Motors were squeezed into accepting repayments of just pennies on the dollar. The deal was supposed to save Detroit. Instead, creditors of the city of Detroit itself will now be handed pennies on the dollar.


              City emergency manager Kevyn Orr, a bankruptcy lawyer appointed in March, told bondholders, insurers and union leaders that they would have to take less than the money they are owed if the city is to survive. “Detroit’s road to recovery begins today,” Orr said, proposing that unsecured bonds and some unfunded pension liabilities receive less than a dime on the dollar, since the city owes such creditors an outstanding $11 billion.


              According to Orr’s May report, the city owes some $17 billion in long-term obligations. City liabilities include $9.4 billion in bonds and other borrowing. That’s not counting unfunded pension liabilities. If creditors refuse to accept this deal, the city will reportedly go bankrupt.
            At the moment, this is a way into the future for Chicago - Rahm is still spending money and no one has pressed hard to open the books and give a full accounting. If they did, the TIF gravy train might derail, and that's just for starters. However, Illinois itself has a very large problem on its hands.

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            Cleveland Debacle

            Just caught wind of this one via some e-mails and comments. It seems they take culpability to the extreme in Cleveland, Ohio:
            • One Cleveland police sergeant was fired, two other supervisors were demoted, and nine were disciplined for their roles in a police chase and shooting on Nov. 29, authorities said today.

              Sgt. Michael Donegan was fired because of "the gravity of your failure to execute your responsibilities as a sergeant of police for the city of Cleveland," said City Safety Director Martin Flask.

              Flask, Mayor Frank G. Jackson and Police Chief Michael McGrath revealed the results of the administrative review for the 12 supervisors involved in the pursuit during a news conference this morning. The review did not address the use of deadly force. That review is currently being conducted by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty.

              Jackson said it was "not a pleasant duty" to issue the report on the shooting, and McGrath said the incident had an impact on the police department and community.

              Officials have identified 104 police officers involved in the chase. McGrath will determine which should face administrative charges related to the incident.
            Demotions? White shirts taking time? Firings? One-hundred-and-four involved officers, all currently under investigation? That's some heavy lifting there. Two people ended up dead and their car looked like Swiss cheese. Of course. the completely innocent don't lead police on a 30 minute chase and there were plenty of opportunities to ditch contraband during the incident, but the Cleveland PD is laying it all out there, even before the criminal trial comes up.

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            St. Louis Ambush

            You want to see a city completely out of control? Go south a few hours:
            • Police Major Joseph Spiess was among department brass who hit the streets after a particularly violent night this week, to help look for trouble. He found some, and it almost killed him.

              Spiess was among about a dozen top commanders helping supplement patrols Tuesday night after 19 people were wounded in eight incidents the night before.

              By the time the shift ended, there would be two close calls for officers and one embarrassing mistake.

              Spiess, 52, was alone, in uniform, driving an unmarked Chevrolet Impala about 9:22 p.m. when he spotted a suspicious-looking black Pontiac Bonneville with temporary license tags on Evans Avenue, heading west near Vandeventer Avenue.

              He said he made a U-turn to follow, and the Pontiac’s driver would not stop for his lights and siren. The circumstances did not qualify under rules limiting pursuits, so he gave up at Evans and Sarah Street.

              As Spiess continued along Evans, a man jogged slowly toward him and stopped between parked cars about 12 feet away.
              “He looks me dead in the eye, lifts his pistol and starts shooting at me,” Spiess said Wednesday. “The first round sounded like a shotgun went off in my car. Then I heard a high-pitched whine go through the (open) driver’s side window and out the passenger window.
            That is one lucky copper.

            The night didn't get any better either. Go read the entire story at the listed link.

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            Friday, June 14, 2013

            Take That Boston


            We never knew that Bob Barker played right wing for the Blackhawks.

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            Gang Sweep

            Didn't Bobby "old, broken black panther" say that Senator Kirk was nuts and racist for suggesting gang sweeps were a solution to the bloodbath engulfing the south and west sides? But here's the Department doing just that:
            • The top leaders of one of Chicago’s most violent street gangs have been charged in a sweeping racketeering case that alleges they controlled their West Side drug empire through pattern of intimidation, kidnappings, shootings and murder dating back to the mid-1990s, according to an affidavit unsealed today in Cook County Criminal Court.

              Before sunrise today, police armed with "no knock" search warrants fanned out across the Chicago area surprising dozens of leaders of the Black Souls, including Cornel Dawson, known as the gang’s chief, and Teron Odum, described as Dawson’s second-in-command. Also arrested were a number of “top runners” and “supervisors” who authorities say control the gang’s street operations.

              The 78-page affidavit alleges the Black Souls ran an $11 million-a-year drug operation and protected the enterprise with violence that included at least seven murders from 1994 to 2012. In all, 23 members of the gang have been charged with racketeering conspiracy, while 18 more face state drug or weapons charges, authorities said.
            If it sticks, a potent weapon. This is Chicago though - Cook County. The criminals are a cater-to class, kind of like the politicians, who are criminals in their own right.

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            Funny Story

            Louisiana:
            • Kenner police say officers responding to a call about a sport utility vehicle being driven recklessly on Interstate 10 found a 10-year-old boy behind the wheel when they pulled the vehicle over later on a city street.

              Two women in the vehicle were arrested. Police said both allegedly said that they told the10-year-old to drive because they were intoxicated.

              The child's grandmother, 54-year-old Brenda Byrd, was arrested Wednesday morning, along with 48-year-old Sheila Joiner. They were booked with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle.
            We were just greatly amused.

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            Ho Hum

            • At least [five] people were wounded in shootings across the South Side on Thurssday night, including a 15-year-old boy.

              The boy was shot on 73rd Street between Wentworth Avenue and Perry Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood about 8:50 p.m., police said.
            And tomorrow, the sun will rise in the east.

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            Thursday, June 13, 2013

            Light Posting

            We're kind of..... involved..... in a little overtime thing.

            A triple overtime thing.

            And then we expect we'll be tired after driving home.

            Plus, the storms put a damper on things.

            Open post in the meantime.

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            Smart Prosecutors

            • A second Illinois prosecutor has decided to let his county's residents carry concealed weapons even as the governor weighs whether to allow it statewide, reflecting surging impatience among local law enforcement months after a federal court tossed out the state's last-in-the-nation ban.

              Randolph County State's Attorney Jeremy Walker's announcement Tuesday that he'll stop prosecuting the prohibition on guns in public came just days after his counterpart in suburban St. Louis' Madison County issued a similar declaration. The sheriff of southern Illinois' Clinton County also has joined suit, saying any armed person found in his jurisdiction from counties that allow concealed weapons won't be arrested for packing heat.
            Quinn is still debating a bill that has enough bipartisan votes to override a veto - at least at first blush.

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            More Recruits?

            Did we graduate a class this week?

            How many? Where they headed?

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            Wednesday, June 12, 2013

            Monday = Tuesday

            So Monday ended up with 2 dead and around 10 shot. What did Tuesday bring?
            • Two men were killed and at least 10 people were injured in shootings across the city that started Tuesday evening and continued into this morning, according to police.

              About 2:20 a.m., three assailants approached a 42-year-old man in a gangway and at least one of them opened fire, Chicago Police Department News Affairs Officer Amina Greer said.

              The man was struck multiple times and pronounced dead shortly after at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

              Earlier, about 10 p.m., a 35-year-old man was shot multiple times after an argument in the 900 block of North Long Avenue, Greer said.

              The man fled partway down the street before collapsing, police said. He was taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, where he was pronounced dead, police and the medical examiner's office said.
            Now G-Mac can insist that crime is "consistent."

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