Get off Johnson's Johnson!

Have some self respect Frank and Fran:

• Police Supt. Eddie Johnson is shining the light on a merit-promotion process condemned by officers interviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice as a “reward for cronyism” and clout.
  
  Following the Justice Department’s demand for increased “transparency” around the merit promotion process, Johnson plans to return to a reform imposed, then rescinded, a few years ago.
  
  [...]
  
  “CPD will be identifying those individuals who received a merit-based promotion — not just for sergeant but for all going forward. And we will identify who the nominating members are,” said Chicago Police Department spokesman [...].
  
  “This is part of the superintendent’s effort to be more transparent — not only externally but internally as well. He made the decision following an email request that came in from rank-and-file officers last month.”

And as we said, not good enough. And the FOP agrees....sort of:

• Fraternal Order of Police President Dean Angelo was not impressed with Johnson’s decision to once again identify officers promoted on the basis of merit as well as their “nominators.”
  
  “That kind of blew up in their face because it turned out to be the driver” of department brass who got the promotion, Angelo said.
  
  “It’s going to do what it did last time. It will ostracize individuals who are meritoriously promoted.”
  
  Angelo said merit promotions — 20 percent for detectives and 30 percent for all other ranks — should be used to reward acts of heroism on the job.

The driver turned out to have been ineligible. He's now suing for the unjustified promotion, wasting untold tens-of-thousand in taxpayer money. And heroic acts aren't exactly a precursor to decent leadership skills - it can be a factor, but the sole determinant? A certain SOS copper now serving time won the highest award for Valor once - that doesn't make him qualified to be a "merit" promotee.

And Deano says it ostracizes individuals - individuals like whom, dare we ask?

What is needed, as we've stated before, is a list of qualifications and accomplishments that all cops can strive toward in order to receive an actual nod based on merit, not "merit." House mice, side pieces, pincushions and drivers need not apply.