Ceriale Dedication

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If you aren't going to Washington DC this weekend, here's a local event honoring one of our fallen:

• The Officer Michael A. Ceriale Memorial Foundation and The Horner Park Advisory Council request your presence at the Dedication of Memorial honoring Chicago Police Officer Michael A. Ceriale - End of Watch, August 21,1998
  
  Saturday, May 14, 2011 @ 11:00 am
  4201 N. California (Near the Ball Fields)
  Parking lot entrance at California and Berteau
  
  12:15 pm Luncheon at Brisku’s Bistro
  4100 N. Kedzie Ave.
  Parking available in lot across the street
  ($10 buffet/Cash bar)

Camden Lights it Up

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This was a good bit of theater Wednesday morning. Cue the Orange One:

• "Two very young and courageous police officers that were out there doing what they get paid for," said Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police.
  
  "These are the same people that they're looking to take pensions away from. The city should be thankful that they have young men that are out here still doing their jobs every morning while we're sound asleep."

The only problem is that media outlets cut this quote from Camden's video appearance, so if you didn't catch the earliest media reports, you have to dig around the WGN website to find any mention of it.

Can We Get a Witness?

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How many people were present when this went down?

• Last night [in 025] a p.o. was seriously injured because a lazy Sgt. tossed beat tags while calling off the officers names. She was warned before about tossing beat tags at officers. What's wrong with handing it to them?
  
  She tossed a beat tag at an officer and he was seriously injured. He had a very large laceration to his head (he required stitches) and he was complaining of lack of ability to see through his left eye.
  
  Oh, the best part. She ordered another p.o. to do the report and classify it as an "accidental injury". How about telling the fucking truth!
  
  I am sick of the fucking double standard in this department.

Well, the double standard has been around since the inception of the Department, so we can't say you weren't warned. But seriously, how many people saw this? They should be lined up with witness To-From reports for the IOD.

"Accidental Injury"?

How about an Accidental Rule 14 violation up the entire chain of command?

Overnight Shooting

One bad buy dead, one at large, cops are OK. Investigation continuing at this time:

• Police shot and killed an armed robbery suspect early this morning and were involved in a possible barricade situation at a Bridgeport neighborhood convenience store, officials said.

  A large police presence surrounded JJ Peppers Food Store, 3101 S. Union Ave., where a second suspect may have been inside.

  At about 1:30 a.m., two Chicago police officers driving by in their squad car saw two people wearing hoodies enter the store, said Pat Camden, a spokesman for the Fraternal Order of Police who came to the scene. They stopped, and then saw one of the suspects jump over the counter, he said.

  The two officers quickly entered the store, and one of the suspects opened fire, Camden said. One officer returned fire, killing the suspect, he continued.

Outstanding job officers. And the quote of the night?

• Cindy Surzynski, who lives on the block, said she heard six shots shortly after 1:30 a.m., followed by five more.

  [...] Surzynski said this was the third robbery she was aware of in the neighborhood in recent weeks. "All of a sudden I'm concerned about my block," she said.

But hey, crime is down! Pay no attention to that bleeding dead criminal behind the curtain.

CAPS Vampire Rises from the Ashes

It just won't die!

• Charter schools for dropouts and a “leadership academy” for new principals. An Office of New Americans to support immigrants. Bus rapid-transit lanes, protected bike lanes and designated streets open on weekends only to “non-motorized uses.”

  Those are just a few of the ideas packed into the 71-page transition report that will serve as a “scorecard” for Chicagoans to judge their new mayor — and for Rahm Emanuel to hold his department heads’ feet to the fire.

• The city will launch an “Open 311” system, providing an “easy and transparent way” for Chicagoans to submit and monitor their service requests on the Internet. The report also talks about establishing a “new approach” to community policing in as many as five districts without saying what that new approach would be.

We're sure it involves gobs of our money tossed at reverends with little to no accounting or tracking of results. Anyone feel like betting against us?

Bad Call Tommy

Dumb move:

• The $142,464-a-year deputy Streets and Sanitation commissioner who presides over Chicago’s Snow Command has been slapped with a 25-day suspension for allegedly using city employees to perform his personal errands on city time.

  Inspector General Joe Ferguson had recommended that Managing Deputy Commissioner Bobby Richardson be fired for ordering his underlings to pick up and deliver his cigars, have his personal car washed and keeping the vehicle filled with gas.

  The alleged abuses occurred “on a daily basis” over a period of years, wasting “hundreds of hours of city employee time for the personal benefit” of one boss, Ferguson concluded.

  Instead, Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Tom Byrne reduced Richardson’s punishment to a 25-day suspension.

And the reasoning behind the 25 day suspension?

• In a written response to the inspector general’s report, Byrne argued that immediate termination “should be reserved for criminal conduct, serious threats to operations and/or safety or egregious administrative or ethical failings.”

Let's take Tommy back to Policing 101:

• Criminal Conduct = Criminal Charges & Jail Time;
• Administrative Violations = Termination

We guess he forgot all that in the intervening years since he left the Department.

Aldercreatures - Pay Attention

This is a novel idea:

• Kane County soon will have two fewer County Board districts and members.

  The board voted 21-4 Tuesday to reduce its size — from 26 to 24 — beginning with the 2012 elections.

• Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay has advocated for fewer board members, saying the county may need to reduce to 18 board members after the 2030 census to satisfy a state law that limits counties with more than 800,000 residents to 18 board members.

  Waiting and reducing eight members all at once would be more difficult than paring away a few at a time.

Since it would be almost impossible to convince Chicago aldercreatures to vote themselves out of jobs, there ought to be some mechanism to get this on the ballot. Oh wait....been there, done that. People aren't quite pissed off enough. Yet.

To Goatee or Not Goatee

A number of commentators are complaining about Garry McCarthy's goatee, making all sorts of noise about how if he can do it, we all better run out and grow goatees, just to prove some point. What point? We have no idea. But here's a few thoughts about the noise being generated:

• McCarthy is non-sworn at the moment. The uniform regulations don't apply to him. Why even make this an issue? If he dresses in a nice suit and tie, he's still the head of the Department. How about he agrees to not appear in sweats and a t-shirt like he just rolled out of bed and just represent the Office of the Superintendent like a properly dressed executive? If we're going to have corporate mercenaries running the place, they might as well dress like it.
  
• Let's not waste time with this "going through the Academy" nonsense. We're in a bit of a crisis here. He needs to be concentrating on fixing problems, generating solutions, moving staff, fighting crime, etc. He doesn't need to be going through the motions of Law 101, handcuffing techniques, PE, traffic stops, whatever. It's useless theater. Stop it now, please. Is someone really going to fail him at the Academy?
  

Besides, if we recall the ordinance properly, no one over the age of 40 is allowed to be hired to become a Chicago Police Officer. Why create a situation where an enterprising lawyer might have a shot at making some coin off of an already broke city? Just let the guy get to work and see what's in store for everyone.

And Speaking of the Outfit....

We were reading the Sun Times article about Daley's name appearing in the Duff files around twenty times. The article also noted the elder Duff testified on behalf of Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo back in 1960. That's when we recalled that Accardo's nickname wasn't always "Big Tuna."

Before there was "Big Tuna," there was "Joe Batters."

And we had a brainstorm that might solve Daley's desire to have bodyguards long after he's out of office.

Pay Patrick. He proved himself to be a dab hand with a baseball bat in Michigan. Have Daddy increase his allowance to included bodyguard work. It's be the first time in a few generations that a Daley actually earned his keep doing something that he was qualified to do.

At the very least, the city saves $2 million a year.

A Federal Investigation?

First, Rahm brings in a schools chief who is the subject of at least two federal lawsuits alleging discriminatory practices. Now it comes to light that the new superintendent might also have a bit of explaining to do:

• The U.S. Department of Justice announced today it is investigating the policies and practices of Newark Police Department, headed since 2006 by the man who has been tapped to lead the Chicago Police Department.
  
  The move comes eight months after the state American Civil Liberties Union complained of rampant misconduct and lax internal oversight in the Newark Police Department, though federal and city officials said the ACLU's petition wasn't the main reason for the probe.
  
  U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said justice officials will also look into allegations of poor treatment of detainees in holding cells and will investigate whether officers have retaliated against those who legally observe, or record, police activity.

On one hand, we're appalled that such a thing could happen. Doesn't Rahm have an "in" to the White House? Shouldn't he have known about this potential embarrassment before it cropped up in the papers?

On the other hand, the stuff Newark PD is accused of is exactly what the Chicago Police Department was alleged to have been doing by the exact same ACLU bottom-feeders. So we guess it's kind of comforting in a way. It's familiar ground. It's almost like McCarthy is coming home after an extended absence.

This might work out well after all.

Daley and the Outfit?

Outfit? What Outfit? Oh, youse mean deez guys? Deez are just my friends:

• The politically connected Duff family — campaign supporters of Mayor Daley — won about $100 million in city business, in part through what prosecutors said were bogus claims that they deserved breaks that are set aside for women-owned businesses. Those claims unraveled as James M. Duff pleaded guilty in 2005 to fraud and racketeering, among 33 federal charges.

  Daley knew the Duffs, went to their parties, benefitted from their campaign fund-raisers — but downplayed his ties to the family, which, during his tenure, got city cleanup and janitorial work from City Hall at Taste of Chicago, O’Hare Airport and the Harold Washington Library Center,among other lucrative city business.

• There’s nothing in the 600-plus pages — which include intelligence reports from informants, newspaper stories, subpoenas and agents’ notes, some of it with names and details redacted — to suggest that the mayor did anything illegal. In all, there are about 20 referen­ces regarding Daley and the elder Duff.

Only 20 references? That seems low, but we guess Duff only had to make an annual appearance with Shortshanks to make people never forgot how intertwined the Outfit and the Machine actually were - and continue to be.

Way to Go Quinn

Motorola manages to get $100 million that Illinois doesn't have, and what happens next? Sears wants theirs:

• Sears Holdings Corp. is considering moving its Hoffman Estates headquarters out of Illinois in a bid to cut costs, according to a source familiar with negotiations.
  
  The retailer is in early talks with officials from several states, including New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Georgia, the source said.

  Gov. Pat Quinn said Monday that his office is working with Sears to keep the company in Illinois, saying he has a good relationship with company officials and has met with them on other issues.

  Quinn said the company is benefiting from a tax deal with the state, which expires next year, and he's willing to consider a similar arrangement as long as they "do something for the people. They have to make investments in Illinois."

"...do something for the people." The article states that Sears has been moving it's corporate "decision making" operations out of Illinois for years. But they seem to have found a willing patsy in Quinn to give them lots of money for ever smaller returns.

And the Award Goes to...

This isn't going to look good on the resume:

• Mayor Daley has been around so long and shuffled the deck of his City Hall cabinet so many times, he was bound to draw some bad hands.

  That’s the way it goes when you’re Chicago’s longest serving mayor. Some of your appointees make you look like a genius. Others make you look like a fool. Or even worse, they embarrass you by resigning in scandal.

  Daley has experienced his fair share of good and bad over the last 22 years.

• The mayor’s decision to hire career FBI agent Jody Weis as police superintendent —and pay him $310,000-a-year — is the most notorious flop for the morale problems it caused. But there were other, earlier examples.

Ouch. That's going to leave a mark. Nice to see Fran is still doing Shortshanks' dirty work, right up until the very end. We wonder if Rahm's going to hire her like the Shankster hired Heard all those years ago.

Crime Drops Again?

Twenty-eight straight months? Who the hell is counting this stuff - CPS graduates?

• Overall crime in Chicago dropped for the 28th consecutive month in April, Chicago police said today. Crime dropped 7.2 percent when compared with last April.

  Homicides fell by 14.2 percent compared to April 2010, with 17 fewer killings, police said citing preliminary numbers. Nearly half of the 25 police districts throughout the city showed a decrease in homicide numbers, with decreases in the double or triple digits, police said in a statement.

  While property crime decreased by 6.1 percent compared to a year ago -- with thefts dropping by 12.9 percent and burglary dropping by 4.7 percent -- motor vehicle thefts continued to soar with thefts increasing by 20.1 percent, police said. Arsons also increased by 7.7 percent, police said.

The bad news is that if crime drops for the next two months, Chicago is going to end up owing crime. So at some point, Governor Quinn is going to have to release another 1,800 inmates in order to maintain crime numbers in the not-to-distant future.

Seriously though, does anyone actually believe this crap?

Moving Day Approaches

And word coming in about a whole bunch of boxes being delivered to 35th Street:

• The bartender was seen boxing her shit and clearing out her office late last night. She's done as of May 15th!

We're sure we have some interested parties in the building. She can't be the only one packing. Who else has seen the bundles of boxes from Office Max being delivered around the cubicles and cubbyholes of HQ?

Rumors are everywhere.

Another Suggestion

This popped up in the Sun Times article:

• He pledged to steer some non-emergency calls away from the 911 center to the 311 center — to allow cops to get out of their cars and do more proactive police work, instead of going from call to call.

This has been discussed here and elsewhere and no one has yet made a move on it.

The 9-1-1 system needs a complete revamp. Too much BS and not enough bodies to cover the BS. Chicago responds to something like 90% or more of 9-1-1 calls where other jurisdictions only go to 60% or so. This means that Chicago is wasting resources on all sorts of calls that aren't necessarily police related:

• Junior won't go to school
• Arguments (with no violence involved)
• Landlord/Tenant
  
• Dogs barking
• Noise disturbances during daylight hours
• Every single CFD call
  
• all manner of civil dispute

The list is near endless and we're sure our commentators can add a dozen more. There has to be a major re-training of Call Takers and a rewrite of what is and what isn't a police matter. That will allow the police to address actual issues with the limited manpower available.

Top Cop Press

Two front page articles on the Tribune and Sun Times websites. A sampling:

• [Tribune] But as McCarthy prepares to become the Chicago Police Department's next superintendent, his reputation in Newark as a crime fighter and administrator remains strong. He has been credited with increasing the professionalism and skill of the police department, while negotiating a thorny political landscape with the thick skin that he developed in decades of climbing the ranks of New York's top brass.

• [Sun Times] On Monday, Emanuel introduced McCarthy, 52, as his choice for Chicago police superintendent. McCarthy awaits City Council approval. Newark’s city councilmen and union leaders said their relationship with McCarthy was sometimes rocky, but they credited him with the 12 percent drop in overall crime in Newark during his tenure. Shootings and murders plummeted 40 percent over that period.
  
  
• [Sun Times] He vowed to shift more Chicago Police officers onto patrol from specialized units.
  
  He pledged to steer some non-emergency calls away from the 911 center to the 311 center — to allow cops to get out of their cars and do more proactive police work, instead of going from call to call.
  
  McCarthy said he wants his officers to “sweat the small stuff” such as stopping people from drinking on street corners. Addressing those types of problems can lead to making arrests for more serious crimes such as gun possession, he said."

Broken Windows" comes to Chicago. Definitely interesting times ahead.

Another Weekend of Woundings

Six in a single afternoon:

• At least six people, including a 16-year-old boy, were injured this afternoon in shootings and stabbings across the city, Chicago police said.
  
  None of the reported attacks resulted in fatal or life-threatening injuries, police said, citing early reports.
  
  
• Police hadn’t made any arrests in any of the incidents and offered no motives.

Motives? Haha. Motives. Yeah, OK, sure. Once again, well on our way to another 30 shot and half a dozen dead across the city. The legacy of Shortshanks.

Awards Luncheon

The 50th Annual Police Recognition Ceremony:

• Chicago police Sgt. Jason Kaczynski and Officer Kimberly Thorp were on desk duty, both recovering from medical issues, when the sound of gunfire ripped through the police facility on 61st Street last July.
  
  Thorp was outside first. She spotted another officer taking cover behind a squad car, then she took aim at the gun-wielding man advancing toward her amid a spray of bullets.
  
  Close behind, with weapon drawn, Kaczynski fired several shots as he passed through the station's open door, striking the gunman in the chest.
  
  What the two officers did not realize immediately was that Officer Thor Soderberg had been mortally wounded in the parking lot moments earlier. The man they encountered outside the facility was Bryant Brewer, who was charged with Soderberg's murder and is awaiting trial.

There really ought to be a listing of all the recognized winners along with a narrative of their actions. That by itself would be a morale booster. In any event, congrats to all the awardee,

Beyond Wilding?

We wonder if the Detectives will be able to tie this into any of the recently ignored incidents downtown:

• Police and relatives later said a co-worker found Jernagin dead inside a back office of Wabash Food & Liquors at about 8 a.m., the victim of an apparent robbery. The store’s door was locked when the co-worker arrived, police said.
  
  Jernagin, 57, had been shot in the back of the head, police said. A source indicated a safe was found open in the office.
  
  Police did not say when they believe the shooting occurred, but one of Jernagin's sisters, who lives in an apartment above his home in the city’s South Shore neighborhood, did not hear Jernagin return home Thursday night, his brother George Miles said.

Hmmmmm.