Who Are These People? UPDATE

The Chicago Police Foundation?

Here's the Google cache page. A whole lot of names and faces we don't recognize. And it seems they're using the lobby of Police HQ....sorry, the Public Safety Headquarters Building.....for some sort of party. There also appears to be alcohol served on the grounds and a tent set up in the lot.

UPDATE: The Chicago Police Foundation is not and should not be confused with the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation.

The two are separate and we've deleted a few comments that confused the two.

Supposedly Cline is pissed off that the names are so similar.

Well This is a Switcheroo

From State Police to Sergeant-at-Arms for the US Senate to protector of weed:

• For much of his 46-year career in law enforcement, Terrance W. Gainer viewed marijuana as a substance to be confiscated and its sellers as criminals to be investigated and arrested.
  
  He is now security chief for one of the nation’s leading medical-marijuana growers, tasked with, among other things, protecting a 20-acre site in Western Maryland that could become home to one of the state’s first cannabis-growing operations.
  
  The new job, the former officer says, has required something of an attitude adjustment.

And of course, a taste for a lot of money.

Rahm Turns Down Windfall

One of those stories that pops up in the comment section from time to time that catches our interest, especially where city dollars are concerned:

• The next time you hear Mayor Rahm Emanuel talk about the city’s financial problems, remember the deal he just turned down.
  
  In response to a suggestion here Thursday that could have netted City Colleges of Chicago a cool $474 million by auctioning off the license of its little-watched public television station, the mayor flatly rejected the idea — for all the wrong reasons.
  
  The potential windfall is being dangled by the Federal Communications Commission, which seeks to entice broadcasters to turn over spectrum space to mobile wireless providers through a voluntary “reverse auction” early next year. According to the FCC, opening bid price for City Colleges of Chicago’s WYCC-Channel 20 would be $474,185,700.
  
  Even if the actual sale price were a fraction of that, the result would still be a massive infusion of cash for the city’s financially-strapped public college system. There’s no telling whether such an offer will ever come along again.

And as Feder points out, Rahm is turning down nearly half-a-billion for all the wrong reasons:

• Emanuel seems to think that City Colleges students who work in the Englewood studios and control rooms of WYCC wouldn’t get that hands-on experience if the station didn’t own a broadcast transmitter.
  
  That’s simply not true.
  
  The same programming produced by the station’s full-time staff of 37 (with an annual budget of $5.2 million) could be shifted to online streaming or moved to a public-access cable channel controlled by the city. What the mayor calls the “tremendous educational opportunity” would remain intact without using a broadcast signal that reaches a pitifully tiny audience anyway (2,200 viewers in an average quarter-hour, according to Nielsen).

That half-a-billion could fund almost two additional Malcolm Ten colleges....or make a significant dent in some outstanding pension payments coming due. And Rahm could use some of his business contacts and have the "communications majors" intern for free at any one of the media outlets around town.

Mobs and Casinos?

This story is from this past May, but who would have thought this could happen here???

• Prompted by questions from the Better Government Association, the Illinois Gaming Board has launched an investigation into Rivers Casino over its relationship with a Chicago company whose president has had ties to reputed mob figures.
  
  Rivers, the state’s newest and most lucrative casino, has been using United Service Cos. for "deep cleaning" to its kitchens since the Des Plaines gaming site opened in 2011 after besting applicants from Waukegan and Rosemont for a coveted gaming license, the BGA found.
  
  Rivers, owned by a venture whose chairman is billionaire real estate magnate Neil Bluhm, also hired United Service’s security division to provide guards just before the casino opened, according to interviews.
  
  The president of United Service is Richard "Rick" Simon, a former Chicago police officer who over the years has had business and personal connections to reputed mob figures, according to public records, news accounts and interviews. Simon said in an interview he’s an upstanding businessman unfairly portrayed in past media reports.

This would be the same Rick Simon who has a boat? A boat frequented by a certain high-ranking police official? A police official.....well, never mind. Nothing to see here.

Win Streak on the Line

Putting it all out there, the Bears' one-game streak is on the line in St. Louis.

6.5 underdogs, over/under at 42.5

Chances of a Ferguson protest, 75%.

Someone Didn't Get the Memo

Europe is toast:

• Norway's police, who have been authorised to carry firearms for the past year due to a heightened threat of Islamist attacks, will be unarmed again now that the threat level has been lowered, police said Friday.
  
  National police chief Odd Reidar Humlegard told reporters the measure would take effect on November 17.
  
  The country's 6,000 uniformed police officers will "have to keep their weapons locked in their patrol cars like they did previously," he said.

Did they change this after Friday night?

More Tax Hikes

Toni is about to get all her tax hikes, including the ammo "violence tax." We haven't heard of an exception for law enforcement, so we'll be traveling outside the county again if necessary:

• The Cook County Board Finance Committee had just put the finishing touches Friday on its 2016 budget, approving a 1 percent hotel tax to go with its earlier penny on the dollar increase in the sales tax, when President Toni Preckwinkle offered a sobering assessment.
  
  Asked directly by me how long the additional revenue will hold the county, Preckwinkle pointedly avoided giving any reassurances about future revenue requests during the remainder of her term.
  
  Preckwinkle wouldn’t even say she won’t be back asking for more money in the 2017 budget.

Of course she will be - responsible spending is for other people, not democrats, and certainly not in northeastern Illinois.

Tucked away at the end of the Mark Brown column, long after everyone else stops reading, is this little tidbit:

• In the interest of full disclosure, my wife recently took a job with Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart in a policy role. But I plan to keep writing about county government when appropriate.

Boy, that Tom Dart loves hiring media family members. It must be the hair or something.

Go Baltimore!

They actually got headlines:

• BALTIMORE, Md. – Baltimore has recorded its 300th homicide of the year.
  
  Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said in a statement Saturday evening that it was a "sad homicide milestone." He said that "it's important to pause and vow to continue our collective fight to find a better path forward."
  
  The 300th victim was a 27-year-old man who was stabbed multiple times Saturday and later died. It's the first time since 1999 that the city has recorded 300 homicides. In 2014, the city saw 211 killings for the year. Baltimore crossed the 200 death mark in August.

Remember..."room to destroy."

Meanwhile, Chicago hit 400 with nary a mention a week or two ago and seems well on it's way to 450.

Paris

We actually heard a CBS report claim that the killers shouted "political slogans" as they executed victims.

Really? Aloha Snackbar is now a political slogan? Good to know.

And Sparklefarts was his usual tone-deaf ignorant self, not "speculating," not even mentioning the word "islam" even as most other leaders pointed the finger squarely at terrorists, ISIS, Mid-East turmoil, etc. And he wants to bring how many tens of thousands here without proper screening?

Hell, he even said ISIS was contained, wasn't gaining strength, mere hours before the Paris slaughter. Really?

The students at Missouri U are all pissy that 150+ dead in Paris took their spotlight away.

And a Hollywood moron had to take his shot while the bodies were still bleeding on the ground.

The Department just instituted mandatory Active Shooter training for all Tact teams and sergeants this month. Don't think it isn't coming here.

The Last Fugitive

Long memories and the longer reach of national databases:

• A man accused of being the getaway driver for another man who shot at rival gang members at a city park in 2011 but wounded two young girls has been arrested and extradited from Florida to face charges, according to prosecutors.
  
  Dionisio Gonzalez, 35, has been sought in connection with the shooting June 8, 2011, at Avondale Park, 3516 W. School St., since soon after the attack, when a warrant was issued for his arrest. Another man, Antonio Bucio, pleaded guilty in May to being the shooter and was sentenced to 30 years in prison, according to prosecutors and court records.

For those of you who don't remember, this was the shooting that led to Supernintendo McCompStat vowing to wipe out the maniac latin disciples. We are happy to be the only outlet in Chicago to report that with this arrest, the gang has ceased to exist! And we are the only outlet in Chicago to offer out heartfelt congratulations to the Supernintendo and his command staff on this amazing accomplishment. Well done!

A Tun(ney) of Openings

Looks like Tunney's first wave of openings in 019 came up yesterday - the openings he bargained for with his vote for Rahm's $600 million tax increase:

• 001 - 2
  002 - 5
  012 - 2
  014 - 4
  018 - 2
  019 - 15
  020 - 5

A few Sergeant openings, too, but those are management moves - 002, 003, 015, 016, 019, 020, 025 - not unexpected when a class starts up. Probably a bunch more are the other class goes in December.

Chief of Patrol to Retire

Unsubstantiated reports that Gulliford has put in his papers and will depart for greener pastures on 15 December. Can anyone verify? And who gets the spot?

Guess Who Went to Vegas?

You'll never guess:

• DEVELOPING NEWS ===============
  
  What would you say if I told you that the mother of a murdered boy left town for Las Vegas on the evening of her son's funeral?
  
  That's the news I am trying to develop this morning for Good Day Chicago. TWO very good sources tell me Karla Lee (Tyshawn Lee's mother) has left town. One of the sources says she left on Tuesday night --THE VERY NIGHT OF HER SON'S FUNERAL--and SHE FLEW TO LAS VEGAS. Her family is said to be incensed. Keep in mind, this is the same Karla Lee who took a hit on social media over the weekend when she was criticized for using GOFUNDME money to buy a brand new car. She adamantly denied using the money from the fund...but said it was money she saved up beforehand. She said she needed a car for her protection because walking and taking the bus just wasn't safe for her. (( In all fairness, Karla Lee's cell phone is a Las Vegas phone number))
  
  I am also trying to develop news that the father of Tyshawn Lee is going to contribute to the reward money to track down the killer of his son. He may hold a news conference later today...but that is still to be determined.
  
  Again, this is developing and as soon as I learn more, I will share on FOX32 News/ Good Day Chicago

Well, what happens in Vegas.....

Oh Poor Babies

We seem to have missed the part where cable service was a Right or something:

• Fearing for the safety of its employees, Comcast canceled six appointments on Chicago's South Side Wednesday due to "heightened potential [for] violence" in the area, a company spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
  
  A day after holding 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee's funeral, St. Sabina Church needed some help with its Internet connection — and was turned away because of neighborhood violence.
  
  Outspoken anti-violence activist the Rev. Michael Pfleger shared his outrage about Comcast on Facebook Wednesday, writing:
  
  "A Supervisor at Comcast just informed us that they couldn't send their technician to repair our internet service today because our area has too much violence.....ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? Oh Hell No!!!!!!!"

Oh hell yes Dumbass. You can't force a company to send employees into harms way, and we can only imagine the faux outrage Pfleger would be spouting if Comcast charged an additional "safety fee" of $100 to all it's Englewood customers calling for service, the proceeds of which would pay for an individually armed off-duty copper to escort the technician. That would be hilarious...and well deserved. Sorry about the many paying for the sins of the few, but that's the situation on the ground.

Schools Warns Parents, Students

When did we post the "war warning"? Nine days ago? Now someone is warning the schools and neighborhood about something they probably already figured out:

• A Chicago school warned parents and students Tuesday of a potential increase in gang violence on the city’s South Side following the deaths of two young people, including 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee.
  
  Augustus Toltan Academy, located roughly 4 miles from where Tyshawn was gunned down in a targeted shooting earlier this month, sent an alert to parents warning of “an increase of gang activity in response to the recently reported gang deaths of the two young people.”
  
  The school’s principal said in the alert the activity was expected to take place on or near 79th Street between Damen and Cottage and near 76th Street between Seeley and Ashland avenues.
  
  “I just wanted to make sure parents are aware, families are aware, staff is aware of what’s happening in this city,” said Principal Pamela Edwards-Sherley.

This isn't the only school warning parents either. It's only prudent.

Anyone Surprised?

Ticket sales are plunging:

• Illinois Lottery ticket sales dropped to the lowest point yet this year in October, the same month lottery officials announced they were delaying payouts over $600 because of the state budget impasse, according to data obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
  
  Sales for most tickets, including instant games and Powerball, declined about $21 million — with October sales at roughly $215 million compared to September’s approximately $236 million. The high was about $260 million in March, according to data obtained in a freedom of information request.
  
  The figures confirm what ticket vendors at gas stations, convenience marts and grocery stores have said anecdotally for weeks about people’s frustration with Illinois’ budget problems.

And since so much of these numbers are based on "estimated revenue," when the General Assembly finally get off their asses and pass a budget, the deficit will be that much larger and harder to fill.

And where's that Casino bill at anyway?

Invisible Institute Website

The CR thing is up and running, and it's accompanied by an amusing disclaimer:

• The information contained on this website comes primarily from three datasets provided by the Chicago Police Department (CPD), spanning approximately 2002 to 2008 and 2011 to 2015. The CPD has released these lists in response to litigation and to FOIA Requests.
  
  The City of Chicago’s release of this information was accompanied by a disclaimer that not all of the information contained in the City’s database may be completely accurate. No independent verification of the City’s records has taken place and this public database does not purport to be an accurate reflection of either the City’s internal database or of its truthfulness.
  
  Slight changes to the spelling of officer names and to the wording of abuse categories have been made to accommodate a consistent appearance. A glossary of our understanding of common CPD terms has been provided. No other editing of the City’s original datasets has taken place.
  
  This public database also contains other readily available data that has been linked to the City’s original datasets, including: CPD beat geographies, Chicago ward boundaries, Chicago neighborhood boundaries, et cetera.
  
  By entering this website, you acknowledge that the Citizens’ Police Database (CPDB) is not responsible for any derivative work performed by or published by users of this public database.

And if you don't click the I Understand" button, you don't get to view the site, even with all it's "errors," and "slight changes."

The List

Fifty-seven names, supposedly with more "merit" mixed in. This means that that it is more important than ever that FOP establish what a "round" of promotions entails. Otherwise, the City is going to sneak in "merits" and work end-arounds the Contract by any means.

• ALIOTO, R 025
  BARNES, D 002
  BLAIR, K 008
  BUSH, G 193
  CAMPUS, N 014
  CANDELARIA J 312/018
  CARROLL, S 022
  CARTAGENA, W 610
  CHATYS, M 393
  COSGROVE, P 025
  CVETKOVIC, S 005
  DELUNA JR, G 005
  DEROUIN, T 004
  DOBDA, A 116
  DOUGHERTY E 008
  EGAN, R 630
  FALARDEAU, D 014
  GOOSHERST D 006
  GRIB, J 006
  HOLT, J 311
  HOWWARD, R 025
  IRAMIYA A 025/213
  JOSEPHS, P 011
  KELLER, J 630
  KENNEDY, J 006
  KSIAZEK, M 010
  LALLY, J 630
  MCCARTHY, J 610
  MCCRAY, P 019/376
  MEDINA, R 025
  MORALES, W 025
  NGO, C 024
  ODOMS, L 009/142
  ONESTO, M 012
  PATEL, H 019
  PILLOW, C 024
  PORTER, J 393
  RANDALL, A 115
  REYES, M 014/010
  SCHAEDEL, D 630
  SCHNOOR, T 353
  SCHULTZ, B 007
  SHAPLEY-WELLS, D 277/177
  SHEPLER, W 003
  SLAWSON, G 014
  SMITH, B 189
  SPYKER, W 009
  STAPLETON, S 004
  TOLEDO, P 017
  TURRISE, R 311
  UCHMAN, S 009
  UNIZYCKI, G 020
  VANEK, C 002
  VALENTIN, A 313
  WALKER, R 193
  WEST, J 006
  WISE, L 018
  

Fees for Free

How similar is this to what's happening in Chicago? This is in New York:

• Wall Street managers were paid an astounding $708 million in fiscal year 2015 to handle the city’s pension system — but did such a terrible job that taxpayers were forced to cough up $9.9 billion to make up for their shortfalls.
  
  Most of those costs, moreover, were kept secret.
  
  Management fees jumped by $178 million from $530 million the year before. But Comptroller Scott Stringer says the “vast ­majority” of the increase stems from the discovery of previously undisclosed “incentive fees.”

These up front fees, non-performance based fees, would appear to be a major drag on pensions. And if history is any indicator, the "managers" are surely connected to New York politicos, and we can't imagine the same thing isn't happening here, right down to connected firms getting their fees up front.

And Another Sergeant List

Another fifty-plus names came out today. We don't have it here, but we saw it. No word on how many "merit" may have been included in this one.

Supposedly, the FOP was promised that these sergeants would have the exact same seniority date as the golden class of thirteen "merit" picks.

We'll see. At the very least, they'll probably lose out on the Sergeant sell-back option and extra Personal/BFD/Furlough days. That's a monetary damage, provable in court. Will Dean stick up for the soon-to-be-former-FOP members?

We're going to bet "Nope."

And how much money is the City wasting, putting through a class of 13, then teaching another fifty the exact same material four weeks later? Wouldn't it have made sense to put them all through together? They've made classes of two-hundred before...fifty should be a cinch.