NYPD Work is Dead

We just heard about this:

• NYPD officers are now required to share their full names and ranks with people who they stop on the street, due to a new law that took effect Friday. Officers will hand out business cards as part of the "Right to Know" act.
  
  The cards have information on the back about how to file a complaint against an officer and even obtain body camera video. Officers must also inform people of their right to refuse some searches.
  
  The City Council passed the law in January after four years of battling back and forth with the NYPD. The police union says the law will discourage officers from addressing crime.

With all the information available out on the internet, it'll be a cold day in Hell before we hand out a business card to some asshole on the street and basically invite them to our neighborhood.

Well This is Bullshit

Did Special Ed ask Rahm, "How High?"

• The Chicago Police Department filed several charges against officer Robert Rialmo Wednesday, recommending the embattled officer be fired from the CPD for his role in the fatal shooting of Bettie Jones and Quintonio LeGrier in December 2015.
  
  The charges against Rialmo allege these violations: action or conduct impeding department efforts to achieve its policy and goals or bringing discredit upon the department; disobeying an order or directive; inattention to duty; incompetency or inefficiency in the performance of duty; and unlawful or unnecessary use or display of a weapon.

How does that jibe with this?

• The Civilian Office of Police Accountability found that the shooting of Jones and LeGrier was not within CPD policy and recommended that Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson refer Rialmo, 29, for termination.
  
  Johnson, however, disagreed with COPA and said Rialmo’s actions were “justified and within department policy.”

So Special Ed declared the shooting "justified" before he was told it was "unjustified." Let's look at a bit of Rahm's Mr. Fenner's reasoning:

• “....without justification, used force likely to cause death or great bodily harm without a reasonable belief that such force was necessary when he fired his weapon one or more times in the direction of Bettie Jones, hitting Ms. Jones and causing her death,” Johnson wrote.

Um, he was being charged at with a fucking baseball bat. The only people disputing that are the untrained COPA investigators who have been deemed unqualified to be lead investigators on police involved shootings. And once again, Mrs. Jones death was a tragic accident. The officer didn't go there intending to kill anyone, least of all, Mrs. Jones. The city compensated the family for the actions of their employee and he should be subject to retraining.

• The department also cited Rialmo for “inattention to duty” and “incompetency or inefficiency in the performance of duty” for not being certified to carry a stun gun for nearly two years before the shooting.

This a crap charge and a poor excuse for the incompetency in training procedures. There were years when there weren't enough Taser cartridges to qualify individuals so officers were sent away from the Ranges being told, "We'll call you back for training later" and then never called. Not to mention that numerous experts testified a Taser wouldn't have been appropriate and the Use of Force Model, then and now, required Deadly Force (a bat) to be met with Deadly Force (a gun).

We already addressed the "inefficiency" being a training issue over an accidental death and as far as it being "unnecessary," perhaps Special Ed could dispatch some of his stellar exempt staff - or maybe his Wheezie - to ride along on every mental disturbance call and coach officers as to the exact moment a gun should be drawn from the holster in time to protect one's life from a bat attack?

If it weren't for double standards, Special Ed wouldn't have any standards at.....oh wait. Resign already you incompetent over-promoted "merit" hack. We didn't think you could sink any lower, but here you are, digging a basement.

We Care About Officers (not really) Part II

A bunch of people misinterpreted yesterday's post about the FOID card restrictions, claiming that we want mentally ill people to keep guns (wrong) and that cops should be subject to the same rules as anyone else (sure, with conditions). So here's a clarification of our position for the slower ones:

• If you have an FOID card (a condition of employment in Chicago) and you came on the job, passing all tests and psych/mental evaluations, and then due to stresses unique to the job, develop a mental illness, you should be permitted by law, statute, ordinance and policy to attempt to cure the job-related illness in order to properly and safely serve as a police officer.

Keep in mind this would have to be somehow connected to the job, otherwise you get Klinger from M*A*S*H trying to Section 8 his way out, and there would be plenty trying to get some sort of disability pension. A vigorous screening process should (theoretically) be able to weed out those unsuited to become the police, but that isn't likely to happen in as corrupt a town as Chicago.

We haven't practiced psychiatry since Lucy van Pelt took down her cardboard box, but anyone could pick out a dozen people who never should have made it past Step One. And we can name more than a few people who were definitely and genuinely mentally affected from something job related. The longer you stay, the greater the chance of you seeing something mentally devastating. CPD shouldn't be depriving them of their livelihood if they are truly attempting to get better.

Discuss. Politely.

Fund Rasing Continues

Some girls are going to be missing half of their parents for a considerable stretch of time. Swing by this GoFundMe link or drop a check at the Credit Union to help alleviate a trying time.

Self Inflicted Wound

Looks like change coming to SWAT:

• Chicago is one of the few big cities without a police SWAT team that responds to emergencies around-the-clock. Now, WGN Investigates has reviewed a draft memo from CPD’s SWAT team commander announcing the team will be staffed 24/7.
  
  The change comes after WGN Investigates reported gaps in staffing that lead to long response times. In one case cited in a union safety complaint, a suspect was able to break through a perimeter and take his own life before SWAT fully deployed. The department relies on overtime to cover some overnight shifts as well as calling-in SWAT team members who are off-duty. In protest, some SWAT operators have been refusing to answer calls during their off-hours.
  
  A Chicago police spokesperson confirmed the department is moving to 24/7 SWAT coverage but said details are still being worked out. The draft memo said changes would take effect Nov. 11 and stated SWAT operators who are on-call should not consume alcoholic beverages and must be able to respond within one hour. The Fraternal Order of Police has argued “on-call” time should be paid. A CPD spokesperson said other units in the department are not compensated for being on-call, only if they are requested to respond to an incident.

So the comments about Carter not having the balls to pull the trigger on this re-vamp may have been mistaken. We guess there might be economic (and personnel) considerations as well.

We'll be just as surprised if Special Ed finds the testicular fortitude to sign the final paperwork.

Area West on Tap

Supposedly, Special Ed is finally moving forward on correcting the biggest error of the McCompStat era - closing two detective Areas. Welcome to Area West:

• 011 and 015 are driving just about all of the west side violence, so Area West will be created out of the remnants of Area North encompassing 011, 014, 015, and 025. The meeting 08 November will give people the option to stay or leave.

Interesting rumor. It's been going around the D unit for nearly two years that Area Four will reopen as West. Looks like it might finally happen. Lord knows we need another two or three exempt spots to fill and drain the pension fund.

UPDATE: It's a RUMOR people. It's subject to change, especially the list of Districts. Stop commenting like this is written in stone - we can see a couple of issues that need to be ironed out already, like why not make 010, 011 and 015 all part of the same Area since all of the gang conflicts in North Lawndale, Austin and Garfield intersect anyway?

Ethics Violation?

Interesting rumor:

• Hey SCC,
  
  I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet on here,  but the Commander in charge Cato, has gathered up several small business  owners in the 15th district and somehow got them to pay for any officer  to attend this years Christmas party. Isn't the average Christmas party  ticket like $50-$65, sounds like some sort of ethical issue to me?  

Didn't everyone take the Ethics test this year? And wasn't there a question about how city employees cannot accept any gifts with a value of $50 or more? And wouldn't a $50 Christmas Party ticket provided by arm twisting small businesses run contrary to the Ethics rules?

We Care About Officers! (not really)

A giant obstacle to seeking help:

• When a new state law took effect in August, supporters believed it would finally remove an obstacle for police officers seeking mental health treatment and maybe help lower a high suicide rate. Turns out it was not that simple.
  
  The law prohibits police departments from firing officers whose firearm owner’s identification cards have been revoked after an inpatient stay at a mental health facility. Many departments, including the Chicago Police Department, require officers to have FOID cards.
  
  After the law was passed, Chicago and some other departments said they would still require FOID cards for officers who work the streets. Those who lost their cards would be placed on desk duty.
  
  Advocates say this leaves in place a major hurdle as officers contemplate whether to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress and other job-related problems: They’ll keep their paycheck, but they’ll be sidelined as an officer.

You'd think the astronomically high suicide rate among officers would make someone in authority take a look at making it easier for officers to seek help. You'd be mistaken. Badly.

Illinois Doomed

Pritzker spent $160 million for a job that pays under $200K to run a state over $100 billion in the hole.

This is what happens when idiots vote.

Watch Out for That Wall

Fifteen time convicted felon and walking around, free as a bird:

• A fifteen-time convicted felon who’s on parole is now charged with mugging a man in Rogers Park less than 100 yards from the location where he robbed another man in 2016.
  
  Prosecutors said a police sergeant was on patrol in the 1700 block of West Greenleaf at 10:30 p.m. on October 27th when he saw two men having a dispute. That’s when the sergeant saw 49-year-old career felon Dewitt Brown begin to take valuables from the other man’s pockets.
  
  When the sergeant intervened in the robbery, Brown allegedly said: “I ain’t going down like this!” Brown then turned around, ran a few steps, collided with a wall and fell to the ground, the sergeant reported.

Is there any camera footage of this, because it has to be hilarious.

Shades of Wenger

Even being off the job, still used to smear CPD:

• Chicago police detectives are investigating after a woman was found dead in the Far Northwest Side home of a former Chicago police officer that was the scene of a 12-hour standoff last year.
  
  The woman, 28, of northwest suburban Mount Prospect, was found unresponsive around 6 p.m. Saturday in a residence in the 6500 block of North Onarga Avenue in the Edison Park neighborhood, police said.
  
  The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not ruled on the cause or manner of the woman’s death pending further review. Detectives are conducting a death investigation.
  
  The former police officer called 911 after he discovered the woman lying on the floor, police said.

This isn't going to end well.

Stat Maps

So you want to know where the carjackings are happening?

Be sure you read the dates at the bottom to see what's covered and how it compares to just three years ago.

Great Clearance Rates Ed

Our Stat Guy has been busy data-mining various Department databases. We'll just leave these here and wonder why Special Ed (and his staff) still has a job:

Anyone know what a trend line is?

Yeah, 2019 isn't looking any better without a wholesale shakeup in the political order that is keeping crime from being solved and prosecuted.

Mendoza Leaked Video

And here's the big name Hispanic candidate:

• There’s never been much doubt that Susana Mendoza would jump into the crowded race to replace Mayor Rahm Emanuel as soon as she was safely re-elected as state comptroller.
  
  But what little doubt there was disappeared on Friday.
  
  WBEZ-FM Radio got a hold of a video of Mendoza declaring her candidacy for mayor.
  
  Reporter Dan Mihalopoulos tweeted a short clip of the video where Mendoza, dressed in a grayish-green cable sweater, is saying, “I’m Susana Mendoza and I’m running for mayor of Chicago. And I ask you to join me on this journey together.”
  
  The premature release comes at a difficult time for Mendoza. It gives her Republican opponent for state comptroller Darlene Senger more ammunition to say Mendoza has one foot out the door.

The Hispanic coalition has been very quiet as the election approached. One political arm or another bought off Chewy with Gutierrez's spot so he wouldn't fracture the Hispanic vote the way the black vote has been splintered.

The obvious goal here is to get Mendoza into the runoff and then cobble together a coalition of Hispanic and liberal white voters to roll over the Prickwrinkle machine. Someone suggested that the biggest loser here is Prickwrinkle herself and now she has to back out gracefully. We're of the opinion that this might just derail the Vallas campaign and cripple McCarthy. We're also wondering if Prickwrinkle jumped in to drive out lesser funded black candidates and stop Vallas from peeling off black parents who remember the schools ran (semi-)smoothly when he was in charge.

States Attorneys Looking for Rule 14s?

So there was some roll call training the other day and some interesting information was imparted by the speaker:

• When you call Felony Review to seek charges, everyone already knows that they will refuse charges if you don't have every single piece of information that the ASA thinks they need. This includes names, birthdays, IR numbers, criminal history, Social Security numbers, half-a-dozen witnesses, affidavits from Mom, etc etc.
  
  But in addition to all of this, Felony Review is treating a phone call as an "official report" and the ASA is taking notes that become part of the file. This file has been deemed discoverable and is being used to impeach officers even though no one is under oath. In fact, on a number of occasions, the intake attorney has been subpoenaed to court, gets sworn in, and testifies to the content of the call-in.

We can only think of one reason that this is being done and it involves a Rule 14 being brought against the Department member.

Big Meeting

Mandatory attendance for those assigned to certain Units/teams:

• OT...Special Ed is bringing all A/N Gang, Gun, Sat, and Tact teams down to HQ this week Thursday to meet with him. Rumors are flying but no one has any clue as to what's going on. Disbanding the units? Reopening an old area? Gangs back to OCD? Lots of freaking out going on. Adjusting everyone’s hours to make sure they attend?

Some last minute consolidations? A push for year end numbers? Perhaps a new beginning of Mobile Strike Force? Remember those guys? After months of lies about not being disbanded, they were disbanded and sent to all the south side districts where they remained for almost two years as the Department refused to open up District bids.

Word to the wise - if they start to cancel everyone's details to form up a new unit, watch your asses. You have no bid rights to a District closer to home and are subject to the whims of the Department upon disbandment. We speak from vast experience here.

We Don't Need SWAT

So the ugly truth behind how incapable Chicago is of countering a terror attack is laid bare:

• Terrorist incidents. Hostage situations. Dangerous suspects. The Chicago Police Department’s SWAT team responds to some of the city’s most volatile situations. Chicago, unlike most big cities, doesn’t staff its SWAT team around the clock. Instead it relies on members to respond during their off-hours. Now WGN Investigates has learned some members of the SWAT team are refusing to respond to those calls to protest the department’s practices.

So the CPD basic plan is "pray nothing happens" and then runs with it. This operating on the cheap has been a problem for years, but Special Ed's response to it is truly eye opening:

• "We don't need SWAT to keep us safe."

That seems like a directive to "Stay Fetal" right from the top.

So a cranky client takes a dozen hostages at a downtown law firm on the 10th floor? Maybe some madman decides to shoot up a synagogue? A gunman holed up in a school? First Responders are outside, safe, away from the gunfire. It isn't good news for the teachers and kids, but hey, Special Ed says, "We don't need SWAT to keep us safe."

In case anyone missed the sarcasm, we aren't saying don't go in - we know most cops would be in the door, SWAT or not, attempting to save lives. But going into a hot scene without the proper equipment and firepower is going to end with a body count....including cops.

Time to resign Ed.

No Amazon?

Looking like another great job there by Rahm - a deal maker to end all deal makers:

• Amazon has held advanced discussions about the possibility of opening its highly sought-after second headquarters in the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia, including how quickly it would move employees there, which buildings it would occupy and how an announcement about the move would be made to the public, according to people close to the process.
  
  The discussions were more detailed than those the company has had regarding other locations in northern Virginia and some other cities nationally, adding to speculation that the site in Arlington County is a front-runner to land the online retail giant's second North American headquarters and its 50,000 jobs.
  
  The company is so close to making its choice that Crystal City's top real estate developer, JBG Smith, has pulled some of its buildings off the leasing market and officials in the area have discussed how to make an announcement to the public this month, following the midterm elections, according to public and private-sector officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because Amazon has asked that the selection process remain confidential. The company may be having similar discussions with other finalists.

Who needed 50,000 jobs anyway?

There's 500

And Chicago is blowing past that milestone in style:

• Year to Date
  Shot & Killed: 430
  Shot & Wounded: 2168
  Total Shot: 2598
  Total Homicides: 503

Already five dead this weekend with an extra hour to go.

Daylight Savings Time

Fall back.

An extra hour of sleep. Or an extra hour of work.

Or both.

Steve, our bartender, is serving extra drinks.