Can't Make a Decision
By the way, this is a decision to screw Officers out of a deserved or earned promotion, bettering their position in the Department, improving their family life, enhancing retirement options....and they're screwing everyone who has a modicum of ambition:
- Whispers from 35th:Exempts went to merit board “training,” but Snelling can’t make up his mind on percentages for the upcoming sergeant classes off this new list- no guidelines have been released and no packets have been requested or submitted.Varies constituencies want 30%, but others want it less with other “reforms.” Once again, the supposed leader of this department can’t make a decision.
Not the best, not the brightest, but who can suck the most political dick.
And the emailer reminds us:
- Also… 546 days with no 1st Deputy…
That's supposed to be the smartest guy or gal doing the actual running of the Department while the Superintendent bangs recruits handles the publicity stuff and appearances that the mayor demands. We used to have some pretty smart First Deputies, but those days are long gone.
Labels: rumors
posted by SCC at 12:05 AM
165 Comments:
How about the lawsuit about the doors being left open for hours after closing time to allow for clouted late arrivals on part 1? Is that the hold up or they still need a few good old names off the old list
Was Collazo dumped from the "Commanders" spot at Call-back, back to LT?
Asking for my friend Kenny who can't stop crying.
The thing is rigged
A "smart" 1st Deputy would not fit in with the current CLOWN SHOW of exempts. The bitch of a mayor would consider it racist.
Should be no more than 10% with the current way it’s used. Gotta get rid of merit let the people who earned the scores get the promotions…
The Sup. is a token child for the mayor and a POS. Any officers who thinks otherwise is a fool, lackey, his bang buddy or fits the farce category of credibility. He was and ALWAYS will be the mere pawn of city hall and a sell-out to the rank and file. Stupid coppers will always back him and shake his hand like he changed their life for good, idiots.
Give me a list of what I have to do to be a merit promotion?
So there is merit board training, please tell us what they’re looking for.
John Thomas was the best first deputy during my career
The 5 D/c board for the captains interview yesterday never passed a promotion test - honestly or merit take your choice what scum bags!!!!
Department is in the gutter.
Snelling did use less than 30% merit for several Lt classes. Give him credit where its due.
Any rumors on how many they plan on making from the actual rank order list? The top 300 should be guaranteed!
Merit hahahaha more like the OG DEI program
As an officer who has been to numerous situations with a citywide unit i think there are two people who should currently get the plumb 1st Dept spot. Beth Giltmeier is a boss that may be done (as far as retiring) but is good. The next I would back would be Brendan McCrudden. Other than that - nobody gives a shit.
If they have a shot of making merit into an actual meritorious promotion then they should. Everyone knows the pin cushions and the suckasses who get bumped and steal the promotions. What if they actually chose decent people?
"Can't Make a Decision" - seems to be more prevalent in the rank structure the higher up one goes.
DEI in full swing
I’ll do it if you don’t call me every day at 3:30am informing me that there is a code red event that I need to respond to.
America
Waller is collecting a nice check hiding . And they can’t even decide what units to get rid of or keep i’ve seen a few whispers the areas are getting gun / gang teams back during some point .
Liz Collazo got demoted down to LT , any other changes made?
Academy lieutenant requested a party for his 4th year anniversary Y the academy. Suck up officer had a celebratory party for him making 4 years at the academy. He feels he’s doing such a great job because no lieutenant lasts 4 years at the academy . What a joke. Try working a district again and see what the real world is like
You don’t need a FDS when you have Fred Waller.
how did Lt M Vanek get his way off midnights in 020? He threatened another lawsuit and used his wife’s clout.
Snelling is either trying to prove he can run this department by himself, or feels there’s no one he wants as 1st. Also since snelling made his rise through merit I have a hard time seeing him get rid of it. Maybe he changes merit to only be 10%, wishful thinking. Definitely screwing officers who earned the promotion.
I remember when the city had 2 first deputies at the same time,,beatrice cuello and jackson,,,,, let's see,, 1 was administrative and the other for the street or something,,,,,, and when it came for an interim superintendent, they did not trust either one of them, so they hired a retired ex-superintendent for that temporary spot
Of course “merit” Larry wants to maximize “merit” promotions, he owes his entire career to merit.
God forbid someone or everyone be smarter than him.
Just look at all the "Gold" stars.
How many are just over promoted merit picks?
There is a place for merit. Some are definitely deserving. But, the way this dept uses merit is disgraceful. Set standards so everyone knows and everyone has legit chances of making merit. Some sort of arrests, days working the actual street, etc. The days of secretaries making merit should be long gone. It’s so demeaning and disrespectful when u see a commander put in his secretary for merit. The secretary that has never made an arrest, never worked the street. It’s disgusting. The people making merit should be the ones out working the street, actually risking their lives going call to call, not someone who worked M-F down at 35th st in some HR office.
Larry Larry, why you Buggin??
We don’t need a first deputy. It’s redundant. We don’t need all these chiefs and Deputy Chiefs. If the superintendent wants something done he can just tell the commanders
I was nominated once for Lt. the whole merit board were merit promotee's. Zero chance of anyone who was not a merit Sgt making merit Lt. That's why when I left over 90% of the command staff had merit promotions.
Is Kenny still shaving his balls?
Hein is 1st deputy at the moment. Like it or not.
my old partner is gonna make it through merit, he can barley read but I'm happy for him
Not the best, not the brightest, but who can suck the most political dick.
Be the change is in full effect a mouth is a mouth when your eyes are closed.
Someone is obsessed
Bring McCrudden back from retirement?
Same here. Never put in a request to be promoted via "merit" and was surprised when told by Commander he wanted to submit my name. Went to board appointment, it was a joke. Others were lined up waiting for their interview. Walked in and realized ALL on this board were merits (Pena, Ruiz, etc) who never passed a promotional exam. Didn't get promoted via merit but by score, it was nothing but a joke.
Better yet, he should try working at real job. Plumber, electrician, mechanic, stock broker, cashier, lawn care….
All of them.
Why doesn’t the FOP release the sergeant rank order list so everyone can see?
You mad the cute blonde secretary who sucked him off got promoted? You’d hate the private sector.
Meritorious selections should be zero. The meritorious selection process is the singular most tangibly morale diving mechanism in the last 30 years. I have worked under, and retired under the meritorious selection structure, and can tell anyone from personal experience just how bad this system is.
Take the triple merit clout baby for instance. 20-30 percent of every promotion class each rank opportunity getting smaller and smaller. The rank and file have watched these people do little to next to nothing as far as police work goes, or display any sort of leadership skill or ability.
Unqualified supervisors have pooled into the upper ranks of CPD. Some have never had to bother studying for or taking a promotional exam in their entire career. Those who do take the exam have to score in the top one or two percent to begin to have a chance. They are few and far between.
Everyone knows that "it's who you know and blow over what you know". Every officer makes a decision after several years on this job. You will become a working police officer, or a politician. The politician rises through the ranks by going to the right retirement parties, funerals and golf outings. Arranging day to day operations without a care in the world.
Why study general orders when you can just smooch your way through? Soon, they are able to pick where they work, and when. Maybe even get on a weekday/weekend off assignment. Try bidding for one of those! Get into a jam? No problem, the system has a way for making beefs dissappear. Like they never happened! It is a big ass kissing club and if you are pushing a beat car in patrol, you arent in it!
Remember, a lot of our current brass has given an envelope full of cash to Ed Burke over the years. It's not a comfortable thought but it is a reality.
Job proficiency and merit have absolutely nothing to do with how these selections are made. Believe what you see with your eyes...These people are wolfs in sheeps clothing. Dont trust them. They are kissing somebodys ring if they just appear in your units and act like it is all legit.
We have all seen 5 year wonders rise to the upper ranks in record time. Whether a pincushion, or a BJ queen at the late night parties. Or just an ass smoocher in general...
We all know the names, and have heard the rumors. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and you cant hide the rapid advancement through the ranks. As far as I can tell, they are held to a loyalty structure where favors can be garnered at a later date when things go sideways. Get caught or jammed up doing their bidding, and they will giude you into a nice quiet retirement.
The conclusion is, there are more and more people in charge of public safety that have no buisness running a coin operated laundromat. They know it and you can see it in their eyes when you talk to them. We all knew it during the St. George Floyd riots. They dress up and go out and let the ones who know how to do the real dirty buisness make them look like rockstars.
These are the people that change the uniform regulations, and write the general orders and special orders. They dont give a shit about the "morale" of the rank and file and frankly never had to worry about how to follow a general order or two. Or how that general order translates into day to day operations on the streets. These people act like everything is legit, and you see them every day.
In 30 years, single, double, and triple merit has eroded our department into the impotent organization that it is.
Trust me, when a selection is made, merit has absolutely nothing to do with it.
Stay safe, and be careful. G-d bless....
They dont call HQ for fellatio for nothing...
Rigged. Rigged. Rigged!
JT was a great guy but he was also very well connected.
A smart First Deputy?
+1
That ^
1. Purchase kneepads.
2. Get to work.
Totally agree & I also think that there should be a hardline Do Time On Street in a district for a minimum of 5 years before anyone gets moved to an inside spot. I know a few people, pretty much after probation moved to M-F, 2nd watch spots inside & these people are your next bosses. The problem is they have no idea what a patrol officer is putting up with and living thru on a daily basis. Their priorities are not about policing. It’s been ridiculous for better than a decade of people moving to HQ, units, etc and these are the same people making “merit” or spending time “studying” inside. These are the same people who end up with input into guiding the department.
The bartender was the first deputy?
A damn good first deputy in my opinion. 12C87-15JAN18
Anyone who doesn’t think we have a First Deputy is an idiot. Fred Waller has taken that place since snelling got hired. It’s a simple google search. BJ hired Fred back as a consultant the day he promoted Snelling. Fred Waller is running the Department. That is why there is no First Deputy. Fred has that salary.
Fred Waller is the First Deputy. He was hired back as a consultant and has that salary.
Did every captain candidate get an interview? Asking for my friend PK. He deserved and so much more
Seriously? After he made openly racist anti- black comments at a meeting
I cannot recall, even once, ever seeing an Exempt , riding on the CTA. Too scary, I guess.
Well, the previous Sgt List used an average of 20% merit .. I ran the numbers,. Also they made roughly 367 from the list..They went up to 323 was the actual number that accepted the promotion because roughly 44 people either declined it, retired, didn’t have time in grade or died= the 323 .. I agree though, this “merit” system is a joke.. be transparent, let the officers know specifics about what bullet points need to be hit, what qualifications are needed , who you need to blow (j/k). Have the exact number they will go up to on a promotion list and give % of what “merit” will be set at, not this “up to ____%”
I haven't seen any improvement in officer wellness.
Ryan, stop it already. Not nice.
Superintendent's driver always makes merit. But it's all legit.
And he gets a line of duty death for having a heart attack AT HOME!
March 17, exempt promotions & April 14 , Sgt. Promotions
Those were both Assistant Superintendents....not 1st Dep
The movie “Idiocracy” was predictive programming .
Agreed, if anything 546 days without a First shows we can eliminate that position. While at it the department can cut multiple layers of redundancy amongst the command ranks. I understand the gold stars would never go for this so they may have to slowly restructure through attrition.
Maybe they can live stream a battle of wits amongst all the merit candidates so they may demonstrate a display of all their wit and cunning that landed them as candidates in the first place.
Yes he was. R.I.P. John, gone way to soon.
Should be 0 not 10% or any %. This is a country of No DEI.
Haaa Ha
Yes, he was the best, but look at the competition.
DEI promotions is what merit is in a nutshell.
Interesting you was nominated for a DEI Lt. promotion.
Who is this John Thomas you speak of?
Call it what it is DEI board training
CPD is way, way too top heavy. I wrote to Mr. Musk and requested a visit from DOGE. We spoke at length via the telephone. Our DOGE satellite will be called DOCPDE. The return bucket for gold stars and department car keys will be in the HQ parking lot guard shack. There is no need for the DOCPDE unit to see the bloated paycheck recipients crying and hand wringing. As they ambulate out of the parking lot, they drop the gold star and car keys in the bucket at the guard shack. After depositing the gold star and car keys, the officer in the shack will hand each one an envelope with their name on it. Inside will be their new patrol unit and watch where they will work as 90. No exceptions. Also inside the envelope will be a copy of the CTA bus schedule for 35th Street and the remainder of the city arteries. I thoroughly and immensely enjoyed formulating the process with Mr. Musk, but then I woke up.
If they would demote more merit appointees, there would be more room for more merit appointees.
The superintendent of CPD cant come to a decision...RUFKM?
Then we all unamiously suggest ZERO merit. None. Nada. Zip. Let everyone earn it. Thats a novel idea....but it just might work.
Even one is too many....let them study and earn it.
He DIDN'T request a party, it was a SUPRISE party! And he was OBVIOUSLY surprised about it! Find another spot to grind your ax about whatever your problem with him is! He's a good boss! And I have no skin in the game as a civilian!
For real?
Please do tell me more.
i concur. she backed me up in the 90's when she was a sgt in 005 at 103 and mlk. she was pro working police.
I once drew a picture of a rabbit in grade school that got me two gold stars.
But basically every single exempt has been made merit sgt or Lt.
Is there one single exempt that hasn’t gotten a merit promotion. It’s sickening.
This is what we’ve been saying since merit started. Define it, let us all know what we need to do to even be considered. It’s all hush hush and only commanders can put people in for it. That’s how u end up with all the pin cushions getting put in for merit instead of the people that are actually out there working.
Who were they? We’d all love to know who are the people not even qualified to be a sgt or Lt but are deciding who’s “qualified” to be captains. This job is such a F’n joke.
Was he a merit Lt?
Merit keeps promoting merit. It’s gotten to the point that there’s actually only a handful of exempts that even passed a test. They all owe others for their merit promotions and so the process continues.
Agreed.
They should let the entire districts vote on who is deserving of merit. It should never be left up to the commander. He has no idea on who’s a real worker or not. So they end up defaulting to their secretaries or admin Sgt’s and you never actually get good bear cops or sector sgts getting the merit spots. The whole thing sucks.
How much KY do you have?
That’s incorrect. I know of at least two who are by score all the way to Lt
The process is nothing more then clout and favors to other gold star people No one with any real value gets merit these days
Please Please Please promote Tate from 006 to anything just get him out of here. Unhinged!!! No other words to describe him.
Exactly! and this is why the lowly unclouted officers refuse to do more than the bare minimum. Unless an officer is heavy as whale shit they will NEVER be promoted. Those officers also have no chance at any coveted spots, as those are all filled with phone calls. The exams are totally rigged with the top 100-150 spots taken by cheaters. Merit is legit but unfair. So nothing and utilize the benefits.
SCC , you should start a post of the exempts that actually passed a promotional exam. It would be very few.
That wasn’t Vanek that was the Area 4 RBT LT who made the comment
As of December 2024, Chicago owed bondholders almost $29 billion.
The city also has unfunded pension liabilities of $35 billion, and unfunded retiree health benefits of almost $2 billion.
Chicago's debt service ratio has averaged 19.4% between FY2021 and FY2025, which is considered high by rating agencies.
In 2023, Chicago had $40.9 billion in unpaid bills.
The undeserving promoting the undeserving.
They only promoted 367 from the last sgt’s list. Officer worked hard and did oral interviews. 600 was the average.
He’s failing miserably.
Ask them about the rehire who quit CPD, went to Des Plaines, took the test while he was gone and then got rehired.
Who has the Exempt merit list that’s scheduled to come out on the 17th?
She passed up A/5 D/C last year. She didn't want to be a Commander either. Can you blame her???
The part about favors granted at a later date...I am reminded of the whole Vanecko investigation. From the original investigation with no charges, to the files dissappearing and then reappearing in Dean Andrews office. He then got a nice quiet ride out of CPD into retirement when he and his minions should have been investigated and charged for their corrupt investigation. A lot of coppers know this is true and are keeping their mouths shut. Shame on them.
Really??? You want to turn the promotion process into a popularity contest? This isnt High School, and your not running for student body president. Idiot...
another spot for one year wonders that the daddies can make a phone call for
Lawsuit pending for new list.
Some PO’s didn’t even take part two yet.
April 14 class of 100 heard old list
Because J-Fraud Cat is owned by Larry & Conehead..
When’s Captain school?
I’m sorry but Superintendent is a decision making positions. Shit or get off the pot.
171 applied 90 got interviews
They better get those merit picks in ASAP if Sgt’s class is 5 weeks from now… tic-toc!
Because they’ll post it as they make it off the list, then you’ll see who’s from score and from merit
CPD is a phony outfit.
Totally agree
Were you in grade school when you drew it? Or was the drawing of a rabbit that was a student in grade school?
Dirty Harry predicted this.
Inspector Callaghan: Well officer Moore, will tell us all here about your most important felony arrest.
Officer Moore: I never made a felony arrest.
Inspector Callaghan: Well maybe you’ll tell us about your best misdemeanor arrest then.
Officer Moore: I’ve never made a misdemeanor arrest either. (a-hem.)
Inspector Callaghan: Then what the hell gives you the right to become an Inspector, when there are men who have been out there on the street for ten or fifteen years………
………..Thats some price to pay just to be stylish.
Beth Giltmeir is a big joke. You must be on the 12th district bike team that she allowed to work 4 hours days and hang out in the CAPS office while there was a back log everyday. Or maybe you were the 30 other officers who she assigned to the front office and CAPS that did nothing.
3/08/2025 12:09:06 PM,
In your dream, there should have also been a note from the Snells in that envelope to the new 90 explaining that, intentionally disruptive and unprofessional conduct in their new assignments would not be tolerated. Uncharacteristic disciplinary actions initiated by the new 90 would be reviewed and compared to their career history of initiating discipline. The old "I am suffering, so you all are going to suffer" actions would result in disciplinary action initiated towards the new 90, with appropriate discipline being applied up to and including discharge from employment.
Any rumors on the scheduled exempt moves on Mar 17 ?
Merit snobs at 35th need to all be dumped and replaced by legit white shirts.
Is your name Lenny?
0 percent wouldn’t be right, if merit was defined and used the way it’s actually meant to be used Actual Merit- not just a form of DEI or promotions for bosses kids or side pieces. Id take a patrol officer who was street smart and a hard worker who’s not a good test taker as my boss any day over some 3 year wonder in the CAPS office who uses their inside spot to get extra study time
They have to try and make it look legit. The picks are decided on long before you get to that interview & most of the time the boss nominating is just taking orders from the top- especially if that boss was a made by multiple merits themselves.
It should be like when they ask beauty contestants questions about their aspirations to bring about World Peace.
Somewhere between building a Swiss Watch & watching paint dry? Ability no longer means Able. So don't cry when a Goof passes you swirling by, said the 1st guy into a Titanic lifeboat dry.
Fred doesn’t have the experience
abilities, nor smarts to consult but he is collecting that salary…
Right, he’s the answer to the crime and operational issues on the dept. Everyone forgets he was Chief of Patrol when all the riots went down and it was a complete fucking disaster under his command.
Collazo already got demoted
the demoted one from 17 got another interview wth
a certain Lt in 2 is already waiting outside the missing cmdrs office door - if they make him the cmdr it will be a disaster- merit hack with lots of sick time
Only one time was there a First and Second Deputy....Second Deputy Snethen
I’d take my chances any day with the entire district voting rather than just the commander.
Ask them about the rehire who quit CPD, went to Des Plaines, took the test while he was gone and then got rehired.
3/08/2025 05:47:46 PM
It's funny because CPD gets to pick and choose it's "rehires" and "people" they want to rehire and hire. CPD is a political machine who can't hire anyone, has no one signing up, yet picks up barely any bodies to fill a quarter of what's leaving/retiring/dying/medically discharging etc off the CPD manpower pool. Must be weird knowing someone leaving CPD can get rehired and still promoted. Yet I myself cannot get rehired ONLY due to the COVID CR.
The last driver for multiple Sup’s is the real police. I’ld vouch for Corona everyday and Sunday at church before God. Corona deserved merit and proved it again at the DNC.
Is Tate the loser who didn’t make the Officers line of duty services cause he as busy.
Speaking of Vanecko, VC LT in Area 3 is lobbying his way into becoming the new Commander when Hill finds his no show retirement job This of course would be the most CPD time honored tradition.
I say they change the word "Merit" in the promotion system to "Patronage" because that's what it really is...
I agree with the OP. I have worked with both. Either would be good for the department
Old list is dead.. nice try..
Look at snelling inner circle, 95% merit from the chiefs to the deputy chiefs, to the Lts and sergeants in his office. If you’re merit you’re going to surround yourself with fellow merit.
Half the time the commander is trading his promotion with another commander. Sometimes commanders have their pin cushions in other districts to make it look legit.
But knowing my watch, we’d nominate the dumbest bag of bricks for laughs.
FOP has said multiple times the old list is dead. Are they brain dead or is the rumor?
She stepped down and is now a Lieutenant in 017 on midnights .
He can barely read and you can barely spell.
I believe that I once read a comment by Larry that he thinks merit should be the only predictor of promotion. No more tests.
Its all legit!!
There was a legendary sergeant's study group back in the early nineties taught in the academy by John Thomas ( I believe) . The class was only by invite. You couldn't just walk in and take a seat. And no, it just wasn't for the white guys only. There were also black and a few hispanic officers invited too. Clout doesn't discriminate. John Thomas was such a great instructor that about 98% of invitees were all promoted meritoriously. All of these guys/ girls ended up running the department within ten years. This was just the beginning of their merit promotion career process on the department. They were all bumped up EVERY time there was a test. All retired as millionaires. Some were genuinely nice people. All ended up in nice places. Some stepped on their dicks ( yes, this includes the girls) and got dumped, usually replaced by someone with more clout. The plebes ( underlings) on the department would piss and moan about what a great boss he/she was and how this was unjust. Don't feel sorry for millionaires. Most of us retire and hopefully have something in deferred comp and manage live within our means. We're comfortable but not millionaires. And the 2% that didn't make the clout list? They left the department for other BETTER paying city jobs like the Water Department, Streets and San, etc. This is good job for most. A great CAREER for the lucky few. Make it to the end and cash in on the pension plan. AND DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR MILLIONAIRES. THEY DONT GIVE A FUCK ABOUT YOU.
No more promotions. Spend everything on recruits. PPOs pay into pension.
I'm a merit in my own mind. And I'm not even the real police.
“The past was erased, the erasure was forgotten, the lie became the truth.”
― George Orwell, 1984
3/08/2025 09:22:25 AM
LONG READ, but I agree with you 100%. Things have gone down hill since 1998! This is the year the department instituted merit promotions and put a percentage on it. Of course people have been promoted before than who shouldn’t have been, whether they paid for it or were just connected.
This department has been the department of DEI since the early 80’s. The difference between then and now? Back then the bosses who ran shit knew who were morons and would never put them in an important position or a leadership role. If the mayor or alderman demanded that moron person, the bosses who ran shit would always pair the moron with a competent boss to run things. The moron didn’t care because they were still getting paid and had to do less work.
I believe most of the exempts today have at least 1 meritorious promotion, with most receiving multiple or all. These people are making decisions and running the department into the ground and then leaving and being hired as a chief of another department or as an executive at a premier company.
How do you go from gym instructor to superintendent in less than 10 years? Without merit they would retire nothing more than a blue shirt but instead the retire with a much higher pension and more options available to them when they retire than the working PO.
Is it to hard to give everyone a fair process?
Snelling better start working on morale and stop with the uniform nitpicking. I get it, you want us to look good and you can get that, but you have to fix the morale first! People who are happy and proud of their job will be more productive and willing to do anything for you
Study harder. Score better.
I was in a study group that had the answers to the old promotion tests. A lot of the old test questions were recycled and used again. My group did very well studying a mix of these old tests and the required reading of GO's. I studied those tests and knew all the answers, and a lot of them were used. I still had to study a lot. Was that fair? I dont know. I didnt get invited to John Thomas class, so I guess it was an even deal. Some people paid a lot of money to Lt's and Captains who held study groups and I heard they were given the answers. Was that fair?
FOP said that about the old list too and they went up to 9 something. After they said that one was dead.
TRUTH
look up D.C. Blues written by Tucker Carlson long ago. Talks about NYPD going straight down the list for bosses. ANd how that helped their dept. and how DC Cops were so fucking dumb the prosecutors could not make any sense out of their reports they had to drop homicide cases. Promoting the best and the brightest makes a HUGE difference -no matter what the Souf Siders say.
Snelling hosted a study group. For SGT right after he got merit promoted to SGT and back to academy. His class all had one thing in common.
Please share.
Collazo stepped down again....Wow
Who is the Lt
Will the new federal consent decree require that merit Sergeants,Lieutenants score a minimum of 75% on the multiple choice and short answer questions?
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