Second City Cop

3 to 4 Shootings a Week

2009-07-18T00:05:00.000-05:00

And yes, the numbers are higher this year compared to last - significantly higher:

91 through 15 June in 2009 compared to "only" 73 last year over the same time period.

The Red Eye has a map charting the locations of shootings that includes shots fired by the police, regardless of hits or misses.

There's definitely a pattern to it all.

Sherlock J-Fed

2009-07-18T00:03:00.000-05:00

Master of the Obvious:

Two veteran police officers were in "good spirits" and expected to fully recover after both were shot in the legs Thursday afternoon while attempting to serve a narcotics-related warrant on Chicago's Far Southeast Side.

It's the fifth police-involved shooting in the last week, and Police Supt. Jody Weis said it's evidence of a larger pattern of violence targeting police that grows more dangerous every month.

"The level of violence being shown to police officers is extraordinarily disturbing," Weis said. "People are trying to murder police officers left and right, and if you think about it, if they'll do that to a uniformed officer, what will they do to civilians and innocent people on the street?"

Well gee J-Fed, thanks for noticing that street level policing isn't like working in a Federal office. It's dirty, it's dangerous and it's damn thankless 95% of the time. How many shootings did the FBI get into last week? How many feebs got attacked responding to domestics, disturbances and dope calls?

Thank goodness you're here to save the citizens from the police.

Another Inherited Spot

2009-07-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

The nepotism continues:

Former Ald. Billy Ocasio said today he wants his wife to succeed him as 26th Ward alderman, and he has withdrawn his recommendation of a controversial minister as his replacement.

Ocasio told the Tribune today that Mayor Richard Daley has interviewed his wife, Veronica Ocasio, for the opening created when he quit the City Council recently to become an aide to Gov. Patrick Quinn.

Veronica Ocasio is an aide to U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.). When Gutierrez was elected to Congress in 1993, Daley appointed Ocasio to fill the vacancy on the council.

"Veronica is a very accomplished individual," Billy Ocasio said. "She has worked with every community organization and every Latino elected official."

Amazing. And what would the Federal Hiring Monitor have to say about this? She just released another report pointing out how family ties still seem to be awfully prevalent in city hiring:

Mayor Richard Daley’s administration has made progress in cleaning up its scandal-plagued hiring system, but obstacles remain and significant abuses still occur, a court-appointed monitor said Thursday.

The report by Noelle Brennan, who has monitored city hiring since August 2005, cited several areas of particular concern that need to be immediately investigated and fixed.

Brennan said 290 city contractors were hired on as city employees in violation of federal court rules and that the City Clerk’s office this year hired nine “connected” summer interns who were relatives of city workers—including relatives of three clerk’s employees.

Seems the only qualification for aldercreature is blood or marriage. Professional leeches. The Founding Fathers would be appalled.

Shots Phired!

2009-07-17T21:01:00.002-05:00

Two shot outside St. Sabina's gymnasium:

Two people were wounded during an apparent drive-by shooting this evening near St. Sabina Church in the South Side's Auburn Gresham community, authorities said.

The shooting happened near West 78th Street and South Racine Avenue, outside the church's elementary school gym. The church's address is 1210 W. 78th Pl., with a school and other facilities in the immediate area.

Two boys, one 17 and another about 16, were taken in serious condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, but were expected to survive, officials said.

Brace for more anti-gun speeches, because a speech is way better than actually pushing for personal responsibility, and blaming an inanimate object for the depredations of an entire swath of society's failures is easier than looking in a mirror.

Police Fail to Stop Shooting

2009-07-17T00:05:00.000-05:00

Just waiting for a letter from the brass blaming us for not impounding bicycles now:

An alleged gang-member was shot and killed Wednesday night in the Northwest Side’s Logan Square neighborhood.

Miguel Loreto, 17, of the 5900 block of South Kolin Avenue, was shot in the head on the 2900 block of West Palmer Street and was pronounced dead at 10:27 p.m. at Norwegian-American Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.
At 10:08 p.m., Loreto was standing outside with a 17-year-old male companion when the shooter armed with a handgun approached on a bicycle and said, “What’s up bitch?” then opened fire and shot one of the teens in the forehead, according to police. The shooting occurred across the street from a church in an area known as Palmer Square.

If these jagoffs want to kill each other, they are going to find any way to do it. There is nothing we can do to stop it. The victim's home address is 5900 South Kolin and he gets wasted in Palmer Square? At least nobody innocent caught a bullet.

Probation...Again

2009-07-17T00:04:00.000-05:00

Cook County "justice"

A 15-year-old boy who earlier this year fooled Chicago police officers into believing he was one of their own will spend three years on probation after pleading guilty to impersonating a cop and later stealing a car he persuaded a dealer to let him test drive.

Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Berman warned the boy he would have to comply with the terms of his probation, including participating in a mentoring program, serving 30 days home confinement, spending much of his time at a monitoring center and taking part in in-home therapy.

"One of the things that you have done, and have been very candid about, is you like to manipulate other people and situations," Berman told the boy. "That's going to stop right now. You are not going to manipulate me. If you mess up with this probation ... to say nothing of if you get arrested, that's it. Next stop is the Department of Corrections."

Yeah, right. This kid did numerous impersonations, got caught once, and is working on an increasingly destructive rap sheet. We give him six months before he gets caught violating probation.

All he learned here was how to game the system.

Street Sign Dedication

2009-07-17T00:03:00.000-05:00

From the recollections of retired Sgt. John Northen:

As I reflect on my career as a proud member of "Chicago's Finest", I realize that I will be forever haunted by the painful memories of two dates: the nights of July 17, 1970 and May 13, 1990.
On both nights, my hands became wet with the blood of two slain uniformed police officers--four damn good men with whom I had often laughed over a few cold beers.

Tomorrow night marks the 39th anniversary of the sniper murders of Jim Severin and Tony Rizzato.
Family survivors and police will gather at 10 AM Saturday morning at 018 for the dedication of two memorial street signs on the southwest corner of Larrabee and Division Sts.

His entire story of that night can be read in the comment section of the Officers Shot post at 5:59 PM. It's a moving account of a very bad incident and seems timely in light of Thursday's multiple shootings in Chicago and New Jersey.

If you can make the dedication Saturday morning, it would be appreciated.

Chicago Violence on DRUDGE

2009-07-17T00:02:00.000-05:00

For the second time in a month, The Drudge Report is pointing out Chicago violence:

Three men were fatally shot. One man was fatally stabbed. Police shot one man and at least seven other people were wounded by gunfire -- including an 8-year-old boy sitting in his bedroom -- during an especially violent six hours late Wednesday and early Thursday mainly on the South and West Sides.

These strings of shootings and killings seem to come in waves, but once again, the weather is conspiring to keep a lid on violence. Low to middle 70's this weekend and we might catch a break, which is a good thing as the Districts are running out of crime scene tape...again.

Bad Day in Jersey

2009-07-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

Five cops wounded, two critically:

A pair of Jersey City cops were fighting for their lives Thursday night after being blasted by a Bonnie and Clyde team that was then killed in a bloody gunfight.
Decorated Officer Mark DiNardo was shot twice in the face after a simple stakeout escalated into a savage shootout.
His colleague, Michael Camacho, was nearly killed by a blast to the neck.
Both were in medically induced comas and breathing with the help of ventilators after the predawn carnage. Doctors said it was a miracle they survived.

A very bad day. Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Prayers only in this thread.

Officers Shot

2009-07-16T14:11:00.003-05:00

Two officers shot in 005. Lower extremity wounds.

Updates as we are able.

UPDATE: Both officers released from the hospital and doing OK.

Arbitration Arrives

2009-07-16T00:05:00.000-05:00

At least according to Shortshanks, who once again, throws the negotiations out there in the media in violation of the "gentleman's agreement" not to do so:

Mayor Daley said Wednesday he’ll roll the dice and ask an independent arbitrator to dictate new contracts with police officers and firefighters who must do their part to help solve the city’s financial crisis.
During his annual State of the City address, Daley noted that public safety employees who account for 70 percent of city spending were excused from a cost-cutting plan that required other city unions to choose between layoffs and furlough days and other givebacks.
“They’re not in the boat. We’re in the boat. ... They have to come back to the boat. ... We’re asking them to get back in the boat. Talk to your taxpayers. Talk to your neighbor. They have to be part of the solution and not part of the problem,” he said.

The FOP is unhappy:

Fraternal Order of Police President Mark Donahue reacted angrily to Daley’s decision to pull the trigger on arbitration, a potentially risky move for both sides.
“It sounds to me like the mayor hit his head on the boat when he was getting in. We’re still in negotiations with the city. We negotiate in good faith. It’s up to the city to show us that as well,” he said.

So far, the FOP is one of only three or four unions refusing to even consider givebacks to the city and they've actually played their hand decently. Other union leaders in the midst of selling out their members, are attempting to portray the Police and Fire Departments as greedy and out of touch and the media gives them play. The FOP really ought to slap back hard at Daley - his chronic mismanagement, his lies, his fake numbers, his two-faced negotiating in the media via intermediaries, his use of Chuck Goudie and other compliant media types to paint concessions we've made over the years in terms of allowances instead of raises to help hold the line on taxes and fees.

Daley is in a bad spot and arbitration is a risky move for all parties. The issues that are the subjects of "letters of agreement" could be in jeopardy and who knows if any of these will stand without a vote from the members?

And ANOTHER Police Shooting

2009-07-16T00:04:00.000-05:00

Something like six or seven this month? More?

An armed robbery suspect was shot in the chest by Chicago Police after intentionally striking an officer with a car Wednesday evening on the West Side. One other officer was also injured in the incident, police said.
The shooting happened about 5:30 p.m. near Congress Parkway and Damen Avenue, according to police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli.
Officers spotted a vehicle wanted in a 5 p.m. downtown jewelry store robbery at 440 S. Damen Ave. and were able to curb the car, according to a Chicago Police Dept. release. As two officers exited their squad car, the suspect accelerated his car and drove towards an officer, striking him, the release said.

We hate to use words like "open season," but it's getting increasingly dangerous out there. USA Today had an article a few day ago showing Line of Duty deaths are up 20% over last year. We'd be amazed if Assaults weren't up by even more. Someone have the stats?

30% Popular Vote?

2009-07-16T00:03:00.001-05:00

Since the political structure gets 30% "meri-clout-orious" picks for promotions, how about the FOP demand 30% of the exempt spots be put up for a popular vote of the membership?

Lord knows that the coppers working the beat can pick out a qualified boss 99 times out of 100, which is 99 times out of 100 better than J-Fed, the policy group, the "merit" board or the mayor for that matter.

Discuss.

Cozzi to Louisiana

2009-07-16T00:02:00.000-05:00

Via Sgt. John Northen (retired), Bill Cozzi is to report to the Oakdale Federal Correctional Institution, Oakdale, Louisiana by noon on Thursday, August 6th.

Congratulations J-Fed.

Boot Blitz

2009-07-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Shortshanks needs money, damnit.

Scrounging for cash to erase a threatened $300 million year-end shortfall, Chicago is going after motorists with two unpaid tickets older than one year with a vengeance -- by mailing 183,293 seizure notices and booting 3,493 vehicles.

The City Council's controversial decision to drop the threshold for applying the Denver boot for the first time in seven years -- from three-unpaid tickets to two -- has touched off a booting blitz.

And the amusing part?

Through June 30, the city had issued 1.38 million tickets, roughly 18,000 fewer than it did during the same period last year.

Parking enforcement aides were apparently unable to pick up the slack from Chicago Police officers, whose ticket-writing dropped by nearly 10 percent last year.

Ticket writing takes a back seat to radio backlogs, which are on pace to surpass last year's record. We can't do the mission with the numbers we have it shows, not just in the ticket fall off, but in the aggravated battery increases.

So Easy to Believe

2009-07-15T00:07:00.000-05:00

We wouldn't bet money against this being the case:

One would of thought that Mayor Daley would have been proud and happy that a member of his body guard detail had captured one of the escaped murderers.

The truth of the matter is Daley blew a gasket as usual. He was shouting and screaming at his summer home about one the CPD officers assigned to his detailed got involved on this arrest. Daley was heard shouting about how the news and the public will now start writing about why CPD officers were "guarding" Daley while away at his summer home in Michigan.

This mayor is a true stroke job. Once again more worried about his public relations than what the cop did to protect him and his family who were present.

Since he has most of the media under his thumb already, we doubt they're going to tweak him about taking half a dozen or more of his detail up to Michigan at Sergeants pay with vehicles and who knows how many overtime hours on the eve of numerous layoffs.

It's so easy to believe the worst about the stuttering midget because time and time again, it proves to be true. He truly is an evil bastard that is driving this city to ruin.

Here Come the Layoffs

2009-07-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

We'd hope that these 451 laid off people would be picketing at and around City Hall the very next day, pointing out how Shortshanks claimed "labor peace" with 10 year contracts back in 2007:

As a Wednesday deadline loomed for labor leaders to strike deals on cost-cutting measures, only two unions were still holding out late Tuesday. City Hall was poised to lay off 431 workers represented by the holdout Local 726 of the Teamsters union and Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Daley declined to say Tuesday what city services would suffer if the layoffs take place. But his administration later said the 141 Teamsters workers drive trucks in eight city departments, primarily Streets and Sanitation, Water Management and Aviation. Of the 290 ASFCME workers on the chopping block, 120 work in city libraries stocking books, and the rest work in lower-level administrative jobs across 28 departments, according to City Hall.

We talked to a few Crossing Guards the other day. It seems they've finally got a contract offer - no retro, no more holidays, but they're being offered a step raise in lieu of the cuts. No one has seen this contract in writing, but they're voting this weekend. Shortshanks claims that if the economy improves, they might be able to have back some perks - but does anyone think that Daley is going to offer any of the unions anything back that they've given away without surrendering something else? All Daley is doing is stealing back items to negotiate with at a later date and any Union that gave back a nickel, a dime, a furlough day, a holiday should be voted out of office at the next opportunity.

CPD Shooting in Elgin?

2009-07-15T00:03:00.001-05:00

Must have been a helluva chase:

Chicago police were involved in a shooting on U.S. Interstate 90 near the Elgin Toll Plaza tonight, authorities said.

A person was shot on the highway by Chicago police officers in the westbound lanes near the toll plaza about 9:25 p.m., said Illinois State Police Sgt. Brian McKinney.
One man in his 30's was transported from the scene in serious condition with gunshot wounds to Provena Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin, said Elgin Fire Battalion Chief Tim Michaels.

Someone said in an earlier comment section that this chase started in 025, ran through 016 and hit the highway for a good 20 minutes. Whoever let it go, you have a pair of big brass ones.

As far as we can tell from the early reports, no bystanders were injured, two cops in for observation. We'll update later if possible.

More Scandal?

2009-07-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

People just keep resigning over in Daley's office, but no one knows why:

Mayor Daley’s $169,020 chief procurement officer abruptly resigned Tuesday, spinning the revolving door in a department that has struggled to boost black contracting and weed out minority fronts.
Montel Gayles was appointed in January 2008 to replace Barbara Lumpkin, who resigned after two years on the job.
Less than three months later, Gayles embarrassed and infuriated Daley with kid-gloves treatment of James Duff, head of a mob-connected family that became the poster child for minority business fraud in Chicago.

He treated an Outfit connected family with kid gloves? Isn't that what Daley does all the time? He's been photographed numerous times with connected individuals, his administration awards them contracts on a regular basis, his family tree is intertwined with mob related persons. We figured it was "Family" courtesy.

Changes This Week?

2009-07-14T11:06:00.000-05:00

The rumor mill is grinding to life again. Lots of buzz coming from the vicinity of 35th and Michigan.

Stories of an OfficeMax truck bearing a full load of moving boxes cannot be confirmed at this time, but the guys in the mail room got a new shipment of little "forwarding address" labels and new masking tape to put over various slots.

The Building Engineer was seen inspecting the ball bearings on hand trucks, but that could be routine.

Commence to wondering.

Interesting Connections

2009-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is the stuff that the media (aside from Kass) won't cover. This is the information that the feds need to connect dot #1 to dot #2 to dot #3 to Shortshanks himself:

Amazed that it took so long. The whole gang of them - Ginger, Hynes, Meany, Mike Sheahan, Skinny, Jeremiah, Kevin and Michael Joyce, Matt O'Shea. They are crooks and rats. Anyone sticking up for them is a sucker or a hack. They have done nothing to help Mt. Greenwood but just sit back and watch it get destroyed.

To the idiot who said Ginger isn't Irish, you must think we are fools.

Yes, she is... Rugai is an Italian name and her married name. Her husband, Ado Rugai, is a double dipper, States Attorney's office and CTA.

She attended St. Sabina with Jeremiah Joyce and worked for him as his legislative aide in Springfield.

Skinny and Mike Sheahan are brothers and Matt O'Shea is married to their niece, Cara.

Matt O'Shea employs Marty Walsh, who is a cousin to the Joyces.

The Careys, as we all know, are married into the Joyces - Marsie Carey Joyce is the wife to Jeremiah and her sister is Eileen Carey, former superintendent of streets and sanitation.

This is insidious and gross.

Of course, Ginger passed money -- it has been going on for YEARS.

Each and every tavern owner on Western Avenue can attest to that -- the pay outs were made to both the ward and the commander.

This is the yellow brick road ladies and gents. We'd be surprised if each and every aldercreature didn't have a background similar to this.

Two More Police Shootings

2009-07-14T00:05:00.000-05:00

At 62nd and Vernon, no casualties:

A Chicago Police sergeant who stopped a minivan with suspects believed to have been involved in the earlier shooting of a boy on the South Side was not injured when the suspects opened fire on him Monday afternoon.
The sergeant was responding to the area of 62nd Street and Vernon Avenue just after 2 p.m., where a juvenile had been wounded in a drive-by shooting, police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said.

Some people are in custody already.

California and 64th St:

A 23-year-old man was pronounced dead today after being shot by Chicago police after he reportedly refused to drop his gun in Marquette Park.

Deangelo Webb of the 3600 block of West 70th Street was pronounced dead at 8:19 a.m. at Advocate Christ Medical Center, said a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office.

A Chicago police officer shot Webb in the chest after he refused to drop his gun this morning at about 5:30 a.m. in an alley on the 2800 block of West 64th Street.

Good job to all involved.

What Economic Downturn?

2009-07-14T00:03:00.001-05:00

Headline in the Sun Times:

Tech bill to fund research center, electric car infrastructure plan
Gov. Quinn today signed a capital bill providing nearly $250 million for Illinois technology projects ranging from developing an electric-car infrastructure to helping fund a new science and technology research center at Northwestern University.

Headline in the Tribune:

Gov. Pat Quinn signs $31 billion statewide public-works package

Quinn signs big package that also OKs video poker

Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law Monday a $31 billion statewide construction program for crumbling roads, mass transit and schools that will be paid for by legalizing video poker, raising fees on motorists and boosting taxes on candy, beauty products and booze.

The rookie Democratic governor said he is "betting on the future of Illinois" by launching the state's first major public-works package in a decade, predicting it would create or keep in place more than 400,000 jobs over six years. The legislation also provides more than $3 billion for hundreds of local pork-barrel projects doled out by Quinn and state lawmakers.

$3 billion in pork? "Sin taxes" raised across the board? And the "fees" on motorists?

Driver license renewals up 200% from $10 to $30
License plates up 25% to $99 from $79
Car Title transfers up almost 50% from $65 to $95

Bend over Illinois. Here it comes again and Quinn is driving the train.

Security Officer?

2009-07-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

WBBM 780 keeps referring to the Chicago Police Officer as a "security guard:"

One of the three men who escaped from the Indiana State Prison has been caught in a southwestern Michigan town by a security guard for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley.

The Daleys were sleeping inside their home during the incident, said Jacquelyn Heard, the Mayor's spokeswoman.
...one of Mayor Daley's security detail officers spotted escaped inmate Smith approximately a quarter of a mile away from Mayor Daley's summer home and apprehended the unarmed suspect at gunpoint in a home's driveway near the mayor's house in Grand Beach, which is about eight miles from the prison.

First up, good job to the Officer. Your actions are a credit to the Department, even though the mayor's people aren't referring to you as a "Chicago Police Officer."

Second, we must confess we feel much better knowing that everything in Chicago is all good...so good that the Shortshanks family can take a vacation in the midst of 10% unemployment; 13, 17, even 30 unpaid days off for various workers; aggravated batteries climbing; police and fire personnel passing two years without a contract; businesses shuttering at a record pace, almost as fast as the housing stock.

The economy must be turning around so we'll expect a contract Friday at the latest.

CFD vs Military All-Stars

2009-07-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Fundraiser:

Who: Chicago Fire Department Local 2 Bravest Baseball Club Hosts the U.S. Military All-Stars
What: Two nights of Baseball When: Friday, July 17th & Saturday, July 18th at 7:00 P.M.
Where: Standard Bank Stadium located at 14007 S. Kenton Avenue in Crestwood , IL . (Home of the Windy City Thunderbolts).
Why: For the benefit of raising funds and awareness for U.S.A. Cares. www.usacares.org
Tickets: Buy one, get one free for a limited time from any CFD Bravest team member by calling Dan Sheahan at (773) 255-4719 or e-mail him at ddjmlsheahan@juno.com You can also contact Jim Rice at the W.C.Thunderbolts Box Office. (708) 489-2255 Ext #2011 www.wcthunderbolts.com
Frills: "Filler up Friday" - One dollar draft beer on Friday night only. Fun and games between innings. Fireworks following both games. Post game party at 115 Bourbon Street