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Chicago Police Declare Rebellion Against New Chief, Do Bare Minimum

Renegade

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Wow...this is pretty amazing when you think about it - the police publicly stating that they are only doing the minimum necessary to get by. The next step, walking off the job, is not too far away when you think about it.

CHICAGO— Serious crime is up but arrests are down in Chicago, and some police officers say they are working the streets less aggressively out of resentment toward their new chief and fear of being second-guessed by him.

"People are doing just what they need to get through" their shifts, said Lt. Robert Weisskopf, president of the Chicago police lieutenants union, "and not any extra."

In addition to making fewer arrests, police are seizing fewer guns and frisking gang members less often than they did before Superintendent Jody Weis was brought in to clean up a department embarrassed by a string of brutality cases, according to interviews, statistics provided by police and an internal document obtained by The Associated Press.

Department spokeswoman Monique Bond disputed the notion of any deliberate slowdown by police, saying, "There is nothing that we have to prove or support a theory like that."

She suggested instead that the drop in arrests means officers are focusing on serious crimes instead of such offenses as disorderly conduct and public drinking.
But some members of the police department, both publicly and privately, blame low morale and fear of investigation by Weis, a former FBI agent who took over in February.

/**/ "If I see a crime happening, I take action," said an officer who has more than 25 years on the force and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. "But I don't go out of my way to stop someone on a hunch or if they look suspicious. I don't want to be accused of racial profiling and run afoul of this guy who we know won't back us up."

Through the end of August, the department made 103,589 arrests (not including arrests for outstanding arrest warrants) compared with 117,971 for the same period last year, according to the department. The 5,600 guns recovered is roughly half as many as police seized in the same period in 2007, internal documents show.

Bookings in the Cook County Jail — where the vast majority of inmates come from Chicago — are down, too. In all but one month this year, the number of people booked into the jail was down from the same month a year earlier, sometimes by hundreds, according to data obtained by the AP through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Chicago has had 322 murders through Aug. 21, or 42 more than the number committed through the same date last year. Also, police have received 10,000 more calls from people about shots being fired, and the number of calls about gang disturbances has jumped by nearly 4,000, according to the department documents.

"It is de-policing," said city Alderman Isaac Carothers, who heads the committee that oversees the department. "They do their jobs, but they don't do their jobs as aggressively."

Nobody is suggesting that the more than 13,000 officers in the nation's second-largest police department aren't racing to crime scenes or faithfully pursuing investigations.

But among the slew of statistics kept by the department are "self-initiated" calls, or those in which officers stop and question people about possible drug or gang activity. Department figures show the total is down by more than 3,700 from the same period last year.

At a City Council hearing in July, Weis called the rising crime figures and falling arrest numbers "very troubling."

Weis has said officers have told him they are afraid of being sued or becoming the subject of complaints by criminals. Weis has told their commanders to drive home the message that he wants them to be aggressive and that "the department will have their back," Bond said.

Brought in with a mandate from Mayor Richard Daley to repair the reputation of a department, Weis shook things up almost immediately.

The first outsider to run the department in decades, Weis replaced 21 of 25 district commanders. He created a new Bureau of Professional Standards, which oversees the Internal Affairs Division, the unit that investigates officers.

He also started talking about getting police officers in better shape and ordered those on desk duty to hit the streets.

In addition, he asked federal officials to investigate an officer who had already pleaded guilty to beating a handcuffed man shackled to a wheelchair and was serving a two-year suspension. That angered the rank-and-file.

They felt the officer "did something wrong and he paid his debt to society," Weisskopf said. "But it was as if that wasn't good enough, 'We didn't get our complete pound of flesh."'

Since then, "guys feel the superintendent and the administration does not have their back," said John Pallohusky, president of the police sergeants union.

The mistrust grew after the department announced recently that every police car would be equipped with electronic tracking devices and officers would be asked to submit DNA samples at crime scenes.

"If you don't feel your bosses support you, are you going to stick your neck out?" Weisskopf asked.
 

jbone

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I say the Chief is doing his job and the officers are lazy, resistant to change and have dirty dealings to hide.

To me it sounds as if this new chief is doing something in the town and department that should have been done long ago."Shake up the good ole boys" and weed out the corrupt.
 

forever_frost

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It looks like the new super is doing their job. I think it's hilarious that the officers are ruffling so much. If they weren't beating people, then what do they have to worry about?
 

Huck

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jbone wrote:
I say the Chief is doing his job and the officers are lazy, resistant to change and have dirty dealings to hide.

To me it sounds as if this new chief is doing something in the town and department that should have been done long ago."Shake up the good ole boys" and weed out the corrupt.

That's it right there.And if they're doing their jobs in the manner that they're supposed to they have nothing to worry about.

All Police chiefs and Sheriffs should be doing this.
 

DenWin

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In addition, he asked federal officials to investigate an officer who had already pleaded guilty to beating a handcuffed man shackled to a wheelchair and was serving a two-year suspension. That angered the rank-and-file.
At first I had a problem with this one, you know, investigating some one for a crime they have already been found guilty of? But then I realize, it doesn't say WHAT he's being investigated for. It could be for something completely different.

All in all, I think this new Chief has it right. Change up the routines; get that lazy desk jockey in shape and back out there doing what he was primarily trained for; and then you figure out who's really who when people starting working with new partners from different districts. Put 'em on chairs, spin them around, and see who falls because they can't do the dirt they used to do.
 

Deanimator

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DenWin wrote:
In addition, he asked federal officials to investigate an officer who had already pleaded guilty to beating a handcuffed man shackled to a wheelchair and was serving a two-year suspension. That angered the rank-and-file.
At first I had a problem with this one, you know, investigating some one for a crime they have already been found guilty of? But then I realize, it doesn't say WHAT he's being investigated for. It could be for something completely different.

All in all, I think this new Chief has it right. Change up the routines; get that lazy desk jockey in shape and back out there doing what he was primarily trained for; and then you figure out who's really who when people starting working with new partners from different districts. Put 'em on chairs, spin them around, and see who falls because they can't do the dirt they used to do.
I'm pretty sure he's (Cozzi) is being prosecuted for Federal civil rights violations. That's a well established practice when local officials REFUSE to punish serious crimes by local police. It's how Klan terrorists were prosecuted before the Klan influence was rooted out of local justice apparatuses.

Chicago cops are enraged because misconduct and crimes are being PUNISHED. Chicago cops have been so accustomed to existing in a state of nature for so long that they've come to expect to receive no meaningful punishment for even the most horrific crimes. An officer got a THIRTY DAY SUSPENSION for KILLING a man and lying about it. The reaction of the Chicago PD to the shooting was to both parrot his lies and to attempt to suppress the Transit Authority video showing the cop shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head. And the former Superintendent of Police overruled the Police Board to do it.

Chicago cops have long been accustomed to being above the law. When somebody attempts to put them under the rule of law, they fly into an insane rage.
 

gsx1138

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It's funny and sad to see our law enforcement officers whining like child factory workers. Like everyone else stated it sounds like this new boss is doing her job. Do your job and you've got nothing to worry about.
 

RayBurton72

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Renegade wrote:
police are seizing fewer guns
5,600 guns recovered is roughly half as many as police seized in the same period in 2007

10,000 more calls from people about shots being fired,


In Chicago? I thought Chicago had some of the best gun-control laws in the country?:banghead:
 

Smurfologist

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RayBurton72 wrote:
Renegade wrote:
police are seizing fewer guns
5,600 guns recovered is roughly half as many as police seized in the same period in 2007

10,000 more calls from people about shots being fired,


In Chicago? I thought Chicago had some of the best gun-control laws in the country?:banghead:
And, they have some of the best guns, too!!

2nd Amendment........Use it........Or, lose it!!:X
 

Grapeshot

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Deanimator wrote:

I'm pretty sure he's (Cozzi) is being prosecuted for Federal civil rights violations. the Transit Authority video showing the cop shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head. And the former Superintendent of Police overruled the Police Board to do it.
Cite please.

Yata hey
 

Deanimator

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Grapeshot wrote:
Deanimator wrote:

I'm pretty sure he's (Cozzi) is being prosecuted for Federal civil rights violations. the Transit Authority video showing the cop shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head. And the former Superintendent of Police overruled the Police Board to do it.
Cite please.

Yata hey
Cite for what?
 

skidmark

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Deanimator wrote:
Grapeshot wrote:
Deanimator wrote:

I'm pretty sure he's (Cozzi) is being prosecuted for Federal civil rights violations. the Transit Authority video showing the cop shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head. And the former Superintendent of Police overruled the Police Board to do it.
Cite please.

Yata hey
Cite for what?
It's hard to cite a speculation. Also, checking the federal court dockets costs a subscription to the program that lets you do it - not an expense most folks want to pay if not absolutely necessary what with the rise in many other expenses right now.

I will second Deanimator's speculation that the estate of the victim has asked Justice to see if "shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head" might violate the victim's civil rights under the 14th Amendment and/or the 1964 Civil Rights Act. DOJ likes to see if they can build a case with a decent chance for a win before they issue indictments - because they hate losing.

stay safe/

skidmark
 

Deanimator

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skidmark wrote:
Deanimator wrote:
Grapeshot wrote:
Deanimator wrote:

I'm pretty sure he's (Cozzi) is being prosecuted for Federal civil rights violations. the Transit Authority video showing the cop shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head. And the former Superintendent of Police overruled the Police Board to do it.
Cite please.

Yata hey
Cite for what?
It's hard to cite a speculation. Also, checking the federal court dockets costs a subscription to the program that lets you do it - not an expense most folks want to pay if not absolutely necessary what with the rise in many other expenses right now.

I will second Deanimator's speculation that the estate of the victim has asked Justice to see if "shooting an unarmed, unresisting, NOT UNDER ARREST OR DETENTION man in the head" might violate the victim's civil rights under the 14th Amendment and/or the 1964 Civil Rights Act. DOJ likes to see if they can build a case with a decent chance for a win before they issue indictments - because they hate losing.

stay safe/

skidmark
Just for clarification, I was referring to two SEPARATE incidents.

1. Cozzi is the cop who beat the elderly man who'd been stabbed, while he was handcuffed to a wheelchair. He was given a ludicrous suspension and is trying to come back. Weis turned the Feds onto the case, and I believe Cozzi is being prosecuted for violating the old man's Federal civil rights.

2. The shooting of the unarmed man was the murder of Michael Pleasance by Officer (now Detective, he was PROMOTED!) Alvin Weems. In case anybody doesn't believe that it happened, here's a fascinating link to video of the actual murder:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/killedoncamera/

This case has already been tried in civil court and the City and Weems lost their behinds. $12.5 Million:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5836218

Despite what Chicago cops call the "ghetto lottery", Pleasance is still dead and the dangerously unstable (and dishonest) Weems is still aimlessly wandering the streets of Chicago, toting a gun and seemingly a license to kill.

Seriously, the Chicago Police Department is no better than some third world militia.
 

canadian

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I'm glad to hear this, and I hope he cleans Chicago up.A word of caution for the Chief, though: Remember what happened to Frank. Good luck.
 

Deanimator

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Huck wrote:
http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/killedoncamera/


And the @#$% who shot that guygot promoted? I'd be in prison for life or on death row if I'd done that! WTF?
They call him DETECTIVE Weems!

But it was an ACCIDENT... shooting a guy with a Ruger SP101 with the hammer DOWN, double action. We all know how light and silky smooth the double action of stock Rugers is. They just go off by themselves...
 

Grapeshot

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Surprised that the victim's family did not file a civil suit as was done vs OJ Simpson.

Better evidence by far in this instance!

Yata hey
 

Deanimator

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Grapeshot wrote:
Surprised that the victim's family did not file a civil suit as was done vs OJ Simpson.

Better evidence by far in this instance!

Yata hey
You must have missed this link in one of my posts:

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=5836218

$12.5 Million, and Weems was found individually liable along with the city.

When I'm in Apartheid Chicago for Christmas, I'll keep an eye on the overpasses I go through to see if he's living under one. ;)
 
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