POLICE FATALITIES UP 37 PERCENT NATIONWIDE

By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press

ATLANTA – Two officers in a remote Alaska town were ambushed as they chatted on a street. A California officer and deputy were killed by an arson suspect with a high-powered rifle as they tried to serve a warrant. Two other officers doing anti-drug work were gunned down by men along a busy Arkansas highway.
These so-called cluster killings of more than one officer helped make 2010 a particularly deadly year for law enforcement. Deaths in the line of duty jumped 37 percent to about 160 from 117 the year before, according to numbers as of Tuesday compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a nonprofit that tracks police deaths.
There also was a spike in shooting deaths. Fifty-nine federal, state and local officers were killed by gunfire in 2010, a 20 percent jump from last year's figures, when 49 were killed. The total does not include the death of a Georgia State Patrol trooper shot twice in the face Monday night in Atlanta as he tried to make a traffic stop.
And 73 officers died in traffic incidents, a rise from the 51 killed in 2009, according to the data.
Craig Floyd, director of the Washington-based fund, said the rise in fatalities could be an aftershock of the nation's economic troubles as officers in some communities cope with slashed budgets.
"We're asking our officers to do more with less. We're asking them to fight conventional crime, and we're asking them to serve on the front lines in the war against terror," he said.
Last year's toll of 117 officers killed was a 50-year low that encouraged police groups. But this year's total is more the norm than an anomaly: The number of police deaths has topped 160 five times since 2000, including 240 in 2001. The annual toll routinely topped 200 in the 1970s and before that in the 1920s.
The deaths were spread across more than 30 states and Puerto Rico — with the most killings reported in Texas, California, Illinois, Florida and Georgia. The two law enforcement agencies with the most deaths were the California Highway Patrol and the Chicago Police Department, each with five.
Ten of the shooting deaths came from five tragedies in which several officers were shot and killed in groups.
The cluster shootings started in February, when authorities say a Fresno County, Calif. deputy was shot by an arson suspect who had vowed to kill investigators and himself rather than go to prison. The killing led to a daylong gunbattle during which a police officer was also shot and killed. The gunman later killed himself.
In March, San Juan authorities say two park rangers serving as guards at Puerto Rico's Department of Natural Resources were gunned down by invaders who jumped a fence during an attempted robbery.
Two West Memphis police officers doing anti-drug work in May were shot to death by two men wielding AK-47s along an Arkansas interstate. The suspects were later killed in a shootout that injured the local sheriff and a deputy at a crowded Walmart parking lot.
In June, authorities say a man wanted for writing a bad check shot and killed two Tampa, Fla., police officers after he was pulled over at 2:15 a.m. And in August, a man was charged with killing two officers chatting in front of his home in the tiny Alaska village of Hoonah.
Maria Haberfeld, a professor of police science at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said the rise of community-oriented policing over the last few decades has also had the unintended consequence of lessening the public's respect for officers.
"It's a cascading effect of the people thinking police are here to serve and protect them on an individual basis" instead of acting as an arm of the government, she said. "We spend hours teaching children about Shakespeare and history, but we don't devote even an hour a week to the role of police in creating the world in which we live."
The uptick in traffic deaths also troubled analysts.
The research didn't reveal what led to many of the traffic deaths, partly because local departments often don't keep complete records those fatalities, said Floyd. But he said it suggests that more research is needed to investigate possible driver fatigue and distracted driving.
"We're asking citizens not to talk and text on their cell phones, but we're providing officers with laptop computers and cell phones and radios," he said. "That means taking their attention from the road. Are we putting too many distractions in police vehicles?"

It's like that fireman who was killed said. He left the police department because people no longer respect the police. With fewer police to back each other up, the punks are emboldened. They fight back. They are not taught to respect anything at home so why should they respect anything on the street. We need to have more police to combat these vermin. They need to be taught respect.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

TWO FIREFIGHTERS KILLED

 

Two firefighters died after a wall collapsed during a 3-11 alarm fire at an abandoned South Side commercial building this morning, authorities said. Fourteen other firefighters were injured, including two who were trapped with the ones who died.
Police squad cars escorted two ambulances north on Lake Shore Drive to Northwestern as ramps were closed to clear it of traffic, according to fire communications. One of the firefighters taken there has died, sources said. The condition of the other one was not known.
A third trapped firefighter, later identified as Corey Ankum, who had been with the department only 16 months, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died.
Late this morning, dozens of firefighters stood at attention, removing their caps and saluting, as Ankum's body was taken from the hospital and put in an ambulance. A police escort led the ambulance to the medical examiner's office.
A similar procession with a dozen department vehicles left Northwestern shortly after noon with the body of the firefighter who died there.
The fourth firefighter buried in the rubble, and as many as 12 other firefighters with undisclosed injuries, were also taken to hospitals. Fire officials and sources said 10 were stable and six were taken to hospitals in serious to critical condition, including the two who later died.
Four of the firefighters were taken to University of Chicago Hospital, where they were listed in fair condition and were expected to be released later today, said hospital spokesman John Easton.
The firefighters' deaths came on the 100th anniversary of a huge fire at the Union Stockyards that claimed the life of 21 Chicago firefighters, the single greatest loss in U.S. history of professional big-city firefighters until Sept. 11, 2001.
A dozen or fewer firefighters were in the building when the roof above them collapsed, said Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford. Firefighters searched through rubble for more than an hour as four trapped firefighters were pulled out and rushed to hospitals.
"They worked hard, got them out fast," said Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff at the scene.
He said the search was continued, with dozens of firefighters digging through rubble, because of the possibility that homeless people may have been in the building seeking shelter from the cold. Neighbors reported that squatters have been staying in the building, but no others were found in the rubble.
Firefighters -- their faces and uniforms covered in soot -- shook their heads as they embraced one another after the search was called off.
At Northwestern, about half a dozen police cars and several fire vehicles were parked in front of the emergency room. Truck 122 pulled up and three firefighters walked in, including a lieutenant. One firefighter from Truck 122 was on a cell phone and wiped away tears with his jacket.
Robert Smart, owner of the Smart Bros. Car Wash and Detailing next door to the burned building, said he arrived at his business at 7 a.m. to find the block swarming with firefighters.
He saw two people being brought out on stretchers, followed by two firefighters. He got a good look at one fireman. "He looked pretty bad," said Smart, adding the firefighter did not appear conscious.
Rescuers appeared to be trying to revive the injured firefighter in the middle of the street as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.
Jorico Smart, who with his father Robert have owned the car wash for 16 years, said he has called police at least a dozen times in recent years to report people trespassing in the abandoned building next door.
Smart characterized the trespassers as squatters. Last month, Smart's brother called police to report a break-in.
Chuck Dai, who co-owns the building with a younger brother, said he has been struggling to keep squatters from entering ever since his laundry business at the site failed about six years ago and he stopped paying property taxes on the site.
"It's been a tiresome battle just to keep it buttoned up and everything," said Dai, 61, speaking from another laundromat he owns nearby.
Though the property has been boarded up several times, he said, "somehow they managed to break in."
Dai said he had no idea how the fire started. He learned about the dramatic rescue attempt and the death of two city firefighters while watching the morning news in horror, he said.
"I'm pretty down right now," Dai said, his voice growing hoarse with emotion. "I'm at a loss for words about the whole situation. I feel bad about the firemen getting hurt."
The fire broke out about 6:54 a.m. in the abandoned one-story brick building in the 1700 block of East 75th Street.
The fire was raised to two and then three alarms to save the trapped firefighters. A "mayday" was called. Firefighters also reported having problems with frozen hydrants.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families.

BOGUS CALL

Man accused of making bogus 911 call for faster police response

A 57-year-old man called 911 this morning and told them a police officer was hurt to make Chicago police respond quicker to some sort of disturbance at his South Side home, authorities alleged.
The man, Tommy Boston, will have his day in court at 9 a.m. Jan. 27 after he was arrested for allegedly calling in the bogus report.
Boston, of the 700 block of East 92nd Place, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct/filing a false police report.
Police said Boston called 911 about 6:25 a.m.and told a dispatcher that an officer was down. When police arrived, they discovered no officers were injured at the location.

They should increase the penalty for these calls. A misdemeanor will not stop these clowns. Make him shovel his snow. He'd never do it again.

CABRINI GREEN

Good riddance. The buildings may be gone but the problems remain. They're just more spread out.

CARPET WAREHOUSE FIRE

IMPRESSIVE WIN

I have to admit I didn't think the Bears could win this week. They seem to have improved their offensive line enough to get the job done. With a performance like that against a blitz crazy team like Philadelphia and the awesome play of the defense, it might be time to start looking forward to another Superbowl run. The game against New England in two weeks will be another big test. We'll have to get through Detroit next though. Still it could be time to get excited about the Monsters of the Midway again.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

EMANUEL

Emanuel formally announces run for Chicago mayor

By DON BABWIN, Associated Press

CHICAGO – Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel officially announced his candidacy for mayor of Chicago Saturday, promising to fight any tax increase for city residents.
"We cannot ask taxpayers for more when families are struggling to stay afloat in this economy," he told supporters packing an elementary school auditorium on the city's North Side. "We cannot price Chicagoans out of their homes, their schools and their communities."...
"We cannot keep putting off hard choices and hoping things will get better, while drawing down each year on rapidly diminishing reserves."

You know what that means. If he wins, the front line city workers are in trouble. Politically he cannot cut services. He needs to go after personnel costs. 80% of those expenses are for police and fire. Another political hot potato. That leaves the 20% of us who have already taken furlough days and no pay for overtime. We're an easy target. My guess is lots of privatization. Of course this won't really save the city any money. But it's easier to hide the costs. And the kickbacks are tremendous. Then there's the pension. Don't plan on getting anything more than you would have gotten if you were eligible for social security. He has connections all the way up to the White House. He can get the laws changed and interpreted any way he likes. The shortfall is $600 million. We need new revenue. But they won't admit that until they are in such a deep hole there's no way out. In the meantime the city workers will pay for all the corruption, mismanagement and other sins of our politicians. And no city employee will be immune from the dismantling of our hard fought pensions.

OPEN POST

THE CHICAGO CODE - PROMO

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

TIME FOR SOME HOUSE CLEANING

Porn, short days, kickbacks in inspector general's report

By FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter

 
City of Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson had a full plate again in the past few months, and those investigations — outlined in a report Monday — were among the reasons why.

One of the most troubling irregularities Ferguson uncovered: contract irregularities at the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications that pose a “significant risk to the city’s emergency preparedness.” OEMC was accused of improperly routing a $23 million sole-source contract to a company — identified by City Hall sources as Schaumburg-based Motorola — when the deal should have been competitively bid.
To justify the no-bid contract, OEMC officials cited an earlier, $2 million deal with Motorola for similar technology. In fact, the earlier expenditure was $350,000. And that, too, was spent “without any contract or procurement process whatsoever,” Ferguson wrote.
“As a result, the city is now committed to a digital radio system that has never been the subject of any competitive procurement process,” Ferguson wrote.
The inspector general noted that his investigation was “ultimately frustrated” by the “debilitating combination” of “high turnover, endemic finger-pointing, poor or non-existent internal controls and missing paperwork.”
“OEMC’s long-running failure to effectively manage the procurement and contract process presents a significant risk to the city’s emergency preparedness, fiscal security and grant compliance,” the report states.
“The IGO is not suggesting that the city’s current emergency preparedness is substandard. We did not evaluate that. We merely note that bypasses of competitive bidding and purchase and contract protocols increases the risk of substandard outcomes in his critical realm.”
read more...

Wow. Who the hell keeps this scheme going? JA was involved the first time. Would AR and his crowd be dumb enough to do it too? Or was it someone else? With all the turnover and new faces on the tech floor it's hard to guess. I'm sure the whole management team is on their way out via the new mayor anyway. Looks like some of them will be gone sooner rather than later. What an embarrassment. We must have the most incompetent management personnel of any major emergency department in the country. They hold us up as the gold standard when the tours are shuffling through. It's all lies. We are no doubt on the edge of complete failure. Why were the zones forced over to the citywides last week? How long before we have a major meltdown? I just hope they hold the right people responsible.

2011 CITY BUDGET

They always seem to be able to cut a few communications operators and tradespeople. Why can't they ever eliminate management positions? I assure you, the place would run just fine without half of the dead weight that pass for bosses around here. read more...

THE RAISING OF THE BANNER

At last. Something Chicago can be proud about.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

John Garcia

October 4, 2010 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Cook County Board President Todd Stroger's deputy chief of staff was arrested Monday afternoon in the Loop in connection with her alleged role in a series of no-bid contracts, including one that went to a company she owned.
Authorities say deputy chief of staff Carla Oglesby is charged with three felonies and is being held on $75,000 bond.
Oglesby had no comment as police brought her to Area 4 headquarters Monday night.
read more...

That's awesome. What a pleasure to watch an arrogant puke like that with her hands cuffed behind her back. These people are unbelievable. They raised our sales tax to the highest rate in the country and then proceeded to take the money for themselves and their friends. I hope this ruins her. I bet she'll sing like a canary. Todd must be shittin' in his pants tonight. This is great.

EMERGENCY DRILL

 Loop Buildings Evacuated in Emergency Simulation

By ALLY CLARK and ANTHONY PONCE

Complete with realistic looking head wounds and burns, officials and volunteers conducted the first evacuation drill from the city's central business district in four years.
"The purpose of this exercise is to enhance the public and private sector relationships in order to coordinate and strengthen response capabilities," explained OEMC's Executive Director, Jose A. Santiago.
The drill was put together by Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications and included roughly 500 volunteers from AON and Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
read more...

It must have gone pretty well. If there were problems the news media would have been all over it. As it was I had trouble finding a story about it. I guess that's a good thing.

WILL SANTIAGO LEAVE?

Mayor's political workers ponder future

Most of the 956 likely to lose jobs as Daley leaves

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com

For 21 years, they've been the most stable jobs in town -- assuming you can stand the taskmaster boss and stomach the unpaid furlough days he imposed recently.
But now the 956 city policymakers who can be hired and fired at will by Chicago's mayor face the prospect of dusting off their resumes at the worst possible time.

Mayor Daley's decision to choose political retirement over the quest for a seventh term has left so-called "Shakman-exempt" employees -- who lack protection from the federal ban on political hiring and firing -- in the lurch.
Now they have to decide whether to stick around until the end -- and hope they can defy the odds and be retained by whomever succeeds Daley as mayor -- or start the exodus now.
It's not an easy decision in the midst of a jobless recovery that could soon see an influx of state workers in the same boat. ...

Two other veteran firefighters, who had been elevated to top jobs in other city departments, could be returned to the Fire Department before Daley departs, courtesy of the mayor's chief of staff, Ray Orozco, a former fire commissioner, sources said. They are O'Hare Airport security chief Richard Edgeworth and Jose Santiago, executive director of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
  read more...

It looks like we're in for big changes no matter who wins. I'm not sorry to see some of these ass kissers scrambling for jobs. They were never sorry about the people they laid off or let go. As long as the new regime doesn't mess with the front line workers, I'll be glad to watch city management replaced. As long as you're non-exempt, you should be safe. The rest are SOL.



Chicago 3-11 1326 S Michigan

PENSION PROBLEMS

How to Cheat a Retirement Fund

By ORIN S. KRAMER

A FEW weeks ago, at the insistence of the Securities and Exchange Commission, New Jersey agreed never again to fraudulently hide its underfunding of the state’s public pension system. Meanwhile, in Albany, Harry Wilson, the Republican candidate for state comptroller, has asserted that — if you do the math the way any ordinary financial analyst or economist would — New York’s pension system is underfunded by tens of billions of dollars and that, as a result, the state is essentially insolvent.
These little tempests are likely to soon recur in many other states and cities nationwide, because so many governments have invested far too little money in their public pension funds. Retirement promises made to public employees represent a huge hidden liability for future taxpayers — helping ensure recurrent deficit crises for state and local governments.
The S.E.C. is now making inquiries about the underfunding of other public pensions, and its assertiveness is welcome. But this effort cannot ultimately fix the problem, because all the S.E.C. can do is force states to follow the budgeting rules that are set by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board. These rules offer, at best, only the illusion of transparency, because they allow governments to base their budgets on economic fictions.
Consider, for the sake of comparison, how private corporations, in measuring the value of the assets in their pension systems, are required to use real portfolio market prices. Government accounting standards, in contrast, allow public pension systems to measure their assets based on average values looking back over a period of years. In most instances those average values add up to a figure that is much higher than the amount of money the pension plan actually has.
Public pension funds are also allowed to make assumptions about future investment returns that many of us would regard as overly optimistic. And since those assumed returns are incorporated into measurements of the fund’s status, as if they had already been realized, states that come up with the most rosy market forecasts look, on paper, to be better financed.
This government accounting mirage adds up to an enormous national problem. If you use the most recent data from government accounting standards, the collective shortfall for state and local governments nationwide appears to be about $1 trillion. If you use corporate accounting standards to estimate the value of those public pensions, however, you come up with a shortfall two and a half times as large — about $2.5 trillion. Employing a third approach that assumes, as economists generally do, that even corporate accounting standards in this area are too lenient, public pension underfunding is about $3.5 trillion, or one-quarter of gross domestic product.
To make matters worse for state budgets, hidden underfunding of public employees’ health retirement costs is even greater than that of their pensions.
Ideally, managers of public pension funds would not only work with realistic budgets but also recognize that they have intergenerational obligations — to optimize returns over decades so that the fund can responsibly pay retiree pensions long into the future. There’s a rising understanding among thoughtful pension fund leaders, for example, that sustainable investment performance must permit consideration of the environmental, human rights and other public-interest effects of investments. In practice, however, pension fund managers tend to focus on narrow economic criteria and short-term performance.
Ultimately, to respond to their fiscal imbalances, many state and local policymakers will need to make painful cuts in financing for state universities, hospitals, local schools and municipalities. Increasingly, they will make controversial decisions to privatize roads, parking meters and other public services.
When a government allows its fiscal problems to become too great — as New York City’s did in the 1970s — it reaches a point where it can no longer borrow money. Municipal bondholders may comfort themselves that the federal government would never allow a state to default. But the federal government should not be expected to provide special aid to states that do not address structural budget deficits. New York’s crisis allowed it to conduct some unprecedented budget-cutting — but the price of austerity is greatest if you wait for crisis to strike.
Accounting is inevitably an artificial language that can distort some economic truths. But at the least, government accounting should aim for greater transparency and consistency, allowing outsiders to compare one jurisdiction against another. At the same time, the social contracts that exist today in many places among taxpayers, beneficiaries of public services and public employees need to be renegotiated before a crisis arrives.

They say cities and states will have to start selling assets like tollways and parking meters to balance their pension funds. Ha. We're really screwed. Better load up on your 457b and whatever else you got. You may not have much else at retirement time. What a mess!

A SHOCKER

Daley says he will not run for re-election: 'It's time'

Mayor Richard Daley says he will not run for re-election in 2011, saying it's "time for me, it's time for Chicago to move on."

"The truth is I have been thinking about this for the past several months," Daley said at a City Hall news conference. "In the end this is a personal decision, no more, no less."
His wife Maggie stood by his side with the help of a crutch, smiling broadly as the mayor continued: "I have always known that people want you to work hard for them. Clearly, they won't always agree with you. Obviously, they don't like it when you make a mistake. But at all times, they expect you to lead, to make difficult decisions, rooted in what's right for them.
"For 21 years, that's what I've tried to do," he said. "But today, I am announcing that I will not seek a 7th term as mayor of the city of Chicago.
"Simply put, it's time," said Daley, 68. "Time for me, it's time for Chicago to move on."
The mayor said that "improving Chicago has been the ongoing work of my life and I have loved every minute of it. There has been no greater privilege or honor than serving as your mayor.

"Working alongside seasoned professionals, incredibly committed business and community leaders, and some of the most dedicated public employees you will ever expect, I have had the opportunity to expand, to build, to create, unite and compromise for the betterment of Chicago."
Daley spoke for less than five minutes and took no questions.
His announcement comes as he faces a record $655 million budget shortfall. Last month, the mayor said he's looking at hiring private firms to take over more city functions, including potentially running the Taste of Chicago, as a way to cut costs.
Daley limited his options this time around after raising property taxes in 2007, selling off parking meters and raising fees in 2008 and spending reserves last year. The mayor reiterated late last month that he won't be increasing taxes or fees or auctioning off more city assets.
The mayor joins at least a half-dozen aldermen already have said they won't seek re-election next year.
His decision also comes as Maggie continues to battle cancer. In March, she underwent surgery to strengthen a leg damaged by cancer and the resulting treatment.
The city's first lady has been battling metastatic breast cancer since 2002. In December, the mayor announced his wife would use a wheelchair to get around while undergoing radiation treatment for a cancerous bone tumor on her right leg.
Daley's decision sets off a major power scramble following more than 20 years of stifled political ambitions in city politics.
Daley was first elected mayor in 1989 following a failed bid in 1983. The mayor won re-election every four years since then, always with little to no opposition.
But Daley's public approval rating had dipped recently, with a Tribune poll earlier this summer showing that more than half of Chicago voters said they don't want to see him re-elected.
The poll found only 37 percent of city voters approve of the job Daley is doing as mayor, compared with 47 percent who disapprove. Moreover, a record-low 31 percent said they want to see Daley re-elected, compared with 53 percent who don't want him to win another term.
The mayor's administration has been buffeted by a spate of summer violence, a weak economy and a high-profile failure to land the 2016 Olympics. Dissatisfaction abounds, the survey found, over Daley's handling of the crime problem, his efforts to rein in government corruption and his backing of a controversial long-term parking meter system lease.
A few aldermen are shopping themselves around as potential candidates, and some politicians with broader political bases have been glad to see their names tossed into the ring -- but none had shown a willingness to challenge Daley.
Among aldermen discussed as potential mayoral candidates are Robert Fioretti, 2nd; Sandi Jackson, 7th; Thomas Allen, 38th; Scott Waguespack, 32nd; Brendan Reilly, 42nd; and Thomas Tunney, 44th.
Earlier this year, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel voiced his mayoral ambitions. But the former North Side congressman quickly added that he wouldn't take on Daley, for whom he served as a strategist and fundraiser in the mayor's first winning bid. Likewise, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said he won't run for mayor unless the office is open.
Outgoing Cook County Assessor James Houlihan, by contrast, was considered a potential candidate whether or not Daley runs again. Former Chicago Inspector General David Hoffman also has been mentioned, but he just lost a grueling Democratic U.S. Senate primary
-- John Byrne

Wow. I'm stunned.
This is going to make for a great election season. Who will run? What kind of dirt will come out? What were the real reasons behind Daley's decision? Can't wait for the answers.

FOUR MORE YEARS

Despite Talk, Potential Rivals for Daley Stand Back

Chicago News Cooperative

By DAN MIHALOPOULOS and MICK DUMKE

Published: September 4, 2010

 

Many Chicago political axioms have come under assault from reformers and federal prosecutors in recent years, including “Where’s mine?” and “We don’t want nobody nobody sent.” But “You can’t beat somebody with nobody” remains as true as ever with the 2011 mayoral election less than six months away.
Despite polls showing that he is less popular now than at any other point in his 21-year tenure, Mayor Richard M. Daley seems poised to glide into his seventh term over what appears to be weak opposition.
In a city where one Richard Daley or the other has been mayor for 42 of the last 55 years, it is much easier to criticize the boss than to find a candidate who can raise the campaign money, build the citywide stature needed, and clearly articulate an alternative plan to lead Chicago. The few who might be most capable are unwilling to cross Mayor Daley and prefer to wait until the 67-year-old mayor steps down voluntarily.

Several potentially strong candidates did not deny that they would love to have the job — but only if Mr. Daley bows out, something he appears unlikely to do now, if ever. In that category are Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff and former mayoral campaign aide, as well as Tom Dart, the Cook County sheriff.
A handful of local elected officials, including Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Alderman Robert Fioretti (2nd Ward) and State Representative John Fritchey have ramped up their criticisms of Mr. Daley. None have committed to challenging the mayor in the February election, but if they do, even some mayoral critics doubt that they could mount an effective insurgent campaign.
Pondering their options most loudly are Mr. Fioretti and Mr. Waguespack, two freshmen City Council members. At this point, though, both are circulating nominating petitions to run for re-election as aldermen, not for mayor. Each would begin a mayoral campaign with a fraction of the nearly $1.5 million that Mr. Daley has in his political war chest, state records show.
“It’s almost like Daley wins by default,” said Don Rose, a veteran Democratic consultant. “He is more vulnerable than four years ago. I just don’t see a formidable figure who is willing to challenge him.”
Mr. Rose played central roles in two of the biggest political surprises in the city’s history: Jane Byrne’s election as mayor in 1979, and the 1983 victory of Harold Washington, the first black mayor of Chicago. But this time, Mr. Rose said, he does not see the makings of a close race, much less an upset.
“It’s going to take something more than a Fioretti or a Waguespack,” he said.
As has been his custom, Mr. Daley has not yet announced whether he will run for re-election. But William Daley, the mayor’s brother and longtime political adviser, told the Chicago News Cooperative last week that he expected him to seek a seventh term. William Daley said he was skeptical that potential challengers who have recently emerged would end up on the ballot next year.
“We’ve seen this movie six times,” he said.
Other mayoral supporters echoed William Daley’s expectation that his brother was not ready to step down from the office he has held without serious challenge since 1989.
“He seems totally engaged in it — not that he enjoys every minute,” said John Schmidt, the mayor’s first chief of staff. “The economy has made his job much more difficult.”
The mayor’s notoriously prickly skin is pulled thinner than ever as the city’s budget deficit grows to record levels. The dire economic times have emboldened some elected officials to increasingly distance themselves from the mayor.   read more...

The politics in this city and this state are pathetic. No one will run because they like it the way it is. One of them is more crooked than the next. They're all in on it. You can't believe a word any of them say. This town is run by a few political and outfit families. They can't be touched. Period. No one will ever do anything about it. Not the feds. Not the IG. Not any of the cowardly Alderthieves. The Shankster will die in office. He can't let anyone see the books or he goes to jail. So he stays. We're stuck with him. And it will cost us.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Napolitano vows fire service support at FRI

The Department of Homeland Security leader praised first responders, saying homeland security begins with hometown security

By Jamie Thompson

FireRescue1 Senior Editor

CHICAGO — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano pledged continued support to the fire service during a keynote speech at the opening of Fire-Rescue International on Thursday.

"Even in the context of very tight budget times at the federal level, we will do everything in our power to support you, firefighters and emergency first responders who are working globally to keep us safe," she told the audience in Chicago.
Napolitano went on to explain how homeland security begins with hometown security, praising the people "on the frontlines who dedicate themselves to keeping our communities safe every day.
She told the audience the federal government has worked to ensure the fire service is adequately funded despite the ongoing financial crisis.
"Through homeland security grants and the Recovery Act, we are helping local fire departments protect the jobs of veteran firefighters, rebuilding fire stations across the country, and providing first responders with the tools they need to do their jobs," she said.
Napolitano went on to say changes will be made to grant programs, which, she claimed, would increase funding and flexibility as a means to build upon the "culture of preparedness."
Before her keynote address, Mayor Richard Daley asked the audience for a moment of silence to remember fallen Chicago firefighter Christopher Wheatley, who died earlier this month after falling from a ladder at the scene of a restaurant fire.
Following the opening ceremonies at the conference, Napolitano joined Mayor Daley to tour the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications and met with public and private sector stakeholders, law enforcement officials and first responders.

The center looked good for the dog and pony show. New paint, clean floors, even the display case got its' lighting fixed. Of course they only show off what they want the visitors to see. It's all bullshit. Next time she should just send a check if she really wants to help out. Of course that would only get stolen anyway. She could have at least brought some steaks for the cookout.

OPEN POST

SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS

CBS reported a story from Chicago about surveillance cameras and privacy issues. My view is that cameras are a good idea as long as you don't use them to replace the real police. You can't expect much privacy in public these days anyway. With the pervasive use of video and cell phone cameras you might be recorded at any given time. They are used to record the police all the time. We might as well use them against criminals when we can.

The story features Commander Lewin who is moving the public safety unit to the OEMC. His people are occupying much of the second floor. Seems the city is finally moving to restructure the technical floor after the failure of JA and his minions.

RIP FIREFIGHTER WHEATLEY

CHICAGO BREAKING NEWS

Deanese Williams, Pat Curry, Dawn Rhodes

Christopher Wheatley always wanted to be a firefighter.

He studied hard and trained even harder, his colleagues recalled just hours after he plunged to his death this morning while battling a fire at a West Loop restaurant.
"It's not going to be easy," said Scott Buckley, who worked with Wheatley at Engine Co. 5. "He'll always he part of our team. ... He'll never be replaced."
Wheatley, 31, was carrying an ax and a hose up a fire escape on the side of Avec restaurant, 615 W. Randolph, when he fell about 35 feet around 12:30 a.m., according to Fire Cmsr. Robert Hoff.
He was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 1:19 a.m. Dozens of police and fire cars, their lights flashing, lined the streets as Ambulance 15 carried Wheatley's body to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Officers silently saluted.
Fire officials said the last firefighter to die while on duty was William Grant, who died on the way to a call when the fire truck he was in collided with a bus and flipped over. The last time a firefighter died while battling a fire was February 1998, when Patrick King and Anthony Lockhart were killed fighting a blaze a tire store in Beverly.
Wheatley was responding to a grease-chute fire at the restaurant when he slipped while carrying up to 75 pounds of equipment, officials said.
"They had to go up to the roof to open the area where the grease chute extended through," Hoff said, his voice choking up. "Firefighter Christopher Wheatley was making his way up to the roof on a ladder that was attached to the building, carrying his equipment. Apparently he slipped and fell to the ground, causing critical injuries.
"They worked to save his life but it was too late," Hoff said. "He left a mother, father, a sister, and a fiance. He was one of our finest."
Wheatley became a paramedic in 2000 and a firefighter in 2008. Hoff said Wheatley was very well-liked and always had a smile on his face. "He was one of our best."
Firefighters at Wheatley's firehouse talked about his strength and his passion for his job.
"Chris always wanted to be a firefighter," said Brian Reese, with Engine Co. 5. "He was young, he was strong, he was aggressive.
"We're going to miss his strength, his enthusiasm," he added. "The way he brought a smile to the firehouse will be missed."
Buckley called Wheatley "a great guy, a step-up guy, great shape, worked out every day."
"He loved his sports, loved to ride on his boat with his fiance, loved his family."
Both Reese and Buckley said Wheatley was extremely dedicated, taking rescue training courses and teaching classes himself on off days.
"He brought enthusiasm and fun to the firehouse," said. "We have a serious job -- we have to be at the top of our game -- but you also have to have some fun at the firehouse to lighten up how hard our job is, how difficult."
Friends said Wheatley was a big sports fan -- particularly the Bears.
"I'm sure you'll find plenty of people who will sing his praises," said a neighbor in the building where Wheatley lived on the Near West Side. "I pray for these guys every day."

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all of the CFD.

THANKS TO IN AND AROUND GARFIELD RIDGE

This sounds far and it is but I used to work there and it took me 40 minutes from Garfield Ridge. The incentives are great there. I left only because I could not work full time any longer....


DU-COMM

DuPage Public Safety Communications

600 Wall Street

Glendale Heights, IL 60139

Phone: 630-260-7500

Website: www.ducomm.org

Salary: $44,054 - $70,678

Application Deadline: 8/11/10

9-1-1 Telecommunicator (Full-time)

Glendale Heights, IL

DuPage Public Safety Communications (DU-COMM) is among the largest consolidated 9-1-1 communications centers within the state of Illinois. DU-COMM is a 24 hour, 7 day a week operation serving 30 Fire/Police/EMS agencies throughout DuPage County. DU-COMM is currently seeking 9-1-1 Telecommunicator applicants that have the desire to work in an exciting, challenging and rewarding career field.

Telecommunicator job duties include:

Answering 9-1-1 telephones

Transmitting vital information to emergency personnel via the radio

Relaying information via the Computer-Aided Dispatch terminal

Monitoring fire/burglar alarms

Answering administrative lines serving the police/fire personnel

Salary:

Telecommunicators have a starting salary of $44,054 with an increase to $46,030 after successfully completing 6-9 months of training

The current union contract pay scale allows for a top salary of $70,678 after just six years of service if you are a cross trained Telecommunicator

Benefits:

Employees start earning paid time off at an accrual rate of 8 hours bi-weekly, totaling 208 hours a year after they are phone certified (approximately 6 weeks from hire)

Additional benefits consist of:

Extended sick leave allowance

IMRF retirement plan

Excellent insurance packages for medical, dental, vision, and life

Advancement opportunities include:

Telecommunicator III (trained on both police and fire dispatching)

Communications Training Officer (CTO – help in the training of new hires and continuing education)

Operator In Charge (OIC – assists Operations Managers in administrative and supervisory functions)

Language Operator (LNG – bi-lingual in Spanish or other designated languages such as: Polish, Farsi, Vietnamese, and Mandarin)

Requirements:

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent

Applicants must be able to accurately type at least 35 wpm
Applicants must be able to pass the applicant testing, full police background investigation, polygraph test, psychological exam and medical screenings

Schedule flexibility and multi-tasking are fundamental

Employees will rotate on all 3 shifts during their first 2 years, therefore all applicants must have the ability to work any of the 3 shifts, weekends and holidays along with overtime that maybe mandatory.
Beneficial Qualifications:
Previous experience in a public safety environment

Experience with multi-line telephone equipment

Bi-Lingual Spanish/English skills

Computer/data entry experience

Applications are available starting August 1, 2010 at:
http://www.ducomm.org/
OR
At our facility:
600 Wall Street
Glendale Heights, IL 60139

Applications will be accepted until August 11, 2010 at 1 PM.
Mandatory orientation and group testing will be held on September 1, 2010 in the early evening.
Space is limited for this testing. Applications will be processed on a first come first served basis.

JUMPING SHIP

City Council May Look Much Different Next Year

Up To A Third Of Aldermen Talking About Leaving

CBS

The Chicago City Council could look very different next year, with nearly one third of the 50 aldermen saying they might call it quits.

Ald. Helen Shiller (46th), who has represented the Uptown neighborhood in the City Council since 1987, said this week that will not run for reelection in 2011. Shiller told CBS 2's Jim Williams that 80 percent of her time is spent running her office and taking care of the needs of her the ward, and she wants to focus instead on public policy.
But numerous other aldermen say they might step down.
• Ald. James Balcer (11th), who represents the Bridgeport area, has most recently said he hopes to run for reelection, but he has been thinking of retirement since a recent health scare, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. The 11th Ward includes Mayor Richard M. Daley's native neighborhood, and some have suggested the mayor's nephew, Patrick Thompson, could take over, the Sun-Times reported.
• Ald. Ed Smith (28th), who represents several neighborhoods on the West Side, is also weighing calling it quits, the Sun-Times reported. Five years ago, Smith weighed the idea of running for Cook County Board president if then-President John H. Stroger Jr. didn't run for reelection, but Smith backed down when the late Stroger decided to run. Smith also ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Eugene Moore for Cook County Recorder of Deeds in 2008.
• Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th), who represents the Edgewater neighborhood and parts of neighboring Uptown and Andersonville, told the Sun-Times that she is "really struggling with" whether to retire, given that she has some major projects still pending.
• Ald. Vi Daley (43rd) whose ward includes the Lincoln Park neighborhood, only told the Sun-Times she would "say something soon" about her future;
• Ald. Virginia Rugai (19th) of the Beverly neighborhood is reportedly considering not running for reelection.
• Ald. Patrick Levar (45th) of the Far Northwest Side is suffering from prostate cancer, and has said he plans to run, but has told colleagues he might not be able to handle a difficult campaign, the Sun-Times reported. Levar is chairman of the City Council Aviation Committee.
• Ald. Frank Olivo (13th) of the Southwest Side has said he wants to retire, but his ward committeeman, House Speaker Michael Madigan, doesn't want him to, the Sun-Times reported.
• Ald. Berny Stone (50th), who has the West Rogers Park neighborhood since 1973, tells the Sun-Times he hasn't made up his mind about running again, but will do so before Aug. 24. He was forced into a runoff against opponent Naisy Dolar in 2007. Some observers have speculated that his daughter and chief-of-staff, Ilana Stone Feketitsch, might run for his old seat.
Some other aldermen might leave the City Council for mayoral runs. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) has said he would consider running, out of frustration with the waste and mismanagement of the Daley years. Aldermen Robert Fioretti (2nd) and Tom Allen (38th) have also talked about running.
Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) has also said he might run if Mayor Richard M. Daley chooses to retire. Mayor Daley has not yet said whether he's running for reelection.
Also, if Ald. Toni Preckwinkle (4th) wins the race for Cook County Board president in November, she will also leave the City Council. Preckwinkle defeated incumbent Todd Stroger in the Democratic primary, and now faces Republican Roger Keats.

Now's our chance. If we can't change mayors maybe we can get some new aldermen. We need pro-union, pro-police, pro-firefighter representatives. People are fed up with the machine so there should be some good options. Look for desirable candidates and vote.

ANY COST CUTTING IDEAS?

Chicago facing $654.7 budget shortfall, aldermen told

And things could get even worse to pay for firefighter claims

By FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter

SUNTIMES

Mayor Daley has ruled out a pre-election property tax hike — but other tax increases, layoffs and a raid on previously sacred economic development funds are “on the table” — to erase a record $654.7 million budget shortfall that could rise considerably.
"There's nothing off the table, other than the property tax increase," Budget Director Gene Munin said Friday, insisting that spending cuts would come first.
After unveiling the city's $6.3 billion preliminary budget, Munin acknowledged that another raid on parking meter and Chicago Skyway reserves was "not a long-term solution" because revenues generated by the sale of those assets are "finite." But he didn't rule it out.
"We will take a look at that after we look at the expense side, just like we would look at other revenue items," he said.
Under pressure from aldermen, Munin also opened the door to a possibility that Daley had previously foreclosed: declaring a surplus in tax-increment-financing districts — known as TIF districts and used for economic development — and distributing the unallocated revenue to the city and other local government agencies.
That would have the added advantage of easing the budget crisis at the Chicago Public Schools, since schools get 53.5 percent of that money. The city gets just over 20 percent.
Year-end audits show Chicago’s 159 tax-increment financing districts had a collective balance of $1.2 billion on Dec. 31, with all but $37.1 million of that money uncommitted. But Munin insisted that the unallocated figure is more like $700 million.
"There's obviously a price to be paid if you do that," Munin said. "That's an economic development tool. To declare a surplus, distribute it, get the city's share back in a much smaller amount and not be able to build police stations, firehouses and public libraries ... is a serious policy discussion we're gonna have to have."
Ald. Tom Allen (38th) countered, "That's the only logical place to find revenue. There's nowhere else to go. It's a recurring revenue stream. If that causes us to hold off on spending TIF money on building projects, we have to take that step."
Ald. Pat O'Connor (40th), the mayor's unofficial City Council floor leader, agreed that it's time to talk about raiding Daley's favorite piggy bank for economic development projects.
With the February 2011 election fast approaching, the only thing O'Connor would rule out is turning to Chicago taxpayers.
"My belief is that a tax increase [of any kind] would not be entertained under anybody's scenario. People can't afford it," he said.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that the 2011 budget shortfall would approach a record $700 million when the cost of police and fire contracts are factored in, setting the stage for another raid on the parking meter and Skyway reserves.
On Friday, Munin confirmed that grim news during closed-door aldermanic briefings, citing a continuing decline in the real estate transfer tax and other “economically sensitive” revenues.
The shortfall is the highest in Chicago history. But it could rise considerably to expand curbside recycling and resolve claims tied to a landmark ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on the city's discriminatory handling of a 1995 firefighters entrance exam. The preliminary budget merely anticipates that 130 bypassed black firefighters will be hired. It does not include back pay and benefits for those plaintiffs.
During Friday’s briefings, aldermen also demanded that the city hire more police officers — beyond the 100 new officers the mayor promised.
“This budget is an absolute nightmare. We have a massive structural deficit,” Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd) said.
“Borrowing [from reserves] and future asset leases are not going to get us out of this problem. We need to make some deep painful cuts this year. We can't afford a 36,000-strong workforce with dramatically declining revenues.”
Reilly suggested something unheard of for City Hall: “zero-based” budgeting. That would force every city department to justify each and every position.
“We’re gonna need to look at getting out of certain types of businesses and focusing on the city's core mission: public safety, infrastructure and economic development. If a department doesn't fit into one of those three boxes, we need to talk about eliminating it,” Reilly said.
Munin acknowledged that the city has reopened discussions with union leaders about another round of furlough days, comp time instead of cash overtime and other concessions. Those agreements, which require the equivalent of 24 annual unpaid furlough days, expire on June 30, 2011.
Over the years, TIFs have become Daley's favorite — and he says only — economic development tool, diverting tens of millions of dollars from the city, Chicago Public Schools and other local taxing districts.
Within the boundaries of a TIF, property taxes are frozen at their current levels for 23 years.
When the value of property increases, the added tax revenue is set aside for infrastructure improvements needed to lure businesses to the area and subsidies for those that agree to come.

I suggest we start cutting at City Hall on the 5th floor. City workers and tax payers have done enough. This ship is top heavy.

NEW LAW

Prank 911 calls to carry stiffer penalty
by Monique Garcia CHICAGO TRIBUNE 
People found guilty of making a false 911 call to an emergency response center soon will face up to three years in prison.
Gov. Pat Quinn today signed into a law a measure he said is aimed at properly punishing those who put law enforcement officers' lives in danger by placing prank emergency calls.
The legislation was crafted after Kankakee County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Stukenborg was severely injured when his squad car blew a tire and flipped several times while responding to a false call reporting five dead bodies in November 2009.
Because of a loophole in state law, the woman who placed the call could only be charged with a misdemeanor because the call was made to an emergency call center, not a law enforcement office. Quinn's signature closes that loophole, making it a felony that could result in three years in prison and a $25,000 fine. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1.
"What we're trying to say is that our police officers and our law enforcement are very, very dear to all of us in this state," said Rep. Lisa Dugan, a Kankakee Democrat who sponsored the legislation. "There are consequences to those who believe that it's in anybody's best interest to make a false 911 call which will put people in to even more danger."
Stukenborg has spent the past several months recuperating at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where Quinn signed the bill.
"Hopefully it will be a deterrent so that in the future no family has to go through what my family has been through due to a false 911 call ever again," Stukenborg said.

I don't think it will make much difference. If someone is willing to make a false report to 911, they are not worried about a misdemeanor.

CHICAGO GUN VIOLENCE

Why they won't stop shooting in Chicago

BY MARK J. KONKOL AND FRANK MAIN Staff Reporters

SUNTIMES

This is the story of why they won’t stop shooting in Chicago.

It’s told by the wounded, the accused and the officers who were on the street during a weekend in April 2008 when 40 people were shot, seven fatally.
Two years later, the grim reality is this: Nearly all of the shooters from that weekend have escaped charges.
“You don’t go to jail for shooting people,” says Dontae Gamble, who took six bullets that weekend, only to see his alleged shooter walk free.
“That’s why m------------- think they can get back on the streets and kill again. You feel me?”
So far, not one accused shooter has been convicted of pulling the trigger during those deadly 59 hours from April 18-20 of that year, a Chicago Sun-Times investigation has found.
Only one suspected triggerman — a convicted armed robber caught with the AK-47 he allegedly used to blow away his boss — is in jail awaiting trial.
Three other victims said they know who shot them but refused to testify. And after Gamble took the witness stand against the guy who he says shot him, a judge ruled Gamble wasn’t credible because of his criminal record and found the suspect not guilty.
Six murders from that 2008 weekend remain unsolved. And time’s running out to catch the bad guys who shot 29 other people that weekend because there’s a three-year statute of limitations on aggravated batteries with firearms.
Odds are, most of those cases will remain unsolved. The Chicago Police Department’s batting average for catching shooters has fallen to an alarmingly low level.
Detectives cleared 18 percent of the 1,812 non-fatal shootings last year. They were slightly better in catching killers — 30 percent of murders were cleared in 2009.
But here’s the catch: When police “clear” a case, that doesn’t always mean a suspect got convicted — or even charged.
Sometimes police seek charges against a suspect, but the state’s attorney won’t prosecute without more evidence. Other times, the shooter is dead, or the victim refuses to testify after identifying the shooter. Cops call those “exceptional” clearances.
Police don’t include the number of exceptional clearances in their annual report to the FBI. The Sun-Times obtained the data through the Freedom of Information Act.
Even though detectives cleared 18 percent of non-fatal shootings last year, almost half of those were cleared exceptionally, the records show. That means more than 90 percent of those gunmen weren’t charged.
And that has a real impact on street violence.
“The certainty of punishment is very, very low in Chicago, and that’s going to embolden people,” said defense attorney Thomas Needham, who was a top legal adviser to former police Supt. Terry Hillard. “It’s going to lead to less fear by the people who are going to consider shooting. That’s very alarming.”
Jose Bravo, Willie Brown and Dontae Gamble — all men who survived bullets during this one violent weekend in Chicago — are faces of a real problem.
When victims won’t cooperate or have shaky credibility on the witness stand, the overwhelming odds are the people who shot them won’t go to prison.

It's outrageous that our legal system cannot lock up these vermin who are terrorizing our city. Every time an officer or citizen is killed we read about how often the offender was arrested for gun crimes and other despicable acts. When are we going to hold the people who run this city accountable? The politicians and reverends get in front of the camera and talk about gun laws and saving the children. Then they pass laws that allow judges to set these animals free and help hide the same cowards who are doing the shooting. You can't have it both ways. If you want safe neighborhoods you have to elect tough leaders who are willing to put the murderers in jail and you have to turn in the people in your neighborhoods who are committing the crimes. Once the people see that the gang bangers and hoodlums are going away for long sentences, they will be more willing to come forward and testify. It starts at the top. We need tough new leaders in Chicago.

DETROIT FIRES

There are a huge number of abandoned properties in Detroit. A sad statement for a once great city. Let's hope Chicago can avoid this fate.

WILL DALEY RUN AGAIN?

• Can you imagine Chicago without a Mayor Daley in charge? It could happen sooner than you think. It may be time for the mayor to move on, and not run for re-election.
• The heat is not all that's hot in Chicago. There is anger burning the police department over the murder of another cop, and fear and tension sizzling the streets.
• And in response to that weekend public opinion poll showing Mayor Daley's popularity under 50 percent, the wards and precincts are on fire with speculation.
• Every politician in town -- aldermen, congressmen, assemblymen, committeemen, you name him or her -- all of them trying to find out if the mayor's planning to run for re-election.
• The only way to know if he is or isn't, is to know one of three people: the mayor himself, his wife Maggie or his brother Bill, who is the only person in politics who is in on every move the mayor makes.
• Bill's been saying in public that he doesn't know what his brother's planning to do. In private, he's been saying the mayor intends not to run again - because he wants more time to spend with Maggie, and the job isn't fun anymore.
• Not enough money in the budget, and too much hostility in the press.
• Bill Daley saying that Rich Daley is thinking 'no' is a big shift in the gusty winds of Chicago politics, and a big story to begin to tell.

Could it be true? Could he step down? Who would step up? This could get interesting. I don't really trust Walter's information. But you never know.

OFFICER DOWN

Officer Mike Bailey

• A police officer coming home after an overnight shift guarding Mayor Richard Daley's home was shot and killed this morning in the South Side's Park Manor neighborhood by men apparently trying to steal his car or rob him, police said.
• Ald. Freddrenna Lyle, whose ward includes the officer's home, identified him as Michael R. Bailey. The 62-year-old officer, a 20-year veteran due to retire in weeks, was shot at about 6:20 a.m. in the 7400 block of South Evans Avenue and pronounced dead at 6:41 a.m. at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said.
• A detective on the scene said Bailey was assigned to the Central District and had been stationed overnight at the mayor's home.
• The incident marked the third shooting death of an off-duty Chicago police officer in the last two months. On July 7, Officer Thor Soderberg had just gotten off work and was heading to a volleyball game when he got into a struggle with a man who took his gun and shot him. On May 19, Officer Thomas Wortham IV was shot outside his parents' home in Chatham.
• Like Wortham, Bailey was killed when assailants tried to rob him. Wortham's killers tried to steal his motorcycle, while the assailants in today's crime may have tried to steal the officer's car.
• Relatives of the officers also came to their aid when the shootings occurred; Wortham's father, a retired Chicago police officer, came out of his home and opened fire on his son's assailants, while the son of the officer killed today tried to go after his father's assailants with one of his father's guns.
• Reached this morning, Daley spokeswoman Jacquelyn Heard said that the mayor was familiar with the officer.
• "The mayor is stunned like the rest of us -- another uniformed officer needlessly gunned down," she said.
• Beatrice Cuello, assistant superintendent for administration for the Police Department, spoke this morning outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital before a police motorcade took the officer's body to the medical examiner's office.
• "Words cannot express the shock, sorrow and outrage we feel at the loss of a Chicago police officer; this is the third brave officer killed since May," she said. "The job of being a police officer is incredibly rewarding each day we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. At the same time, being a Chicago police officer is incredibly dangerous and it is the risk we accept without hesitation because of the overwhelming commitment to public service."
• She said the latest officers killed, "embodied the commitment to public service and the willingness to sacrifice their lives protecting all of us." (Click HERE to listen to an audio recording.)
• Mark Donahue, president of the police union, called the officer's death a "great loss."
• "The frequency which we are experiencing this is extremely disturbing, but it does go along with what's happening in our communities," Donahue said. "It's unfortunate. Times have come where we have to readjust with how we police, to bring situations like this to an end.
• "It's time to let the police be the police and take the handcuffs off the police ... tighten up the rules and regulations in our court system. We need to do something." (Click HERE to listen to an audio recording.)
• At the scene this morning, a black Buick with a bullet hole in the windshield. Near the car were up to 17 police evidence markers, apparently showing the locations of shell casings and what appeared to be a handgun.
• Bailey, who had just gotten home and was still in his uniform, was cleaning the glass of his recently purchased 2010 black Buick when up to three men approached to steal his car, a source said. The officer identified himself and there was an exchange of gunfire between the officer and at least one of the men, the source said.
• The officer was struck multiple times by gunfire, and the men fled and were being sought this morning, the source said. Three handguns, including one belonging to the officer and another believed to belong to the assailants, were found at the scene.
• The source added that the officer's son, who was home at the time, grabbed his father's gun and ran outside after he saw his father on the ground. It was unclear if the son fired any shots at the attackers.
• According to police communications, officers are seeking a older model tan Ford pickup truck that may have bullet holes in one door. It was last seen heading south on Evans.
• Police are also looking for a black male in his late teens or early 20s, with a tall, slim build and very short hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans with a long brown belt and was last seen running east across a vacant lot near the scene.
• At the scene, neighbor Ericka White, 14, said she was sitting on her porch shortly after 6 a.m. when she heard several gunshots.
• "We just heard it. Shots went off three times, stopped and went off two more times," she said. "We ran inside the house when we heard the shooting."
• Another neighbor, Aleiya Harrington, 14, said she saw the officer putting things in the car every morning around 6 a.m.
• Estephanie Tatum said she received a phone call from the officer's wife at 6:11 a.m. who told Tatum that he was shot.
• Tatum, who said the officer was godfather to her two sons, said she met him when they were classmates at Chicago State University.
• "In college he was free spirit. When he told me he wanted to be a cop, I was shocked. I said, 'They gonna let us be a police?' "
• She described him as a "great Zen master," saying he did Tai Chi.
• Vincent Dove, 32, of Dolton knew Bailey's children and grew up a few houses away from the officer's home. A relative called him this morning to let him know about the shooting in his old neighborhood.
• He said the officer served as an inspiration in the community, Dove said, adding that he graduated high school and college thanks to the officer's urging.
• "Back in high school, I could have gone two different ways," said Dove."He'd tell me that my mom worked too hard for me not to go to school."
• Investigators from the Independent Police Review Authority, the agency that investigates police-involved shootings, were on the scene.

Another terrible loss. May he rest in peace. God bless his family.

OPEN POST - HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND

IG QUARTERLY REPORT

IGO Case # 08-0574
An IGO investigation revealed that an Office of Emergency Management (OEMC) employee,
Employee A, knew or should have known that an OEMC filing to the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) by a supervisor was false. The false filing was made to obtain new radio
channels.
Page 10 of 20
During its investigation, the IGO discovered that a firm OEMC hired as a consultant for FCC
issues did not have a contract with the City. Instead OEMC paid the firm by routing payments
through unrelated contracts with other vendors who did have City contracts, effectively serving
as pass-throughs, and charging the City an additional premium for doing so, all in clear violation
of the City’s procurement policies and procedures. The investigation found that Employee B
failed to ensure that the contractual payments OEMC made to the firm were appropriate. In
addition, the firm failed to fully cooperate with the IGO’s investigation.
The IGO recommended that: (i) Employee A be suspended for 30 days, (ii) Employee B be
suspended for 14 days, (iii) the firm be permanently debarred, and (iv) the pass-through contract
vendors be required to return their mark-up premiums to the City.
OEMC suspended Employee A for 30 days as recommended, Employee B for 5 days, less than
recommended, and debarment proceedings against the firm have been initiated. The City did not
seek the return of the mark-up premiums from the pass-through vendors.

Maybe this will keep some people honest around here.

FIRE VIDEO

FROM THE EMAIL

Hey, quick question and I am sure you get lots of there:


A friend of a friend took the test for OEMC and they said they were number 40 on the list and they hired 31. Do you know how often they hire or if they plan on hiring again soon? I am just amazed they hired 31 like they say! Anyway I appreciate any info you have. Normally I would of just told the person who asked me "how the hell would I know?" but this guy is so nice I could not give him the "business"

I appreciate any info you may have...

Have a great day!

RIP OFFICER SODERBERG

• CHICAGO (CBS)
• A veteran Chicago police officer was killed with his own weapon in a shooting just outside a police building on the South Side.
• Thor Soderberg, 43, was shot in the chest and killed at 3:48 p.m. at 61st and Racine, in a parking lot filled with police cars, which is across the street from the old Englewood 7th District police station now used by the department's Targeted Response Unit.
• Chicago Police Asst. Supt. James B. Jackson says Soderberg, who was working Operation Protect Youth, returned to his vehicle in the parking lot at the end of his tour of duty.
• "While in the parking lot, the uniformed officer became involved in a struggle with a 24-year old male individual," said Jackson. "During the struggle, the offender disarmed the officer. The offender then shot the officer, fatally wounding him."
• Jackson said after the shooting, the offender fled and is believed to have committed an armed robbery a short distance away.
• "The offender fired additional shots, which were heard by officers inside the police facility," Jackson said. "Several officers quickly responded and there was an exchange of gunfire with the offender."
• The offender was shot and wounded by police. He was transported to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn with non life-threatening injuries.
• Over 100 officers converged on the area to investigate. Soderberg died at the scene and his body was taken to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
• Jackson says Soderberg was an 11-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, most recently assigned to the Education and Training Division at the police academy.
• As part of Operation Protect Youth, a crime-fighting initiative unveiled in April by the police department, Soderberg was working the streets one week per month.
• Now with his death in the line of duty, another name will soon be added to the Chicago Police Memorial near Soldier Field.
• "Talking to the friends, colleagues, partners of this officer, it's quite apparent that not only have we lost a brother in arms, but the entire population of this city has lost someone that, had you known him, you'd be very proud to call him one of your own as well," said Mark Donohue, Fraternal Order of Police President.
• CBS 2 spoke with one of the Soderberg's friends who knew him as a dedicated volunteer. She said he was selfless, always doing whatever he could to protect others.
• "You couldn't find a better person to represent the force," she said. "Because he was the epitome of what our police should be in terms of service. He wasn't aggressive. He believed in talking it out, working it out, avoiding confliction and violence. And for this to happen to a person like that, it's just heartbreaking."

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

 

TEXT-A-TIP

• Alderman Danny Solis (25th Ward) called on Friday for an ordinance that would enlist Internet technology to protect the anonymity of witnesses who report crimes to the police.
• As Mr. Solis stood in a group of about 30 residents and officials who had gathered in Pilsen — less than a week after one man was killed and another was badly injured in a shooting in the neighborhood — he urged those in the crowd to “break the code of silence,” and pick up the phone when a crime had been committed.
• Cecily Arroyo, one of the event’s organizers, said, “The silence is deafening, and we must come together as a community.”
• The group included a small girl who held a sign that read, “I want to grow up peacefully in Pilsen.”
• The event was held after the City Council voted to impose new restrictions on gun owners in response to Monday’s Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended the city’s ban on handguns.
• After his news conference, Mr. Solis said his plan would involve third parties like Google, Bing or Yahoo as filters for information sent by residents, via text or photo messaging, who might not otherwise trust the police to protect their identities.
• Chicago has used technology before for anonymous tips. Text-a-Tip, developed by Crime Stoppers and implemented in 2008, is a text message tip line for residents who might otherwise be afraid to come forward.
• Compared with Boston, where Text-a-Tip made its debut in 2007, Chicago got off to a slow start. While Boston’s crime rate is significantly lower than Chicago’s, its texting hot line received 694 messages in its first year alone, while Chicago’s received only 36 in its first six months. Experts attribute the disparity to a forceful marketing push by Crime Stoppers in Boston.
• “I want to use the technology of the day to provide extra eyes and ears for the community,” Mr. Solis said.
• He also proposed that the companies, in exchange for the promotional benefit the service would bring, should contribute to a fund that would reward people who provided information that helped solve a crime.
• Robert Rocha, 31, a “violence interrupter” with Ceasefire Chicago, said he was skeptical that the service would get to the root of the problem. Families are often in denial about their children’s possible involvement with gangs, Mr. Rocha said.
• “It goes way back in history,” he said. “A lot of it is Hispanic culture — the not talking.”
• People also fear being deemed a “rata,” or rat, he said.
• “To break the code of silence, we must educate the community about laws and gangs,” Mr. Rocha said. “It’s through this that we can take the streets back.”

Will this help? NBD TTLY FWM TUI TMOT TBD SFAIK PROLLY NW