Thursday, September 25, 2008
News / Clout City Police positioning
Posted by Mick Dumke on 09.25.08 at 06:30 PM
As president of the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, Mark Donahue isn’t happy about any of the scores of vacancies in the Chicago Police Department. But he’s particularly frustrated that the department hasn’t filled more than 100 openings for field training officers who provide rookie cops with on-the-street training, and he's outraged that the program has just been scaled back further.
"What they’ve implemented for field training officers is probably going to devastate the entire training program," Donahue says.
As much as the union and elected officials love to talk about putting more police on the street, training and deployment strategies typically have a far greater impact on law enforcement than a handful of extra cops. And Donahue says that when the field training program is working right, the training officers can show inexperienced police how to work with the community—a key to improving relations as well as reducing crime.
But in a year when murders are up, deadly clashes between police and civilians still happen regularly, and the department rank and file is suffering low morale, the department only had 149 field training officers on the payroll as of August, well under the 267 called for in this year’s budget.
Worse, Donahue says, the department recently decided to cut in half the number of police districts that use the field training program—it’s now down to just six of the city’s 25. That’s a huge disincentive, according to Donahue, since most veteran cops would have to transfer to a new district to participate.
"As many as 50 percent of training officers are going to be resigning because of the stipulations they’ve put on them," Donahue says. "It’s unthinkable that the department would make such a decision."
I’d like to report what the department’s take on this is, but no one from its news affairs division responded to my call.
The backdrop for all of this, of course, is the city’s $420 million budget hole, which will likely require hundreds of layoffs, unfilled positions, and early retirements to plug--though the Daley administration hasn't been saying much about it. Some aldermen, though, are quietly suggesting that Donahue’s union could pay for a few more jobs if it were willing to give up a few costly perks. On top of their regular pay, officers receive $730 every three months for “duty availability”—that is, simply being on call, even though they get additional overtime pay if they actually have to take an extra shift. They receive another $600 every three months to pay for new uniforms, and they can take a check for any furlough time they deserve but don’t use. These benefits add up to about $73 million a year.
"Apparently the aldermen grumbling about such things don’t see the hypocrisy of their grumblings," Donahue says. "The average police officer coming out of the police academy onto the force is going to make an investment of $7,000 to $9,000 dollars—the department doesn’t buy the uniform, doesn’t buy the guns, doesn’t buy the shoes. What would the aldermen say if we proposed cutting the money for their staff and expenses?"
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Jon Burge has his pension. That is sick. The torture of African American males including electrocuting their testicles and innocent men in prison.
Chicago is the Murder Capitol of the United States. But Daley is such a great Mayor. The police are demoralized and in great scandal. The union head is an idiot too.
Coco, give it a rest, seriously. You lost your job because you were AWOL and was a poor worker. Stop blaming everything and everybody for your own fuck up. It is getting really stale. Back to the subject at hand.... ""The average police officer coming out of the police academy onto the force is going to make an investment of $7,000 to $9,000 dollars—the department doesn’t buy the uniform, doesn’t buy the guns, doesn’t buy the shoes." If the dumb pigs were smart enough, they would deduct those purchases on their taxes. But the extra checks they get for the perks is the money they spend on their goomahs.
Oreo (Daryly Mitchell), Just for your record . I was NEVER AWOL. I lost the Job beacuse I stood up to the Mafia Mayor Rich Daley and as you can see , he is really fucking up this City. I was screwed in 2005 for exposing this theif. NOW all the Taxpayers understand what I have been trying to say. To all the Poice officers out in the field. Orion is Daryl Mitchell. If you happen to pull him over, you will know it's him, he is a African American who pretends he is white.
I watched the Frank Coconate case and the city never articulated why he was fired or what the case was about. They said he falsified documents because bricklayers didn't have the right signatures and Rob O'Connor signed off on an edit sheet and some photos (9 in total) didn't match up with sheets over dates and times that are unknown and unknown if those were all the photos and if Frank took them or if there were more. The City case is a joke. You can like or hate Frank Coconate for any number of reasons but the city case is a joke.
Crime is high in Chicago because of DALEY!! Ike Carothers uses gang bangers and drug dealers! HDO used drug dealers and gang bangers! Police morale is low. There is bad staffing. People should have a right to self defense.
Bill Daley was part of the same banks and investment banking firms that caused the mortgage crisis. Bill Daley WAS a lobbyist for Mayer Brown in the 80s and for NAFTA and for SBC Ameritech (and their high rates). Bill Daley was on the board of Amalgamated Bank where he had the kids money from CPS earning no interest. Bill Daley invested into nuclear energy equipment deals and got bailed out by ComEd. Bill Daley was going to work for Bear Stearns. Bill Daley was going to work for Goldman Sachs. Your high phone rates are because of BILL DALEY at SBC Ameritech. Bill Daley headed Fannie Mae and he and his son also were lobbyists for Freddie Mac--directly tied to the loans. Bill Daley's son also worked to buy and privatize the parking lots that increased prices. Bill Daley has a role in the his nephew Vanekco's pension deals. Bill Daley has an interesting divorce and personal habits. Bill and Rich Daley are hypocrites for criticizing the ad.
Here I sit between my brother the mountain and my sister the sea. We three are one in loneliness, and the love that binds us together is deep and strong and strange. ~Kahlil Gibran ~ ~ ~ Outside ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I'll meet you there. ~ Rumi
Rosie Andolino is the least qualified airport director in the country. Not even a 4 year undergrad degree let alone a background education or experience in aviation. Andolino is a political hack and disgrace.
From: http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/ " What Others Are Saying Seems the AP story has generated a bunch more local interest. The Capitol Fax Blog (covering Springfield, IL news) has a big article up, quoting numerous local and national sources. They dissect the AP article, our responses and link to a Reader article: * The backdrop for all of this, of course, is the city’s $420 million budget hole, which will likely require hundreds of layoffs, unfilled positions, and early retirements to plug--though the Daley administration hasn't been saying much about it. Some aldermen, though, are quietly suggesting that Donahue’s union could pay for a few more jobs if it were willing to give up a few costly perks. On top of their regular pay, officers receive $730 every three months for 'duty availability'—that is, simply being on call, even though they get additional overtime pay if they actually have to take an extra shift. They receive another $600 every three months to pay for new uniforms, and they can take a check for any furlough time they deserve but don’t use. These benefits add up to about $73 million a year. 'Apparently the aldermen grumbling about such things don’t see the hypocrisy of their grumblings,' Donahue says. 'The average police officer coming out of the police academy onto the force is going to make an investment of $7,000 to $9,000 dollars—the department doesn’t buy the uniform, doesn’t buy the guns, doesn’t buy the shoes. What would the aldermen say if we proposed cutting the money for their staff and expenses?' Not noted in the Reader article is how those 'extras' were acquiesced to during negotiations as a way to boost officers' salaries without having to actually pay the pension benefits associated with a higher salary; how much of the increased contributions for health and pension benefits ate up salary raises before officers ever saw the money; and how in light of recent City, County and State tax hikes combined with economic realities means that we aren't even treading water any more - we're sinking. Costly perks? How about the aldercreatures annual $1 million 'discretionary fund' which ends up being spent on sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, wives, etc so as to keep the entire million in the family? The TIF slush fund? The City Council approving all sorts of settlements and legal work to connected law firms? Those monies alone dwarf contractually negotiated perks and might even fill Shortshank's budget hole. Labels: open posts posted by SCC at 12:03 AM 0 comments Are we beginning to see what's right in front of our eyes yet?
In his defense of bill Daley wvon commentor Cliff Kelly stated McCain was wrong in calling Bill Daley a lobbyist.Frank Coconate also screwed up in taking his case to Crook County court. Ed Burke and Mike Madigan pick your judges. Anyway Chancery court is a procedural court, you cannot enter new evibence.Bad move he should have gone to federal court,his odds would have been much better.
Who on Earth would listen to advice from Cliff Kelley, an ex-con that was caught on tape actually cooking a meal for the federal mole before taking his bribe ?
The number one problem facing the CPD is the fact that we are short, upwards of 2,000 sworn personnel, and this is being concealed. The officers know it, they see it and they feel it. Morale is in the toilet. There is no leadership or support being displayed, at any managerial level. The CPD wrongfully stripped and fired some officers. This has had long-lasting repercussions within the rank and file. The disciplinary process is not fair and objectively based. The promotional process is primarily based upon clout, not on knowledge or competency. The existing merit system leads to great frustration. We work six straight days in a row with CPD's archaic work schedule. The work schedule further increases stress levels. The residency requirement is killing the job, by keeping qualified younger officers away. The media hammers the CPD unfairly, on a daily basis. The contract has been expired for 15+ months, with no resolution in sight. The squad cars, computers and radio batteries don't function properly. Other times, there are not enough squad cars, radios and batteries to equip all the officers working. Equipment shortages and malfunctions place officers in additional danger. Officers routinely find themselves semi-involuntarily working alone. Working alone resulted in Officer Richard Francis's murder in July. The contract stipulates that officers work as two man units, during the hours of darkness. If officers complain about being assigned to work alone, retaliation will come about. Compensatory time is routinely denied, due to manpower requirements. Chicago is an exceedingly expensive city to reside in, with a very high cost of living and the worst public schools in the nation. Chicago has the some of the highest taxes in the nation,IE. sales tax. The officers are also picking up an overall feeling of hopelessness and despair, this is downright dangerous. To be fair, Superintendent Jody Weis inherited a shipwreck of monstrous proportions from Phil Cline. This situation did not just arise under Weis's tenure, but has been festering for sometime. This situation was definitively made much worse under Cline's tenure. Many officers, initially applauded the appointment of an esteemed outsider taking the reigns. Officers believed that change was forthcoming. Some of Weis's initial moves immediately changed that assumption though. Weis sought and obtained Federal charges against Bill Cozzi, this was the icing on the cake. Chicago Police Officers work in some of the nation's worst Hell holes. These officers are routinely involved in life and death situations; that are to say, unnerving. Chicago is the third largest city in the nation, but now has the highest homicide rate and violent crime rate in America. NYC has a population of 8.6 million, while Chicago has 2.86 million. This year,Chicago is exceeding NYC's homicide rate. City politicians claim that there is a 430 million dollar deficit. Yet, there is over 800 million dollars sitting in the TIF Funds, 500 million dollars sitting in a bond fund from the lease of the Chicago Skyway, and who knows how much money accrued from the lease of Midway Airport. Last year's record property tax increase was to fund police hiring, and to settle labor contracts. Where has all this money gone? Ironically, the politicians claim broke. This all, coincidentally coincides, while the police contract is being negotiated; and allegedly justifies the critical manpower shortage. Officers believe the monies are being diverted for the 2016 Summer Olympics. This is occurring at the expense of Chicago's children, residents, visitors, tourists and officers' safety. Many chess experts, view the knight as one of the most important strategic game pieces. The knight is a necessity to win a chess game. Knights guard and defend the King, at all cost. What happens when the knights are all turned into pawns? Remember, we are the eyes and ears, and the pulse of the third largest city in the United States. Overall pressure is building in society; fueled by the impending economic woes, the daily stress, terrorism, the wars, the disgust with corruption, and the moral decay in society. We know and feel that something is seriously askew. You could call us the blue canaries, yet we still stick it out, and keep you safe. It's okay, joke about us,scorn us, denigrate us and look down upon us. Realize one thing, when we fail or fall in battle: Who will protect you and yours, in this AntI-GuN asylum state, called Chicago, Illinois???
Cliff kelly screwed up September 27th - 2:22 a.m. In his defense of bill Daley wvon commentor Cliff Kelly stated McCain was wrong in calling Bill Daley a lobbyist.Frank Coconate also screwed up in taking his case to Crook County court. Ed Burke and Mike Madigan pick your judges. Anyway Chancery court is a procedural court, you cannot enter new evibence.Bad move he should have gone to federal court,his odds would have been much better. If you are fired form the City of Chicago the only recourse youhave if the Cook County Chancery Court. You can not take an administrative case to Federal Court.
Wrong!!!! If the city violated any of your constitutional rights as an Employee,you can file in fed court.. Coconate was fired for media activity,and political association. Chicago Cop, even though you are a city worker,you are still a citizen of the United States. Remember Daley doesn't make all the laws,and he only a mayor.
Rose Andolino is to Mayor Daley what Palin is to mccain, they even look the same.
Please help me pay my phone bills. People want their money back for my false tricks.
I earned every dollar,providing service. I offer no tricks. Please reveal yourself,and you will have a law suit.
And YOU think crime would be much lower under Mayor Jesse Jackson Jr????????, Ha!!!!!!.
How much worse could crime be under your Master Daley. Exploding murder rate. Maybe when you or one of your love one gets smoked you won't think Daley is so great.
The worst part about Duty Availability, is that the 600+ folks on light duty (who by definition are NOT available), still get the money. Donahue is a hypocrite and disingenuous when he defends them. What about the medical abusers? If CPD, FOP and street cops really cared, they would get rid of those leeches. Donahue defends those turkeys too. If any of the reporters really got the understood the CPD, they could pick some low-hanging fruit.
