Chicagoland: Police Demand Pay Raises, Bonuses for Living in Town, 911 Responses Limited, City About to Pay $4.1 Million for One Police Brutality Settlement Alone

Chicago agreed to a $33 million settlement over other incidents of police misconduct just last month

This week, police in Chicago stopped responding immediately to 911 calls that don't involve a criminal still on the scene or a victim in imminent danger. Limited resources, though, aren't stopping the police union from demanding a 12 percent pay raise and a $3,000 bonus for being required to live in the city of Chicago. These demands come even as the city prepares to approve a $4.1 million settlement for the fatal shooting of an unarmed man by one of Chicago's finest.  From the Chicago Tribune:

A video of the incident shows Officer Gildardo Sierra firing three shots into Flint Farmer's back as the South Side man lay bleeding on a parkway early on June 7, 2011. The incident was the third shooting by Sierra in six months – and the second fatality, records show…

The Police Department ruled Farmer's shooting justified, but Superintendent Garry McCarthy later told the Tribune that he considered the case "a big problem" and that the officer involved should not have been on the street given his history of shootings.

It's not the first settlement the city is paying because of its police officers this year:

The proposed settlement comes just a month after aldermen voted to pay a combined $33 million to settle police misconduct cases involving Christina Eilman, a mentally ill woman who wandered out of a South Side police station and into horrific danger six years ago, as well as a victim of notorious police Cmdr. Jon Burge.

Late last year a federal jury found the city of Chicago responsible for the police department's "code of silence." No word on how much, if at all, this will affect the police union's leveraging power in contract negotiations.

Comments

[neoteny]

The Police Department ruled Farmer's shooting justified, but Superintendent Garry McCarthy later told the Tribune that he considered the case "a big problem" and that the officer involved should not have been on the street given his history of shootings.

So it was judged a good shot by brother officers, but an uppity civilian manager who doesn't have to face the mean streets had the cheeks to label it "a big problem" (bad shot?) and question the split-second judgement of a noble and heroic officer who sometimes have to take a life (or two) to save countless other lives.

[Hugh Akston]

try that again in all lower case.

and put an extra space between lines.

[Generic Stranger]

Don't forget the random acronyms and neologisms.

[TheZeitgeist]

...A video of the incident shows Officer Gildardo Sierra firing three shots into Flint Farmer's back as the South Side man lay bleeding on a parkway early on June 7, 2011...

Is perceived as this:

So it was judged a good shot by brother officers, but an uppity civilian manager who doesn't have to face the mean streets had the cheeks to label it "a big problem" (bad shot?) and question the split-second judgement of a noble and heroic officer who sometimes have to take a life (or two) to save countless other lives.

A good shot by brother officers? What a pathetic standard of 'good.' But then sadly its fitting, because cops only play soldier - they ain't no army.

[Death Rock and Skull]

Instead of saying "my car got stolen", say "my car is getting stolen" and then tell the cops the burglar got away before they got there.

[Ed]

That's the old joke about the guy who called the cops because his tool shed was being broken into. "Sorry we don't have any cops in the area to send right now, it'll be at least half an hour" the dispatcher says. So the guy calls back and says "don't worry about sending the cops, I shot the guy." A few minutes later the cops all show up and find the burglar still tooling away in the shed. "I thought you said you shot him," the cop asks the guy. "And I thought you said you were half an hour away," the guy replies.

[Death Rock and Skull]

Might as well take up private sector solutions for dealing with property crimes. For example, private voluntary registry networks can be set up to help owners recover their stolen vehicles, since theft really should be treated as a natural risk of leaving shit lying around. This will only encourage more responsibility. And if someone is jacking off in your tool shed, just shoot him, because that is what Dunphy is going to do anyways.

[Jordan]

And if someone is jacking off in your tool shed...

Why would you want to shoot Beavis?

[Doctor Whom]

Might as well. A friend had his car stolen, and for the longest time, the city couldn't find it except to bury it under a mountain of tickets. When my car was vandalized, the police were too "busy" to come out for a report, but they had plenty of staff power to threaten me with arrest for stealing my own car.

[R C Dean]

No word on how much, if at all, this will affect the police union's leveraging power in contract negotiations.

"Clearly, we need to raise our hiring standards, which will require an increase in base pay to attract the best.

In addition, these incidents show that additional training is necessary. Since we can't cut back on patrols, this training will require an increase in our overtime budget."

[Jordan]

A $4 million settlement? I really want to know how Chicago can find an insurance company willing to do business with it at this point. Such a company must be owned by the same morons who still buy Illinois bonds.

[Death Rock and Skull]

They call it "self insurance". It consists of all the finances and assets within the Cook County area.

[Drake]

To be fair, I would demand an enormous bonus before considering living in Chicago.

[Rasilio]

Here is an idea, lets pass a state law:

Police Unions are responsible for reimbursing cities and states the full cost of defending against and paying awards for police brutality cases.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

im not impressed with chicago PD. too many reports of thuggish behavior, questionable shoots, and shit like this - waiting FIVE HOURS to do the breathalyzer on the cop ? cmon. that's unacceptable.

[Dunphy (the real one)]

"Sierra admitted that he drank "multiple" beers before he went to work that night, but the city waited more than five hours to give him a Breathalyzer test, according to a filing by an attorney for the slain man's estate.

The court filing does not say how many beers Sierra purportedly drank or what his blood-alcohol test showed. Sierra, however, denied consuming any alcohol while being treated at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park shortly after the 1:45 a.m. shooting, according to the filing.

The city waited about 5 hours and 20 minutes after the shooting -- and about 9 hours after Sierra's shift began -- to administer the alcohol test, the filing said."

...

Sierra, 32, who joined the department 10 years ago, was stripped of his police powers and has been working at the city's 311 center since the shooting. He is paid about $75,000 a year, according to 2011 city data.

...

In Sierra's deposition for the lawsuit, he testified that he wasn't given a "mandatory psychological debriefing" as required by the department following both those shootings, according to Thursday's filing.

in our agency, we are very proactive in psychological counseling etc. after shootings and all officers involved in shootings must be cleared by a psychologist before resuming patrol duties.

that's just basic common sense and good practice

[waaminn]

Sounds like one heck of a plan to me dude. Wow

http://www.Go4Anon.tk

[BuSab Agent]

It is really difficult to pin down which is the worst cop shop in the country. I generally favor Chicago, but just when they seem to have a lock on it, then NOPD or LAPD does something to keep in the running.

[Moridin]

fuck these pigs