Clearly, Chicagoans have been abused by their corrupt police dept. forever. What is not so obvious is their abuse by the Chicago Fire Dept. Summoned to a traffic accident, the CFD adds insult to injury by obscene overcharges for transporting victims to emergency rooms. Example: $1126 to deliver a senior citizen three miles to the nearest ER. Hey, Medicare will pick it up!
21
It's worth nothing that John Burge is still receiving his $3,000/month pension, in spite of being a convicted felon. $36,000/year is a drop in the bucket compared to the city's total expenses for victims' settlements, but one wonders about priorities (among other things).
40
Awful and cautionary tale of power in government forces with no checks and balances. Whether Chicago, or Stalin's Russia, or current Venezuela, too much power so often corrupts.
18
Politicians will more & more rely on police to collect tax-fines as tax receipts from the businesses and jobs that used to pay them, went to the Cayman Island crowd's Communist Chinese partners. It is normal for the politician-police to collect from those least able to afford to resist. State legislatures in America, who set the tone for policing in their state, predominantly Republican, can not rid themselves or these (other than hefty insurance premiums) revenue enhancements.
12
While visiting Chicago, I was shocked to learn that a certain corner near Wrigley Field was "owned" by the cops. Re-selling tickets to Cubs games is illegal— unless you are Chicago PD.
15
What about the not guilty verdict just yesterday regarding another cop in Chicago? a not guilty verdict issued by a judge, not jury. Cops usually take non-jury trials because they know most of the time judges will rule in their favor. How about we ban all non- jury trials for a start if possible and if its constitutional? Most judges are either politically appointed hacks or elected hacks- we can't trust them to be unbiased and fair. Chicago, New York and all the major and small cities suffer form the same disease- unqualified /racist cop disease.
23
Rekia Boyd's killer was just acquited for her shooting death, this was another case of a gun toting man fearing for his life when out in public. The judge's logic in acquiting this case of the death of the unarmed Rekia at the hands of an off-duty Chicago officer was convoluted.
It seems that North Charlseton's response to the shooting death of Walter Scott is an anomaly and the Rekia Boyd rulings remain the norm.
It seems that North Charlseton's response to the shooting death of Walter Scott is an anomaly and the Rekia Boyd rulings remain the norm.
18
There's a statute of limitations on charges of torture?!?
33
When you get right down to it, the citizens of Chicago have some responsibility for this. The politicians named in this column were elected, time and again, by Chicago voters. If the voters don't approve of the way the police department conducts themselves, they need to make themselves clear.
Oh, the city "can't afford" these payouts? Well, raise their taxes to pay for it. Chicago is broke because people don't want to pay for the services they receive. Maybe, just maybe, the citizens of Chicago should take responsibility for the state of their city, and the conduct of their police department.
How about a specific assessment on each piece of property to pay for the damage done? That ought to wake the good citizens of Chicago out of their indifference. In fact, a brutality tax on the citizens of Chicago will probably bring them out into the street with torches and pitchforks. Outrage! Action!
Same goes, by the way, for the citizens of New York City, who have exactly the police department they consent to.
Oh, the city "can't afford" these payouts? Well, raise their taxes to pay for it. Chicago is broke because people don't want to pay for the services they receive. Maybe, just maybe, the citizens of Chicago should take responsibility for the state of their city, and the conduct of their police department.
How about a specific assessment on each piece of property to pay for the damage done? That ought to wake the good citizens of Chicago out of their indifference. In fact, a brutality tax on the citizens of Chicago will probably bring them out into the street with torches and pitchforks. Outrage! Action!
Same goes, by the way, for the citizens of New York City, who have exactly the police department they consent to.
28
Another police officer, Dante Severin, Judge Dennis Porter dismissed all charges against the officer. Officer. Did the lawyers for Severin know something we did not know when he asked for a bench trial instead of a jury?
Severin was off duty and yelled at a group in a park to hold down the noise. Severin then claimed he saw a gun and shot into the group killing Rekia Boyd in 2012. The refrain that the criminal justice system does not work for African Americans, is alive an well.
hicago.suntimes.com/news-chicago/7/71/535396/chicago-police-officer-foun...
Severin was off duty and yelled at a group in a park to hold down the noise. Severin then claimed he saw a gun and shot into the group killing Rekia Boyd in 2012. The refrain that the criminal justice system does not work for African Americans, is alive an well.
hicago.suntimes.com/news-chicago/7/71/535396/chicago-police-officer-foun...
16
I was most intrigued with the article detailing the history of violence in the Chicago Police Dept. Upon initial reading, I was reminded of something which was promulgated many years ago, not only about violence within that department, but also with overt racism. In about 1968 or '69, it was broadcast on a network news T. V. show that a senior officer within that department doubled as the head of the Chicago-area Ku Klux Klan. So, it seems that this police department has not only a history of violence against African-Americans. It also has a history of institutional racism against the same group. You may want to do your readership a favor and reprint the aforementioned news story and, if you can, find out what happened to the office in question after his exposure.
9
Just like in New York, Chicago's police officers and fire fighters form inward looking clans. They look out for each other and for no one else. The white, upper middle classes, men and women alike, pay happily through their local taxes for this state of affairs to continue because it means that badly educated white men, with more brawn than brains, can do for them the dirty work of pacifying the lower orders, especially poor blacks.
26
And of course the NYC police department has none of these problems!
This reminds me of the US trying to keep other countries from acquiring nuclear weapons. Can you make the connection?
Think for yourself.
This reminds me of the US trying to keep other countries from acquiring nuclear weapons. Can you make the connection?
Think for yourself.
4
The regularity of continued abuse of power, at times linked to racism, by some police officers, is a disgrace. It appears as though the selection process of candidates to police officers leaves a lot to be desired. It is a job requiring high qualities from the individual, and maturity, toughness, courage, and a sense of community belonging (empathy and a strong will to see a favorable resolution), are but a few basic considerations. A sensible change in attitude is essential. The question is, who is our 'Mandela' to restore order in this chaotic environment, and needless suffering, justice AWOL? Abuse of power seems endemic, and any of us, in a position of power, may be susceptible and succumb to our base instincts of cruelty; hence, the need for continued vigilance and self-education.
18
Well, if they are allocating only $5.5 million for reparations, they must be planning to make token awards.
8
This is a good start for something that should have been done years ago. Flint Taylor and partners at the People's Law Office in Chicago aggressively and tirelessly represented these victims of police torture in the courts that finally broke the hold that Burge and his midnight crew had on a institutionalized policy by Chicago police to coerce confessions from black men to crimes they did not commit. Through the efforts of Taylor and colleagues many of the convictions of these victims were overturned and released, and now finally some reparations may be forthcoming. They are to be congratulated.
26
No mayor or government official should be able to decide that tax payer money be paid to a suspected 'victim' until the courts have decided. It is an outrage to watch all the hands out looking for millions of dollars when we don't even know what happened.
Ever.
Ever.
4
We know what happened.
13
We have problems with policing in Canada too.
The OPP in Ontario have been accused of politicization and corruption. OPP behaviour in Caledonia and its inability, to date, to recommend charges over gas plants and deleted emails buttresses that perception.
The RCMP are also plagued by charges of incompetence and acts of brutality.
But no police force in Canada faces similar charges laid against US police forces. Yours act too often like the Nazi gestapo or like your favorite cowboy mythology .. town sheriffs who shoot first, ask questions later.
I read in the news week after week that some unarmed, often non threatening individual, usually black, is murdered by one of those sworn 'to serve and protect."
Then I read about the FBI falsifying evidence against some of those not murdered by your uniformed police for the past 30-40 years.
You really need to sort out your neo-fascist police state.
The OPP in Ontario have been accused of politicization and corruption. OPP behaviour in Caledonia and its inability, to date, to recommend charges over gas plants and deleted emails buttresses that perception.
The RCMP are also plagued by charges of incompetence and acts of brutality.
But no police force in Canada faces similar charges laid against US police forces. Yours act too often like the Nazi gestapo or like your favorite cowboy mythology .. town sheriffs who shoot first, ask questions later.
I read in the news week after week that some unarmed, often non threatening individual, usually black, is murdered by one of those sworn 'to serve and protect."
Then I read about the FBI falsifying evidence against some of those not murdered by your uniformed police for the past 30-40 years.
You really need to sort out your neo-fascist police state.
11
And the police wonder why they don't get respect....
14
I have no facts upon which to base any judgement, nor any rational reasons for what I write here. However, way in the back of my mind I have an uneasy feeling, one which I hope is merely fantasy, that in the past year or so, perhaps further back than that, there is a very hidden and highly concealed but well-directed effort to discredit all of our law enforcement agencies, including local and state police, the FBI, Secret Service and more. It seems, at least to my suspicious mind, that there are persistent but hidden efforts to point out in the media , over and over, the errors, mistakes, misdirections and misjudgments, and yes, those police crimes which deserve to be held up for the public to see. This is not a comfortable time for America, and we could be facing danger from within, not just from without. I hope I am wrong. And I hope I am the only person feeling this unease.
5
What you are seeing is the truth being revealed about law enforcement another institution like the Catholic Church that has covered up a long history of abuse and victimization. As more and more people have come to see via videos how police really interact with citizens the veil of secrecy is lifting and more and more people no longer give law enforcement the benefit of the doubt or automatically believe the lies.
It is no conspiracy its truth, it often feels like gut punch to the unbelieving.
It is no conspiracy its truth, it often feels like gut punch to the unbelieving.
15
it's all about the little ubiquitous cameras, which citizens wield. the lies of cops become untenable in the face of video.
10
In Reply To PogoWasRight--You are definitely NOT the only person feeling this unease. There is a highly orchestrated and concerted effort to undermine law enforcement in this country.
2
I'm sorry but this article is shockingly uninformed about what's going on with Rahm Emanuel and the torture of American Citizens in Chicago.
Rahm Emanuel sided with the torturers before he was against them.
Rahm spent $20 million to his friends law firm DEFENDING the torture and only $5.5 for torture victims.
For anyone interested in whats really going on in Chicago here's 1 of many interviews by Attorney Flint Taylor who represents the torture victims for 28 YEARS on the Chicago radio show "This is Hell".
http://thisishell.net/shows/843/#Taylor
And here's Attorney Flint Taylor's article on the subject:
http://inthesetimes.com/article/17794/to-catch-a-torturer-one-attorneys-...
Why doesn't the NYT let the Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor write an op-ed on the subject?
Or better yet why not interview Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor on his 28 year struggle to bring justice to those tortured by Chicago police?
Seems if the NYT wanted the real whole story Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor would be the best place to start.
It's very strange the NYT has ignored Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor, very strange.
Rahm Emanuel sided with the torturers before he was against them.
Rahm spent $20 million to his friends law firm DEFENDING the torture and only $5.5 for torture victims.
For anyone interested in whats really going on in Chicago here's 1 of many interviews by Attorney Flint Taylor who represents the torture victims for 28 YEARS on the Chicago radio show "This is Hell".
http://thisishell.net/shows/843/#Taylor
And here's Attorney Flint Taylor's article on the subject:
http://inthesetimes.com/article/17794/to-catch-a-torturer-one-attorneys-...
Why doesn't the NYT let the Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor write an op-ed on the subject?
Or better yet why not interview Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor on his 28 year struggle to bring justice to those tortured by Chicago police?
Seems if the NYT wanted the real whole story Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor would be the best place to start.
It's very strange the NYT has ignored Chicago torture victim's Attorney Flint Taylor, very strange.
28
Remember, Fred Hampton ( Black Panther party) was assassinated by the Chicago police in 1969. Then the police left the crime scene open for blacks to see how brutal his murder was, as form of intimidation.
Remember , that is how slave masters would treat their slaves, severely beat or kill a slave in front of the others to ....intimidate.
Today, the Chicago police are no different than any other police department in America, there job was to keep blacks in check through intimidation and harsh tactics; murder with impunity....period
Remember , that is how slave masters would treat their slaves, severely beat or kill a slave in front of the others to ....intimidate.
Today, the Chicago police are no different than any other police department in America, there job was to keep blacks in check through intimidation and harsh tactics; murder with impunity....period
34
Yesterday, in Chicago a Police Detective who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager was found not guilty by a judge who threw out the charges on the flimsy excuse that the states Attorney should have brought murder not manslaughter charges against the officer. This shooting, where the officer fired behind him at a group of five black youths who it turned out was carrying nothing more lethal than a cell phone. And when he walked out of the Court he was surrounded by his fellow officers. The entire Chicago police department needs to be cleaned up. And as for Burge he was the fall guy. Daley was the States Attorney and nothing happened to him. And Burges other crew members nothing.
26
Police Departments all over the United States, are feared with reason, by most Americans, and I mean law abiding Americans.
The rest of the civilized world looks at us, in utter disbelief, as every day we see more and more incidents of abuse, and videotaped murder by those public servants which our tax dollars pay to serve us, yes, that is correct, serve and protect us.
Yet they strut around, decked out in all manner of paramilitary gear, looking fearsome and intimidating, as is clearly the intent.
Recently I learned that Police Departments require that prospective police officers have an IQ that is borderline average, meaning that if you score too high, they will not hire you, and such action has been found to be non-discriminatory ...
Its becoming evident that our Police need not have the ability to reason.
See excerpt and Link -
"A US man has been rejected in his bid to become a police officer for scoring too high on an intelligence test.
Robert Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took an exam to join the New London police, in Connecticut, in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125.
But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.
Mr. Jordan launched a federal lawsuit against the city, but lost."
https://nyletterpress.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/police-reject-candidate-f...
The rest of the civilized world looks at us, in utter disbelief, as every day we see more and more incidents of abuse, and videotaped murder by those public servants which our tax dollars pay to serve us, yes, that is correct, serve and protect us.
Yet they strut around, decked out in all manner of paramilitary gear, looking fearsome and intimidating, as is clearly the intent.
Recently I learned that Police Departments require that prospective police officers have an IQ that is borderline average, meaning that if you score too high, they will not hire you, and such action has been found to be non-discriminatory ...
Its becoming evident that our Police need not have the ability to reason.
See excerpt and Link -
"A US man has been rejected in his bid to become a police officer for scoring too high on an intelligence test.
Robert Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took an exam to join the New London police, in Connecticut, in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125.
But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.
Mr. Jordan launched a federal lawsuit against the city, but lost."
https://nyletterpress.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/police-reject-candidate-f...
17
Chicago police officers must by law live only in the city. This has brought a force of fathers, sons, cousins, uncles who have their own social clubs in the city and they of course all take care of each other. Until this is changed nothing will change.
14
One of my best friends has been a Chicago police officer for over 20 years and has never had a complaint filed against him nor has ever been in a position where he needed to draw his service revolver. He has walked a beat and drove a squad car in almost all of the various police districts throughout the city. He always made it a point to become familiar with the residents on his beat to help build a constructive and workable relationship, believing that situations could be resolved through common sense and a sincere measure of equal respect. There are currently 12,000+ police officers employed in the city of Chicago. Many share situations not unlike what I just described.
Although the many horrendous actions of some officers then and now are apprehensible, I find it disconcerting that many of the comments below have labeled and corralled all Chicago cops as being bad apples, bullies and untrustworthy. I resent this blatant over generalization. What should be applauded is the fact that Mayor Emanuel is taking a public stand in recognizing the actions of the minority of police officers who crossed a line with abuse and intimidation and is attempting to right a very extreme wrong. At least attempts are being made to correct and amend these issues instead of continuing to ignore them like ostriches with their heads in the sand.
Although the many horrendous actions of some officers then and now are apprehensible, I find it disconcerting that many of the comments below have labeled and corralled all Chicago cops as being bad apples, bullies and untrustworthy. I resent this blatant over generalization. What should be applauded is the fact that Mayor Emanuel is taking a public stand in recognizing the actions of the minority of police officers who crossed a line with abuse and intimidation and is attempting to right a very extreme wrong. At least attempts are being made to correct and amend these issues instead of continuing to ignore them like ostriches with their heads in the sand.
20
My family moved out of Chicago about 8 years ago. With guns illegal for all, it was well known that you could be robbed while being at home and you were powerless. With a police force that has about 60% of it's force NOT on the streets (we have the same problem in ATL), you knew you weren't safe. With taxes rising to 20% and lots of extra fees, you knew you couldn't afford to stay. But the education system, that was the final driver. Even private schools stink.
Too bad, as Chicago was and is a beautiful city with much to offer - great public transportation, beautiful lake, and countless parks and festivals. But, it is corrupt to the core and expensive as heck - all to support the city government and it's cronies.
Sad that a few bad cops, and a bunch of corrupt government officials can ruin such a beautiful place.
Too bad, as Chicago was and is a beautiful city with much to offer - great public transportation, beautiful lake, and countless parks and festivals. But, it is corrupt to the core and expensive as heck - all to support the city government and it's cronies.
Sad that a few bad cops, and a bunch of corrupt government officials can ruin such a beautiful place.
7
Now I understand why black men run from the police. They are afraid they will be killed.
8
You didn't know?
1
I do recall the murder of Amadou Cisse, an African student on his way home from a party celebrating his degree at the University of chicago. His only offense was being in the wrong place when two African American young men, who had just watched American Gangster drove by and senselessly killed him in a reenactment of the movie. South chicago has been a free -fire zone for decades, and police for many years were tasked simply to contain and if necessary, eliminate by any means the problem makers by fear etc. There has been a concerted effort to change that, up to and including gangs in law enforcement activities. Chicago's gang culture is perhaps not unique, but it is endemic and powerful, more powerful than police. In 1969, the troops called up to quell riots refused to go into South Chicago for fear of losing their armor. This is not a normal place, and reactions by police to the vicious nature of gang violence is not normal. Which violence is purged first is more of a question than is obvious to the suburban readers of the Times.
4
Let Mayor Emanuel of Chicago do it. At the very least, hopefully, institutionalize a system of providing reparations for victims of police tortures in the past. Many cities and countries in the world need an example.
In the Philippines, the enduring culture of impunity to those who commit acts of torture or murder against even those only suspected of committing petty crimes is entrenched in some places.
As some public officials systematically steal millions of dollars worth of public funds, including those allocated to address the root causes of our social problems and criminality - some local officials have the gall to systematically murder suspected petty criminals. Government-salaried village guards, police officers, serious violent criminals, intelligence agents, ex-convicts, armed communist insurgents are commissioned to do it.
I wonder when this country's civil society can loudly condemn it!
In the Philippines, the enduring culture of impunity to those who commit acts of torture or murder against even those only suspected of committing petty crimes is entrenched in some places.
As some public officials systematically steal millions of dollars worth of public funds, including those allocated to address the root causes of our social problems and criminality - some local officials have the gall to systematically murder suspected petty criminals. Government-salaried village guards, police officers, serious violent criminals, intelligence agents, ex-convicts, armed communist insurgents are commissioned to do it.
I wonder when this country's civil society can loudly condemn it!
7
Let Mayor Emanuel of Chicago do it. At the very least, hopefully, institutionalize a system of providing reparations for victims of police tortures in the past. Many cities and countries in the world needs an example.
In the Philippines, the culture of impunity to those who commit acts of torture or murder against even those only suspected of committing petty crimes is entrenched in some places.
As some public officials steal billions worth of public funds, including those allocated to address the root causes of our social problems and criminality - some local officials have the gall to systematically murder suspected petty criminals. Government-salaried village guards, police officers, serious violent criminals, intelligence agents, ex-convicts, armed communist insurgents are commissioned to do it. I wonder when this country's civil society can loudly condemn it!
In the Philippines, the culture of impunity to those who commit acts of torture or murder against even those only suspected of committing petty crimes is entrenched in some places.
As some public officials steal billions worth of public funds, including those allocated to address the root causes of our social problems and criminality - some local officials have the gall to systematically murder suspected petty criminals. Government-salaried village guards, police officers, serious violent criminals, intelligence agents, ex-convicts, armed communist insurgents are commissioned to do it. I wonder when this country's civil society can loudly condemn it!
The vital importance of video proof of law enforcement/citizen,encounters can not be emphasized enough.The case in Baltimore where an almost perfectly healthy(asthma) African American man suffered a broken spinal column and neck fractures,during or after such an episode should serve a somber and sober sensitizer.The police are seen dragging this listless man to the police custody wagon and consequently 'claiming,he only became inertly paralyzed,after the van ride.Almost sinisterly,the 'chief,stated there was no video tape of...'a knee in the back.Is that because it didn't happen or...there's no tape?
9
Credit to the NY Times editorial board for its continuing focus on police violence. It's an issue that cuts across class, race, and geography, and with the advent of mobile video recording, the fog is being lifted on some of the most predatory police actions. Which is a shame since so many of them are true public servants, but are unable or unwilling to change the culture on account of peer pressure, union politics, and simply the desire not to make waves and keep their jobs.
So, what's missing from this column? The word Democratic - as in a Democratic mayor dating back to 1931. The word Democratic - as in Illinois voting for a Democratic presidential nominee in every election after 1988. One can be sure that if there was such a long and established history of Republican rule, that would have been front and center in such an editorial. Nevertheless this bastion of "progressive" far-left politics and policies is shown to be just as ugly and troubled as its Southern and red state counterparts. When many here complain that those on the right are paranoid of government control and intervention, one only needs to look at the cesspool that is Chicago and Illinois to appreciate our fears.
So, what's missing from this column? The word Democratic - as in a Democratic mayor dating back to 1931. The word Democratic - as in Illinois voting for a Democratic presidential nominee in every election after 1988. One can be sure that if there was such a long and established history of Republican rule, that would have been front and center in such an editorial. Nevertheless this bastion of "progressive" far-left politics and policies is shown to be just as ugly and troubled as its Southern and red state counterparts. When many here complain that those on the right are paranoid of government control and intervention, one only needs to look at the cesspool that is Chicago and Illinois to appreciate our fears.
6
A timely editorial. However, The Editorial Board apparently missed yesterday's lead story in Chicago.
A Cook County Judge, in a bench trial, granted a directed verdict for the acquittal of an off duty Chicago police officer on the grounds that he 'intentionally' shot and killed an unarmed teenage girl. The cop had been charged with manslaughter which mandates the the opposite state of mind be present ( ie. that he really did not intend to kill the girl).
Her 'crime' was that she and her friends were walking down the street making more noise than he wanted to hear.
It is as though Lewis Carroll invented our judicial system.
Because of the Constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy, the police officer cannot be re-tried on the more appropriate charge of First Degree Murder.
A Cook County Judge, in a bench trial, granted a directed verdict for the acquittal of an off duty Chicago police officer on the grounds that he 'intentionally' shot and killed an unarmed teenage girl. The cop had been charged with manslaughter which mandates the the opposite state of mind be present ( ie. that he really did not intend to kill the girl).
Her 'crime' was that she and her friends were walking down the street making more noise than he wanted to hear.
It is as though Lewis Carroll invented our judicial system.
Because of the Constitutional prohibition against double jeopardy, the police officer cannot be re-tried on the more appropriate charge of First Degree Murder.
35
wow.
I find this hard to believe; even by the abysmal US standards of justice.
I find this hard to believe; even by the abysmal US standards of justice.
In defense of the judge, if the prosecutors brought the wrong charge he may have had no choice at all but to rule as he did.
2
With all due respect, the police department in Chicago has recently closed a black site the Guardian call the equivalent to a CIA black site that in operation in 2006[!]. The abuse in 1993 is one thing - having people being totured and held incommunicado from legal rep. is another. Yes, Chicago (Chi-raq) has serious gang violence issues but I am sure they can find better case studies to emulate that follow the Abu Ghraib rule book. How did the Times miss this: https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/02/26/exclusive-chicago-black-si... . It's not mentioned anywhere here. Maybe mum's the word.
9
This story went nowhere. The local papers found nothing. Disgruntled NATO protesters. Even the reader didn't bite.
1
If like me you were born and raised in Chicago, of the so called silent generation, kids of Depression and WW 2 era parents, you would understand how Chicago has always operated. Always run by the machine ( Democrats ), always corrupt, but it always functioned. We prospered did well because we worked with the system. Now of course Chicago and the State are broke, as legacy entitlements for many years cannot be paid. Crime as always is idnetified by address and contained.
5
It would help if the police actually went to jail for their crimes. Too often, a brutal cop is let go --- just let go! As if that was that. If you or I did what they did, we'd be in prison. There are too many examples of this to remember them all but here's one: a Chicago officer goes on a rampage in a pub on Western avenue; after beating down the bouncer he goes after the bar maid --- the bar maid is nearly killed --- the cop goes free: charges dropped. This must stop.
77
Since I was mostly unable to rely on the Chicago Police Department to serve and protect me back in the day. And I refused to become either a criminal or join a gang. But for a legendary feared gang leader taking an interest in me and my future I could have become a victim of cops or robbers by accident or malice. But Pony Soldier aka Mickey was my godfather until his assassination.
5
Thank you for this perspective. I feel like too often gangs are thought of as merely extensions of organized crime, but often they also served to fill the void left by an absent state.
1
Certainly, we should insist that Chicago PD release the video, and that a thorough investigation into the death of young Mr. McDonald be undertaken. But let's not bury the lead -- McDonald's death wasn't an isolated incident and it's not just Chicago PD that has a violent history. Putting a spotlight on Chicago, as if this latest death by cop is somehow explained by a tradition of police excess only there is not wise.
We really need to seriously reflect on what we've allowed policing in America to remain being while much of the rest of America has moved beyond old traditions and assumptions.
While things are slowly changing in major metropolitan police forces, they often remain bastions of nepotism, where blue-collar guys with no qualifications as cops other than their connections can get good, union-protected jobs and defined pensions, while the demands of policing have become immensely more intense and subtle over the past two generations. Clearly, means of selecting police officers and their training need to be improved.
I'm astonished that police forces around America haven't been more visibly active in policing themselves. The recent incidents involving cop-related killings of young black men and boys, for heaven's sake, will inevitably cause serious scrutiny of the very real power we delegate to our police to enforce our laws and maintain the peace, and whom we select to carry a badge.
We really need to seriously reflect on what we've allowed policing in America to remain being while much of the rest of America has moved beyond old traditions and assumptions.
While things are slowly changing in major metropolitan police forces, they often remain bastions of nepotism, where blue-collar guys with no qualifications as cops other than their connections can get good, union-protected jobs and defined pensions, while the demands of policing have become immensely more intense and subtle over the past two generations. Clearly, means of selecting police officers and their training need to be improved.
I'm astonished that police forces around America haven't been more visibly active in policing themselves. The recent incidents involving cop-related killings of young black men and boys, for heaven's sake, will inevitably cause serious scrutiny of the very real power we delegate to our police to enforce our laws and maintain the peace, and whom we select to carry a badge.
17
I was born black and poor and raised on the South Side of Chicago. I am a product of the Chicago Public Schools K-12. I have several family members and friends who were and are members of the Chicago Police Department. And I have family and friends who were and are Chicago criminals. My family in law enforcement are good cops. My family in law breaking are bad criminals who typically seem to get caught. Some have been violent and armed but most have not been either.
I was regularly profiled, stalked, stopped, harassed and arrested for living and breathing while Black by both cops and criminal gangs. I feared dealing with both in any encounter. For generations the most abusive cops for Blacks have also been Black. This abuse happened under Black mayors and Black police chiefs. This is not news. Only a few bad cops and bad criminals lived and accepted the stereotypical mythology of innate unique Black African Americans being ignorant, lazy, immoral, violent and criminal.
Neither Rahm Emanuel nor his top cop grew up in nor lived in Chicago. Emanuel does not know the Black and Brown Chicago majority. And they do not know nor trust him or his cop chief. We need the U.S. Justice Department to come in and review and evaluate the Chicago Police Department policy, practice and procedure.
I was regularly profiled, stalked, stopped, harassed and arrested for living and breathing while Black by both cops and criminal gangs. I feared dealing with both in any encounter. For generations the most abusive cops for Blacks have also been Black. This abuse happened under Black mayors and Black police chiefs. This is not news. Only a few bad cops and bad criminals lived and accepted the stereotypical mythology of innate unique Black African Americans being ignorant, lazy, immoral, violent and criminal.
Neither Rahm Emanuel nor his top cop grew up in nor lived in Chicago. Emanuel does not know the Black and Brown Chicago majority. And they do not know nor trust him or his cop chief. We need the U.S. Justice Department to come in and review and evaluate the Chicago Police Department policy, practice and procedure.
98
Congrats on the "Pick", kid -- well-deserved for this one. Interesting insight about the trials suffered by blacks at the hands of black cops -- predictable if one thinks about it, but not obvious.
1
We most certainly do, and I believe the review and evaluation must extend to every police department in every town and city all over this nation; something is terribly wrong, and getting worse.
And the review and evaluations must result in action, the kind of action wherein individuals are fired, prosecuted, and otherwise legally dealt with, and thereafter a national set of rules drawn up requiring that all police officers adhere to a national law enforcement and public service code of conduct, with real punishment meted out for each and every instance of misconduct.
When this occurs, only then will I believe we are on the road to becoming the decent Americans, the world once thought we were ...
And the review and evaluations must result in action, the kind of action wherein individuals are fired, prosecuted, and otherwise legally dealt with, and thereafter a national set of rules drawn up requiring that all police officers adhere to a national law enforcement and public service code of conduct, with real punishment meted out for each and every instance of misconduct.
When this occurs, only then will I believe we are on the road to becoming the decent Americans, the world once thought we were ...
5
I don't believe you.
1
What is always the most disturbing is that very few law enforcement voices are raised against the element that is committing the abuses.
In view of this, the public is left with little choice but to believe that law enforcement as a whole accepts this behavior, and does not believe that they should be held accountable by th public, or their elected representatives.
Unfortunately we can no longer hold onto a belief that this brutal behavior is being done by a few bad eggs. It is a culture they all accept.
In view of this, the public is left with little choice but to believe that law enforcement as a whole accepts this behavior, and does not believe that they should be held accountable by th public, or their elected representatives.
Unfortunately we can no longer hold onto a belief that this brutal behavior is being done by a few bad eggs. It is a culture they all accept.
39
I remember being scared of the Chicago police department 40 years ago when I was a young man. Sadly you can the same thing about the police in Denver, Albuquerque, New York City, Los Angeles, and probably most other American cities. Personally, I think the problem is that the some of people who want to be police officers are those who enjoy bullying. The longer they are officers, the more that tendency come out. That tendency is only made worse in the current era of police department militarization where the police dress up like special forces and walk around with machine guns. The problem also seems much worse if the person they are interacting with is a minority. Change will have to start at the very roots of the police culture and is not going to happen overnight.
45
Chicago has an enormous crime problem, and a very high murder rate. So its not like they don't need the police.
Unfortunately, the police they have are pretty much useless, except for collecting their salaries and pensions. They are pretty much like the rest of the government there, only interested in feathering their own nests.
Unfortunately, the police they have are pretty much useless, except for collecting their salaries and pensions. They are pretty much like the rest of the government there, only interested in feathering their own nests.
8
After peaking in the early 1990's crime is down in Chicago to record low levels-including murder rate- not seen since the early sixties. That is a nationwide phenomenon. Why?
You don't know my hood. Any more than I know yours.
You don't know my hood. Any more than I know yours.
1
What's interesting about this column that I have not seen in the coverage of police brutality in other cities is the connection between economic distress the city is experiencing and the brutality. Higher crime has been shown to correlate with poverty, not that the poor are more criminal than those more fortunate, but that poverty puts people in much higher stress with no solutions. Well, except the police. In all of the cases, poverty has played a part. Race is important but note none of the reported shootings have been of middle class African Americans. Not one!
Now here comes Chicago, cutting the very things that aid the poor, education and a way out and treatment of the stress of being poor, cutting mental health and in the long run, reduce crime. I can see no better example that the smaller government notion is an utter and complete failure--unless you are a thug in uniform.
The private sector could not care less about poverty except how it can make money: private jails that need inmates, fees for ankle bracelets, government fee driven jail time, child support jail time for men for whom no one will hire at a wage they can pay, pay day loans, exploitive car financing, the list goes on and on. We need government if for no other reason than to heal poverty.
I don't hear Rubio or Paul except to say they are gong to take back America. From whom? the poor? Evidently the police across this country think so.
Now here comes Chicago, cutting the very things that aid the poor, education and a way out and treatment of the stress of being poor, cutting mental health and in the long run, reduce crime. I can see no better example that the smaller government notion is an utter and complete failure--unless you are a thug in uniform.
The private sector could not care less about poverty except how it can make money: private jails that need inmates, fees for ankle bracelets, government fee driven jail time, child support jail time for men for whom no one will hire at a wage they can pay, pay day loans, exploitive car financing, the list goes on and on. We need government if for no other reason than to heal poverty.
I don't hear Rubio or Paul except to say they are gong to take back America. From whom? the poor? Evidently the police across this country think so.
71
Well, what do you suggest? Chicago is essentially bankrupt, and cannot afford its current level of spending, which is very high. It's just that all the money goes to government jobs for the politically connected.
10
Yes but I was poor and black and the vast majority of poor blacks do not turn to crime. But they do become victims of both bad cops and criminals.
5
'Race is important but note none of the reported shootings have been of middle class African Americans.'
This is because there are very few middle class African Americans. In the Land of the Free, long-standing, well-ingrained colour prejudice, dating back to slavery and segregation, ensures that almost all African Americans stay very poor.
This is because there are very few middle class African Americans. In the Land of the Free, long-standing, well-ingrained colour prejudice, dating back to slavery and segregation, ensures that almost all African Americans stay very poor.
2
Chicago’s police departments, like so many others in this country have thrived on a culture of unabashed impunity for generations. Only now, because of social media are we actually seeing this culture played out on the street. Commanders like Burge set the culture for their departments, and the politicians looked the other way…, that is till now with social media. The public must keep on filming cops in action.., only way to change the culture…
52
And this is exactly what will, over time, bring about change. Those that abuse their power have operated for ages in the shadows. With the advent of the internet and other media we see what happens when abuse can be scrutinized by the people.
6
Burge has been under investigation since the 1990s'. Like studying to death, a common diversionary tactic, with environmental issues, the CPD hoped to sweep this under the rug of public forgetfulness. Thanks to several news organizations, such as NPR, this was not possible.
2
Chicago gave us a taste of what was to come with the 1968 Democratic Convention. Strong mayors across the country, like the immensely popular former mayor of Denver, Wellington Webb, couldn't control police. He was fighting with his own DA. Now it is Baltimore's turn. These are no longer low-paid jobs with few benefits. We should be getting better service.
14
Yea man, I can't wait until I get abused by the cops so I can cash in. The main issue I see here is that the police as a whole are being portrayed as thugs, every last one of them. Imagine a neighborhood without any police presence? Then I would cash in for neglect. I'm a white guy who was abused by the police when I was 18, back in 1967 so I know first hand there are bad cops but to portray all like the ones who abused me, I'd have to sit in my living room all day with a gun, hide it under my seat in the car. I believe that body cameras are the way to go. Let's weed out the bad guys but don't keep a lottery system going to encourage bad behavior.
8
They're all bad.
1
Impressions of a visit to Chicago
A tale of two cities.
Ride a train from the airport to the city center and see them both.
A long ride through poverty to see soaring buildings and great educational institutions.
Homeless sleeping on a railroad train to stay warm in winter.
A well-dressed black clergyman staying at the Drake
-- representing his congregation??
Wealth, education, position, power -- shouldn't they carry responsibility, too?
One voice with resolve fulfiling the hopes of many.
Being responsible.
A tale of two cities.
Ride a train from the airport to the city center and see them both.
A long ride through poverty to see soaring buildings and great educational institutions.
Homeless sleeping on a railroad train to stay warm in winter.
A well-dressed black clergyman staying at the Drake
-- representing his congregation??
Wealth, education, position, power -- shouldn't they carry responsibility, too?
One voice with resolve fulfiling the hopes of many.
Being responsible.
10
You must not get out much John. I've travelled to every big city and many mid sized and small cities around the country. Poverty, homelessness and crime are visible in EVERY ONE of them. The scale might differ slightly, but the ratios are probably close per capita.
Chicago has been an easy target, especially by the conservative pols who want to attach it's plight to Obama since he claims Chicago as his Home city. Take off the blinders and see the same thing across America. It's undeniable!
Chicago has been an easy target, especially by the conservative pols who want to attach it's plight to Obama since he claims Chicago as his Home city. Take off the blinders and see the same thing across America. It's undeniable!
10
Took the train, eh?
If you rode the Orange line from Midway, congratulations - you were passing through primarily working and middle class neighborhoods. If you took the Blue line from O'Hare, it was much of the same.
Sorry to burst your clichéd narrative, but there is more to Chicago than what you read about in the headlines.
If you rode the Orange line from Midway, congratulations - you were passing through primarily working and middle class neighborhoods. If you took the Blue line from O'Hare, it was much of the same.
Sorry to burst your clichéd narrative, but there is more to Chicago than what you read about in the headlines.
1
There are way more white poor baby momma baby daddy poorly educated welfare kings and queens than Black. While the proportion of Blacks is higher there are 5x as many whites. And the whites do not have a legacy of slavery or Jim Crow. What is their "excuse"?
For decades more than twice as many whites have been arrested every year for all categories of crime as compared to Blacks and for each specific type as well except for robbery and gambling. But whites get a pass and blacks are persecuted.
For decades more than twice as many whites have been arrested every year for all categories of crime as compared to Blacks and for each specific type as well except for robbery and gambling. But whites get a pass and blacks are persecuted.
4
I had a professor, Sally Sears, at Stony Brook University who told us a story of a African American neighbor who was locked out of his apartment who asked her if she could climb through his window to open it up. She asked why he couldn't do that and he said I am black and you are white and if the police see me do that they will arrest me while they will leave you alone. The all white class paid her no heed. Boy if we only knew.
30
Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for breaking in to his own house and mouthing off to a white cop while Black.
1
When reading your editorial, one notices two things besides the typos. One is your top-down attitude of government powers, that the Mayor and city of Chicago remedy the tyrannical abuse of its agents of law enforcement, for while you claim to represent the voice of the people, your patronizing tone shows that some editors do not trust the people's voice. The other editorial assumption is that the victims of white police brutality like black teenager Laquan McDonald and the 120 other victims of Chicago police under commander Jon Burge are totally passive, with no power of defense except through the total agency of government. But until Chicago's Mayor and Council intervened to check this totalitarian abuse, here would be an example where our 2nd Amendment right to bear a firearm for self-defense without government infringement would have been justified. Don't you see that if you discourage the basic individual agency of self-defense, you also encourage other passive behavior in them, so others can blame them for lacking initiative to improve their lives in lawful ways?
11
Seriously, you recommend shooting it out with law enforcement if you feel your rights aren't being upheld? Too many young men there already see guns as the answer to any insult to their rights.
There is a reason the First Amendment didn't come after the right of the state to keep a well regulated militia. There is nothing passive about free speech and the right of speech, assembly, the press and petition are far more powerful than waving around a gun.
There is a reason the First Amendment didn't come after the right of the state to keep a well regulated militia. There is nothing passive about free speech and the right of speech, assembly, the press and petition are far more powerful than waving around a gun.
13
Rather than pursuing justice in the public forum and in the local, state and national courts, are you suggesting that people use firearms against the police?
What kind of country would this be if this became a normal way of living?
What kind of country would this be if this became a normal way of living?
8
If the public elected Mr. Obama, who then appointed Mr. Holder, in an unconscious effort to redress the injustice toward black people, they (we) were sadly mistaken. It's time for black officials to drop their placatory attitudes and start defending black people against the state apparatus. Nothing is more important, neither ISIS nor foreign trade agreements. No justice, no peace.
There is nothing new about these attacks on black people--does anyone remember the race riots in Miami when a gang of white police officers attacked a black motorist in the middle of the night, beat him (and his motorcyle!), threw his ID over the overpass and brought him to the hospital, mutilated beyond recognition, where he died. By chance, a relative working there recognized him. The trial of the officers was moved to Tampa, under Janet Reno, the AG, where the officers were acquitted. Then days of rioting took place in Miami and burned down two black neighborhoods. The fire next time, as James Baldwin wrote.
There is nothing new about these attacks on black people--does anyone remember the race riots in Miami when a gang of white police officers attacked a black motorist in the middle of the night, beat him (and his motorcyle!), threw his ID over the overpass and brought him to the hospital, mutilated beyond recognition, where he died. By chance, a relative working there recognized him. The trial of the officers was moved to Tampa, under Janet Reno, the AG, where the officers were acquitted. Then days of rioting took place in Miami and burned down two black neighborhoods. The fire next time, as James Baldwin wrote.
43
Ah, yes - Chicago. A city where the dead vote, murder rates are high despite tough gun controls, the police chief was a criminal, and unions do what unions do best - protect the incompetent. And the city is for all practical purposes insolvent.
Must be a great place to live.
Must be a great place to live.
21
Hey Snarky Jim...Check out these Crime Stats on Columbus, OH vs Chicago. Virtually the SAME and in some recent years Columbus has a higher rate of crime. Columbus Must be a great place to live hah?
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Columbus-Ohio.html
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Chicago-Illinois.html
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Columbus-Ohio.html
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Chicago-Illinois.html
9
You are full of cliches about how Chicago used to be. Dead people may have voted in the 60s, but those days are long past. Chicago's murder rate is about the same as that of Columbus, when adjusted for population. Jon Burge was not the "police chief." The city is not insolvent, either practically or otherwise. Your comments on unions deserve no response.
I know that Columbus is widely known as a paradise on Earth, like all the rest of Ohio, but I will stick with Chicago.
I know that Columbus is widely known as a paradise on Earth, like all the rest of Ohio, but I will stick with Chicago.
28
"A city where the dead vote"
And also vote early and often but only for democrats.
And also vote early and often but only for democrats.
4
Chicago where I work in Federal law enforcement, non-uniformed, and Hammond, Indiana where I live, are cities beset with violent crime and a commensurate violent police reaction to it. Chicago's reputation goes back past the infamous 1968 Democratic Convention and continues, while the layers of the law enforcement onion one has to peel in that city include Cook County Sheriff's Police as well as the Illinois State Police. Overlapping jurisdictions are apparently an Illinois tradition in police and other bureaucracies, providing innumerable places for politicians to bestow preferments to their supporters. Bring in the Department of Justice with its billions of dollars, oversight programs and implanted HSI (aka ICE) agents to work joint task force operations, and the goal is to minimize such egregious abuses of the 1993 Laquan McDonald case. Bring transparency to these layers' operations and interactions, as well, so the taxpayers can decide which ones work best to protect their lives and property.
27
Actually, Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor got this close to nailing Daley but had to settle for Rod Blagojevich, yet another governor of Illinois. Funny things happen in Chicago: Kelly, who was rumored to be working with the feds collapses and later dies in Cook County IC; a head of transportation under investigation mysteriously "jumps" in front of one of his trains (probably left skid marks).
When the big wheels there wanted to maintain power and Stroger's son ran as Cook County board president Daley made sure it happened. All the ballots were collected and counted in the basement of the mayor's office. The Republican candidate screamed bloody murder because there were no neutral election officials in there. Daley announced Stroger won and that was it. The Chicago PD ran security. When asked, the average Chicagoan will say, "Hey, it's the Chicago way."
I will dare say that things are little different in New York or Philadelphia and certainly LA. Chicago is just more open about it.
When the big wheels there wanted to maintain power and Stroger's son ran as Cook County board president Daley made sure it happened. All the ballots were collected and counted in the basement of the mayor's office. The Republican candidate screamed bloody murder because there were no neutral election officials in there. Daley announced Stroger won and that was it. The Chicago PD ran security. When asked, the average Chicagoan will say, "Hey, it's the Chicago way."
I will dare say that things are little different in New York or Philadelphia and certainly LA. Chicago is just more open about it.
3
That was tried in 2007. Fitzgerald, the federal DA tried for Daley but settled for Blagojevich. He had to: the mayor had to be protected at all costs. Just like Nixon, he knew too much. The big wheels that profit so much from city gravy couldn't have the mayor on the witness stand. And, the Chicago PD and Cook County sheriff department watches over all.
4