ALDERMAN BURKES STAR PATCH IDEA HUGE WASTE TAX DOLLARS

Were on a rant this morning, now its past noon:

If Daley, Burke and City Council get their BELOVED Olympics and pull this off, we all should receive and not have to pay for any new garments, 1st round city. Which ends up costing thousands and thousands of tax payer dollars. We know your laughing.

For us this may very well be an example, of how the city agrees to provide in a contract and then finds a way to take it back, through wink, wink. Why do we feel this way? Because either, new uniform garments or numerous apparel patches will have to be replaced in the thousands. Is the FOP, already anticipating for a possible allotment increase in our new contract, yep.......Does it mean a new uniform, not necessarily.........
Everyone should continue wearing all garments with their 4 star patches, till they completely shred and fall apart. Ah, that won't work, for either public appearance or inspections, let alone the pride of a professional officer and city employee. Get ready for the insanity uniform patch exchange errand, when and if we get the Olympics.

It looks like all of us, are going to be spending a whole lot of consuming time, trying to find an available uniform store. Regardless of the time allotted by council. Just so we can begin the inane process, of taking all those uniform garments in, just to have the patches removed and then replaced again? Maybe city council in its infinite wisdom, will come up with a one single star patch. Then you can still take all your garments, for just a solo star replacement? Lets think here, mileage, gas, anticipated other costs, plus down and waiting time, in the thousands. Get in early stand in line, or come back? How many uniform stores are actually available to us out there? Few and far in between, and their small with few employee's! Oh well, that's a personal problem for only thousands of numerous city employees. Our personal costs and time should be factored in as well, our opinion. This won't be either tax payer cheap or a timely quick task. Hey, maybe a new chain of stores will pop up? Drive in Patch Replacement Shop, "You drop we Flop."
"Burke hasn't thought through all the logistics", an understatement. No kidding! The article is only mentioning flags and private owners. Ummmm, that's us! Once the patch is placed on the garment, its yours. What does that say? Maybe a new uniform change, naw? This brain storm idea is a waste of tax payer dollars. Were Wondering what the patches cost the city and who has the contract? This continual head over heels, nonsense for the over-salivating anticipation of an Olympic game, is now way out of control and plain border line silly. This is what City Council voted themselves raises for, these continual types of ill thought out goof ball ideas? In our opinion, the one star addition idea, does not hold up muster for more spending of unnecessary tax dollars. Nor does it compare, to what was cited by CBS2 and printed below: Yep, we know the Olympics anticipated big income generating revenue, will really pay for this added fiasco. Don't believe or count on it.

Many of you already know what the four stars happen to represent. For those of you who don't, read on.

All four stars commemorate momentous events or places in Chicago history. They honor Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire, the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933-34.representation.


Ald. Edward M. Burke (14th) has a resolution pending that calls for a fifth star to be added to the Chicago flag in 2009 should the city win the right to host the Summer Games.

It would be the first change to the flag since 1939, when a fourth star was added in recognition of Fort Dearborn. The flag, designed by poet Wallace Rice, has been in use since 1917.

Burke hasn’t thought through all the logistics -- like the cost to replace flags at government buildings and how much time private owners would have to purchase new ones.

JUDGE ORDERS DURKIN 911 TAPES PRESERVED

We are not going to get into a personal discussion of what happened at Durkin Park.

We agree, manpower is turned upside down and calls are backed up. We also feel manpower is not handled properly, a topic which is not new but only worse. We have a manpower shortage and we feel the department only puts a band aid on the issue. Nor do we understand why actual manpower numbers are not being utilized. Its not a secret, so whats the deal? Officer's get stacks of calls now, there was a time when you were down on a job it meant just that, down. This was prior to OEMC going civilian and taken outside of the police department and it was also prior to 311. Were like chickens with our heads cut off. OEMC handles high volume calls as does apparently 311. None of us are magicians. Whose the charlatan behind the curtain, and why are we, always the fall guys?

CHICAGO POLICE BLOG SUNTIMES TAKE TIP

Straight from the mouth of the Daily SouthTown a member of the SunTimes.

Several anonymous posts on a local police blog say the first officer to arrive was a patrolman on special assignment in the Gresham District who got a phone call from a family member at the scene, pleading for help because no police were there. Interesting the supervisors are still at work during the investigation, yet two Dispatcher's are out during the investigation. The city that works. We wonder what happened as well.


Two Chicago police dispatchers were placed on leave as the city investigates why they ignored -- for 26 minutes -- a high-priority 911 call reporting an assault in progress in Durkin Park on Saturday night.

"We take every matter very seriously. I'm very upset about the situation," said Tony Ruiz, acting executive director of the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communication. We thought he was the the Director or so the media said so before?

CHICAGO SUNTIMES SLANTS STORY AGAINST CHICAGO 911 OPERATOR

Why is this complaint even a news topic? Oh Fran? Kevin Smith is the media go to man at OEMC.

July 12, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter
Brigitte Biver called 311 about 9 p.m. on July 4 to report illegal fireworks so deafening that they sounded like they were exploding right over her Norwood Park home.
When Biver was transferred to Chicago's 911 emergency center, she thought she would get an even quicker response. Instead, all she got was laughter -- hysterical laughter.

Briggitte then tries to grasp at straws by saying this, "She didn't know what I was calling about. Somebody could have been having a heart attack here. If it had been a life-or-death situation where seconds count, that's very dangerous. It's highly unprofessional in any setting," Biver said. We know it was not a life-or-death call and so do you and we don't really know the full story only the Suntimes slant. What we do know, is the Suntimes should have reflected the over whelming calls 911 was getting and what was really being done in Norwood Park.

This is just another example today, of slanted media reporting. Shame on Fran and the Suntimes family group.

Here is Smith's comment at the end. "Fireworks are illegal and they are dangerous. We received thousands of calls -- as we should have," Smith said. Our comment: Were sure the 911 operator handled their massive call volume as well.

'HELLO? HELLO?' Fireworks complaint gets no response, Is this not the the same Norwood Park? DID it not get a response and a big one at that? You be the judge. Read the below story printed in the same paper the very same day as Frans story ran. WOW!

Illegal fireworks fizzled, cops say
July 12, 2007 By ALAN SCHMIDT Staff Writer, this story from the Suntimes also:
There were hundreds of people wrapped around a large open area at Hiawatha Park July 4, anticipating what police said was going to be a large-scale illegal fireworks display.
What they got instead was a view of a patrol car that was hastily stationed in the middle of the park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Drive, to discourage anyone from lighting the first fuse.

It was all part of an effort put together by Jefferson Park (16th) District Cmdr. Ralph Price to put a stop to some major, informal fireworks shows before they started. In the weeks leading up to Independence Day, Price, along with district personnel, put together a priority list of the "hot spots" that were the sites of previous pyrotechnic extravaganzas. Price also met with school principals and Chicago Park District staff to ask for their support. The large, open spaces needed for many of the less-than-clandestine shows can be found on the grounds of the district's 52 schools and 37 parks.

Then added to the story is this:
Price joined a 15-member team of officers whose sole job was to keep tabs on each of the hot spots and respond to fireworks-related calls. He said officers squelched what had become an annual event with fireworks followed by vandalism of school property at Canty School, 3740 N. Panama Ave. Some of the other schools police were paying attention to were Beaubien, Dever, Edison Regional Gifted Center, Norwood Park, Onahan and Taft High School.

Now the important part of this real story:
Price said officers made several trips there in response to calls to 911. He admitted that curbing the enthusiasm people have for fireworks, whether they are illegal or not, is a "daunting task."

He said he was happy to report that there were no major illegal fireworks displays, no fireworks-related injuries, no fires caused by fireworks and no violence related to fireworks. Congratulations 911 and District Officer's, job well done!
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/edisonpark/news/464820,ed-16fireworks-071207-s1.article

CHICAGO CAMERAS AND DAMAGE TO VEHICLES

For those that have asked about damage to their vehicles and Chicago cameras.

Were not talking about cameras damaging your vehicle. What we are trying to address is a subject were often approached about. That being how do you handle damage to your vehicle which may have been in view of a camera? Thus far, we simply don't know of any set standard for retrieval purpose of any requested video. It is our understanding, the city may not want to be involved in this process and unless were speaking about a serious crime more than likely against a person. You may be very hard pressed to get answers to your video requests, let alone getting any video of the incident. Were thinking this may change with the pursuit of an attorney but at this time, we simply don't have the answers. Were basing this on requests other's have had as well. The Office of Emergency Management and Communication may be connected through 311 at this time, where your questions may be better addressed. We hope this has somewhat helped you in your questions and quest.