I heart the R.P. said.... "I just got off of the phone with a good friend and neighbor who was mugged by some punk teenagers on Glenwood and Farwell, Wednesday at 12:30 in the afternoon. One of them came out of virtually nowhere and hit him in the head knocking him to the ground. Then another kicked him while he was down. My friend got to his feet and was running North toward the Barber shop (where he knew there were people) when he saw a cop car and flagged them down.
The cop went after the punks and caught them. He was later informed that the cops know these kids (14-16 yrs. old) well. They are currently suspended from school. The end of the story, they were let go! My friend is now fearful to freely walk the street of Rogers Park, partly in fear of retaliation. I've insisted he call Joe (less is) Moore and attend the next CAPS meeting, which is not until January, because of the Holidays. Crime does take a break for the Holidays!"
16 comments:
=== I've insisted he call Joe (less is) Moore and attend the next CAPS meeting===
Your friend has already been put through enough already. Why would you want to waste his time with people who will do nothing to help?
Some friend you are.
=== I've insisted he call Joe (less is) Moore===
You explained how it works, right? Did you explain how he needed to make a campaign contribution first?
Were they "let go" because the victim could not/would not identify them or were they released to their parents who will/must accompany them on their court date at Juvenile Court?
As far as calling Joe Moore, what will that accomplish? He is not a Police Officer and has no ability to deal with this. I am however a strong proponent of attending the CAPS Beat Community Meeting because at least you will be able to meet the Officers responsible for your beat. It is there that you will be able to discuss (in a civil manner of course) the problems on your beat with those that have the ability to actually do something about the problems. The Officers. That is the ONLY part of the CAPS program that I find worthwhile. I think it is a good idea for those with a problem to discuss it face to face with those that can solve or at least minimize that problem. You can however eliminate the Beat Facilitator, CAPS Area Co-ordinator and all these silly little marches and outoor rollcalls which accomplish nothing.
One waste of time I almost forgot. The outdoor rollcall. Another "brilliant" idea by an inside empty holster who is so far removed from Police work that he wouldn't know a criminal if he saw one walking down the street wearing a black and white striped one piece suit and a pillowcase stuffed with jewelry slung over his shoulder. I know the beat facilitators and "community activists" just love them, but the men hate them. Their only real purpose is to bolster the ego's of those beat facilitators and "community activists". It makes them think they have a little power.
Probably THE biggest waste of time, manpower and resources we have next to the actual CAPS office itself.
Your friend should start packing heat. Fire a warning shot over the thugs' heads. Seems to be the only thing they understand.
And if your friend is against the 2nd amendment, recommend a taser.
Big Daddy,
That time the street thug ran from the police on Pratt into the roll call at the Block Building was effective and funny.
Just reminding you that wasting time can some times be very productive and entertaining.
Rage, while your intentions may be noble, I'm not sure how that would play out in our politically correct society. The same society in which we abhor violence and do everything we can to portray the offender as a victim and coddle him. The same society in which we blame everybody else besides the offender and make excuses for his anti-social behavior. You fire warning shots over his head, you may end up offending him. We wouldn't want that now would we.
Progun, your right. I forgot that one rollcall out of thousands we do every year. Me, I'd rather have the men out doing what they should be doing. Locking up bad guys, not standing around trying to impress people. I'd like the CPD to get back to what they are supposed to do, what they usd to excel at. Being the Police and not a tool for the politicians. The suburban method of policing isn't working. We need to get back to the basics.
Could this have happened because of our weak-kneed Juvenile justice system?
Juveniles are way too protected from the consequences of their actions. It is almost impossible to get one locked up until he does something really, really violent.
You are absolutely right North Coast. Because of their age, they can only do so much. One of them threw his pal under the bus when he was apprehended and I believe let go from there. The other was taken in and released with a parent or guardian.
BTW, I realize Jayne is useless. It was great that you asked her if "they're stealing garbage" at the meeting.
There is not enough room in the US prison system to simply lock up everyone accused of a crime. Nor is there enough police power to do so, either.
One solution: higher taxes. But Im sure you don't want to hear that suggesion.
B.D. - Waste of time or not, it's worse than doing nothing. We as citizens must continue to demand improvement from the police, our alderman and our public schools. These are our tax dollars paying their salaries and it is not only our right, it's our responsibility.
I hate to beat an old horse, but our prisons are too cluttered up with adult drug offenders. The no-win War On Drugs has been a major contributor in making a mockery of our justice system.
Legalize this crap, regulate it with a multi-tiered regulatory system that reflects the various levels of impairment and harm produced by various street drugs, and tax the bejesus out of it the way we do tobacco and booze. Make it very unprofitable for criminal cartels.
Then get to work making sentences fit the crime, and go back to the state-run "reform" schools we used to have for juvenile offenders, and make the punishment fit the crime there, too. The weird thing about the juvenile code is that it punishes "status" offenses almost as severely as true crimes- a "status" offense being one that is an offense only because the juvenile is not "of age."
Your right "I Love RP", doing an outdoor roll call is worse than doing nothing. On that we are on in agreement. BTW, I too pay my salary as well as the other Officers that are forced to stand around and put on this dog and pony show. We don't like our tax dollars being used in this manner either. We would rather be out there earning our salaries, not putting on a show. Hey, I've got an idea. Let's form an "Outdoor Roll Call Unit". We could travel throughout the city and put on outdoor roll calls. I'll be the Commander. That way everybody will be happy. You will think that something is being done, I'll get a company car, get to wear gold braid on my hat and the only Officers that will have to stand around appeasing the uninformed are the Officers assigned to "my unit". The real Police Officers will then be free to do what they are paid to do. Police work, not parade work.
This city is run like a pile of shit. It just sits there getting cold.
I'm the neighbor in question here and for the record I want it known that the cops were there when I needed them and did what I would have hoped and expected. They caught 2 of them within a few minutes.
Having said that... As far as I know, once the police turned the report over to the state, the state, by law, decides "what is in the best interests of the juvenile". I.E. they were brought home to their parents never to be charged with any crime because according to Illinois law, juveniles don't commit crimes.
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