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Playing catch-up
Brothers and Sisters, in late November 2015, when the Laquan McDonald shooting vid- eo was released, it started a series of events that took off like a runaway freight train. As it picked up momentum, the city and the De- partment have been trying to catch up with what is left behind: a trail of finger-pointing politicians, multiple policy changes by the De- partment and protestors taking advantage of
the First Amendment as an excuse to face-off with our members.
As if that was not enough, shortly thereafter former State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez released
the Ronald Johnson shooting video. To her credit,
there was a press conference with a play-by-play explanation of the video and audio of the police com- munication recordings with OEMC to the events leading up to the shooting. It was a clear attempt at transparen- cy to minimize any further outcry or civil unrest, which was more than what occurred during the release of the Laquan McDonald video.
Department of Justice (DOJ) and training
Since the DOJ’s arrival to investigate the Department’s policies and practices, the Department has been scram- bling to get ahead of the investigation and has started providing more Taser and Critical Incident Training (CIT) for officers.
On the other hand, the Department’s Education and Training Division has watered down its Firearms Qualifi- cation Standards for Chicago Police recruits. It has come to my attention that when recruits pass any of the eight timed State Firearms Qualification Courses (between weeks 9 and 15), it will count as their required State Fire- arms Qualification. What that means is that if recruits are lucky enough to pass on their first attempt, it does not matter if they fail the next seven times while in the acade- my. They still will be pushed along and graduate.
This comes at a time when our “use of deadly force” is questioned and more training is needed rather than curved. An officer hitting the streets out of the academy should be able to shoot at the minimum of 70 percent on demand. In order to maintain high standards, quality training is essential throughout an officer’s career. After all, it will provide for the best service to the public, in- crease confidence in the officers’ ability to do their jobs, reduce liability and maybe even help stop the need for the Department to play catch up.
Medical Corner
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can occur with a violent blow to the head, such as bottles or items thrown by pro- testors at the police. Last month, during the Trump rally that was postponed at the UIC Pavilion, civil unrest be- gan to brew inside and outside the pavilion. Officers lined up, holding the line the best way they could to prevent protestors from clashing with others. It seemed chaotic
10 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ APRIL 2016
as the crowd became more aggressive and started throw- ing items with no regards for public safety. Several officers got hurt that night and one officer was seen being walked away with a head injury and blood running down his face.
It was surely a lack of direction and leadership on the ground that prevented those officers from wearing their helmets, a piece of equipment designed to protect them during such events. The Department lacked a contingen-
RAY CASIANO, JR
cy plan to have, at least, officers standing nearby with the proper equipment to relieve those unprotected officers. This practice of the Department display- ing a softer side during major demonstrations is an unnecessary and dangerous risk. The end re- sult unfortunately can leave an officer with TBI or other injuries because of the unlawful act of a few goofs. The Lodge immediately put MLAS on notice
and filed a safety complaint.
The Department has been identifying members that
they feel may need assistance and placing them in the Be- havioral Intervention System (BIS) or the Personnel Con- cerns Program (PC). I recently had a spike in grievances related to the above, and our members being placed on Forced Medical. If you are taking a medication that, in the past has been easily explained during random drug testing with you showing a prescription from your doctor, that may no longer be the case. A current letter from your doctor may be something you may want to have handy to explain why you are on those particular meds and that it will not affect your performance. It can possibly minimize the need for the Department to place you on Forced Med- ical in the future.
Who’s next?
There are new days coming to the Department with the consideration of a new superintendent. Although In- terim Superintendent Eddie Johnson has not fully gone through the process yet, we are looking forward to being part of the party line, and having a seat at the table with him to help with the challenges our members will face in the coming months. It is refreshing to know that the selection came with much consideration to pick a leader from within our ranks who will benefit the Department as well as the communities he will serve. I bid the new superintendent much success and extend an invitation to work with the Lodge 7 leadership to overcome some of the challenges we both will face.
Acknowledgement
Last month, several of our members had the luck of the Irish on their side. It ranged from one of our members walking away from a rollover accident to another taking police action off-duty to protect his life during a robbery. Although every officer that pins on the star and goes out to “serve and protect” deserves a salute, I have selected a team to acknowledge this month.
On the night of March 14, during an investigation into
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First Vice President’s
REPORT