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OPS = IPRA = COPA
The City Council has held hearings almost weekly on the new Civilian Oversight Police Accountability (COPA). It is interesting to note that all of the media, civilians, attorneys, pro- fessors, experts and Sharon Fairly have spoken on the subject of accountability and not one of these geniuses has asked how many open CR cases there are, and how long have they been open. Fairly, in an attempt sweep it all under
the carpet, is going back to cases that are between eight and 10 years old, and attempting to impose punishment. To what end? To answer the critics by saying she has closed all the old cases knowing there won’t be any follow up questions like, “What was the outcome?”
Department would have issued you a department cell phone. Don’t use your private cell phone for police busi- ness and, if you do, be prepared for the consequences.
Retiree healthcare
On Sept. 21 we were informed the Appellate Court has dismissed our appeal for all four classes. The only class that will have City healthcare is class 1, 2. That is any offi- cer or spouse where the officer was hired before Aug. 23,
1989, and retired before Aug. 23, 1989. That means, as of Dec. 31, there will be no city health insurance for retirees except class 1, 2. All retirees who retired with the 55 to Medicare and the 60 to Medicare
are not affected by this ruling.
The City is going to offer a plan but the entire
GREG BELLA
Fairly is going to take an 8-year-old case, recom- mend separation and send the case to the Police Board. You have to assume that Lori Lightfoot, based on her com- ments in the media about the previous Police Board’s le- niency, is going to separate the officer. That causes the city and the Lodge to expend funds to appeal the case where the court will send the case back to the Police Board for a lesser penalty because an investigation should not take eight years to complete. This will all be done and none of the so-called experts will know or care about what has happened. The IPRA ordinance mandates that all investi- gations must be completed in six months, unless there is a valid reason, and the City Council must approve any ex- tension. That was passed when the old OPS was dissolved because of the outrageous length. Not one expert – not one alderman has spoken on this issue because anyone who does would have to answer for the incompetence.
With this bright light shining on police accountabil- ity, how can the accountability of the City Council not be called into question? Maybe Joe Ferguson and the In- spector General’s Office could investigate why there are so many cases that have been open for years at IPRA. Ev- eryone seems to forget that the same investigators who brought about the downfall of OPS have brought down IPRA, and in three years will bring down COPA. The ci- vilian investigators are the gift that keeps on giving – just like the aldermen. The same investigators, through three name changes, are the reason there is erosion in public confidence and, as long as the police are the only ones to be held accountable, the city should get ready for another failure.
Cell phones
Your private cell phone is just that – private – as long as that is the way you use it. If you are going to use your phone for police business, the cell phone record now be- comes discoverable. When you see the scene of a police shooting on the news, you will always see more than one officer talking on a private cell phone. The lawyers use that action to subpoena the record of anyone on the scene. If you have to use a cell phone to make notifications, the
cost is borne by the retiree, and the Lodge will offer plans to Medicare and non-Medicare members that will allow you to retain the HELPS tax deduction. This infor- mation will be mailed to all members and listed on our website, and an email blast will be sent out. Clint Kris- lov is now asking the Illinois Supreme Court to hear the Underwood/Korshak case. If we are successful at the Su- preme Court and it rules like Kanerva, the City will have to pay for retiree healthcare at an affordable rate. d
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RECORDING
Secretary