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“First, let’s protect what we have and not give up any- thing,” McDonagh rallies. “And I think another goal the union has for 2017 is that the City completes the hiring and stops playing games with the members. Nobody cares about year-to-date comparisons. The previous year is over. Let’s move forward and worry about the here and now.”
On his wish list for 2017, McDonagh echoes what mem- bers might want most. “Any bit of respect. Whether it be from a 95-year-old woman saying thank you for what you do, every little bit matters.”
As for other objectives, well, share some foresight:
On camera: To those who think that all officers wear- ing body video will slow the violence or reduce the murder rates, the Lodge is not worried about such false narrative. The way the deployment has transpired is more concern- ing. The Department put out a letter of understanding that it would talk with the union about how cameras should be used before moving ahead, but that hasn’t happened. And such lack of compliance will not be tolerated.
“If the Department outlines a general order on body cameras, that language needs to be in compliance on their end with the collective bargaining agreement,” President Angelo charges. “I’m tired of receiving responses that are not in compliance with the language of the contract. We’re not blind. Don’t change what has already been agreed to.”
Stress management: An average of four Chicago Po- lice Officers take their own lives each year, and, according
to Warner, this is one of the consequences of a growing problem with post-traumatic stress. Cops who have been through an accumulation of horrific incidents are increas- ingly feeling the stress, but can’t seem to get the help they need without worrying about being held adversely ac- countable job-wise.
“After one of these incidents, the detectives and evidence technicians have a debriefing with EAP,” says Warner, who had to take a disability retirement because of such an inci- dent. “But it needs to happen more often. Without the re- sources to deal with all the trauma, officers start self-med- icating with everything from drinking to drugs. We need to get the message out that it’s OK to ask for help, and the De- partment has to say, ‘We’re OK with you asking for help.’”
Reflections on IPRA: Whether by collective bargaining or a recently filed lawsuit, the union seems bent on en- suring quality individuals are investigating allegations against officers sometime in the near future. Angelo, Sr. calls for having investigators with KSA – knowledge, skills and ability. The objective as Casiano sees it is to “let the Department leaders discuss the policies and make the pol- icies so it’s not coming from the Fifth Floor or the council chambers and being forced down our throats.”
Visionary: Maintaining and improving protections re- garding discipline that exist in the current collective bar- gaining agreement for the new contract, getting through a sixth consecutive year without a Chicago Police Officer being lost in the line of duty and coming up with a way for members to not be inhibited with having to fill out a two-
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2017