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First Vice President’s Report
We’re riding a runaway train
Where are we today as a police department? Who are our leaders? And where are we head- ed? I, for one, feel somewhat indifferent to these questions. On one hand, I love what I do, helping defend the rights of our members. But on the other hand, I look forward to trying a different path. Growing up, I always wanted to be a police officer. I wanted to fight bad guys and help people who couldn’t help themselves.
For a long time, I did just that. But over the years and after many ups and downs, I find myself wanting to get on with the next chapter of my life.
I am sure it is something many of you are dealing with right now. With the looming arbitration decision over the vaccination mandate coming, we are seeing tons of officers walking off the job. Some are retiring, and that is nothing unexpected, but many are just resigning. Coppers are leav- ing Chicago for other departments and other states, and some are just starting whole new career paths.
It is hard to blame any one of these officers for getting out of this place. A few years ago, our City and Department entered into a consent decree — not all of which is bad, but when you do not have the leadership, funding or ac- tual want for real change, we were set up to fail. This De- partment has always lacked in the training category, and the consent decree mandated new and needed continuous training. But when you don’t have the backing of the may- or or superintendent to actually provide real training, you get what we have: something that allows our leaders to just check a box and pat each other on the backs.
This Department is a runaway train with no one at the helm. Superintendent Brown is an absent leader, and when he does speak, it is in platitudes. We keep seeing the po- litical hacks point fingers at each other while nothing gets done. Violent crime is rampant, and no one seems to care. Our officers are being scrutinized for every little thing by too many different agencies – all of which seem to be an- ti-police.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) has become the hatchet man for the anti-police movement. The punishments that COPA is recommending are insane. Punishment, when considering discipline, is supposed to correct behavior, not be punitive in nature. COPA is hand- ing out six-months-to-a-year punishments like they were candy. This doesn’t correct behavior; it makes people want to leave. And maybe that is the end game for the City. After all, not one boss on this Department is trying to figure out
ways to make this a happy place to work. I get it, crime is up and this City is more dangerous, but those are not excuses for the moral beating tactics this Department implements on a daily basis.
The newest crock of crap is the PCI! Positive Community Interactions are the new threshold of justification for our existence. I would love to sit in on a command staff meet- ing and see what kind of BS the Sup and First are throw- ing out to deem PCIs as the savior of this city. Absolutely mind-blowing what constitutes leadership in this town.
I’ll finish up with this: The Slum-Times had an article about leadership in this Department complaining about Superintendent Brown. I don’t disagree with the com- plaints. What I can’t stand is, not one of these anonymous complaining bosses will stand up and say it to his face. They will sit quietly and wait to see who might replace Brown; in the meantime, they are willingly riding this Department right into the ground.
MICHAEL METTE
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ FEBRUARY 2022 9