RCPA supports Lt. Andrews 1st Amendment Rights

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A City at War with Itself : Chicago - Fast Tracking to Anarchy
Understanding the Organizational Paralysis of the CPD and the Mission to Recovery
(updated)

Everyone in Chicago knows it. Almost everyone in America knows it. In fact, a lot of people throughout the world know. Chicago is a city at war with itself - fast tracking to anarchy.

Leading us there have been two major root causes - public violence and public corruption. While Chicago has been under attack with its people fearful and hiding, its police department was twisted into paralysis by organizational decimation, incompetent leadership, self-serving politics and corruption.

After three dead cops in less than 60 days, the men and women of the Chicago Police Department are saying, "Enough!!!" We are sickened that our world-class police department has deteriorated into ruin in only a few short years. We are tired of a leaderless department. We are angry at an unsupportive mayor.

We must rise up together to take this city back from the thugs, gangs and rogues that infect our city. The good people of Chicago must also take a stand against the corrupt politicians and their cronies that have bled our city and police department dry.

We must not be stopped. We will not be deterred. We will not be corrupted. Our mission is clear. We must return Chicago to its peaceful, law-abiding citizens. We cannot fail!

Public Violence

Homicides, shootings and gang related crimes are sucking the life out of this city. Daily, people are shot and killed on our streets over conflicts with gangs and drugs. Our children are not immune from the victimization as they too are targets or suffer as collateral damage from stray gunfire.

Most horrific for Chicago is that in less than 60 days, Chicago has lost 3 of its police officers, killed by gunfire as victims of robberies. It seems no one is safe in our city anymore.

Chicago's homicide rate this year currently stands toe-to-toe with the total number of military forces killed in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

Thugs, gangs and renegade groups run the streets and neighborhoods, intimidating and victimizing the decent citizens of this city. They go mostly unchallenged and unchecked by a totally demoralized police force that is dangerously understaffed and still out-gunned on the streets.

Public Corruption

The continued participation in public corruption activities appears to be much more important to Chicago's power elite than addressing the public safety dilemmas of its citizens.

While public corruption has always been a problem in Chicago, it seems to have become more overt than ever. It is amazing how politicians and the "connected ones" can act so openly now and with such impunity.

Political Corruption within the Police Department

A recent example of alleged political corruption ties to top tier leadership in the Chicago Police Department.

While Superintendent Jody Weis recently appointed Lieutenant Anthony Carothers to Commander of the Englewood District, his appointment has been received by the rank & file with utter disdain. They and some city residents call the appointment of Carothers a true lack of ethical consideration by the Superintendent.

Interestingly, the newly appointed Commander Anthony Carothers is the brother of Isaac Carothers, the Chicago Alderman recently convicted on charges of public corruption in Federal Court. Ironically, their father, William Carothers, also served as a Chicago Alderman until his conviction on public corruption charges in 1983.

A simple Google search of Anthony Carothers revealed a Federal Court civil action judgment that was entered against him in 1985. Then a Cook County Deputy Sheriff, Anthony acted in concert with his brother Isaac, in activities of intimidation, physical violence and abuses of authority against Arthur Turner, who was campaigning against their imprisoned father's aide for Alderman.

Clout Rules Supreme

Anthony Carothers has reportedly never been promoted by competitive examination score to the ranks of sergeant or lieutenant in the CPD. Instead, those ranks were given to him as "meritorious appointments." Promotions, along with a career full of prestigious assignments, flowed freely while his brother Isaac served as the powerful chairman of the Chicago City Council Committee on Police and Fire.

Carothers is just one the numerous political aristocracies this city and this police department has been forced to endure. The incompetent political hacks that have been positioned to lead us have only poisoned us as a department. They are an embarrassment to be associated with the many honorable men and women of the Chicago Police Department who serve its citizens daily with dignity and distinction. His story is here only because it is the newest. There are others... many others.

Police Superintendent Within the Circle of Corruption?

Yet, in the first set of command staff changes at CPD after the conviction of Alderman Isaac Carothers, we see the gravy train has not stopped for his brother Anthony.

Superintendent Jody Weis promoted the convicted Alderman's brother to Commander of the Englewood District and then publicly boasted that once again he was promoting the "brightest and best" in the Chicago Police Department?

Does Weis really believe the men and women of the CPD will drink the kool-aid and respect or follow people like Anthony Carothers as their leaders?

What overt message was the Superintendent sending to the members of the Chicago Police Department?

• That public corruption is a good?
• That public corruption is to be accepted?
• That public corruption is to be rewarded?
• That leaders of city government and the police department act corrupt themselves by protecting the interests (taking care of family and friends) of corrupt public officials who have been convicted of VIOLATING THE PUBLIC TRUST ???

"This smells of a thousand hogs", as a Chicago newspaperman once wrote.

Was Jody Weis bought and paid for ($310,000/yr) the Chicago way? One might wonder...

Chicago Police: What Happened to Them?

As the spiral of violence in Chicago has increased, people have been asking when the police will be "turned loose" to do their job and restore the rule of law on the streets in Chicago. Many have been pleading with both the Mayor and Superintendent to open their eyes, wake up and do something... to little avail.

After the homicide of the third Chicago police officer within the past 60 days, a police captain posted on a social media site, " Do you think it's about time we take the kid gloves off?", inferring the lack of administrative leadership and fortitude in addressing Chicago's violent crime problems. Yes, the time to take off the kid gloves is well past "long overdue." Perhaps the police should have never put them on in the first place?

A lot has changed over the past several years. The Chicago Police Department is no longer that world class law enforcement agency it once was. In a few short years it has deteriorated into a totally demoralized, understaffed police department that criminals no longer fear.

Paralysis within the Police Department

Contributing factors that have led to the paralysis of the CPD:

• Decimation of existing top-tier leadership by incoming Superintendent
• Lack of leadership / Administrative incompetence
• Overt political corruption within the ranks
• Reductions in field strength levels that have left personnel in dangerous working conditions
• Reductions in field strength levels that have severely limited police effectiveness at protecting life and property or maintaining order on Chicago streets.

Based on the above and other contributing factors, the rank and file of the Chicago Police Department do not have confidence in their leadership. They perceive a number of current "bosses" as incompetent, politically corrupt, or both - beginning with the mayor and police superintendent.

Let's look at some of the conditions of CPD's organizational paralysis...

Fatal Flaws: Lost From the Beginning

When incoming Superintendent Jody Weis arrived on the scene in Chicago, the CPD was already suffering from very low morale, most notably from the Special Operations Section (SOS) and Abatte scandals that were highlighted repeatedly in the mass media. The hard working and honest police officers of this city were being unfairly painted with the broad brush of these two issues. With public perception of the CPD at a very low point, it made the job of serving as a Chicago police officer even harder.

Weis, a career FBI agent, never had experience as a police officer or in managing a local law enforcement agency - let alone the #2 police department in the United States. His earliest decisions and actions would mark his tenure as an unrecoverable failure.

Weis's first fatal flaw as Superintendent was to flex his muscles in a misguided demonstration of "Federal oversight" of the CPD in what has become "The Cozzi Incident." Without going into the well known details here, Weis facilitated a Federal prosecution of a police officer AFTER the officer already had been prosecuted at the State level and received severe administrative discipline from the CPD. Many believed that Cozzi had already been punished, both legally and administratively for his misconduct. Many also believed that while Cozzi's conduct in the incident was not acceptable, it did not rise to the level that warranted an additional Federal prosecution, as was the case with the Rodney King incident in Los Angeles. This single action by Weis was viewed by the rank & file of the department as excessive and draconian. The result was an instant and unrecoverable alienation of Weis from the members of the Chicago Police Department.

Weis's second fatal flaw was to almost immediately decimate the entire top-tier leadership of the department. Instead of working with the existing and experienced senior police managers to better understand how the CPD operated and ease organizational change over time (as Bratton had done when arriving as the new Chief at LAPD from NYPD), Weis summarily dismissed this trusted knowledge base and replaced it with inexperienced lower level command staff and some trusted FBI people that he brought in with him. This was a shock to the department's culture and operation that not only proved to be ineffective, it set the CPD into an immediate tail spin, from which it has not recovered.

The third fatal flaw of the Weis superintendency was really no fault of his own. Weis installed a trusted confidant he brought with him from the FBI as his chief of staff. In such a sensitive position, any smart police executive would have done the same. A chief of staff serves as the eyes and ears of the Superintendent, offering him additional insight and assumedly trusted guidance. Mayor Daley was to have none of that and instead forced Weis to remove his guy and install the Mayor's guy (Mike Masters) instead. It became instantly clear to Weis that he was not running the CPD - City Hall was. While there have been previous chiefs of staff at CPD (who were wired directly to City Hall), Masters has been perceived by the department as the "chief political officer" who has created extreme controversy and dissention within the department - most notably by back-dooring his way into obtaining the "sworn" status of a peace officer. While Weis has been forced to accept Masters and publicly states he has a great working relationship with him, the truth is that Masters keeps Weis on a tight leash, as you rarely see one without the other.

Police Officers Fear Reprisals From Performing Their Duties

With the apparent lack of support from the city or their own leadership, many police officers have reduced their proactive performance and now only contribute at minimum levels. When asked, most will freely tell you that they do not want to place themselves, their families and livelihoods at risk from a perceived Machiavellian police superintendent or other incompetent "bosses" that could lead them into legal trouble that would risk their liberty and freedom (jail).

Command Staff - Lost Leadership, Lost Passion, Lost Compensation, Lost Value

Even competent command staff members who have been looking for guidance and overall department direction when running their commands have frequently asked each other, "Who is steering the ship?"

Now, as "insanity relief" more and more command staff members are openly ridiculing what they call the "Weis-Masters Show" (superintendent and his chief of staff).

Command staff members are quickly losing their passion to lead. Being non-unionized management, the mayor has required they take 24 unpaid furlough days in 2010 (up from 12 unpaid days in 2009 and 6 unpaid days in 2008). Rumor is strong that Daley wants them to submit to 52 unpaid furlough days in 2011. They are questioning their de-valued status and consequently, their loyalty to the goals and objectives of the department.
It is an unrealistic expectation for a District Commander (knowing every Captain and Lieutenant working under them is making more money than they are) to remain loyal to the mission or continue to be positive contributors under these conditions. If 2011 brings 52 unpaid furlough days, most Sergeants will be making more than "the boss."

Who would want to assume or maintain a command leadership position under these circumstances?

It breeds more of "who is going to steer the ships?"

The Reduction of Police Staffing and the Corresponding Reduction of Police Effectiveness

Police field strength levels (especially during overnight hours) have long ago sunk to levels of ineffectiveness at maintaining public order in some Chicago neighborhoods. You can forget about proactive police patrols serving as a visible deterrence to crime. There are just not enough police officers on the street anymore.

Police officers, responding to calls, sometimes turn the corner into a hurricane of crap. Some incidents have required assistance from police officers FIVE DISTRICTS away before public order could be restored.

Law Breakers Have No Fear of the Police

As one sergeant working the midnight watch stated, "There are not enough of us out there. We respond to these out-of-control street parties and order the people to disperse. Now they just stare at us, daring us to do something about it. It's just insane out here. I can't wait to retire."

Extreme staffing reductions are not only dangerous for police officers, they further increase tensions on the street when police are required to take law enforcement actions.

Adversely, the thugs and gang bangers know this too and are now more aggressively and violently challenging police authority. This has resulted in an increase of injury-on-duty claims by police officers, which further contributes to the problems of inadequate field strength levels.

Lost Public Confidence in Public Safety = National Guard

Citizens have seen and felt the reduced police presence in their neighborhoods, along with the resulting epidemic rises of violent crime.

Frustrated and scared, they and some Illinois lawmakers have been calling for deployment of the army national guard on the streets of Chicago to help restore order, as the public is losing confidence in the capability of the Chicago Police Department to do so.

While the mayor has so far rejected such a need, weary and understaffed police officers and supervisors, working the midnight watch in many police districts are seeing things differently.

First Watch (Midnights): The Most Understaffed and Dangerous Watch of All

Complaints of inadequate staffing levels of police on the street continue to come from all watches, but most notably the first watch (midnights). They continue to report that there are not enough police officers assigned to effectively address the demands for police service (911 calls), let alone chronic neighborhood disorder incidents like illegal street and house parties.

It is common knowledge throughout the Chicago Police Department that multiple beat cars are routinely "downed" each day throughout the city, as there are no officers to staff the car for the shift . Many other beat cars are rolling in Chicago on the 3rd & 1st watches (afternoons and midnights) with only one officer instead of two, as is the standard staffing policy at night.

Exhausted and understaffed, officers and supervisors on these watches are now saying that if Chicago is not going to hire more police officers, they would welcome the national guard's assistance, especially on midnights.

Where We Stand Now: The Realities of Organizational Leadership at CPD

• We can no longer afford organizational or personal inaction as a consequence of the incompetent and/or politically corrupt "leaders" of our police department or our city.
• We cannot wait for competent, effective leadership to be delivered to us.

We must develop, identify and implement "bottom-up" leadership at every level of the Department. If you can and your superior can't or won't - then just do it. Don't wait any longer for someone else to do it. There just might not be anyone else.

From Paralysis to Productivity - Our Duty to Get There - No Matter What

What is needed at CPD today:

• Competent leaders empowered to lead the willing
• Sufficient field strength to effectively overcome resistance
• Restored trust and confidence in both the Department and city government

Our duty and responsibility today, as police managers and supervisors... and even as police officers... is to work at getting us there.

While dealing with resource scarcity and navigating the political land mines, we must...

• Ensure the display of positive and competent leadership daily, as an example to all, despite the limitations of some of our superiors.
• Continually identify, develop and empower truly competent leaders within the Department, recognizing the value of "informal leaders" of any rank - in every unit. When competent leaders are utilized, the willing shall follow.

These are critical and key first steps to turnaround and success. I cannot over state this enough. The sparks must be ignited NOW in every unit, on every watch, on every team. These new sparks must carefully be nurtured into a flame, grown into a fire, then fanned into a blaze.

Taking the High Road

We must remain focused on the mission and our purpose. We have taken a solumn oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Illinois. As law enforcers, we operate within the law.

Always the Hard Way - Perseverance

Understanding the reality that no organization is perfect (or ever will be), we still must rise to meet the challenges before us, despite the adversities and risks involved.

Sometimes we will have to work around obstacles (physical, political and organizational) to get the job done. I know this will not be easy. Some days may be better than others. From time to time, expect to encounter resistance, obstruction, or attempts at derailment from the personal or political agendas of others. Don't become discouraged - never give up.

Be vigilant. Stay committed.

The decent, law-abiding people of Chicago are depending on us.

--------------------
Some follow up comments I wrote after the original writing:
http://highwayroadrunner.blogspot.com/2 ... tself.html

http://highwayroadrunner.blogspot.com/2 ... ction.html


Work Safe!

John Andrews







A City At War With Itself: Chicago - Fast Tracking to Anarchy (Understanding the Organizational Paralysis of CPD and the Mission to Recovery) by John R. Andrews is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Open Letter from Jim Maurer
25 AUGUST 2010

IN SUPPORT OF: LIEUTENANT JOHN ANDREWS
by: JAMES A. MAURER, CHIEF OF PATROL (retired)

The other day I read the paper published by Lieutenant John Andrews. I was wondering how long it would take the Top Command of the Chicago Police Department and the Mayor, to be offended enough to find some reason to take formal disciplinary action. It apparently didn’t take long. Yesterday on CBS 2 and NBC 5, the story of this Lieutenant Andrews’ extremely accurate words and the reaction of those in power.

I found it ironic that the Department has decided that the Lieutenant should be charged with “Bringing Discredit Upon The Department.” To some this might seem to be a weak charge. However, be careful, l would not dismiss that charge as weak. After all, as Lieutenant Andrews’ words certainly and most accurately demonstrate, no one has ever demonstrated more skill and a growing experience at “bringing discredit” upon an organization, than the Mayor, this Superintendent, and their minions.

Every time I leave my home and wherever I go in Chicago I run into Officers. I have never seen this Department in a more depressed state. They are completely demoralized and are concerned for the well being of their families and this City. I couldn’t agree more. Chicago is heading for Detroit and will get there faster than it took Detroit to become Detroit.

John Andrews has been given two things that are of the greatest value. First he became a member of the finest group of men and women ever to walk upon the face of this earth - The Chicago Police Department. John was also given something much more significant .... The honor and privilege to Command.

Nothing holds more weight, has more obligation attached, or put the recipient in a more critical situation that the honor and privilege of Command. John Andrews’ most fundamental duty is the well being of the people who have been entrusted to him. The people directly under his command are his most important and sacred responsibility. Those above him are always secondary. Protecting his people always supersedes the image of the organization. When you are promoted, you do not swear an oath to the Mayor or Jody Weis, and until they change that, keeping the citizens of this City safe and protecting those are charged with that task is a Boss’s primary responsibility.

John, you could not have lived up to that with greater honor. I am proud to have worn the same uniform as you and will be at your service, especially during this critical time for you.

Your words could not have been more accurate. People forget that in the years prior to the appointment of Jody Weis, this was the safest big City in the Country. In the year that followed Weis brought this city to the Homicide capital of the U.S.

We now hear that crime is down in comparison to the last two years. Of course it’s down. After his first year it might have been difficult for even Weis to continue the downward trend. However, the violence may be numerically trending down but the brazen defiance in the attitude of the thugs that have turned more and more neighborhoods in this City into a third world country, is more than frightening.

Weis has presided over the most drastic decrease in manpower in the history of Chicago. He has no idea how to prioritized his responsibilities, his administration is clueless and he simply out of touch with reality. He responds to problems with more and more programs that have not worked. He has dismissed everything - including advise from those who know how to do the job - that was successful in the past. He has promoted a number of the most incompetent people to have ever been employed by this City, while at the same time demoting anyone who would disagree with him or exhibit the slightest bit of skill, knowledge or ability. (Sound like anyone else we all know?)

Weis has absolutely no sense of Chicago Police Department history and instead it would seem he has nothing but disdain for the men and women he has been charged to lead. This is not surprising. The organization he comes from has always looked down their nose at “the Locals.”

What’s wrong with this guy? Why don’t he get it ... or, does he??

For reasons still debated, the Mayor decided to ignore the recommendations of the Police Board for a successor to Phil Cline - all three of whom were superior and accomplished Police officers and leaders, he picked a former FBI agent to take over the Chicago Police Department.

I have worked with many Special Agents of the FBI. I attended the FBI National Academy in 1977. I have the greatest respect for some of those people. Ken Lang, Joe Lewis, Gary Kissenger, Chuck Sekarek, Chuck Miller are just a few of the very best Special Agents of the FBI. That said however, it is very important to understand that the law enforcement mission of the Bureau is entirely investigative. In the vast majority of cases the FBI is not under any time constraints. They have vastly superior funding and they are never a first responder.
The FBI is however, the first to arrive at a press conference.

Even with crimes such as bank robbery, which is covered by federal statutes, when they arrive on the scene, the Police are already there. If they decide to take the case, they can take all the time they need to solve it. Regardless of who eventually solves the case they will take the credit. The majority of Agents have never placed handcuffs on a suspect unless that person surrendered in their offices.

They train and train for things they will rarely encounter. They love to play “guns” and “SWAT,” but it is hard for anyone to name someone the FBI has actually had to shoot - John Dillinger and the pregnant women at Ruby Ridge come to mind.

It is also no secret that they have a reputation for never sharing information with any other law enforcement entity - even other federal agencies. It is also no secret that they have disdain for local law enforcement and the feeling is quite mutual. They would rather put a politician, an eighty year old Italian or COP in jail than any gang banger. They are indeed the Internal Affairs Division for all federal agencies.

When they can’t get one of their favorite targets for the actual crime, they have the luxury of charging people with “Lying to the FBI” regardless of the subject’s guilt in the initial case. They also get to determine who has lied and what the lie is.

Let’s assume that Jody Weis was the greatest FBI Special Agent who ever lived .... that he is the undisputed most superior employee ever to have worked in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Just because you win the Indianapolis 500, don’t mean you can be an Ice Road Trucker. Jody Weis an’t no Ice Road Trucker.

Despite of a $310,000.00 salary and contract, he has taken Chicago from the safest big city in the country to the murder capital of the United States in his first year. He has destroyed any appearance of morale. He immediately replaced the most experienced command personnel and added a cadre of former FBI agents to top positions in the Department. Although he said he would never wear the Uniform of a Chicago Police Officer, he puts it on thereby insulting every single officer who has ever served. Even O. W. Wilson, who was appointed by Richard J. Daley, never once put the uniform on, even though he had actually been a police officer in two cities.

He speaks of analytical programs that will have police ready to respond to any crime. Response will not prevent crime. Weis’ clearance rates are around 36%. That is especially telling since Weis comes from the FBI and the FBI invented Uniform Crime Reporting, one might think he could find away to improve this. Perhaps he has and the situation is far worse than anyone knows. With his homicide clearance rate so low he blames the public for not coming forward to identify perpetrators. Does he really believe that people in gang ridden neighborhoods flocked to the police in the past. Nothing has changed, and, his lack of action has emboldened Chicago’s thugs and gang members.

He has no sense of Chicago Police Department history and seems to discount anything that worked in the past - especially in the Cline and Hillard Administrations. His men and women believe fervently, that he will sacrifice each and everyone of them if a complaint of any kind is made against them. He is universally despised by virtually every Police Officer.

He has pledged to replace the current vehicle fleet with SUVs, even though such vehicles are not suited for urban policing and are much more expensive.

(The FBI really loves their SUVs.) However in the meantime, much of the fleet is wearing out and is not being replaced. He has watched other equipment fall into disrepair. He did authorized officers to carry heavy weapons once they qualify. But, I’m told that in most cases those weapons are in the trunks of the vehicles. (Isn’t that were the gang bangers keep their’s), and may I quote a current Exempt Command member, ...”in any case God forbid we actually have to use any weapon “. He has come up with brilliant ideas such as putting stickers on police vehicles with the words, “How’s My Driving?” Fortunately that one never materialize.

Weis has explained his reasons for, and response too, Murders in a speech to the City Club, when he said, “... the reason we have Murders in Chicago is because of violence...” Brilliant. Only a Mensa member could have arrived at. He went on to say “....we are going after violence. If you’re a drug dealer and you’re not shooting people, you’re not on our radar.” Amazing !!!

Weis has dutifully endorsed the Mayor’s gun phobia even after the head of the Chicago Office of the FBI said that such local laws are meaningless in preventing violence.

Along with any other Mayoral malapropism, Weis continues to march with the community wearing his muscle shirt, show up at crime scenes - as long as there is no threat to him personally, and pretend to applaud the men and women of the C. P. D. He once said that “if he lost the confidence and trust of the men and women of the Police Department, he would leave on his own.” I guess no one has ever been more out of touch with the personnel under his command.

Whatever Weis’ accomplishments as an FBI Special Agent is generally not spoken about. However, we were told that he “worked on the Una-bomber case.” Well that says volumes. It only took the Bureau twenty years to solve that one and only after the bomber’s brother turned him in. We also know that he went after “Whistle Blowers.” found within the FBI. (Sound familiar Lieutenant Andrews?)

Weis may have been an outstanding agent. He simply has no idea what police officers do every single day. The Mayor picked someone who comes from one of the greatest investigative organizations in the history of law enforcement. It is also the world’s most prolific public relations firm, and an organization that believes it’s own headlines.

Where his greatest failure lies, is not being personally aware of the job at hand. He is simply out of his league. After all the FBI is a law enforcement organization, not a Police agency. Maybe he never saw any distinction. That, I believe to be his greatest failure - he dose not recognize the difference. He has gone the path of many FBI employees by never going beyond what is required to get ahead. Simply surround yourself with other chair-borne rangers, like yourself. Which is what he did

The saddest commentary and Weis’ most egregious sin however, is that he was in a position to do great things. He is the only Superintendent to have a Contract. He is paid $310,000.00 annually - more than the Mayor. He could have stood up to the Mayor.

He could have prevented the Department from being gutted, undermanned and demoralized. He could have used his Federal connections to truly impact upon the gangs that are over-running this city. He could have stood up for his people. He has done none of those things and he is the only Superintendent to have been put in a position to truly keep politics at bey and accomplish great things. He is a total failure and he and Mayor are presiding over an even more drastic decline.

I am so saddened at the conditions in the City but especially the organization I spent 41 years with. I have seen much and been through very bad times over that period. I have never seen it worse. I have never heard so many officers at all levels of supervision and command - never from Exempt Members - openly condemn their leadership or the condition of the Department. And, I guess I have never seen such conditions or circumstances ignored with greater vigor or success.

Thank You John Andrews. God Bless You.

Jim Maurer