May 2009

Ill. Cop Honored for Actions After Partner's Death

CHICAGO — As they pulled up in separate unmarked vehicles, surrounding the car of a convicted felon, the Chicago Police partners shared one last cell-phone exchange. You ready? Yes. You ready? Let’s do this. When they got out of their cars, Officers Nathaniel Taylor Jr. and Lemornet Miller announced they were police, and the suspect responded with a seemingly compliant nod of his head. But within seconds, Taylor lay dying on a South Side street, hit by three shots allegedly fired by the suspect, Lamar Cooper. Cooper, who had the gun in his lap and out of the sight of either officer, had slowly opened his car door …Read more […..]

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Chicago cops to be reviewed on attitude

My question is what about the supervisors’ attitudes?Attitude, other criteria judged with performanceChicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis presides over a swearing-in ceremony. (AP Photo)Related Articles:Chicago cops blame ‘low morale’ for less arrestsOptimism and your healthMaintaining your winning mindsetHow are 5 percenters created? By ‘effortful study,’ report saysBy Angela RozasChicago TribuneCHICAGO — The Chicago Police Department will begin evaluating its officers next year in a new way, examining not only officers’ job performance but also their attitudes, ability to adapt and interactions with the public.The …Read more […..]

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WASHINGTON, D.C.: Cocaine-sentencing change urged

Current laws assume that crack users are more violent and dangerous than users of powder cocaineJosh Meyer, Washington Bureau April 30, 2009Cocaine-sentencing change urgedThe Obama administration on Wednesday signaled a sharp departure from 20 years of federal policy and called on Congress to close the huge disparity in prison sentences for those dealing crack versus powdered cocaine, agreeing with critics who say it is unfair to African-Americans.Assistant Atty. Gen. Lanny Breuer said the administration believes the so-called mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines have undermined trust in the country’s judicial institutions, …Read more […..]

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Blue Wall of Intimidation protest lawsuit vs. ex-officer

BY FRANK MAIN AND ANNIE SWEENEY | Chicago Sun-Times Crime ReportersCops plan to pack a courtroom next week to protest a reputed Spanish Cobras gang leader who’s suing a former officer.Juan Johnson’s lawsuit against former Chicago Police gang crimes specialist Reynaldo Guevara is set for trial Monday. Johnson accuses Guevara of framing him with a 1989 murder.An appeals court tossed out Johnson’s conviction. He was retried and acquitted in 2004. At the second trial, a gang member said Guevara directed him to pick Johnson out of a lineup.“This is about gang-bangers who testify at a trial,” said …Read more […..]

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