Some follow-up and context:
https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2020/ ... -catanzara
http://secondcitycop.blogspot.com/2020/ ... other.html
FOP president says:
- someone in upper ranks of police department directed that the officers go to Representative's office. FOP has FOIA requests in to find out of someone (Rush? Lightfoot?) directed the PD to go guard Rush's office. Mayor denies it so far.
- Officers had already been on duty for 13.5 hours, had chased looters away from nearby Home Depot, and we sitting outside Rep Rush's office when night came and temperature dropped. No looters or others were in the area, but they were required to stay at that location. They were due back on duty in four hours. Some went inside to use the restroom, rest, make coffee, and having not eaten for hours, made popcorn
- Second City Cop says city contract requires that two lunch periods be given during 12 hour shifts, but cops are getting sent to neighborhoods with no breaks, no provision for food or water, and no restrooms, so they're sneaking into back alleys to do their business. SCC also speculates that whoever called the PD to send cops set this up to make the mayor look bad. Now she's trying to get the cops charged with burglary. Chicago politics.
- The police contract also specifies that a state of emergency be declared before 12 hour shifts are instituted but the city has not done that. Not sure what diff it makes, but I speculate that a state of emergency also triggers some other actions that the city doesn't want to pay for. The current contract expired three years ago and Rahm would not negotiate a new one, and so far neither has the current mayor, so the contract rules remain in force until a new contract is signed. SCC thinks the mayor is trying to bait the police into taking an organized job action - forbidden by the contract - so she can go to a friendly court and get the contract thrown out entirely and have it be the union's fault.
Man, Chicago is lit.
