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* The setup…
Private security guards patrolling three Far South Side commercial strips would be empowered to write tickets — for everything from parking and moving violations to loitering, littering and graffiti — under a groundbreaking plan that faces strong resistance from rank-and-file Chicago Police officers.
The controversial idea comes at a time when City Hall is slowing police hiring and violent crime is up. […]
Chicago Fraternal Order of Police officials called it a dangerous idea they will “fight all the way.'’
“They’re not helping us,'’ FOP third vice president Greg Bella said. “When you put somebody out there who does not know the job, it makes double work for us.'’
More here.
* The Question: Is this a good idea which should be emulated by other cities and counties? Or not? Explain.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:11 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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Horrible idea. Private companies enforcing public laws? How much training do the private security guards have? Who is liable if they injure / shoot / kill someone?
Comment by Smitty Irving Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:16 am
So what happens when someone reacts violently to being issued a ticket? My police friends say that traffic stops are the most dangerous thing they do (except for perhaps domestic disputes). Maybe a better question is what happens when someone reacts angrily to the ticket and the security guard overreacts?
Comment by asf Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:16 am
Absolutly not! Have these guys been thru the same psych testing and intense training cops get? Doubt it! I think this is more an end run around hiring more cops.
Comment by Belle Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:17 am
I agree with the Police. It is either/or.
You can either have private guards protect private property, empowering them to remove individuals who they do not want on their private property, or you can have the police patrol the property with force of law.
Empowering private security guards to write violations on private property goes beyond what should be acceptable in our society.
Comment by VanillaMan Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:18 am
Bad idea…but typical of Chicago. The City fails to provide resources to the police department which would allow them to put a sufficient number of properly trained officers on the street, then reacts with a program to put less qualified “security guards” out.
Something tells me these guys won’t be responsible for Mayor Daley’s neighborhood.
Comment by the Patriot Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:21 am
Isn’t there something like this already in place with the University of Chicago campus police? If so, any lessons there?
Comment by lake county democrat Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:25 am
Absolutely horrible idea. Let’s send a bunch of poorly trained individuals into a volatile area to.. write tickets? What does empowering a private security firm like this do about the violent crime that is up?
All this tends to do is anger local residents committing minor violations, like parking and loitering, while far more serious crimes are being committed. It sows distrust in the community for all law enforcment and authority, making cooperation with the police to go after real criminals all the more difficult.
Comment by Sacks Romana Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:27 am
If these types of rent-a-cops are limited to the ticket writing for meters, parking in disabled parking spots etc, it might free up the real cops to work on the some of the violent crimes in the city. If that is the casem I would be for it. If not, what’s the point. I might also, add we should find out who owns these security companies suddenly getting work backed by alderman.
Comment by Niles Township Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:34 am
Several of the universities in Chicago have police forces. These officers are fully trained and licenced by the State of Illinois and carry weapons, not rent a cops.
Funny that one Chicago university in a residential area wasn’t allowed to have their officers patrol the community. I guess too many cops live in the area and were opposed.
Comment by Hair today, gone.... Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:40 am
No…it’s really not a good idea. They would not have “the full force of the law” behind them as a sworn officer would, and I’m sure that the standards for private security employees does not approach that of sworn officers.
I wouldn’t overplay the “training” issue as it is not rocket science, but training and liability are indeed important issues. The point is well taken.
“The Patriot” summed it up well with his/her statement…. “Something tells me these guys won’t be responsible for Mayor Daley’s neighborhood”.
Comment by SpfldJimbo Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:43 am
I agree: there leaves a very wide opening for harassment of the citizens by these security guards, and private companies do not have the same accountability as Police Officers who are paid for by the public. What if a security guard writes tickets to the girl who just broke up with his cousin? Or decides that a certain kid just doesn’t “look right”… who are they reporting to? Not the taxpayers!
Comment by beth Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:44 am
no snark allowed today?
Comment by Speaking at Will Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:46 am
After seeing Blackwater’s disgusting conduct in Iraq, I’m opposed to privatizing forces responsible for our public safety, whether in Chicago or abroad.
Comment by Ben S. Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:49 am
Bad idea. Where does liability fall? Who are the watchdogs for a private entity? Even with sunshine laws, records are not available from public entities that are supposed to release them.
In a similar sort of situation, it isn’t working too well for U.S. military and their contractors. CACI International is being sued for the torture at Abu Ghraib. They say they are immune because anything they did was at the behest of the U.S.
This will take years to unravel and will end up costing taxpayers more in the end anyway.
Comment by Sangamo Girl Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:53 am
Who is paying for this service?
The business owners in that part of town are not exactly flush with cash
I agree with Niles, follow the money. Which alderman or Daley relative has an interest in this company
Let the CPD do their job
Comment by Badge 714 Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:55 am
Privatizing law enforcement is NEVER a good idea. The outrage is in order.
Comment by Little Egypt Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:59 am
I agree with what’s been said here- bad idea. There is less accountability when you start privatizing.
Comment by Anon Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 10:59 am
Full discolosure: I am not a cop.
It’s a wretched idea.
First, if people are up-in-arms over a private security firm like Blackwater trampling the civil rights and due process in its handling of security in Iraq (which, arguably, the public has very limited visibility of), just wait until they get first-hand experience with private security firms operating in their own neighborhoods.
Second, last year alone I called *999 five times to have the CPD come and rescue from themselves the rent-a-cops directing traffic at Belmont & Lake Shore Drive and other intersections during Cubs games. The amateurs had so little idea of what they were doing, so little coordination between themselves, that it was only by the grace of God that there weren’t multiple multi-car collisions. More than one rent-a-cop was nearly runover as a result of their colleagues’ mistakes.
There are two reasons why we, as a society, pay cops to do what they do:
(1) They have an important, awesome duty that, if improperly discharged, can have dire consequences for themselves and other; and,
(2) They are t-r-a-i-n-e-d professionals.
The proposal is a false savings.
Comment by What is it with this Town? Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:00 am
The Illinois Vehicle Code states that enforcement by the local police department of the vehicle code on private property is by ccntract with the property owner and the municipality.
So if there is no contract between the strip mall owners and the City, the police departments have nothing to say about the mall owner hiring their own private police.
(625 ILCS 5/11 209) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11 209)
Sec. 11 209. Powers of municipalities and counties Contract with school boards, hospitals, churches, condominium complex unit owners’ associations, and commercial and industrial facility, shopping center, and apartment complex owners for regulation of traffic.
(a) The corporate authorities of any municipality or the county board of any county, and a school board, hospital, church, condominium complex unit owners’ association, or owner of any commercial and industrial facility, shopping center, or apartment complex which controls a parking area located within the limits of the municipality, or outside the limits of the municipality and within the boundaries of the county, may, by contract, empower the municipality or county to regulate the parking of automobiles and the traffic at such parking area.
Comment by Huh? Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:00 am
Damn you “Niles Township.” I wanted to be the first to use the term “rent-a-cop.”
Comment by Lou Grant Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:08 am
Parking tickets, that’s it. No contact or force of law with the public.
Does Daley really need to honk off the cops some more? They’re already in a work slowdown.
I generally shy away from this conclusion, but no more: If the level of gun violence on the South and West Sides was taking place in Lincoln Park, Saugansh and Beverly, there would certainly be a different set of priorities from the Daley Administration.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:08 am
Two words:
BLACK-WATER
When you private police and/or military powers, bad things happen.
Always.
If you think that the Chicago Police Department is unresponsive to public concerns about the abuse of power, just wait until the city brings in the Pinkertons.
BOTTOM LINE: I’ll bet that underneath all this is a nifty story about contributions of private security firms to public officials with power over these contracts.
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:11 am
It didn’t work in Iraq and it won’t work in the Chicago gettho.
Comment by Dan S, a Voter, Taxpayer and Cubs Fan Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:12 am
Well I will bring the snark…
What about the lost revenue, will no one think of the lost revenue from having people the city of Chicago don’t have to pay generate city revenue…
Come on, just imagine if we could ok this then sell the rights to future fine revenue to the private contractor….
Comment by OneMan Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:12 am
The was tried a couple of years ago with Special Service Area Street tax #24 in Rogers Park.
* It lasted three months.
* Cost $25,000.
* Didn’t accomplish a thing.
Now.. if they had wrote parking tickets, that’s a whole different story.
Comment by The 'Broken Heart' of Rogers Park Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:12 am
More Snark!
Or to take it a step further lets bid out several companies to do ’security’ within the city. They pay a flat rate and a % of generated parking fines, moving violations, etc.
Imagine the aldermatic political fund contributions, 20 private firms who all feel the urge to give patrolling the loop. It might be the end jaywalking! They could do insta-checks on things like no insurance or rental cars that have entered the city without paying the city rental tax.
Again, revenue guys, revenue….
Comment by OneMan Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:17 am
This is the worst, most dangerous proposal to come out of the City Council. Besides the fact that there would be little to no accountability to the public, it sets up a dangerous precedent where citizens will not know who is a cop and who is not — who is allowed to arrest them and who is not — citizens have to be able to logically know if someone can legally enforce certain laws (like pull them over) — I would never pull over for a rent-a-cop — how would the public know which security firms are empowered to do so.
Comment by Just Observing Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:20 am
Terrible idea.
Giving rent-a-cops the authority to enforce the law? To write parking tickets and moving violations, to enforce loitering laws?
No, there’s no possiblity of some dingbat who washed out of actually becoming a copy abusing his or her authority here.
Here’s a better idea - instead of having 2 dozen cops hanging out and doing nothing except staring at women in the Viagra Triangle every day and night, assign them to the southside instead so they can actually do their jobs.
Comment by jerry 101 Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:20 am
No one else finds it a bit ironic that the chicago police are worried about the improper issuance of tickets?
Comment by Ghost Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:26 am
lol. Good point, Ghost.
Comment by Rich Miller Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:34 am
Horrible, terrible, very bad idea. Security guards are often cop-wanna-be’s — and can’t be for good reason. Frequently over zealous and totally unclear on what the law actually says; not what they think it should be. They were, with very rare exception, horrible witnesses (really their own worst enemy) and often should have been charged with violating the law themselves.
Comment by Former Proscutor Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:41 am
Can we contract out with private firms to provide legislative-making authority for two or three aldermen?
Comment by Yellow Dog Democrat Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:42 am
Oh boy! Oh boy! Oh boy! My very own militia with sharp pressed uniforms, lots of stripes and scrambled eggs and eagles with flashes of lightening on their hats. And guns!!! Don’t forget the guns!! Holly crap, is this a train wreck waiting to happen? No doubt the police union is strongly against this, but most likely from a ‘territory’ encroachment point of view. I’m against it because I worry about the guns and boots mentality that will be policing our neighborhoods. Conceal carry should solve a lot of these problems. At least there is a measure of sanity amongst most citizens with conceal carry in all other states. Why not Illinois. Oh yeah, there would be an immediate shortage of security guards at the local malls as Boots and Babs would be patrolling our streets. Even bouffant daddy blago didn’t go this far.
Comment by Justice Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 11:54 am
Actually, downstate this has happened in the past. Small towns contracted with a security firm to police their towns, including writing tickets; this is usually done on a part-time basis. Have no personal knowledge of how it worked, but never heard of any major problems occurring over the practice.
The attached article says that ARMED officers are already patrolling areas; that means that they have had firearms training already. If they are already there, don’t see what the big deal is.
The Chicago police are protecting their jobs-of course they are going to be against it-duh!!
And as for all of the problems mentioned, many of the same problems have occurred with regular policemen. A bad cop is a bad cop, no matter what uniform he is wearing.
Don’t think you can compare Blackwater to local security firms, either. Blackwater people were a long way from home, away from courts, surveillance cameras, and witness cell phones cameras.
As for the person who said that they would never pull over for rent-a-cop, (1)how would you know?
(2)if they have the legal authority to use red and blue lights on a vehicle, then you can bet that they have some kind of police authority that could involve fleeing and resisting arrrest charges.
Comment by Downstate Commissioner Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 12:01 pm
I just wonder why the need for this? Is it that the city can’t afford more police? Gotta show how you can’t afford that one, in my opinion. This is privatizing at its’ worse. Any other reason is crap.
Talk about a patronage army. Will they be issued their own jack boots and truncheons or will they take up collections from local businesses?
Comment by dupage dan Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 12:02 pm
Just let the cameras arrest people and such.
Is the real reason behind th eno confidence vote for Weis (or at least a major factor) because he was not one of them? I have a feeling they’d be happier if Burge had been named insted of Weis.
Comment by Wumpus Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 12:21 pm
Yeah, I know this is just one more in a long list of bad ideas. Myself, I firmly believe we can fix this budget omelet with no cracked eggs, What a drag to want to make cuts; the next thing you know they will want to raise taxes.
Comment by steve schnorf Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 12:35 pm
First off Dan Cubs fan the South side is not one big Ghetto.
I am have mixed feelings on this being a South Sider, where our side of town is always ignored, for everything. And considering a South Side Alderman Beale and Burke want this, because they really are loosing a lot of revenue at the strip malls, and thus revenue for their wards. If they restrict the private cops to certain private areas like the strip malls etc., then I am for it. But the 9th and 10th Ward Alderman may also be trying to get Weis’s attention that the far South Side is usually ignored for extra police.
By the way the 10th Ward has a great beach (Calumet Park Beach)Since I live on the South side I am frequently in both of these Wards, which by the way are not the Ghetto.
Most of the homes, especially in the 10th Ward are well kept. The 9th Ward has the Pulman area, with the green limestone church, the Hotel FLorence, the cobblestone Pulman section, the old Pulman factories. I have been in both Wards so many times, and have not found the Ghetto there.
Comment by Third Generation Chicago Native Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 12:40 pm
Swell idea, folks.
Coming soon to a theater near you:
Paul Blart, the Sequel: Paul hits the South Side!
Why don’t they use a few rent-a-cops to replace the real police currently acting as Eddie Burke’s coatholders and drivers? That would be a nice “pilot program” in Daleyspeak. Or the small army standing around City Hall?
Comment by Arthur Andersen Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 12:58 pm
Writing parking tickets seems safe enough. Otherwise, bad idea.
Still, the FOP opposes reasonable efforts to hold officers accountable for their behavior. And I have heard too many people describe slow CPD responses to not believe some officers take it upon themselves to disregard calls.
I get how difficult it is to be a good police officer. Especially as the years wear on.
But the FOP practically invites this sort of proposal. In fact, I would be tempted to support the ordinance simply as leverage for cracking open the police review process.
Comment by Ivory-billed Woodpecker Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 1:02 pm
I say let the police hold rule over tickets/patrolling of the public properties and rights-of-way and let the privates patrol of private property. Once you start messing with these respective pools of jurisdiction, problems ensue.
Privateers need to worry about liability, even more so than do municipal police departments. There is not comparable tort immunity provided to municipal police forces as there is for privateers. The key is proper recruitment and background checks.
Comment by Jake from Elwood Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 1:07 pm
This is just alderman building their own patronage armys. If alderman Beal gets a political worker a city job for his political work it is illegal however if ald Beal get that same political worker a job with a city contractor its legal. The alderman are building their own little HDO’s by giving out city contracts and then steering political workers to these “private companys”. This is just more of the same in Chicago only now public safety is being outsourced to the political hacks.
Comment by fed up Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 1:15 pm
===Isn’t there something like this already in place with the University of Chicago campus police? If so, any lessons there?===
Most campus police are sworn officers with training.
The proposed idea is awful.
Comment by Fan of the Game Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 1:21 pm
Fort Worth, Texas has a private security force that works in conjunction with the police. From what I have seen, heard, and experienced, the system is very effective in quelling minor crimes and keeping downtown Fort Worth safe throughout all hours of the day and night.
To answer the question, I think having private security/police cooperation in communities other than Chicago would be effective and reduce minor crimes, misdemeanors, etc…
Comment by HoBoSkillet Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 1:38 pm
How about you can pay a $500 fee, take a 8 hour class and can start writing parking tickets yourself and you go 50/50 with the city on the fine!
Comment by OneMan Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 1:41 pm
Either they use trained and sworn law enforcement or they only get to write tickets. Anything less seems fraught with the peril of a abuse.
Comment by Kevin Highland Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 4:18 pm
-Why don’t they use a few rent-a-cops to replace the real police currently acting as Eddie Burke’s coatholders and drivers?-
AA, that’s brilliant.
Some of them might be able to wait tables at Bon Vino on Van Buren behind the Board of Trade as the on-duty cops do now. I’ve seen Eddie Bs posse do that quite often while he’s conspiring at the back tables.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 8:38 pm
HoBo, to quote Wiilie Nelson and Waylon Jennings, it’s always worse in Ft. Worth.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Mar 20, 09 @ 8:57 pm