Just a few hours ago it was announced that the NATIONAL GUARD has been called into Chicago. The last 2 times that happened I was working the streets. Twice in 1968. The Dr. King assassination riots in April and the 1968 Democratic convention in August. I can tell you they are as useless as a NO GUNS ALLOWED SIGN.  However, this time I’m sure they will just be an occupying presence to scare those ANTIFA rascals. I’m also guessing (just guess now)  they will be unarmed. Imagine Governor Pritzker or Mayor Lightfoot trying to talk their way out of some gas station attendant from downstate Illinois who gets spooked in the city and shoots somebody. Anybody who thinks that Chicago’s protest demonstrations yesterday was not organized mayhem is either insane or a City official trying to cover incompetence.  This was no longer a protest by well-meaning people registering their outrage at the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police in Minneapolis. Just a few minutes ago Mayor Lightfoot in keeping with her usual way of exonerating herself from any blame has announced that YES! of course, OUTSIDERS were to blame for the massive mayhem.

100 to 150 cops injured, at least 12 hospitalized, several with broken bones, 16 people shot and one murdered in the stretch from near North to the South Loop. Scores of cop cars damaged and at least 15 set on fire. Mulitple stores looted including Macy’s and other upscale stores along Michigan Avenue.   The Target Store in the South Loop closed because of the threat of looting. Reports of ATM machines uprooted and stolen, drug stores ransacked, and the Palmer House Hotel was broken into. One alderman accused the news media of ignoring the looters and the violence and concentrating on trying to get a video of a cop beating a demonstrator. They must have been very disappointed.

To those who think I might be a little hard on the Mayor and the Police leaders I certainly am. I am a veteran of scores and scores of protests and demonstrations as a Chicago cop. During the Viet Nam war, we had demonstrations and protests almost every day. I was there for the demonstrations and riots when Dr. King was assassinated and endured rioting over several days. I was with Dr. King’s police security when he marched for open housing in Marquette Park in 1966, when we were met with bricks, bottles,  urine and fecal matter. I was a few feet from Dr. King when he was hit in the face with a brick by a raging unruly mob. My partner was hospitalized after being hit with the same barrage of bricks and other matters. Dr. King got back up and we continued on in the face of utter mayhem. He later described the hate he encountered as the worst he had ever endured, including all his marches down South. I totally agreed.

During all those protests we had one thing that the City desperately lacked yesterday “PLANNING”. After seeing the protests around the country for at least a few days the question is why were the City leaders and the Police Superintendent so unprepared? Surely they had to know that ANTIFA would invade and bring their violent tactics with them. Masks, helmets,  long black coats, backpacks with hammers and ice picks, and many other tools of violence. Back in 2012, the City purchased over I Million dollars of riot equipment to be prepared for the NATO protesters, who along with ANTIFA came to disrupt those meetings. After it was all over the Chicago Police Department was praised across the country and used as a model on how Superintendent McCarthy handled a very difficult few days. Not one cop was hurt and neither were any protesters.

The questions remain, why were the police not wearing that riot gear, why were they so totally undermanned, why were police vehicles parked so that the tires could be slashed and cars overturned and burned? Why were there dumpsters that were used for building garbage disposal not picked up beforehand to prevent ANTIFA using them as barriers from the police?  Did the Mayor overrule the Police Superintendent thinking a show of force was not appropriate, or was the Top Cop too incompetent to think of those things?

He’s been on the job for a month and already he has been chastized by the Mayor for spending too much on overtime.  She also blamed him for the massive violence over the Memorial Day Weekend. (are you starting to get the BLAME THING?)  Did she select him because she really wanted to be the Police Superintendent also? Be damned she has zero experience and he has 33 years in law enforcement. Will we ever know? While all this was happening Chicago was experiencing another blood bath weekend with 12 hours to go, 7 folks, have been murdered and over 30 have been shot. The most violent May weekend in decades. A few hours ago the Mayor has put a curfew in effect and closed the downtown area, this after just announcing the end of her Stay at Home Order tomorrow. Chicago opened up and then she closed it down. This my friends would not be Sinatra’s “KIND OF TOWN.” Something is wrong and my guess it’s at the top of the leadership chain. Stay safe.