Anybody who is from Chicago most certainly was not surprised when it was revealed that Alderman Carrie Austin and her chief of staff were indicted on several corruption charges. The “Federal Hammer” strikes again in Chicago. Ho Hum! She’s at least the 30th Chicago alderman since 1975 to get snagged by the Federal watchdogs. I imagine it’s difficult to live on $150,000 a year for a part-time job no less. It also comes with a budget of over $178,000 a year for staff, pencils, and paper, plus a rent-free office, a City car, and expenses. The announcement of Carrie’s indictment, means 3 of Chicago’s sitting alderman are right now facing corruption trials. Most folks find it difficult to the point of arguing, which is more corrupt, the county and city politicians or the state politicians? A real Confederacy of Wits, no Wits, Half-Wits, and Nit-Wits.

A few years back Tribune reporter, John Kass, conducted a poll to rename the motto of the State of Illinois which is “THE LAND OF LINCOLN.” After the final votes were counted the winning name was “ILLINOIS! WILL THE DEFENDANT PLEASE RISE.” Nobody batted an eye. At the time the poll was taken back-to-back Illinois Governors were in prison at the same time, convicted on corruption charges. Meanwhile, the rest of the Chicago City Council somehow noticed that Chicago was being devastated by out-of-control violence. I mean 10 mass shootings in a 5 week period and over 58 mass shootings in which 3 or more people are shot since the new year would have a tendency to awaken even Chicago’s leadership. Some were even alert enough to ask the question, how can a one-month-old baby and an 8 and 9-year-old get shot in their city in one day? Shameful headlines only in Chicago.

The numbers are breathtaking, to say the least. Since the beginning of the year, two thousand folks have been shot and 365 have been murdered. A startling number even for some of the most jaded Chicagoans. Suddenly 22 of Chicago’s 50 aldermen decided to hold hearings on Friday before the 4th of July holiday and grill the police superintendent on JUST WHAT HE’S DOING TO CURB THIS OUTRAGEOUS MAYHEM? Now my question was where were the other 28 aldermen? Anybody who has traveled the world over knows quite well Chicago is known for the violence back in the Al Capone era times. The Saint Valentine’s Day massacre is still today an event that is constantly played up and talked about 92 years later, where 7 men were murdered in a North Side garage.

What’s happening today in Chicago dwarfs the violence Capone and those gangsters were guilty of. Chicago’s early gangsters never shot or killed babies or hundreds of teens. We have a city now that has had 58 mass shootings in less than 6 months and Chicago’s leaders are just now acknowledging the seriousness of the problem. Whether they are pretending to be inimical to the gangs or just going through the motions remains to be seen. Making speeches, blowing smoke, babbling, and spewing nonsense is the usual routine that most Chicagoans are used to getting from political creatures.

So while those newly WOKE 22 aldermen are grilling Chicago’s Top Cop I have a humble message that I delivered to them. After 33 years of working on Chicago’s streets, I can say this with some authority. Did you really need a meeting with Chicago’s police officials in city council hearings to suddenly reveal why Chicago’s soaring violence seems to have gotten out of control? Were you clueless to the fact that when you place restrictions on the police such as limiting vehicle chases, and foot chases of fleeing criminals even armed criminals, and instituting restrictions on search warrants results in increased criminal behavior?

Were you clueless to the fact that lenient bonds, no bonds, and home confinement, and releasing dangerous criminals back into the communities they are terrorizing within hours are a factor in the City’s increased mayhem? Back in 2015 when you came to an agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union to curtail “STOP AND FRISK” by Chicago’s cops did you not realize the serious implications of that agreement? Immediately after that agreement was signed street stops by Chicago’s COPS dropped over 80%. Ask any law enforcement officer in America and they will explain to you that STOP AND FRISK is the single most important tool to stopping gun violence before it happens. STOP AND FRISK was a right granted to all law enforcement officers in the United States by the United States Supreme Court in 1968 in a landmark decision TERRY VS OHIO. My question is when you decided this, did Chicago secede from the Union? While all these restrictions were taking place did you not think Chicago’s gangs were not paying attention?

While these hearings are taking place you may want to think about a police department that is facing massive retirements. It is estimated that over 500 of Chicago’s cops will retire this year with a record number already have done so. When you have cops working 12-hour shifts day after day with no time off and a department that leads the nation’s law enforcement departments in the numbers of suicide you may want to ask yourselves a question–Should we be looking in the mirror instead of grilling Chicago’s police leadership? A beleaguered, demoralized, tired, and overworked department is not just the fault of its command personal. Ask yourselves who is really responsible for Chicago’s cops? Who is actually calling the shots? Why have tried and true law enforcement tools to fight criminal behavior been seriously curtailed? I can tell you a department with all those restrictions did not do it to themselves. While you are grilling the top cop you may want to ask yourselves some questions also.