13 Officers Charged Last Year With DUI

Thirteen Chicago police officers were arrested last year on drunken driving charges, and five of them were involved in car crashes, two with injuries, the department says.

Police Supt. Jody Weis, who took office last year after officers had been arrested in two high-profile bar beatings, created a new bureau to evaluate officer conduct and training, pushed for more department-wide messages warning of excessive drinking and approved advanced training for department peer counselors to deal with alcohol abuse issues.

After Friday's crash involving detective Joseph Frugoli, Weis changed departmental policy to require that any officer who suspects another officer of being intoxicated to notify the on-duty watch commander, who must then go to the scene. Internal affairs will also be immediately notified.

At the courthouse Video "It is our hope that tragic incidents such as the one that occurred on April 10 will be eliminated through continued training, education, treatment, accountability and discipline for those members who violate the well-established rule against becoming intoxicated and getting behind the wheel," Weis said in an e-mail in response to questions.

A department source said this week that top brass may also push for random alcohol testing of officers. That would require changes in the contract with the Fraternal Order of Police, the union representing the rank and file.

Four of the officers were arrested by Chicago police, three in the suburbs and six out of state, police said.

Weis earlier this week pointed out the small number of officers who have been accused of driving drunk compared to the department's 13,000 officers. Statistically speaking, about one in 1,000 Chicago officers were arrested for DUI last year. That pales by comparison to a national average of one drunk-driving arrest for every 155 drivers, according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services statistics.

Still, Weis acknowledged that officers have responsibilities that require them to be held to a higher standard.

"The residents of Chicago rightfully expect the police to protect them from drunk drivers, not to become part of the problem," Weis said in the e-mail.

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Bitch2
Why do people think we are robots and don't go through the same issues everyone else on this planet has. We make mistakes too we are human.

PAX 501 WEIS

28 March 2009

VOLUME 9 NUMBER 5

PAX 501

Jody P. Weis, Superintendent of Police

CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT



When I assumed the role of Superintendent more than a year ago, the Chicago Police Department was under intense public scrutiny, following several high-profile cases of alleged police misconduct by a small group of officers. I have come to learn that the vast majority of this Department is made up of hard working, dedicated and honest police officers, who work tirelessly to serve and protect the residents of Chicago.

Morale is a very important issue to me, as it should be to every supervisor in the Department. I recognize that there are well-founded concerns, regarding a variety of issues. Many of these issues pre-dated my arrival. Nonetheless, I have been working hard to fix them. When others attempt to exploit these issues to further their own agendas and then question the morale within the Department, and thus the dedication and service of the men and women who protect our city, I am compelled to respond. In my year as Superintendent, I have worked to address many of the issues that have been voiced as priority concerns of yours, the members of the Department.



· Lawsuits ? Many of you are concerned about lawsuits and feel that the City settles too many cases. The City cannot control the number of lawsuits that are filed, but we are working to reduce them. We have met repeatedly with the City?s Law Department and the new State?s Attorney to improve training for both our personnel as well as the ASA?s. Please realize that settlements are driven by a variety of causes and are not always focused on officer conduct. Settlement decisions are often made to protect an officer from a long legal fight and the issue of out-of-pocket punitive damages. Officers have a say in whether the City settles or fights a lawsuit, but the stakes can be high for the officer individually. On April 10th, the Department is hosting the first ever civil litigation seminar to educate officers and address their concerns regarding civil litigation.

· Discipline ? There have been concerns that I would be overly aggressive on discipline because I worked for the FBI. My standard is simple: reasonableness. You don?t always have to be right, just act in a reasonable manner. I have worked to implement a more fair and consistent review process for relief of powers. I have made it clear that when the discipline investigation determines that an officer will not be recommended for separation, I want officers back out on the street doing the work they were hired to do. This process has resulted in fewer officers being stripped in 2008 than in previous years and more officers being reinstated in 2008 than in previous years.

· Alternate Work Schedule - My commitment to implement an alternate work schedule was in response to hundreds of complaints that I heard from officers during a series of Town Hall meetings and other forums with you, the rank and file. As with any negotiation, there were obstacles put forth that were overcome by the Department. We brought the unions to the table and negotiated the best pilot that we could for our officers and department. A series of different schedules are now in place and being tested, with input coming from officers and management. I am optimistic that we will have a schedule that works for our officers and for the Department at the end of the pilot.

· Vehicles ? Recently, the Department purchased 180 Tahoes. Starting last Tuesday, delivery began. An average of three vehicles per day are now being supplied to the busiest districts. We have also applied for $6 million in federal stimulus money for the purchase of 120 more vehicles.

· Portable Data Terminals (PDTs) ? New PDTs are now installed in sixteen districts and various specialized units. An additional two hundred and seventy four (274) are now in stock and ready for installation, with an order for two hundred and eighty nine (289) placed this week. A total of five hundred and sixty three (563) brand new PDTs will be installed throughout the Department starting in the coming weeks, for completion before the end of 2009

· Officer Safety- The lack of equal firepower by officers has been an issue that I have worked on since my arrival. I am committed to ensuring that our officers are trained and have the ability to deploy with better weapons. The carbine program was started and we continue to deploy carbines. As of today, there are almost 400 in stock and we are installing more vehicle gun locks everyday. In addition, I have also allowed officers that qualify to use carbines the option to purchase their own weapon, to further facilitate their availability to street officers when needed.

· Overtime Initiatives - I recognize that officers are facing the same economic issues that the rest of the population is and I have fought to expand overtime opportunities. I have also directed that many of the existing programs follow the same procedures to make the access to overtime initiatives fair and open to all qualified personnel. We have applied for over $9 million in federal stimulus money to pay for overtime initiatives. This will not only allow us to do more with the officers we have, but will result in more officers on the street, as back-up and to fight crime.

I have met with many of you over the course of the last year. Given the size of the Department, I am at a disadvantage in reaching you all personally. I have utilized video streaming, town hall meetings, roll calls, marches, community meetings and more frequent PAX 501 messages to reach out to you to improve overall communications and to provide the facts.

I am committed to providing you ? the men and women of this Department ? with the best possible training, equipment, and work environment possible. I know that for many of you, this is a career that you chose, because you believe in the fight to do good everyday.

Your concerns have reached me and I am committed to addressing them to the best of my abilities and improving the system wherever possible to enable you to work effectively.

More importantly, I recognize the intense dedication, integrity and camaraderie amongst the members of this department. I will strive everyday to support your efforts by serving you with honesty, integrity, and hard work.

Jody P. Weis

Superintendent of Police

Weis Quote from the Suntimes : From this day forward, people are going to have to perform

Crime up, arrests down
2008 STATISTICS | Violent incidents increased, but figures show cops couldn't keep up
January 17, 2009

BY FRAN SPIELMAN AND ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporters
Chicago homicides, shootings and other violent crime are up. Arrests, gun recoveries and other indicators of police activity are down.

On Friday, Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis officially closed the book on 2008, a year that one alderman said left little to celebrate.

» Click to enlarge image

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis closed the book on 2008 Friday, a year that saw homicides, shootings and other violent crime rise.
(Chris Sweda/Sun-Times)


"He's made mistakes. This is the residual effect of that. He's got good intentions. But it's hard to see anything positive about his reign," said Police Committee Chairman Isaac Carothers (29th).

"When you change all the commanders at once -- and don't give yourself a chance to learn from experienced people -- that gives a jolt to the system. Police officers have told me they don't feel the enthusiasm they once had. They're doing their jobs. But nothing beyond that. They don't have the confidence that he's supporting them."

Weis said Friday he believes he has a dedicated, hardworking force and that he has seen a shift recently.

Homicides are down 31 percent since Dec. 15. Shootings dropped slightly, and gun recoveries nudged up.

It's far from a trend, but Weis said it could be a sign that command changes he made last year put the right people in place.

"We know what to do, we know our domain, and we know our territory,'' Weis said. "2009 is going to be a year of results. This is a year I have to deliver. From this day forward, people are going to have to perform.''

Weis also pointed to a decline in excessive-force complaints and election night as successes. "We were on a worldwide stage that night, and it was an absolute, 100 percent success.''

As for Carothers' criticism about the staff changes, Weis said he promoted career officers capable of taking over their positions. He also noted a recent reorganization, the relaunching of specialized units and creation of a new gang unit as things that will have an impact this year.

Friday's statistics show homicides jumped 15 percent and shootings increased 17 percent in 2008. Shots-fired calls jumped 33 percent; gang disturbance calls went up 18 percent.

At the same time, police made 12 percent fewer overall arrests and 15 fewer felony arrests. Police responses were down 21 percent for gang loitering and 38 percent for gang narcotics loitering. Cops recovered 4 percent fewer guns.

Weis said the increase in the calls for service show the community is placing more trust in the police. As for the drop in arrests, Weis said his first priority is getting crime numbers down. "I'd trade no crime for 10,000 arrests.''

Carothers first raised questions on crime statistics last summer when he put the $310,000-a-year police superintendent on the City Council hot seat to explain a surge in violent crime that boiled over at Taste of Chicago when four people were shot.

He asked Weis about what he called "de-policing," a condition that exists when officers "stop doing their jobs" because they're afraid nobody has their back.

Weis acknowledged that police officers were being less aggressive as violent crime rises for fear of piling up citizen complaints.

In fact, on Friday, Weis reported a 13 percent drop in excessive force complaints. Search warrant complaints also are down.

Weis attributed that to training and education from the new Bureau of Professional Standards -- not to less-aggressive officers.
Related Blog Posts Why You Don't Want To Room With Charlie Weis

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Bitch 2 says :
Jody don't you get it we are done. Boy's and Girl's just answer your calls , lock people up only when you have too and maybe write a parker a day. I dont know about you but Im not making Weis look good. What does Jody mean that "people are going to have to perform " is he now threating us !!!!!
Im so sick of this city