Saturday, July 31, 2010

Can We Do This?

Obviously, the point people on something like this should be the FOP, but would they actually do something similar?
  • Police officers in Bay City, Mich., are being called domestic terrorists after renting billboard space to trumpet that the layoffs of five police officers in the town could lead to more shootings, stabbings, robberies and beatings. The police say they paid for the two billboards that went up last week to bring attention to the impasse in negotiations between its union and city officials, who are seeking a 10.8 percent reduction in labor costs from eight unions to tackle a $1.66 million budget deficit for the fiscal year that began July 1.
Depending on whom you believe, the Department is down anywhere from 700 to 2,200 officers as a de facto hiring freeze over the past two-plus years combined with an uninterrupted stream of retirements has reduced manpower levels to unprecedented lows. We also have a hated leader, near constant backlogs of radio jobs, a shooting rate that keeps climbing (despite protestations from the political end of theings) tied to a homicide rate that rivals war zones while the anemic clearance rate cannot find a floor to rest on.

A couple of billboards, especially on the roads leading in from the airports, with messages to the effect of "We cannot guarantee your safety while visiting Daley's Chicago" or similar wording would drive Daley's already pathetic poll numbers into the ground.

We realize there is no contract under negotiation at the moment and the FOP has been historically loathe to embarrass the Machine, but there are still pension bills being argued and Shortshanks has never done us any favors in Chicago, Springfield or Washington. One would have to argue, "Why not?" at some point.

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25 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

$1.66 million...that's it? The FOP did the billboard thing before, although I never actually saw one. I'd gladly chip in. Put one along the highway right outside the Loop and then one on the way from O'hare and Midway going towards downtown. I suggest one that reads, "Caution, no entering enemy territory. Stay alert at all times." Along side the sentence have a picture of daley with one of his crazed looks. Another could be "Caution, falling revenue. Maintain wallet at all times."

7/31/2010 12:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How many retirements compared to new hires? The Last Detectives class was almost three years ago.

7/31/2010 12:22:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mark would never upset the apple cart thats feeding him and since he is due to retire next year he needs the job King Shortshanks promised him!

7/31/2010 12:48:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll help pay who ever wants to put a sign up! And Iam sure we can collect more than enough mpney to put a sign up that will last until election time.

7/31/2010 12:50:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

If this city goes bankrupt King Shortshanks can take everything including our pension and drop all benefits for all city employees like Detroit did! This will include all water dept., streets and sands, buildings inspectors, fire, everybody and were already 700 million in the hole thanks to the King. My question is, were is all the money they say thay had for the Olympics?

7/31/2010 01:08:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

They won't do it...no balls.

7/31/2010 01:10:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Freedom of speech. Anyone can rent a billboard on his or her own and say whatever heor she likes.

7/31/2010 02:06:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

SCC, the question shouldn't be, "Can We Do This?," but 'WHY AREN'T WE DOING THIS HERE?'

Maybe in the next FOP elections, the rank and file patrolmen of what used to be one of the finest Police Depts. in the USA will get a group of leaders that will truly represent the majorityof the membership.

7/31/2010 02:18:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Billboard idea is GREAT one. Now you are thinking!!!!

You put up Chalkie on it and say something like, "Chalkie welcomes you to Chicago"
and below it -
"People are dying to see Chicago!!"

SIMPLE. EFFECTIVE. And cool.

7/31/2010 07:11:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Poke the bear

7/31/2010 08:00:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The long answer -- no.

7/31/2010 09:58:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why are you waiting for FOP. I am going to guess there are more than enough followers of SCC to help pay for it. That way it could be a private billboard.
My suggestions.
(pic of daley when he had the gun and told the report he would shove it up their butt)-"Not enough police to handle the crime, but dont worry, I am the one that actually steals your money"

-Welcome to Chicago, hope you survive long enough to use your roundtrip tickets.

-You will have an 80% better chance of not being shot if you stay away from the south and west side. Only stabbed on the Northside.

7/31/2010 11:20:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would also chip in. I'd like to see one at the outer boundries of the City along the Interstate Highways. For instance. Right along side that sign on the Skyway in which the Mayor welomes travelers to the City. And one on I94,I90,I290 etc. How bout it FOP?

7/31/2010 12:21:00 PM  
Blogger Shawn said...

Save your $$$ with the electronic billboards, make a local FastSign dealer's day by making about 100 banners with large readable words large enough to ziptie on the fences on the Kennedy on Cumberland, Nagle, etc.

Throw them up at the end of third shift, and after every weekend with the weekend tally.

Guerrilla marketing does work!

7/31/2010 02:37:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about gangbangers as domestic terrorists?
Oh, forgot, that would be racist.

7/31/2010 04:12:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Put up a picture of hydrocephalic JFled alongside a picture of Insane King Richie and warn all incoming tourists "Caution: enter at your own risk. City under gang siege"

7/31/2010 06:28:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

any idea what these billboards cost? cuz im in

7/31/2010 09:20:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm a civilian, but I would donate to your cause and billboard. Maybe it could be something on the order that the government put up so people would know that there was drug smuggling and other illegal activities on the border in AZ.

7/31/2010 10:42:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

It would not be legal, but it would be interesting if we could hire some taggers to display their talent on some abandoned buildings, possibly along some of the expressways.

Someone would have to check their spelling though.

7/31/2010 11:04:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about one, or 20, of those billboard trucks that drive around? We could have a fleet of them. Have one just drive laps around city hall ALL day.

8/01/2010 12:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like the idea about the billboard trucks, only I would have them do loops around the media stations (2,5,7,9 and Fox) and around our 'touristy' areas (like Navy Pier, Monroe Harbor, the Museum Campus).

8/01/2010 07:16:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"How about one, or 20, of those billboard trucks that drive around? We could have a fleet of them. Have one just drive laps around city hall ALL day."

TOO FUNNY!!

8/01/2010 02:06:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am with u all . We as officers have to stand up for ourselves. The FOP is working for Daley. How many more officers have to die before Daley admit we need help. Call in the National Guards or who ever JUST GET US SOME HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8/01/2010 11:38:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am a civilian and don't even live in Chicago. I would be happy to contribute to the cause. I would like to be able to visit the city some fine day knowing you are at full strength and I can defend myself.

8/02/2010 09:37:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is only so much money. That's the bottom line.

These kind of stunts just make it harder for the two parties to come to any kind of agreement.

8/03/2010 02:13:00 PM  

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