It's like the Battle of the Bulge for the CPD out there and all police officers (all the desk jockeys, house mice (the police who protect the Mayor, treasurer and some of the aldermen on 24/7 house details), and the slackers on medical (light duty)) should be put on the street immediately on bikes, in cars and in squadrols. Put some police back on walking patrol downtown as well.

If nothing else, this would be a show of some strength to those that think the Chicago Police Department is in a weak state. There are rumors they are short about 3,000 officers. They have many officers who ride in one-man cars in neighborhoods you would not drive in at all.

Where is the leadership?
When faced with an attack of immense proportion, the Battle of the Bulge, in World War II, General George S. Patton gave the order that every soldier go out and “be a soldier”.

With all the recent killings of police officers throughout this year, I would say the CPD faces that same kind of attack and should have the same type of decisive leadership and directive of a George S. Patton.

Now is not the time for one-man patrol cars while so many others just shuffle paper, act as district assistants (a secretary with a gun) and chat about last night’s “Dancing With the Stars”.

Police need to be the police. If they had real leadership, you wouldn't find them undergunned or outmanned on the street.

Anyone with a white shirt please step up! A “white shirt” is someone in a supervisory role within the CPD. They don’t seem to be fully aware of the problems or they are too busy with other things than being the police. Where are the true leaders of this police force?

When the “defecation hits the oscillation” some of these people don’t have a clue on how to be a leader. Are they in positions that are higher than their capabilities?

The CPD is in a quandary, but so is everyone that steps foot into Chicago. If someone is brazen enough to shoot a police officer do you really think you are immune? Those who are naive who don’t think there are some problems brewing in Chicago, you are sadly mistaken. Flash your iPhone downtown and see how fast it gets boosted.

Flags were not at half staff

In reading more comments on the unofficial BLOG of the CPD, it seems like some police were concerned about flags not being lowered to half staff at some of the police stations for their fallen brethren. Evidently, the flagpoles were locked and the janitor, excuse me, (based on their bloated salaries) building engineer, had to personally open up the lock before the flags could be lowered. They were not around for the Thanksgiving Holidays. You would think he would have come out but hey, it was a holiday so nothing happened over the weekend.

Doesn’t anyone take their job seriously anymore? Chicago Officer Michael Flisk did as well as retired Chicago Housing authority officer Stephen Peters and the highly decorated Chicago SWAT team member David Blake, who got shot in a separate incident. All are dead. All will not see Christmas this year.

To those living in Wisconsin, don’t think your cities are immune to violence. More cities are having problems due to the economy.

Besides Milwaukee, a reader pointed this website out to me and I found it interesting as it really spotlights a lot of things the Racine media seem to gloss over. Racine has a web site, Racine Uncovered administered by a civilian that shows where crime is and even has a city map designating crime events with a blue flag. There are so many blue flags in Racine, it looks like the City of Smurfs.

Go and read some of the threads at www.SecondCityCop.blogspot.com and see the frustration that many of these police officers go through when someone else on the job gets gunned down. You think you have it bad where you work?

So in all your Holiday cheer and parties, stop for a minute or two and remember the fallen police and all the Holidays they won’t ever see.

CARLINI-ISM: The more police that are killed, the less safe you should feel.