"While we were finishing up lunch at La Ciudad this afternoon, we saw a fight break out on Sheridan. One man punched another to the ground and then continued to beat him. Before we were able to reach for our phones to call 911 to report it, an officer was on the scene. Three cars were there within a few more minutes.I was able to get a picture of the police taking the attacker into custody. When the officer saw
me take the picture - he said, "Smile, you're on candid camera!" I'm not sure if he was just making a flip remark or has been subjected to the scrutiny of the folks from CopWatch. Either way, I am not out to criticize his work and I thought I'd send in these pics to share the news and thank the police for the quick response.By the way, the silver lining to this story is that, aside from this free "tableside entertainment," the food and service at La Ciudad were fantastic!"
If I was out and about and saw some "cop watch" idiot informing some little gangbanger of his "rights" he might end up going to bestbuy for a new camera. These copwatchers dont understand that society needs cops that are able to kick some a** when needed. There are still quite a few hardcore thugs left in uptown, not like it was 10-15 years ago but still enough(I chuckle sometimes when I tell recent transplants of some of the things that used to happen around here). I don't mean just some average poor city kids, but hardcore little criminals who just dont get the idea of civility.
ReplyDeleteAwesome job, CPD! You are appreciated.
ReplyDeleteHmm...so cops should go around acting like the thugs? Wouldn't that just make CopWatch's day and kind of prove their stated reason for being? I don't want cops who behave like criminals policing me.
ReplyDeleteThings have been pretty quiet, thankfully--if the biggest stories crimewise to make it to update lately was some random weed smoker and a fist fight, I'd say things are still pretty quiet. In the big picture of city living (not just Uptown), this does not really register as news to me.
As I am writing this, there are 3 comments that have been made on this topic. Interestingly, they are an indication of why policing is so difficult today.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand, justyouraverageguy18 thinks that "society needs cops that are able to kick some a** when needed". Then there is Uptown Writer, who counters with "I don't want cops who behave like criminals policing me."
So there you have it. It seems that however an officer might try to resolve a conflict, SOMEONE will say he was wrong or was TOO physical, or NOT PHYSICAL ENOUGH. It has always amazed me, though, how people who aren't the police have no problem stepping up to judge an officers work to begin with.
If I walked out onto the trading floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and saw the traders in action, I wouldn't DARE assume that I could criticize them for the trading that they do.
If I came across our fire fighters battling a five alarm blaze, I couldn't possibly suggest that they were not fire fighting correctly. And yet EVERYONE knows how to be the police. Even WITHOUT the years of training and experience.
And I would NEVER presume that it was okay to walk by someones's office cubicle or or factory assembly line and start taking snapshots of you at work!
Why can't people just mind their own business? Why not just move along and stop with the BS camera phone pictures. Let the officers do their job and stop interfering! Whether you realize it or not, you could actually be endangering the officers lives by diverting their attention from the situation they are handling. If the officer needs your help, he will ask for it.
I think that is problem today everyone thinks they know everything and everyone has an opinion.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's because we American's feel so entitled.
Or we watch too much TV and think it's reality.
You know what...I am just glad to hear that La Ciudad is good. I am going to try it. Thanks for sharing the good news, along with the crap.
ReplyDeleteRights versus responsibilities. That's what's missing in our society today. With rights comes responsibility.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have forgotten about responsibility and how that impacts your rights.
You are responsible for your behavior and actions. IF your behavior endangers others, then you must face the consequences of your actions.
If you choose to behave in an irresponsible manner, if you choose to fight, carry a gun,sell drugs and engage in behavior that is distructive to our community...then be prepared to face the consequences of your irresponsible behavior.
There are no rights without responsibility.
maybe the camera person should have just shouted something such as 'way to go officers!' or 'thanks for keeping my street clean of trash!' or 'god bless you guys!' or maybe just applauding.
ReplyDeletethere've been times when i've seen cops arresting folks and i've simply said, 'thanks, officers!' don't know if they care, but i figure it's the least i could do.