Stories about Chicago police? (Oak Park, Madison: insurance, crime, neighbourhood)

[lenniel]

As most Chicagoans know ( and many are learning all the time), Chicago has the most corrupt police force in the country. Whether it's beating up bartenders and patrons, shaking down immigrants after they cash their checks or basically collecting a check for not doing anything, let's hear your stories.

Here's mine: Did you know that Chicago cops EXPECT you to take 50% off their lunch tab when they eat in your restaurant. If you don't, you can expect a visit from either the fire marshall or liqour commission and risk a fine or shutdown.

[Huckleberry3911948]

no i was not aware of the the issues you discussed.
i thought new orleans had the record for police corruption.
but when i look at the standards of any authority figure i look at the full
context of the what they are dealing with. chicago is not disneyland
my understanding is that the people of new york city decided there was not enough crime and the weather was not cold enough so they built chicago.
ps
i started out in cisero, south side
have a great veterans day

[Manigault]

I think your theory on Chicago cops is literally an urban legend. Otherwise, there would be a much higher rate of them going to lunch.

I eat in several "cop joints" and they always seem to pay. I've seen very few eateries closed and usually that is for cleanliness issues. With all due respect, I advise you to conduct more thorough empirical research before making such serious charges.

As an aside, I am not a cop and have no connection with them.

[Steve-o]

Shutting restaurants down because they didnt knock 50% off the tab? Sorry, just cant believe that one.

[j33]

I don't believe it either. I know some Chicago cops personally, they generally pay their own way. Although I used to work at a coffee shop that would give the local beat officer free coffee. Although he never acted like he expected it, and was actually a pretty cool guy.

...now I know back in the 60's my uncle complained that you could buy your way out of a traffic ticket by offering to buy one of their $20 pencils for the 'widows and orphans fund' or something like that.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

Don't believe the hype. It ain't like it used to be.

The 50% thing is a myth. I know a guy who owns a restaurant frequented by cops. He picks up the tab from time to time to be nice to the regulars, but usually he just gives em the standard 15% he offers to firemen or military types.

[KevK]

I was treated awfully by the Chicago Police. They really screwed me over bad. I dropped a friend of mine off late one night in Oak Park and made the mistake of driving back through the city on Madison Street. On the west side- which is almost all poor and black, I was pulled over by an unmaked tactical unit with 2 cops not in uniform. We just sat there for what seemed like forever before they even got out of their car to approach mine. By the time they did, a regular Chicago cop car pulled up behind their car and so I had 4 cops and one of me and I was trying to think what I did to be pulled over by the cops- especially 4 of them. The officer came up and demanded my license and insurance card. He then asked me "so Mr.______, what are doing over here this late at night?" When I told him I dropped somebody off, he then ask me "are you looking for drugs or a ***** over here?". All the time he was doing this, the other cop was on the passenger side shining a bright light in my car and my face. I told him "look man, if you want, I will be happy to follow you to Oak Park and you can ask the lady your damn self". I gave the cop her name and address and he ignored that and insisted I was there to buy drugs or sex. He said "there is only two reasons a white guy comes over here at 1 AM and that is drugs or whores." Then the other cop said "well then you shouldn't mind if we take a look in you car". So I got out and said "look all you want because I don't have anything". And do you know those a&&holes took all my stuff out of my car and glove box and put it in the street THEN they actually REMOVED my back seat and put it in the street! Then the cop handed me back my license and said "have a nice evening Mr.____ and don't come back over here." Then they all drove off and left me in the middle of the street with all my stuff laying in the street in a dangerous neighbourhood at 1AM. This was years ago and I have never forgot it. I am a big supporter of the police generally. I think they should be tough with people that break the laws and committ crimes. The police should be given wide discrestion to do their jobs. But even today, when a cop is behind me, I worry.

[Manigault]

You made several mistakes. By the way, the policeman behind you shining the flashlight is trying to see if you have any weapons. He's protecting himself. Keep your hands in sight on the dashboard. When they ask if they can search your car, just say no.

You explained who you are, that you have insurance and what you were doing. That's enough. You were subjected to ethnic profiling.

[M TYPE X]

Rollers? Yeah. I hate Illinois Nazis.

[Lookout Kid]

Wow, I drive through the city all of the time to and from Oak Park! I may have to stop doing that... Except a lot of people take North Ave. or Chicago Ave. to and from Oak Park these days. People aren't as afraid of the 'hood as they used to be. I don't think I'd do it at 1:00 AM, though.

O.K., here's another one. A friend of mine who happens to be a white Physician in his 30s (no profiling here) was walking through his alley in Edgewater with grocery bags in his hands. A CPD squad car pulled up behind him, flashed the spot light on him, and said "pull over here". This struck him as odd, being that he was on foot. But he stopped where he was and waited for the police to pull up. The cops got out of the car, made him put his hands on the hood, and frisked him. They asked him where he had been. He mentioned that he got some cigarettes from one place and groceries from another. It struck the cops as odd that he couldn't just get cigarettes at the first place along with the rest of the groceries, so they grilled him about this minute detail. My friend explained that cigarettes were cheaper at the second place, so that's why he was at two stores. After about 20 minutes with his hands on the hood, the cops finally let him go realizing they had nothing. Apparently he matched a description of someone who had just committed a crime around there, but instead of quickly moving on they grilled him about his grocery store choices for 20 minutes.