Monday, January 9, 2012
Chicago Sun-Times
By Carol Marin and Don Moseley
January 8, 2012 9:58PM
Project Shield was supposed to make citizens safer. But in the end, the $45-million Homeland Security program more resembled a disaster, wasting taxpayers’ dollars and failing to make a single citizen more secure.
The failed Cook County initiative was replete with equipment that failed to work, missing records and untrained first responders according to a report by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The report, to be released Monday but obtained by The Sun-Times and NBC5 News, found “millions of tax dollars may have been wasted.”
Under Project Shield, two police squad cars in all 128 Cook County suburbs were to be fitted with cameras capable of feeding live video to a central command. In addition, fixed mounted cameras were to be installed to feed pictures in case of a terrorist attack or emergency in Cook County.
A six-month investigation by the IG found “equipment was not working, was removed, or could not be properly operated.”
Investigators visited 15 municipalities between January and June last year and found “missing records, improper procurement practices, unallowable costs and unaccountable inventory items.”...[Full Article]
Labels: Cook County, Department of Homeland Security, DHS, Illinois, Project Shield
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
UK Daily Mail
- Disability and child care services could be next
Tens of thousands of Illinois residents are expected to be affected when drug and alcohol treatment and prevention centres across the state have their budgets cut from March 15.
The harsh budget cuts, proposed by Illinois governor Pat Quinn, who is a Democrat, will mean that from next month, all state funding will be cut.
[Full Article]
Labels: budget cuts, funding cuts, Illinois
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Big Brother is Watching You in Chicago
Huffington Post
The American Civil Liberties Union released a scathing report Tuesday that calls on the city of Chicago to halt the expansion of its massive surveillance camera network.
Citing privacy issues, First Amendment concerns and a lack of regulation, the ACLU says Chicagoans are among the most-watched citizens in the country....
In Report, ACLU Claims Chicago's Surveillance Cameras Violate Privacy
NPR
Chicago has more than 10,000 public and private surveillance cameras throughout the city. According to the AFP, 1,250 of them are so powerful, they have the ability to zoom in and read the text of a book. That makes Chicago's network the most "extensive and integrated" in the country.
Now, the system is under scrutiny from the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, which says the cameras violate a "key aspect of the fundamental American right to be left alone."
Today, the ACLU released a 38-page report, in which they write:
[Full Article]Each of us then will wonder whether the government is watching and recording us when we walk into a psychiatrist's office, a reproductive health care center, a political meeting, a theater performance, or a book store. While the dystopia described by George Orwell in "1984" has not yet been realized, Chicago's current 10,000 surveillance cameras are a significant step in this direction. And a camera "on every corner" would be an even greater step...
Chicago's high-tech cameras spark privacy fears
AFP
CHICAGO — A vast network of high-tech surveillance cameras that allows Chicago police to zoom in on a crime in progress and track suspects across the city is raising privacy concerns.
Chicago's path to becoming the most-watched US city began in 2003 when police began installing cameras with flashing blue lights at high-crime intersections.
The city has now linked more than 10,000 public and privately owned surveillance cameras in a system dubbed Operation Virtual Shield, according to a report published Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union.
At least 1,250 of them are powerful enough to zoom in and read the text of a book.
The sophisticated system is also capable of automatically tracking people and vehicles out of the range of one camera and into another and searching for images of interest like an unattended package or a particular license plate.
"Given Chicago's history of unlawful political surveillance, including the notorious 'Red Squad,' it is critical that appropriate controls be put in place to rein in these powerful and pervasive surveillance cameras now available to law enforcement throughout the City," said Harvey Grossman, legal director of the ACLU of Illinois...
[Full Article]Download the following report...
CHICAGO’S VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: A PERVASIVE AND UNREGULATED THREAT TO OUR PRIVACY (a report from the ACLU of Illinois - February 2011)
Related articles...
UPDATED: Daley Defends City’s Camera Network [CBS Chicago]
Chicago officials defend cameras after ACLU report [Washington Post]
Daley defends surveillance cameras, wants more [Chicago Sun-Times]
Big Brother? Chicago Sees All With Cameras
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Piz0va2XlqM&feature=fvst
Chicago - Big Brother Camera System
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0AH4C-FZqU&feature=related
Download the following report...
CHICAGO’S VIDEO SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS: A PERVASIVE AND UNREGULATED THREAT TO OUR PRIVACY (a report from the ACLU of Illinois - February 2011)
Labels: big brother, Chicago, Illinois, police state, privacy, surveillance
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
CHICAGO - Two of the largest U.S. mortgage servicers have said they will resume home foreclosures, but a big-city sheriff has news for them: he won't enforce their foreclosure evictions.
The sheriff for Cook County, Illinois, which includes the city of Chicago, said on Tuesday he will not enforce foreclosure evictions for Bank of America Corp, JPMorgan Chase and Co. and GMAC Mortgage/Ally Financial until they prove those foreclosures were handled "properly and legally."...
[Full Article]Labels: Chicago, foreclosure, Illinois, mortgages, sheriff
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) - The idea of coordinated military action to counteract gang related violent crime is not a new idea, however, it appears to be gaining traction among some lawmakers as the number of those killed in many cities across America continues to rise.
“Gang activity and its resulting violence has taken a toll on my community for far too long,” stated Illinois State Representative Lashawn Ford, a Democrat. “The Military Code of Illinois specifically states that it is the duty of the governor to deploy such force as he deems necessary in order to suppress individuals acting together and committing violence in violation of our laws. Enough is enough. We've already lost too many lives. We need action now.”...
Labels: Illinois, martial law, National Guard, posse comitatus
Quincy Libertarian Examiner / Kevin Dunbar
Chicago Public Radio is reporting that "Reps. John Fritchey and La Shawn Ford, both Democrats of Chicago, are calling for National Guard troops to help get guns and criminals off the street." At the same time, "Police Superintendant Jody Weis says he’d rather see tougher laws against guns."
Are these people insane? Their reasoning behind wanting to declare martial law is homicide numbers. There have been over 100 murders this year, an increase of 8 from the same time last year. This is obviously an issue that needs to be addressed, but declaring martial law is a huge step in the wrong direction.
According to wikipedia the Chicago Police Department is the second largest in the nation with close to 14,000 officers. What the hell are they doing??? With a force that large why would it be necessary to declare martial law and bring in the military? Are they too busy writing seat belt tickets and harassing law abiding citizens over trivial minutia? You would think with a force that large they could handle situations of gang violence. If they cannot handle real crime and can only spend their time dealing with trivialities like seat belts and other victimless crimes then what good are they?
I also reject their claim that "tougher gun laws" and "getting guns off the streets" will solve this problem. In fact, it will more than likely have the opposite effect. By disarming citizens it will create a whole new class of victims for the criminals to prey on. Gun laws only hurt law abiding citizens. criminals get guns regardless of the law. Stricter gun laws will only cause people not to be able to defend themselves against the gang members. If IL wants to curb gang violence they should end their prohibition on conceal carry and open carry. Chicago has some of the strictest gun laws in the nation and yet they have one of the highest violent crime rates in the country. Obviously their logic is flawed. They make criminals out of otherwise law abiding citizens with their punitive gun laws. Law abiding citizens should not need permission from a corrupt government to own and carry guns. It is a RIGHT not a privilege, and according to the supreme law of the land, shall not be infringed!
Labels: Chicago, Illinois, martial law
Before Illinois officials respond to Democratic state Reps. John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford's call for National Guard units to patrol the streets of Chicago, they'd better give it deep thought.
Military intervention by the Guard, its militia predecessors and the U.S. Army during American domestic crises has left a bloody record.
If Chicagoans remember their history, they will reject the deployment of any military force in their city, whether it be the National Guard or the Army...
Labels: Illinois, martial law, National Guard
Mayor Daley Want To Take Your Guns From You
Holding up an assault weapon surrendered for cash, Mayor Daley urged Chicagoans today to turn in their weapons on May 8 to stop the violence that prompted two state lawmakers to suggest bringing in the National Guard.
“How would you like to have this gun aimed at a police officer, your son or daughter, mother or father or your brother or sister?’’ Daley asked. “ . . . This is the most frightening aspect of America. We love our guns and we think guns are gonna solve issues.”...
Labels: 2nd amendment, Chicago, Illinois, Mayor Daley
Mayor Daley's gun control proposals are frequently shot down by the General Assembly, but he won a rare victory Wednesday.
The Illinois Senate unanimously agreed to require those convicted of unlawful use of a weapon to serve one to three years in prison if the offender was carrying a loaded weapon with no valid Firearms Owners Identification card...
Labels: 2nd amendment, Chicago, Illinois, Mayor Daley
Friday, April 30, 2010
Kurt Nimmo
Prison Planet.com
Friday, April 30, 2010
Earlier this week we reported on riot police storm troopers dispatched in Quincy, Illinois, in response to a Tea Party demonstration outside an Obama event. The Secret Service told black-clad riot cops to “push the crowd back as far as you can, out of sight” outside the the Oakley-Lindsey/Quincy Community Center.
“The Tea Partiers were walking down York after the president’s motorcade arrived when a Secret Service agent asked the crowd to move back to the north side of the street,” QuincyNews reports today. “As the crowd was moving back, the Mobile Field Force, adorned in full body armor, walked between the crowd and the building, then they turned and faced the protesters.”
“SWAT was there because it looked like the ladies were going to break out in a BINGO game,” remarks First Things blog with appropriate sarcasm...
Labels: Illinois, Kurt Nimmo, Quincy, riot police
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Illinois State Reps Want To Violate Posse Comitatus
Two state representatives called on Gov. Pat Quinn Sunday to deploy the Illinois National Guard to safeguard Chicago's streets.
Chicago Democrats John Fritchey and LaShawn Ford said they want Quinn, Mayor Richard Daley and Chicago Police Supt. Jody Weis to allow guardsmen to patrol streets and help quell violence. Weis said he did not support the idea because the military and police operate under different rules.
"Is this a drastic call to action? Of course it is," Fritchey said. "Is it warranted when we are losing residents to gun violence at such an alarming rate? Without question. We are not talking about rolling tanks down the street or having armed guards on each corner."
What he envisions, Fritchey said, is a "heightened presence on the streets," particularly on the roughly 9 percent of city blocks where most of the city's violent crimes occur.
Weis previously identified those "hot spots" and said he plans to create a 100-person team made up of selected and volunteer police personnel to respond to crime there. If guardsmen were to assist police, they could comprise or contribute to that force, Fritchey said.
So far this year, 113 people have been killed across Chicago, the same number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan combined in the same period, Fritchey said...
[Webmaster - This would be yet another violation of posse comitatus.]Labels: Chicago, Illinois, posse comitatus
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