Alphecca: Chicago to Ret. Cops: No Guns!

December 12, 2005

Chicago to Ret. Cops: No Guns!

Chicago, a city with one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation, doesn't allow it's law-abiding subjects to carry firearms. Now, they don't even want the retired law-enforcement community to carry. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Retired Chicago Police officers will be getting letters in the mail soon saying the city won't certify them to carry guns -- a move that angers the head of the local Fraternal Order of Police.

Congress passed the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 to allow retired and off-duty officers across the country to carry concealed weapons.

But the city is worried about the liability of allowing retired cops to carry guns when they haven't gone through refresher training or undergone mental and physical fitness evaluations. The city also is concerned about the lack of a national database of retired officers authorized to carry guns.

[...]

The letter to retired Chicago cops says "until these areas of concern are addressed by federal legislation, the Department has declined to adopt new procedures for qualifying retired officers to carry a firearm."

[...]

Under the city's interpretation of the federal law, the city can't bar out-of-town retired officers from carrying guns if they have been certified by agencies outside Chicago.

But the city believes the federal government can't force the city to certify retired officers here if it chooses not to.

Because after all, you wouldn't want to provide the victims of Chicago mutants with even the slightest shred of protection by supplementing the regular force with the eyes, ears, and experience of the retired law enforcement sector. That would be like getting something for, uh... Free!

What a sick city. Why would anyone live there?

Posted by Jeff Soyer at December 12, 2005 02:43 PM

Comments

No, wait, Jeff, I think this is a good idea. How do gun grabbers usually get buy-in from the cops? By exempting them from the laws they are trying to pass.

Posted by: Rick C at December 12, 2005 03:40 PM

Awwww, poor little police retirees lose their special status.

Posted by: Curtis at December 12, 2005 06:16 PM

Can there be any better evidence that Chicago is owned and operated by the Mob?

Every single cop is now faced with knowing that the day will come when they too are unarmed and defenseless. I cannot bring myself to weep for them, a stony smile is the most I can muster.

I am sad for the citizens of Chicago; they are by that margin less safe. (Although compared to the margin that would be provided by letting all Chicagoans arm themselves, I expect that margin to be painfully thin.)

However, they don't trust themselves with their own defense, and this is the result.

Posted by: refugee at December 12, 2005 11:52 PM

Life's a bitch and then you find out after you retire you aren't "special" any more. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Posted by: emdfl at December 13, 2005 08:21 AM

I'm surprised Chicago doesn't challenge the Constitutionality of HR218. Far as I can tell, allowing retired cops to carry and not everyone else violates equal protection. See the ruling in Silviera v. Lockyer (5th Circuit):

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfib/courses/silveira.htm

Posted by: ljksfdl at December 13, 2005 02:36 PM

Sounds fine to me. Retired police are just another bunch of civilians like the rest of us.

And the definition of a "citizen" in the Policemans Handbook? A "citizen" is a civilian that hasn't been arrested yet.

They'll be fine. Don't worry about them for a minute.

Posted by: robert at December 13, 2005 08:09 PM

Uhh, Robert: un-retired police are also just civilians like the rest of us.

Posted by: Kirk Parker at December 15, 2005 01:41 AM

Daley explained to them that now that they are just ordinary citizens the police will protect them.......just like the protected ordinary citizens when they were police.

Damn! That must be why they are so angry......... and scared.

Couldn't help but make them reexamine their opposition to an armed citizenry. No sympathy here, I think it's a fine idea. Let them learn where they can and can't go, or what time they can't. Force them to rely on their door locks alone. Let them be wary about going out to dinner, the theater, a movie, etc. for fear of being helpless in front of city enabled predators.

Who said "There ain't no justice."?

Posted by: straightarrow at December 15, 2005 03:20 AM

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December 12, 2005

Chicago to Ret. Cops: No Guns!

By Golly, you're reading an archived post. Click Here to head to the main page and read current stuff...

Check it out:

My group sci-fi blog novel:

Colony: Alchibah