[Peace-discuss] [Discuss] Non-interaction with Champaign police

[John W.]

On Sun, Jul 18, 2010 at 11:29 PM, Marti Wilkinson <martiwilki at gmail.com>wrote:


> Al Johnston (hubby of Julia Rietz)  lost a fully loaded gun driving out of
> Cherry Hills, and they still haven't found it yet. The News-Gazette sat on
> the story until after Julia got re-elected. I wouldn't be surprised if that
> gun is found at the scene of a crime.
>
> Champaign cops often run on a 'see no evil; hear no evil' type of protocol.
> So I wouldn't be surprised if a bad driver got away with mischief in Cherry
> Hills. However, if this became a daily practice and enough people got pissed
> off then the police would act. If what happened in Hessel Park was an
> isolated one-time occurrence I wouldn't expect much to be done.
>

Yes.  Though the analogy is imperfect, Marti is basically right.  In Cherry
Hills and perhaps in Hessel Park, the police would do a cost-benefit
analysis, and administer "justice" accordingly.  In the case of our
not-so-hypothetical reckless motorist, the police would probably follow up
on the incident(s) if enough prosperous burghers in the affected
neighborhood complained.  But if the miscreant motorist were then found to
be a police officer, or a prominent lawyer, or the son of a prominent real
estate developer, then the followup would be hushed up, and the motorist
would skate with a friendly warning.

A somewhat different balancing of interests occurs in a poor neighborhood,
and especially if it's a poor black neighborhood.  The police are already
watching the neighborhood like a hawk - not so much to protect the residents
of that neighborhood as to protect residents of "better" neighborhoods from
the perps who lurk in the teeming ghetto, who are presumed guilty until
proven innocent.

And of course we all know that in this balancing of interests, perhaps the
most important interest of all is ensuring that the police department
itself, and the politicians who stand behind it, "save face" at all times.
It can be a tricky bit o' business.




>   On Sun, Jul 18, 2010 at 10:48 AM, David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com>wrote:
>
>>  I understand what you're saying, of course, about general differential
>> policing. But people in Cherry Hills would certainly expect a quick response
>> from such a report, even if it was a resident who was the offending party,
>> and would be up in arms if they were treated dismissively, especially with
>> license plate information. It's just not analogous to a kid in CH being
>> caught with some weed.
>>
>>  ------------------------------
>> *From:* Marti Wilkinson <martiwilki at gmail.com>
>> *To:* David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com>
>> *Cc:* Peace Discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>; Discuss
>> Courtwatch <discuss at lists.communitycourtwatch.org>
>> *Sent:* Sat, July 17, 2010 9:02:38 PM
>>
>> *Subject:* Re: [Discuss] Non-interaction with Champaign police
>>
>> I'm saying that "better" neighborhoods are not as policed as aggressively.
>> I grew up in Holiday Park (same neighborhood as the mayor) and now live in
>> Garden Hills, and there is a real difference between how the areas are
>> policed. You brought up the situation with Kiwane Carrington - if this had
>> been a couple of white kids in Cherry Hills - I doubt that the cops would
>> have run in with their guns out. Look at the difference in how a Cherry
>> Hills doctor, who stabbed her two sons killing one, and a black janitor in
>> Garden Hills was handled. In the latter case the guy was suicidal and the
>> city sent the SWAT team after him.
>>
>> If a white kid attending the University of Illinois is caught with a bag
>> of weed, he will probably face a misdemeanor charge. If a black kid north of
>> University Avenue gets caught with the same amount, it may well turn into a
>> felony. Hence, if you want to be a 'lunatic driver" you are more likely to
>> get away with it around Hessel Park than Douglass Park. An officer is more
>> likely going to be a witness in areas north of University Ave to lunatic
>> drivers, which increases the likelihood of being apprehended.
>>
>> As both Laurie and John pointed out there may be some procedural aspects
>> to this as well. What I suggest is contacting the members of the city
>> council and sharing your story and concerns with them. Then see what they
>> have to say about this.
>>
>> Marti
>>
>> On Sat, Jul 17, 2010 at 8:56 AM, David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com>wrote:
>>
>>>  Are you saying that people in "better" neighborhoods don't want to be
>>> protected from lunatic drivers?
>>>
>>>   ------------------------------
>>> *From:* Marti Wilkinson <martiwilki at gmail.com>
>>> *To:* David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com>
>>> *Cc:* Discuss Courtwatch <discuss at lists.communitycourtwatch.org>; Peace
>>> Discuss <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>>> *Sent:* Fri, July 16, 2010 10:40:28 PM
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Discuss] Non-interaction with Champaign police
>>>
>>> "What accounts for this disinterest?"
>>>
>>> In the language of real estate - "Location, Location, Location". If this
>>> had been north of University Ave the local cops would have been on this in a
>>> heartbeat.
>>>
>>> I suggest you contact the Champaign City Council and ask them that
>>> question. Since they refused to have a civilian review board, and have
>>> appointed themselves as overseers on the community, they would be the
>>> perfect people to ask. Or write a letter to the News-Gazette and share your
>>> concerns over what happened.
>>>
>>> This reminds me that I once received an anonymous email from someone a
>>> couple of years ago. This person lived in Cherry Hills and wanted to file a
>>> noise complaint against a loud party, tried to call the cops and no one
>>> responded. It's no secret that both Julia Rietz and her hubby live in that
>>> area. Chief Finney lives in another McMansion subdivision close by.
>>>
>>> Marti
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Fri, Jul 16, 2010 at 6:56 PM, David Green <davegreen84 at yahoo.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>>  This past Sunday, sometime between 6:00 and 6:30 in the evening, I was
>>>> walking around the paved track at Hessel Park. As I approached the entrance
>>>> to the park (north side, Elm St.), I witnessed a white Mustang convertible
>>>> with a young, white, male driver (along), speeding along Grandview, the
>>>> street the semi-circles the park from Kirby to Elm to Kirby. He was
>>>> travelling east towards Elm at at least 60 mph. Again, this was on a nice
>>>> evening with much activity at the park. His car spun out of control and he
>>>> careened off of Grandview into a front yard, coming to a halt. He drove back
>>>> out over the short embankment (there are no sidewalks on Grandview), out
>>>> back onto Grandview, and turned left, going North up Elm St. towards Hessel
>>>> Ave. He continued surpassing the speed limit. He did stop at the stop sign
>>>> at the corner of Hessel and Elm.
>>>>
>>>> I caught his license plate, easier because it was personalized: STANGO
>>>> 1. As I continued walking around the park, I noticed a gentlemen on his cell
>>>> phone. I assumed he was calling the police, which was correct. I told him
>>>> the license plate. Shortly after, there was another man calling police, and
>>>> I also told him the license plate.
>>>>
>>>> Later in the evening, I called the CPD--the public number, not 911. I
>>>> informed the male answering the phone about my experience, assuming he had
>>>> already heard from the others. I offered myself as a witness. He wasn't
>>>> particularly interested. He told me that there had been no officers in the
>>>> area at the time of the incident, and gave me the impression that the case
>>>> was closed, unless other officers came across this driver during the
>>>> evening.
>>>>
>>>> I am no making moralistic judgments about this young man driving the
>>>> car. I have no idea what circumstances may have prompted this behavior.
>>>> Nevertheless, a car travelling at that speed and going out of control is
>>>> clearly life-threatening. If there had been someone in that front yard, they
>>>> could have been killed.
>>>>
>>>> I am quite sure that STANGO 1 is a greater threat to public safety than
>>>> Kiwane, the young man at Douglas Park, and any number of others.
>>>>
>>>> I assume that the CPD can access information on the basis of the license
>>>> plate, at least the residence of the owner of the car.
>>>>
>>>> What accounts for this disinterest?
>>>>
>>>> David Green
>>>>
>>>
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