By Maja Ramirez
Special to Inside
Every corner, every niche in Chicago belongs to one of 25 police districts ("precinct" is so NYC). Each district, in turn, is subdivided into anywhere between 9 and 15 "beats." Ideally, citizens develop a good working relationship with the officers assigned to "their" beat on each of the three "watches."
Being a quasi-military organization, the police operate on the military's timetable. For example, if you hear "Oh-three-hundred," the police are referring to 3:00 a.m. Were you to arrive on a non-emergency matter at the station at "change time," you might be asked to wait for a few minutes while the "new crew" settles itself. Many 24-hour industries speak of their first, second, and third shifts, but their times do not match Chicago Police time. Here, "1st Watch" means 11 p.m. or midnight until 7:30 or 8:30 a.m., "2nd Watch" is 7, 8, or 9 a.m. until 3:30, 4:30, or 5:30 p.m. respectively, and "3rd Watch" is 3,4, 5, and sometimes 6 p.m. until 23:30, 00:30, 01:30, and 02:30.
Television's "CSI" notwithstanding, "the wagon crew" [squadrol] no longer takes "bodies" [deceased individuals] to the M.E. [Medical Examiner's facility/morgue]. Chicago cops don't call their vehicles "prowl cars," as in the movie "Fargo." "Squad" suffices both for the car and the dispatcher (the "squad operator," also a throwback to the military). Anyone getting transported in the "van" is going by the good-deal-larger prisoner van, to one of the outlying courts.
If you overhear the officers who came about your burglary requesting the dispatcher to send an "E.T.," this means an Evidence Technician will respond and attempt to retrieve anything the burglar may have left or dropped, and "lift prints" — get fingerprints. While you are waiting, be sure you do not "contaminate" the scene by spilling anything on it, rearranging, cleaning, or touching it yourself. Especially do not touch anything the burglar may have touched if said surface is clean, dry, smooth, and hard.
The police may, in addition to giving or mailing you a copy of your report, suggest you begin attending your local "CAPS" meeting. CAPS, for Community Alternative Policing Strategy, consists of a community meeting regularly attended by members of the Police, and sometimes other City departments, such as Fire.
Someone you know has been arrested. You call the station and are told "He isn't clear yet/His prints aren't clear." This means his fingerprints have been taken and are being checked at HQ (police headquarters is at 3510 S. Michigan Ave.) to see if there are warrants against him or other police departments want him. If the offense is a felony, or if he has been arrested again while out on an "I-Bond," (short for Individual Recognizance Bond, whence he "signed himself out") for a recent offense, he will be sent to "26th & Cal." This means 2600 S. California Ave., the address of Cook County's main Criminal Court building.
"Bond" is something accepted in lieu of the person appearing directly in court. This could be money, for which your receipt is a "C-Bond" (cash bond) or "D-Bond" (discount bond, usually 10 percent of the total the court would demand if you failed to follow its edicts), or the I-Bond mentioned, where a signature is considered valuable enough. Police stations issue I-Bonds only for "misdemeanors," those offenses punishable by less than a year in jail. A "felony" charge, which is an offense punishable by a year or more in prison, is a case which must be heard by a judge, who will then determine what would be a suitable bond amount, if any.
A "summons" is an order from a judge for the named individual to present him- or herself to the court "branch" named in the order. A "warrant" is generally issued by the judge when an individual had been issued a summons or arrested on a prior date and fails to show up in court on the date and exact time when his/her case is scheduled. Police can then arrest that person at home or anywhere she or he may be found. Depending on the severity of the offense, the offender can be arrested for a Chicago warrant in an adjoining suburb, Illinois and the adjoining states, or anywhere in the country, and "extradited" (brought back by sheriffs or other law enforcement personnel) to the
issuing jurisdiction.
Citizens will normally be scheduled for traffic or misdemeanor courts between 15 and 45 days after the offense. The only court dates given for Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are at 26th & California, for felonies, warrants, or misdemeanors upgraded to felonies; the "victim" (whoever suffered the loss or attack) or "complainant" (the person who signed the complaint against the offender, which could be the victim's parent, or the police officer who saw injuries in the case of a recalcitrant domestic violence victim) is not required to appear initially. If you have been given a traffic or misdemeanor court date for an outlying court which appears to fall on any of these, ask the officer to please check again.
Most stations are referred to by their number, e.g. "23" at Addison and Halsted streets, or "18" at 1160 N. Larrabee St. When the courts and the stations are referred to by their geographic location interchangeably, confusion can reign. For example, "Belmont & Western" is the 19th District Police station (first floor) and Area 3 Detective Division (2nd floor), and also Court Branches 29 and 42. "Harrison/Kedzie" is the 11th District Police, Area 4 Detective Division, and Branches 43 and 44. Many's the citizen who walked into the 19th District desk area with a case report in hand, who was directed across the courtyard to the warrant office. Although the police and the courts are in the same building, calls cannot be transferred from one to the other.
Have any terms, the more obscure ones perhaps, eluded us here? Contact your district's Community Policing Office to find out the date, time, and location of your neighborhood's next CAPS meeting. Get informed — then get involved!
Maja Ramirez is a veteran police officer, mom, volunteer TreeKeeper and Master Gardener. |
