When police corruption is uncovered, hold supervisors, not just officers, accountable
After reading Tom Shuba and Frank Mains' in-depth reporting about four Chicago police tactical officers accused, by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability, of corruption involving illegal gun seizures and withholding evidence, I’m left with one thought: Where was the supervision?
Moving to fire these officers if the allegations are true should not stop there. For far too long, police supervisors have not been held accountable for the egregious actions of their subordinates. After multiple allegations against the four officers accused, how is it possible the supervisors should not be held accountable for the actions of their subordinates?
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Leadership starts at the top, and when leadership fails, every single Chicago police officer is tainted by the actions of not only corrupt activity by fellow cops, but the inability of supervisors to do their job. If supervisors are not aware of what their subordinates are doing, they are not doing their job and must be held accountable.
Nobody hates bad cops more than good cops; every single one of us is tainted by corruption within the ranks, active and retired. But if supervisors are held to another standard, it will continue to plague the overwhelming majority who serve and protect Chicago with integrity.
Bob Angone, retired Chicago Police lieutenant, Austin, Texas
We must all fight heat
This quote from a recent article should make us all immediately snap into action: “Heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer nationwide. People think it’s hurricanes or lightening or tornadoes, but heat on average kills more people than all of those events combined.”
Each one of us must do everything we can to reduce the carbon emissions that are heating up our world. Most importantly, VOTE. Listen to each candidate’s plan for reducing carbon emissions and vote accordingly. Talk with friends and family about the dangers of an increasingly hotter world, and urge them to vote also. Tell candidates and your current congressional representative to support carbon pricing, which is the most powerful tool for reducing 50% of carbon pollution by 2030 and for reaching zero emissions by 2050. Carbon pricing makes polluters pay, and people receive cash back as a dividend. The dividend helps cover paying higher energy costs, and the fee urges polluters to convert to greener ways to sell us energy.
In addition to collective actions, each of us can try to electrify our lives because electricity can be generated without using fossil fuels. If you must drive rather than use public transportation, switch to an electric vehicle. When you need to replace home appliances, buy electric appliance replacements instead of those that use fossil fuels. The IRA, Inflation Reduction Act, offers many rebates and credits right now, so save money and cool the world at the same time. RewiringAmerica.org has great information about home electrification.
Heat is dangerous! Do something about it now!
Fran Alcantara, Riverside
City needs new curfew
I live downtown and am 100% in favor of the proposed curfew for unaccompanied teens who gather in groups downtown. These kids aren’t coming to enjoy what our city has to offer, they’re coming to cause mayhem, loot stores and terrorize innocent people. In addition, if any group attacks individuals of another race, they should be charged with a hate crime and their parents also charged for inability to control their children.
At this point I think everyone has had it with the lenient attitudes now in effect courtesy of the progressive movement.
Sharon Novickas, South Loop