4 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: JUNE 2017 I t’s a story built for drive-time talk radio. Many are wonder- ing why in Chicago (where violent crime, as we’re constantly reminded, is wildly out of control) are there so many cops answer- ing phone calls from the media? Basically everybody f r o m t h e C h i c a g o F.O.P. to the mayor to the residents say the Windy City needs more cops on patrol. So it’s a little strange that there are two doz- en cops as- signed to a news affairs office, according to the Chicago Sun Times. The office is only bud- geted for four positions. “This is hypocrisy,” said City Council Ald. Edward Burke (14th). “Why aren’t civilians staffing the Chi- cago Police Department’s news office, so police offi- cers can be on the street?” He’s also the head of the city’s Finance Committee. “The city’s annual budget appropriation ordinance des- ignates salaries for only four paid news affairs staffers at the Chicago Police Department at a total of $343,746 a year. “Why was the City Council told one thing and the police bureaucracy do- ing something else? “They are taking po- lice officers out of police districts and having them shuffle papers in the press office when the city homi- cide rate is making national headlines; and the number of shootings are growing — including a judge shot down on his back porch! In this day and age when com- manders are spread thin in districts with manpower, how dare they detail four sergeants and 21 police of- ficers to the press office.” The actual “cost to the city for the Chicago Police Department’s news media operation is $2,535,468,” Burke concluded. Agency brass says: noth- ing to see here, move along. “There has been no ex- pansion of either News Af- fairs or the Graphics team,” Supt. Eddie Johnson said in a press release. “I have pushed for great- er transparency and better, more effective communica- tion — internally with our officers and externally with the public. A part of that involved reorganizing our communications office so the existing graphic and video teams work hand in hand with public informa- tion officers so that both are more effective, but neither department has grown in size for years.” “No new police officers have been added to the communications office,” noed the Chicago PD’s Director of News Affairs Anthony Guglielmi, who is paid $126,564 per year.” “Look, it’s a complex budget process, which al- lows the police department to move people in an out of the unit. It results in a pa- perwork exercise between budgeted and detailed staff. There are only four bud- geted people, but the office couldn’t be run with four people,” a police source who did not want to be named told the Sun Times. “If the phone rings be- cause there is a stabbing in Englewood, four people could not humanly process and run the agency effec- That’s one packed police press office tively.” “So why didn’t they pres- ent that to the City Coun- cil when they presented their testimony for the 2017 budget?” Alderman Burke wondered. “It appears they are hid- ing police officers that should be fighting crime in an office that should be staffed by civilians,” Burke went on to say. Inquiring minds want to know – is this is a plum assignment or the Chicago PD’s version of Siberia? “If the phone rings because there is a stabbing in Englewood, four people could not humanly process and run the agency effectively.” O ne of the reasons that human traffick- ing is such a serious challenge for law enforce- ment is that there are all kinds of people involved in it. According to the River City News in Kentucky, a former judge now serving as a school board mem- ber in suburban Cincin- nati has been charged with felony human trafficking of a minor, felony inducing a minor to engage in sex and a third count of giving alcohol to a minor. Judge Tim Nolan of California, Kentucky rep- resents District 5 on the Campbell County School Board. According to a recent news report, Nolan was re- cently “perp-walked” into court wearing handcuffs. The sex trafficking al- legedly occurred back in August 2016. The human trafficking charges came on the heels of a scandal involving the Klu Klux Klan and Nolan’s Facebook page. The alleged sex crimes were investigated by Campbell County Police, but Nolan has to be tried in another county. Camp- bell County Circuit Court Clerk Taunya Nolan Jack is the alleged human traf- ficker’s daughter. The allegations of hu- man trafficking against the former judge got a lot of attention shortly after Campbell County Police Chief Craig Sorrell had denied an open-records request from the media seeking records of any investigation of Tim No- lan. Nolan was being tracked by a court-mandated ankle monitor after being re- leased on $50,000 bond at the time this was written. If there was a major league for scumbags he’d be hall of famer • Removes weight of duty belt off hips and lower back • Enables you to perform at maximum standards • Helps keep shirt tucked in during physical activity • No need to adjust duty belt when exiting vehicle • No need to hold duty belt when engaging in foot pursuits No more back pain The Back Defender is the only concealed belt suspension system approved for police duty WWW"ACK$EFENSE3YSTEMSCOM   (or)