I have long been highly suspecting of police departments and their untrusted officers. Do I appreciate the jobs of police officers? As much as they respect and appreciate their commitment to serve and protect, I don’t believe that police stop crimes-they show up after the fact to attempt to solve and arrest the perpetrators.
And their jobs are not that dangerous. I consider a guy hanging 100 stories up washing windows each day having a more difficult and dangerous task than a cop. What about the miners 200 feet below soil digging out tunnels? That’s dangerous! It’s a fact that most cops spend their entire time on the force and never have to unholster their weapons of mass destruction.
Now, I respect anybody’s hustle who provides a life for their families. That’s what I admire. But, most importantly, I respect non-corrupt cops who do their jobs the correct way. But police departments, past and present, have shown minimal signs of dignity and compassion when serving communities of color.
Let’s look at the most recent case in which bulked-up groups of cops stormed into a 20-something’s home and killed him before he could even open his eyes from a deep sleep. Then department heads came on the national airwaves and lied. This is after the brutal murders of George Floyd and Laquan McDonald at the hands of law enforcement. Police departments across America will never learn!
Is it Black History Month? It’s hard to tell because Black lives don’t seem to matter to police departments across this country this month! Over the weekend, I received a news feed from _CBS 2_ Chicago detailing CPD’s James Hunt‘s alleged bigoted schemes against people of color. What’s shocking is that he has been allowed to get away with his horrific behavior.
Does he know someone who knows someone within the ‘rank and file?’ Is the FOP that freakin’ powerful that they can keep Hunt on the force knowing his record of over 28 citations for misconduct? Because his horrific actions are horrible. If this is what can happen to Black folks at the hands of cops, then that CPD contract needs to be burned and completely rewritten.
How many other officers like Hunt have been allowed to exist? Hunt’s short time on the force, matched with his stained record, is beyond mindblowing. He doesn’t need to be a cop roaming the streets of Chicago. Send him to a community filled with citizens who look and act like him. Let him be their hero or knight in stained armor.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot, I have openly given you a pass because of the pandemic and other issues that needed your attention as the leader of Chicago. But you can’t stand silent and let Hunt continue to be employed on the police force. This is unacceptable, and you need to address this issue NOW!
Superintendent David Brown, I’ve never cared for you. You give a tough talk when it comes to Black residents but a soft and nurturing tone in dealing with corrupt cops and white-collar crimes. You speak loud about violent hood crimes. You walk softly when dealing with other types of life-altering crimes. There are high-power criminals stealing from citizens, organizations, and corporations without firing a single shot. And you fail to parade or embarrass them in the public space.
Having James Hunt on (your) police force is disrespectful to all residents living in Chicago. And if you can’t find a way to fire him, then you should step down. Your admiration for being a cop should not sit well with ‘you’ knowing that you have to command men like Hunt each day. Your pride should be shattered if you really love the blue as much as you profess.
And every cop who knows of Hunt’s actions, whether they’re Black, White, Latino, or Asian, should turn their backs on him in disgust. He can’t be trusted to engage with the people of this city. And each cop should also resign if they continue to allow James to even ride in the same vehicle. Where is their pride for the blue and the badge they swore to represent?
Now, this is for all state and city elected officials spending meaningless time discussing hood violence and the need for more police presence downtown and in communities of color. I want to see Black legislators address this dude, James Hunt. I just received a press release from Congresswoman Robin Kelly, who co-hosted a gathering of the nation’s top law enforcement agencies to discuss the uptick in gun crimes.
That’s cool and needed. But now I want to see Congresswoman Kelly, as well as Congressman Bobby Rush and Congressman Danny Davis host a joint press conference to address officer Hunt and his horrific record since joining CPD. I also want to see congressional candidates of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd District like Pat Dowell, Jonathan L. Jackson, Jonathan Swain, Jahmal Cole, Karin Norrington-Reaves, Jacqueline Collins, Ashley Ramos, Delia Ramirez, and Gilbert Villegas, use this time to insist that Hunt’s horrible record and misconduct be investigated.
If these smiling candidates want to get our vote to win this prestigious seat in Congress, then they need to question why CPD continues to have someone who has a record of disgust still on the force. Hunt’s shady record goes along with Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx‘s claim that most of the officers on Watts former team are still employed as cops.
Foxx stated that even though Watts is off the street, most of his crew are still on the police force. They too need to be uncovered and punished for their contribution in sending innocent men to prison. When will candidates for public office address this matter? If they can jump on the ‘low hanging fruit‘ like (hood crimes), then each of them can bring attention to criminals within law enforcement and white-collar crimes happening within the corporate walls of Chicago.
I want to hear people running for judgeships to denounce Hunt. I want to hear people who’ll run for aldermanic spots in the future as well as current Aldermen stepping up to denounce this dude. And for the three or four people running for the secretary of state position, they need to voice their concerns about officer Hunt. James Hunt is worst than any collective violent issue plaguing the hood!
