North Avenue Beach Again

That darn beach is in the news again:

• A father "had to fight" to get his 2-year-old child away from a man who tried to abduct the toddler this morning on North Avenue beach, and police said a person was in custody in the attack.
  
  The incident happened shortly before 11 a.m. in the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive at North Avenue Beach, said Police News Affairs...
  
  
• After wrestling the child away from the man, the father stopped a nearby bicycle officer and gave a description of the would-be abductor.
  
  The man was identified by officers moments later as he attempted to leave the beach...

Seeing as how the increased police presence is centered on North Avenue, this was bad timing on the pervert's part. Frankly, we're surprised the beach was left open, what with all the heat and humidity. It's dangerous to be out near the cool lake waters in those types of conditions. And now it attracts kidnappers apparently.

The quick reaction and even quicker arrest is a credit to CPD as a whole - good job officers.

Tactical Retreat

Rahm sees the writing on the wall:

• Mayor Rahm Emanuel will introduce an ordinance next week to allow gun ranges to operate in Chicago.

  To obtain a gun permit in Chicago, residents must now travel to a suburban gun range to complete a mandated firearms training course.

  The city is currently facing a federal lawsuit saying the city’s ban of gun ranges in the city has created a burden for those seeking a Chicago gun permit.

  The new ordinance should address the concerns raised in the lawsuit, officials say.

The NRA and their lawyers are still owed many millions of dollars for their victorious lawsuits over Chicago's illegal and unconstitutional gun ban. They have also filed suits challenging the ordinances passed by Shortshanks and the City Council, and they'll be winning those in short order. Our friends in the NRA tell us of one plan to have the city turn over one or more vacant schools for a "gun education" center and indoor range.

Anyone want to speculate on how much of $30 million Rahm wouldn't have to ask for in union concessions if Chicago stopped fighting lawsuits that they know they are going to lose?

Mum's the Word

If you bad mouth Chicago, you might find yourself in this officer's shoes:

• A veteran officer with a clean record is being investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) after he warned the father of a robbery victim about a dangerous part of town.

  Officer Thad "Stu" Crisco, who was recently in headlines for honoring his fallen partner David Crawford, allegedly warned St. Petersburg father Bob Esposito about letting his 16-year-old daughter hang around the Northshore Pool at night. Esposito's daughter was one of five teens robbed by a group of armed men there about 10:30 p.m. on a recent weeknight.

  "I wouldn't come down here at night," Esposito said of the Northshore Pool area and Downtown, where he admits he used to loiter as a teen. "And I was told by one of the police officers not to come down here either."

  That comment, made by Crisco the night of the robbery, was inadvertently relayed to his superior when Esposito was following up with SPPD. The department then launched an investigation into "disparaging comments against the city."

So stop warning people to stay away from the beaches and avoid downtown after dark. And certainly don't mention stay out of Englewood 24/7. Chicago is now the happiest place on earth with no crime and no heat. Rainbows and unicorns are the order of the day.

Ha!

A poke at our friends from the north side:

• The Cubs are bad this year, but are they this bad?
  
  A car burglar in Wilmette passed over two Chicago Cubs tickets and only stole an Apple iPod that was left in the vehicle’s cupholder.

Well yeah, the iPod is actually worth something. Zing!

And the Blackhawks are making news again, trading for salary cap room and bringing in a bunch of veterans. With the continuing NFL and NBA lockouts, the Blackhawks might be the only game in town this fall.

Bodyguard Detail to End?

Kass pokes fun at the mayor and Burke:

• Sooner or later, Mayor Rahm Emanuel must sit down with Ald. Ed Burke, 14th, and retired King Shortshanks and tell them the bodyguard party is over.
  
  Emanuel has done well in office so far, and though it's been only six weeks, the six weeks have gone rather smoothly for him.

Smooth is a relative term seeing as how the superintendent has run interference on the gun issue and the head of the schools is picking a union fight.

But what started out as a poke at Burke over Burke's backing a residency lawsuit against Rahm has taken on a symbolism of its own and both parties are eager to get back to sticking it to the taxpayers, breaking the unions and enriching themselves and cronies with connected contracts.

We're betting the bodyguards are reduced (or gone) by fall.

Nasty Weather, but Not Too Hot

That was a pretty heavy storm:

• The hail damaged 64 Chicago Police squad cars parked at Area 4 headquarters, 3151 W. Harrison St. Damage ranged from dents to smashed windows to roof light bars, police said.
  
  Forty-five cars with glass damage will have to be removed temporarily from the streets, said Lt. John Andrews, "but will it impact police service? Absolutely not." He said cars from other districts could be reallocated if necessary, but that need hadn't arisen.

No word on the number of personal cars damaged at Area 4, but it must have been extensive. Looks like Fleet is going to be busy all weekend.

On the bright side, it never did get anywhere near the 100 that some weather people were predicting. We're still looking at low 90's until Sunday, so it might be a busy weekend.

The New Thrill

Can anyone else confirm?

• I was making a shortcut drive through the west side this afternoon to get away from the Ike which was jammed. I took California north from the Ike and was going to go to Lake St and then west.
  
  Around Wilcox a beat up black Ford Crown Vic came careening around the corner EB and turned SB and came into my lane right towards me. I swerved of course because I didn't want to get hit by a car full of the west side's finest shitbirds and then I saw one leaning out of a window with the video recorder.
  
  All of them laughing like hyenas at making me swerve way to the right to avoid them and the video camera aiming right at me. I couldn't get to my snub nose fast enough.

Maybe they'll go head-to-head with a bulldozer one night.