RAT by BRIAN R. LUNDIN (13 ebook reader TXT) 📖

Headquarters located at 1121 South State Street. He was reviewing citizen complaints ranging from police officers demanding payoffs from traffic violators to anonymous complaints from drug dealers complaining about being robbed by police officers. Initially the Internal Affairs Division (IAD) investigated citizen complaints against police officer that usually involved excessive use of force, improper police actions, etc. but the Corruption Unit was tasked with investigating police corruption. There was a knock at his office door and Sergeant Ollie Flowers entered carrying a manila folder. Flower’s was the commander’s best friend and aide and they had been partners in the 3rd District Tactical team ten years ago. Sergeant Flowers was a big powerful looking man with thinning black hair and he always seemed pissed at something or someone. He took a seat across from the commander.
“That shit in the 2nd District is getting out of hand. Not only has that thief O’Shea getting rich shaking down every big player in the district he let his beat officers shake down the poor little nickel and dime operations and law-abiding cit-izens.”
“Everyone in the department knows about his Commander’s Club, but none of the big bosses want to do anything about it, they don’t want another Summerdale scandal,” Watson answered
“Well, maybe you should take it to the Chief, let him decide?

“Good idea that’s what I’ll do and let the “chips fall where they may.
A lot of the big bosses will be shittin’ their pants!”

When the commander and the sergeant entered O.W.’s office they were greeted warmly.
“What can I do for you commander?”
“We have a problem in the 2nd District, the commander and probably half of his police officers are probably corrupt. I’ve received numerous complaints from drug dealers, gamblers and average citizens of being shaken down by police officers and it is common knowledge that the commander has a “Commander’s Club.”
“What’s that?”
“That’s a club where selected criminals contribute payoffs to the district commander for protection against raids and arrests,” Flowers answer.
“The problem is if we started an investigation it could lead to another scandal and I believe that many of our exempt officers maybe involved,” Watson added.
“Do you have any proof of any of this?”
“No, I wanted to run it by you before starting an investigation.
“Well, the mayor hired me to clean up the department and that’s what I going to do! If the commander is dirty l want his ass in jail and let the chips fall where they may. The problem with widespread corruption is it undermines public trust and it entices normally decent men into its clutches. Once exposed these men who are actually good men with loving families and attend church regularly attempt to justify their actions by stating the money was thrown at them as they went about their duties They say that the public is to blame for their corruption that the public want crooked cops that it is the public that offer them bribes to overlook violations, it is the public that give them the free coffee and donuts and other gratuities and before long the cops becomes “bullies,” demanding that free cup of coffee and they demand pay-offs from the small tavern owner to the silk-suited syndicate hoodlum. The literature states that much of the corruption of police officers originates in taverns or bars. Police officers have always found themselves in bars, on and off duty, they like the fast women and action that are generally in bars. Any tavern owner no matter how clean his place of business is love to have policemen as customers they getting top flight security for a few free drinks and in no time at all the money is passed from a mob lieutenant to a police lieutenant but the sad thing about police corruption is the family and love ones who sit in a court room and watch as their relative is sent to prison but if there are corrupt police officers I will fire them, retire them and put some in jail!”

TEN

Cecilia Went was aware of the club but was not a part of it she watched as Sergeant Romano once a month entered the commander’s office carrying a black bag. One evening after completing her tour of duty Cecilia had to return to the district to finish some paper work. The commander could enter his office through a side door that by-passed the front desk. It was after 9:00 pm and she knew the commander usually left about five. As she approached the door she heard laughter and women voices. Cecilia quietly inserted her key pulled her weapon and rushed into the office. The sergeant and commander were stripped down to their underwear and three young black women wore only their bra and panties. “Sorry commander,” was all Cecilia could say before backing out and closing the door. Commander Roland Watson and Sergeant Ollie Flowers returned to their office and reviewed the complaints concerning police corruption in the department.

“Damn, even the doctors at the Medical Sections are corrupt. I’m reading an anonymous letter from an officer that states he had the flu and went on medical, after two days the Medical Section doctor called him and told him if he didn’t report to the Medical the next day he wouldn’t approve his sick leave. He further stated that he told the doctor he had a temperature of 103 and was confined to his bed and when he felt better he would report to the Medical Section and take care of him. Well a week later he reported to the doctor and gave him $50.00 for a return to duty slip,” Flower said.
“And the 2nd District is a cesspool of corruption with that thieving Commander O’Shea running the show with his club.
What we need is someone on the inside that knows about the club and is willing to help us!” Watson replied.
“But who, you know how cops feel about “rats?”

ELEVEN

Ringo Throop was born and raised on the southside of the city and graduated from
DuSable High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Jean woods when he was nineteen. Ringo got a job at as a file clerk at the Social Security Administration Office in downtown Chicago. It was a boring job with little pay and no chance of advancement. After year he got hired as a mailman an equally boring job and little chance for advancement. When he was twenty-one one of his co-workers told him that the Chicago Police Department was hiring and he took the written examination and passed. After a series of other examination he was finally hired by the department and entered the thirteen weeks training at the academy and when he graduated from the academy he was assigned to the 2nd Police District for his ninety-days probationary period and his Field Training Officer was Roscoe Lawrence a twenty year veteran they were assigned to Beat 204 on the Third Watch. Beat 204 covered the area 47th Street to 51st Street State Street to King Drive. Their beat had thirteen taverns, five gambling houses, prostitutes, drug dealers and twenty-five policy stations.

“Forget all that bullshit they told you about at the academy, it’s out here on the streets where you learn police work. The department got its rules and we in the “Deuce,” got our rules and rule number one is you never rat on a fellow officer and always be a “Stand-up Guy” who protect your fellow officers and they will protect you, be a “Rat,” and you’ll find yourself all alone with no backup and no friends. Stand-up guys have big balls, back up their fellow officers and they never rat out their friends.”

After completing his probationary period Ringo and Roscoe became regular partners and they worked the third watch on Beat 204. There were many quick-fisted violent police officers in the 2nd District both black and white they were always the first on the scene at a “10-1,” call of a officer needs help, the first through the door at an arrest of a violent offender and the first to use their fists or baton on a uncooperative offender. They were the cops who led the district in arrests and traffic violations but often their record reflex excessive force or over-zealous policing. They can be either heroes or sadist or both. Ringo had a ringside seat to the greatest show on earth. Everyday day he came face-to-face with all the evils in the world; the lowest of the low, the meanest and the vulnerable. He learned that if rubbed hard enough anyone could and often did kill. He also learned to never underestimate anyone; that psychos were very dangerous and frequently possess superhuman strength when fueled by an adrenalin rush and even the smallest, slight person under this adrenalin high can be hard to handle. He learned that a peaceful crowd could turn into a mob so he learned to cover his ass, back up his fellows and never but never rat. Roscoe was forty-five, six feet three and weighed over two hundred twenty pounds, divorced and had three daughters that didn’t speak to him and a drunk. His favorite watering hole was a basement cleaner on 46th South Calumet. The owner Burke was a convicted burglar and after serving three years in Statesville Penitentiary he got some of the cash he had stolen and stashed with his mother opened the cleaner. Burke and Roscoe grew up together on 35th Street and were good friends. While on probation Roscoe always left Ringo in the car while he went visiting Burke but Ringo noticed that when Roscoe returned he smelled of alcohol but like Roscoe had told him you never rat out a police officer and especially your partner. Burke always kept a fifth of vodka for Roscoe and in addition to the free drinks Rosco was sweet on Lilli a presser at the cleaners. Lilli was a tall, big boned, forty-year old woman with big tits that nearly flopped out the low cut blouses she always wore. She wasn’t what you could consider pretty but to Roscoe she was very sexy. Finally, Roscoe took Ringo with him into the cleaners and introduced him to Burke and Lillie. Burke always kept a bottle of Vodka and a bag of salty peanuts on a back table. Lillie looked at the six feet, one hundred and eighty-five pounds Ringo and gave