You can tell it is an election year, right Tom.

justcallmetommy · **Joined:** Thu May 01, 2008 8:25 pm **Posts:** 5662

Tom must be scared to death, 11 cops hired.

In the article the Chief was quoted as saying he has never seen this number of hammond cops hired in his career.

Remember last election Tom promised to hire 10 cops.... after years and years of personnel neglect, allowing the police department staffing to be reduced, using over time to cover basic police patrol. McDermott failed to keep his promise then. He must be hearing foot steps.

Now Tom is beating the criticism to the punch.... i

Nice to see new cops on the street, numbers provide increased safety for the men and women in blue, as well as the citizens.

Too bad it took an election year for the hiring to occur.

But the question remains, how many of them were/are minorities?

And why did McDermott wait until an election year to hire cops?

Quote:

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/new-officers-join-hammond-police-ranks/article_e5f7ef74-790f-5520-b41d-e00a8dab2136.html
11 new officers join Hammond police ranks

John Smierciak, The Times

New police stars lay on a table Friday during the swearing-in ceremony for 11 new Hammond police officers.
3 hours ago â€¢ Anna Ortiz Times Correspondent

HAMMOND | Eleven officers joined the ranks of the Hammond Police Department on Friday morning as they were sworn into service and presented with their badges.

Police Chief Lt. John Doughty said it's the largest number of officers hired at one time he has seen in his 30-year career at the Police Department. He said normally there are half as many new hires at one time.

The department held off hiring for six months as it dealt with budget concerns, Doughty said, which attributed to such a large group for the ceremony.

Retirements also have opened positions on the department, Doughty said. Now with a police force of 211 officers, the HPD can operate at full force for the new year.

"We are boosting patrols in Hessville, and more staff will help us do that," Doughty said.

Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. commended the new officers for taking on roles where they are under constant scrutiny, "where a single act in one single day can end up on national news."

As Lindsey Fritz, of Hammond, trained to be an officer, she was very aware of headlines highlighting the tension between police and the public following the past year's tragic events.

"It actually strengthened my want to do this job," Fritz said. "It doesn't scare me away. I know what I am getting myself into. I know it's dangerous. Someone needs to get out there and show people what it is we do. We are here to help."

Fritz wants to foster positive relationships with the community, like the ones that inspired her as a young girl.

Growing up in Hammond, playing outside and riding her bike, she got to know the police officers in her neighborhood. As she learned more about what they do, she became more interested in becoming a policewoman.

"I realized that this is what I want to do," Fritz said. "It has been something I have been trying to accomplish for five years."

And it was no easy task for the 11 recruits, especially considering the hard physical training it takes to meet the HPD's standards.

"I realized I had to work twice as hard as the guys," Fritz said. "Everyday I would come home, and work out. ... It was like a part-time job in itself."

For Jim DeRolf, of Hammond, getting his badge meant giving back to the community he grew up in.

"I am very proud of him," said his father, Bill DeRolf, of St. John. "It's a very tough environment for (police officers) right now. They need a lot of support."

Enrique Cook, of Hammond, joined into a tradition of serving the city as he received his badge. His father, Charles Cook, of Hammond, was a Hammond firefighter for 33 years.

"It's just something I have always wanted to do," Enrique Cook said. "It's the fact that you could help change the city for the better."

Charlie Mixon II, of Hammond, said it has taken him seven years to get to this point in his career.

"Other than the day I was married, this is the best day of my life," Mixon said.

justcallmetommy · **Joined:** Thu May 01, 2008 8:25 pm **Posts:** 5662

WE all know McDermott is a racist, just look at some of the federal litigation against McDermott.

Tom has now more federal litigation against him because of discrimination practices, beyond the $200,000 it Cost Hammond Citizens because of illegal and race bated comments made about fair housing.... you think an attorney would know better than to make comments like that, unless he is a racist... well

Well Tom announced promoting 3 hispanics.... Must be concerned about a hispanic running against him.

Wonder if he is going to play with the Cinco da mayo celebration?

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/mcdermott-makes-four-personnel-moves/article_b5a334b1-5b1f-5be7-b929-de2471f8bf9c.html

LaughingAtLakeCo · **Joined:** Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:22 pm **Posts:** 1435

It might be....no, I KNOW its my imagination, but it seems that if you visit the Hammond Firefighters Facebook page, or that of IBEW Local 697 you have to search long and hard to find a photo featuring "persons of color". When you do, they are likely to be "segregated" with no palefaces sharing the picture with them. We all know that Democrat-dominated labor and government unions used to be extremely hostile to our African-American friends, but does that practice continue to this day in Hammond? Dare I say that their members might be racists? Do they practice institutionalized racism?

Are their business managers named Jim Crow? Simon Legree? George Wallace? Bull Connor?

Just wondering....

DatDemDey · **Joined:** Fri Nov 17, 2006 8:01 am **Posts:** 358

Eleven new police officers sounds nice but I bet it is not an increase in manpower. How long has it been since Hammond has hired police? How many officers have retired since they hired new officers? How many sworn police do we have today compared to when McDermott took office? Just wondering.

lubu · **Joined:** Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:19 am **Posts:** 401

Triple D asks a lot of good questions. Those questions seem to be lost by the reporters who write the stories. Do these reporters even write the stories themselves, or do they edit a press release or a suggested story offered by the McDermott admin? One part of an nwi.com story says that the new police hires were delayed by budget constraints. That same day, a story appears about McDermott suffling arounnd a bunch patronage employees. Wrong Priorities. River Park Apts are gone(23 million dollars later), but crime in Hessville did not go with it. Long time residents who've stayed up to now, are now saying it's time to go. Vast sums of tax dollars are still being spent at the RPA site to "incentivize" wing joints, beer joints, and shack-up stands. Why do we have to lard on incentives into an area McDermott describes as "highly valuable"? Valuable to whom? McDermott's cronies and his campaign fund?

bert68 · **Joined:** Sat Nov 18, 2006 4:33 pm **Posts:** 1672

Which patronage employees got moved around? I find this hard to believe because I heard the Mayor himself say he does not make political hires.

lubu · **Joined:** Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:19 am **Posts:** 401

bert68 wrote:

Which patronage employees got moved around? I find this hard to believe because I heard the Mayor himself say he does not make political hires.

Vague, but IIRC, someone was a "special events coordinator" and another was a "recreational supervisor". The other two had "jobs" that relied on casino taxes, or could be managed by anyone in the space constrained mayor's office. Maybe I'm being too hard on the admin? I guess someone has to plan for "special events" that can take place in the down time between murders and armed robberies. SA

LaughingAtLakeCo · **Joined:** Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:22 pm **Posts:** 1435

I saw that article. Some spokesman crowed that one of those stooges was a product of the College Bound program. The city spends millions of dollars sending unprepared students to obtain useless degrees in child development, diversity studies, or feminist theory only to have them return to Hammond and tap a politically connected neighbor or relative for a patronage position with the parks department. As LUBU stated, these jobs are nothing any eighth grader capable of drawing consecutive breaths and wiping their backsides couldn't handle.

Then again, these people could be crazy like foxes. They will probably be drawing six figure salaries after ten years on the job and looking at cushy pensions at age 45--all courtesy of the guys on the street in Hammond.

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You can tell it is an election year, right Tom.

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