Armed Hammond Cops Close Caucus

freetime · **Posted:** Tue Dec 22, 2009 9:11 am

Another feather in his cap for Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott.
McDermott, also the head of the Lake County Democratic party, brought armed Hammond cops to the LC government center in Crown Point Saturday to keep people out of the caucus to elect Mike Brown as a replacement for County Clerk Tom Philpot.
"This is how we're going to do it now" McDermott told the Post-Tribune.
This is a bit ionic as McDermott has touted the new "openness" ibn the party under his leadership.
Barred from the caucus were LC Sheriff Roy Dominguez and LC Prosecutor Bernard Carter. Neither are precinct committeemen, which were doing the voting Saturday.
Chairmen of the past have at times let outsiders such as reporters into caucuses, and at times had shut them out.
I don't remember ever encountering armed guards to keep people out.
Question for the Hammond people-do you mind your police department serving as the enforcers for the LC Dems? Do you mind them working in Crown Point or any other LC community?
Did Hammond pay for this duty?
I hate to thin of the Hammond PD as McDermott's private army, with the authority to carry out his will wherever he is outside Hammond.
Here's thE Post-Tribune story:

http://www.post-trib.com/news/lake/1951 ... 22.article

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

who paid for these cops to be there?

I hope the money came directly out of the Mayor's campaign fund, anything else is an abuse of the hammond taxpayers resources!

freetime · **Posted:** Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:32 am

Here's a suggestion for those Gary residents and anyone else who don't like 165th/ 9th Avenue being blocked at Cline Avenue.
All they need to do to reopen it is to send a bulldozer and a dozen armed Gary cops over there to open it up.
End of barricade!
Follow the lead of McDermott. If Rudy wants his way, he'll send his cops over there and get it done.

hammonite · **Joined:** Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:58 pm **Posts:** 762

Damn I wish I would have thought about this first! Great topic to ask the Mayor on his talk show! Nice and public, use the same airways he is using to get his message across to discredit him.

Funny thing about it, he won't know which caller will drop this bomb! :smt005

Quote:

justcallmetommy
Post subject: Who Authorized & Paid for the HPD @ the LC Dem Caucus?
New postPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2009 4:04 pm
Offline
Senior Member

Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 9:25 pm
Posts: 747
A question has arisen with regard to our Mayor Thomas "Free the Mailman" McDermott use of the Hammond Police Department at the Lake County Democratic Caucus.

If this was a civil/private entity, then the mayor was acting on behalf of a special organization, a private entity,

why and who authorized the hammond police department to be there, at a private function?
What liability did they place the city of Hammond in had there been an incident?
How many officers were there?
Who were they?
Who paid for their presence?
What cost was there to the Hammond Taxpayer?
DID THEY DRIVE CITY VEHICLES TO THIS FUCNTION?

If one single penny was spent of Hammond taxpayer's money it needs to be reimbursed by the LC Democratic Party with interest or by McDermott's campaign war chest.

With regard to Liability had there been a incident, Hammond taxpayers would have been on the dime. That does not sit well with me or I am sure a number of people.

If McDermott wanted police protection, he should have hired the individuals, carry liability insurance and pay them out of his own or LC Democratic Party's pocket!

Oh, dont give the crap that McDermott is entitled to police protection. I see him travel all over the place with out a detail. Also, doesn't he frequently, or at least in the recent memory drive by himself all the way out to Portage?

I though I saw him a couple of times out that way by himself.

board monkey · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 9:20 am

As usual, Roy the Liar starts up more trouble. I was there and there was no one in SWAT gear there. There were off duty police officers there and a few were wearing their bullet-proof vest. Guess since Roy doesn't know what a real cop looks like, he might get confused.
This was the first meeting of the Lake County Democrats since McDermott won the chairmanship. At previous meetings, the security was provided by Gary police. The chairman is responsible for security at the meetings. The meeting was ran just like others were. The doors are closed to make sure the election process is fair for all. No one was allowed in after the doors closed until the voting was done. Any one that is not a precient committeeman can request to view the procedings, but must present them before the meeting, which Roy didn't.

It has been announced both at the event and in the papers that the police and fire that were there were not paid to be there.

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

Sure, none of those guys were paid... I believe everything you say board monkey.

I think McDermott should make available, publicly available the city time keeping records for that day to the hammond times and gp trib and any other citizen that makes such request.

there is the question with regard to the use of city vehicles, and the liability mcdermott's actions placed hammond taxpayers at risk. If McDermott used his city vehicle for political purposes, he should reimburse the general fund for each mile.

If any city vehicle was used, who ever operated the vehicle should reimburse the city for its mileage.

I still have substantial problems if a cop got hurt in an auto accident, at the function or some other incident whether or not the city would be liable.

McDermott was clearly out of line on this one.

I wonder how many cops go out socially with their bullet proof vest on? Dinner at Tiebels with the family!

freetime · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:15 am

board monkey wrote:

As usual, Roy the Liar starts up more trouble. I was there and there was no one in SWAT gear there. There were off duty police officers there and a few were wearing their bullet-proof vest. Guess since Roy doesn't know what a real cop looks like, he might get confused.
This was the first meeting of the Lake County Democrats since McDermott won the chairmanship. At previous meetings, the security was provided by Gary police. The chairman is responsible for security at the meetings. The meeting was ran just like others were. The doors are closed to make sure the election process is fair for all. No one was allowed in after the doors closed until the voting was done. Any one that is not a precient committeeman can request to view the procedings, but must present them before the meeting, which Roy didn't.

It has been announced both at the event and in the papers that the police and fire that were there were not paid to be there.

The Post-Tribune story says nothing about the payment for the officers.

Freedom Fighter · **Joined:** Sat Aug 16, 2008 8:13 am **Posts:** 475

Methinks that the dictator hath put another nail in his political coffin.

freetime · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 12:51 pm

Even the loyal LC Dems, many of whom are decent people, have to be realizing their mistake in putting McDermott in charge.
I'm embarrassed by what happened. I thought it was only in the third world where elections take place behind locked doors with armed guards out front.
Was this a coup, or an election?
What's the next misstep for mcmayor? God only knows.

board monkey · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 2:14 pm

How come none of you complained when Rudy did the same things the same way earlier this year. The election last Saturday was held basicly the same way all the others in the previous years were done.

FYI, I also did not see any city vehicles in the parking lot while I was walking in or out of the building Saturday.

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

Back to:
Sure, none of those guys were paid... I believe everything you say board monkey.

I think McDermott should make available, publicly available the city time keeping records for that day to the hammond times and gp trib and any other citizen that makes such request. THIS FOLLOWS THE TRANPARENCY LIP SERVICE QUOTED IN THE NEWS PAPER. OH, BY THE WAY HOWS ABOUT POSTING THE LAST TWO CITY BUDGETS ON GO HAMMOND.COM. I THINKEST MCDERMOTTEST IS GONNA HAVE SOME PROBLEMS. I WILL GET AN EMAIL COPY FROM C.PRICE COME NEXT WEEK. CANT WAIT.

there is the question with regard to the use of city vehicles, and the liability mcdermott's actions placed hammond taxpayers at risk. If McDermott used his city vehicle for political purposes, he should reimburse the general fund for each mile. TRANSPARENCY AGAIN, MCDERMOTT SHOULD ANSWER TO THE LAKE COUNTY PUBLIC AND MAKE A STATEMENT WHETHER THERE WAS OR WAS NOT. BE HONEST, PEOPLE WILL RESPECT WHAT YOU SAY. IF YA FCKED UP OK SAY SO, IT IS NOT AS BAD AS IF YOUR CAUGHT IN A LIE.

If any city vehicle was used, who ever operated the vehicle should reimburse the city for its mileage.

I still have substantial problems if a cop got hurt in an auto accident, at the function or some other incident whether or not the city would be liable.

McDermott was clearly out of line on this one.

I wonder how many cops go out socially with their bullet proof vest on? Dinner at Tiebels with the family!

freetime · **Posted:** Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:13 pm

board monkey wrote:

How come none of you complained when Rudy did the same things the same way earlier this year. The election last Saturday was held basicly the same way all the others in the previous years were done.

FYI, I also did not see any city vehicles in the parking lot while I was walking in or out of the building Saturday.

I've never seen armed cops from a different jurisdiction guarding one of these things.

Politician's R Liars · **Posted:** Fri Dec 25, 2009 11:03 pm

This is what these two idiots are like and you people also! You people are comparing two jerk wad idiots, it's like comparing two piles of sh!t. Both of these politician's have done the same sh!t one way or another.

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

Politician's R Liars wrote:

This is what these two idiots are like and you people also! You people are comparing two jerk wad idiots, it's like comparing two piles of sh!t. Both of these politician's have done the same sh!t one way or another.

Yea your absolutely on target. The only exception is McDermott has drained the city of Hammond lining his pockets, that of his friends and family. Now that Hammond is broke, he is now making his move to run Lake County, it has deeper pockets, smart man. Not sure if the populous of Lake County is as smart!

McDermott was a good student of Bobbie Cantrell's school of political insiderism. They both have taught at Purdue NW.

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