Some welcome new ideas for solving unsolved murders
My two cents: When I hear the words “unsolved murder,” I think of
When the murderer is the person sitting across from you at the breakfast table, solving the crime can be relatively easy. When there are no witnesses, or when witnesses have no moral inclination at at to come forward, that’s another story.
There’s been talk of creating a second tip line, this time not run by law enforcement, but perhaps by churches. People disinclined to trust the police for reasons both real and imagined might otherwise be willing to call and tell it to someone affiliated with a church, and then pass it along to authorities. It might not work, but it’s an innovative idea and one that should be tried.
Billy Dennis is a former reporter and editor at small daily and weekly newspapers in Illinois and Missouri. He comments on media, news and politics. He also owns and operates 
I like the idea, in fact ALL churches should have a special “Criminal Suspect Suggestion Box” by their tract racks, and that way anyone could go to any church and file the report.
The problem is that rarely does someone know vital details without being involved. Also, people who know such information are FAR away from a church gathering I would think. Unless, of course its in the ‘hood, where you can be a criminal and also be involved in the church.
I would imagine the thinking is that there might be people who know details about the crime — perhaps friends, associates, family members of the guilty parties — might not trust the promises of confidentiality offered by Crime Stoppers. This is another option.
crimestoppers has a few issues per confidentiality. say i call the number from home……..in the past phone records have been subpoenaed and the anonymous tipster is/can be found out. there may have been a law passed preventing this, but know it was an issue…..a reason there are only a few crimestoppers with 800 #’s.
Are you kidding me? There’s not a law preventing calls from crime stoppers from appearing on ANYTHING that a defence attorney can get his hands on?
I’m sorry, but as I’ve posted over at my own blog before, the excuse of the majority of these murders being “gang” and “drug” related is a cop out and easy way to look at crime and to avoid really examining what is going on with our society.
As I have typed countless times before, to show the futile excuse of “gang” and “drug” causality, ask yourself this: if a person isn’t high on something or psychotic, how do you really deal with criminals who are so willing to fire bullets down a street in broad daylight at another person and not care where they end up landing?
The so-called “gang” and “drug” link simply gives politicians, police officials, city administrators and civic leaders ground cover to avoid really examining American society and dealing with the true causal factors of crime in America.
Here’s a thought to Chief Settingsgaard:
Do your job. Make certain that your police force is doing its job, too. I don’t think that it’s going that well. Really.
Is it my imagination, or was crime a tad bit differently handled under Chief Stenson? Perhaps it’s all coincidental, but I’m not sure that a white guy from Wisconsin, who espouses on God and the church far too often, is really the guy we need in this place. I’m sure he’s a very talented guy, but I don’t think he’s the right fit for Peoria, and the statistics seem to bear that out.
I see Chief Settingsgaard at a place like… Green Bay. Knocking down good bucks, munching on brats at a church social… and stopping mean farmer kids from breaking into Mike’s Hardware Store.
I hate to be the raining-on-the-parade type of lawyer, but I’m going to anyway:
“People disinclined to trust the police for reasons both real and imagined might otherwise be willing to call and tell it to someone affiliated with a church, and then pass it along to authorities. It might not work, but it’s an innovative idea and one that should be tried.”
If I was a defense attorney, the VERY FIRST THING I would do is claim that that was privileged minister/penitent material and therefore inadmissable as evidence, as well as anything else gained from any investigation spurred by that evidence. And then I would appeal it all the way up to the Supreme Court on those grounds and take 10 years and 10s of thousands of taxpayer dollars.
I’m trying to think of a way you could draft a law that would preserve true minister/penitent confidentiality situations while allowing this sort of thing, but even if you did some idiot would think the “crime drop box” was confidential to their minister and not know it was going to the cops and balk when called to testify, and then the enterprising defense attorney would actually have a really GOOD case to appeal on.
A better idea might be for the police to work with local ministers (not just the ordained ones, this could clearly be lay ministry) who could emphasize to their congregations the importance of providing testimony and who could be trained as sort of ombudsmen who would actually go with the witness to the police to provide moral support. It would also help a reluctant witness to have someone on their side who is well-educated in and comfortable with the process, and who could help shield them from any real or imagined threats presented by interacting with the police.
Well, Prego, you can have your opinions and in your own perfect world, I’m sure they will work. But Peoria is far from perfect and our Chief is one of the few that has stepped forward and stated the problem. We know who has committed the majority of the homicides in Peoria. What we lack is conclusive proof from witnesses or those who have overheard the suspects braggin about it. We have some thugs who have earned police trust who tell us the suspects but are not willing to testify. Without someone willing to testify, that information is pretty much moot. And if you lose the trial based on anonymous info, due to double jeopardy, they cannot be tried again…i.e. O.J. Simpson. Many of the homicides and crime occur in the African American community which leaves another challenge. They cry for something to be done, but much of their youth are the problem. Many are not criminals themselves, but they stick to cultural norms such as, “I’m not a narc” and “black don’t tell on black.” Sad but these are what I have heard many times over. So when a crime happens on the north end of town, you can bet we get witnesses. on the south end…we’re lucky to get an anonymous call. We are doing our job. Unfortunately it’s pretty damn tough when we gotta do it alone. Maybe you like this gun and badge and see what you can accomplished without being sued, chastized by the community or accused of racism for simply doing your job. And Green Bay has it’s rough parts that rivals Peoria’s too.
Yeah, but I bet the brats are better up there.
I want to open my big blog mouth and praise the Peoria Police and East Peoria Police departments.
As a pacifist and ethical anarchist, the police are really the only authority figures that I trust and respect. I have very low opinions of all other authorities, including religious leaders, many of whom are oblivious to the poor, the victimized prostitutes, the gambling addicts, the materialistic chumps, the sex deviants, the insane and other types of people that Jesus loved and helped.
I feel safer in Peoria than in those weird hick towns in outlying areas, where every fool leaves their doors unlocked and repeats the mantra “it can’t happen here, this is a small town”.
Every single time I have dealt with local, county and state cops, I have been treated with more respect and kindness than I ever expected.
I have never met an arrogant, brutal, or callous cop. But I’ve met plenty of such pastors and so-called leaders of local ministries, and they know who I refer to. I’m not done with them, either.
But while I complain quite aggressively about politicians, and public works officials, the police departments around here get all As from crabby old Vaspers.
Prego: So why don’t you move up there, I’ll even help you pack.
I heard a while back that a few of the local gansters had put some “hits” out on a few of the officers that were on to them. Their command or whoever thought it was credible enough to make these officers take a few days off. Another issue with the crime is that the States attorney’s office wont take anything that they know is a sure win. Look at our Cop killer scumbag from 2001, they were happy enough with life, come on, lets look at the big picture.
T.V., where did I say that it was better to live in Green Bay than here, huh? All I said was that I thought the place suited the Chief better… and that the brats likely taste better up there… Wisconsin and all.
When you take your bubble bath tonight, put in some “skin toughener,” okay?
Prego, never did i say that you said that it was better to live there. You are always reading into things,and you are always wrong. All i said was why don’t you move up there, didnt I. You wanna wash my back in the tubby again, you left your summers eve here.
T.V., I’ll respond to your stupidity one more time and that’s it. You complete jackarse, your latest response shows once more how completely lacking you are in grey matter. Your “handle” shows your lack of imagination, and that response with the “Summer’s Eve” zinger was totally on the “T.V. Radar.” I’m surprised you didn’t respond with “and your p*nis is small, too.” You’re classic, dumb arse. A classic fool.
>Every single time I have dealt with local, county
>and state cops, I have been treated with more
>respect and kindness than I ever expected.
I just wanted to poke my head in here and say that I agree with this sentiment. Any time that I’ve dealt with the Peoria police, they have always been polite and professional without being pushovers. So, kudos to them!