Sticky-fingered police officer needs lesson in basic right and wrong

March 1, 2007
By Billy Dennis

Finders keepers, losers weepers is the rule on the school yard. In real life, the rule is that if it isn’t yours, it belongs to someone else. If the videotaped evidence is to believed, we have a long-time Peoria Police officer who still thinks life is a playground. No doubt the hour-long executive session that preceded Tuesday’s Peoria City Council Meeting was about the allegation Lt. Marshall Dunnigan took the winnings that belonged to another gambler at the Par-A-Dice casino.

When Dunnigan was patrolling the Warner Homes, I certainly hope he wasn’t operating under the assumption that what he found was his to keep. There’s a lot of damage to that can be made to a police department by any officer with sticky fingers, let alone a decorated lieutenant with sticky fingers.

For the record, Dunnigan’s attorney denies that he did anything worthy of punishment, which is not exactly a firm denial. The 25-year veteran of the PPD is on administrative leave and will probably retire instead of return to work, the JS article states.

It would be easy to say that the Par-A-Dice has claimed yet another victim. After all, how many public servants, trusted employees and community volunteers have been brought down by gambling at the Par-A-Dice? But this isn’t so much a gambling problem, as much as one of a sense of entitlement.

UPDATE: Phil Luciano writes that Dunnigan was basically one of the good guys who let us down.

I found this paragraph interesting:

But during his time at Warner, Dunnigan knew just about everyone there – including who wasn’t supposed to be hanging around and who had warrants. He made hundreds of arrests, including at least 100 felonies, and hauled in more than $55,000 in seizures of drugs, weapons and cars.

I have no idea exactly when Dunnigan’s problem with sticky fingers began. But I repeat that I hope it didn’t start back when he was surrounded with all that opportunity back when he was patrolling Warner. Luciano also notes that Dunnigan owns and rents property in Peoria — he’s a landlord — and lives in the very expensive Edgewild subdivision.

And I didn’t mention Dunnigan’s son, a member of a state champion Manual Rams basketball team — who was shot and killed in Harrison homes by gang members retaliating for an earlier shooting. Reports say that the younger Dunnigan was not a gang member.

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10 Responses to “ Sticky-fingered police officer needs lesson in basic right and wrong ”

  1. Gary Sandberg on March 1, 2007 at 12:54 pm

    Executive Session prior to and following last Council meeting WAS NOT about this employee, but rather, a portion of the process in the annual evaluation of the City Manager.

  2. Billy Dennis on March 1, 2007 at 1:04 pm

    Gary: The agenda I saw said that the executive session was to include testimony about allegations made about a city employee.

  3. Peo Proud on March 1, 2007 at 1:09 pm

    Billy,

    I think that’s the long boilerplate legal language they use for every executive session about personnel matters. Tells us everything and nothing about what is going to be discussed…just that it’s a personnel matter.

    Gary,

    Hope you guys are having fun. Only one employee to evaluate and it always seems to take well into the new year before it’s concluded.

  4. MDD on March 1, 2007 at 2:27 pm

    Anyone know how many rental properties Dunnigan owns? I know it’s quite a few. Can you imagine not coming up with the rent money knowing he is a cop? :O

  5. Super-Mom on March 1, 2007 at 3:10 pm

    Nothing like committing a crime to have all these people come out of the woodwork and say what a great person they were. I didn’t appreciate Luciano trying to enumerate all of Dunnigans great qualities right after he had just committed a felony. Why not save the praise for those who are truly deserving of it!

  6. Mahkno on March 1, 2007 at 3:51 pm

    “Finders keepers, losers weepers is the rule on the school yard. ”

    Um… NO…. perhaps that is why we have some of the problems we do with youth who seem to not know the difference between right n wrong.

    If it ain’t yours leave it alone or turn it in to lost n found.

  7. Chase on March 2, 2007 at 8:25 pm

    “Marshall Dunnigan Sr. takes drugs and cash from one drug dealer. Gives the drugs to another drug dealer and keeps the cash. Then he tells both to get lost.”

    “Marshall Dunnigan Jr. died with a fist full of crack cocaine in his hand. He thought we were robbing him.”

    These were statements made to me by people involved in the murder. I guess everyone was not aware that Dunnigan Jr. was acting as a bagman for the Gangster Disciples when he was shot by rival Black Disciples in a retaliatory hit.

    This was the story that Kevin “Marshall Dunnigan is a friend of mine and if he hurts I hurt” Lyons, Detective Joe Youngman and Judge Richard Barnes were so hell bent on keeping quiet, even if it meant suborning perjury of young gang members.

    ……still waiting for the media to contact Nikia Perry at Statesville and Dennis Mosley who is still in Protective Custody because of info he gave about the Black Diciples.

  8. RomanII on March 3, 2007 at 12:27 pm

    Chase; isn’t that the case where you told the police your clients were guilty and you were later disbarred for violating the lawyer-client privilege?

    • Billy Dennis on March 3, 2007 at 12:33 pm

      *sigh*

      Here we go ….

      • sctobrien on March 3, 2007 at 3:08 pm

        Billy,

        Sorry, but as a judge would say to Chase…..”you opened the door on this one…”