My, how time flies.
About this time last year, Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis had the audacity to stand up for Peoria and complain about how Peoria’s one and only daily newspaper was portraying his city. He complained that the newspaper over-emphasized bad news the city, including an unusually high murder murder rate.
The response from the editorial [...]

Freakonomics has an interesting post in reaction to state of New York passing a law making it illegal to recruit anyone into a gang. Success is 100 percent guaranteed because, as you know, the last thing people who are engaging in an ongoing, multi-generational criminal enterprise want to is break the law. End sarcasm.
From the [...]

This screaming headline MUST be true, because certainly the City of Peoria would not waste precious police manpower doing unannounced raids on otherwise law-abiding bars to make sure no one inside is smoking.
Right? Hello, is this mic on …

Unless noted, all links are via the Peoria Journal Star:

Kudos to Karen McDonald for today’s Word on the Street. The column starts with word that Aaron Schock has a habit of objecting when anyone points a video camera in his direction at public campaign events. It seems he’s worried that his dastardly opponents will take [...]

Journal Star: Word on the street reports that 2nd District City Councilwoman Barbara Van Auken will introduce an amendment exempting used book stores from the ordinance that regulates pawn shops.
My two cents: I enjoyed this quote from Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard:
“Enforcement activities must be prioritized, and those priorities must be based upon areas of greatest [...]

Journal Star columnist Pam Adams lived up to her reputation as an apologist for Peoria’s criminals with today’s column on the anecdotal criminal who fathered 11 children with 10 women.
That’s not a criticism, just a nod to reality in a city where the police chief’s focus is so narrow he sees his role as pushing [...]

What struck me about this article is how uncontrite and unapologetic the City of Peoria seems to be about having destroyed this man’s personal property. It’s as if they blame Don Raineri for making a big deal about his Volunteer Enterprises .45-caliber rifle disappearing from the evidence locker.
And they are indignant that he would even [...]

I got the impression that the good folks at the Journal Star are just shocked, I tell you, shocked, that Peoria has an outrageously high number of man arrested for soliciting hookers.
As a lifelong resident, I am shocked, I tell you shocked, not at the number of arrests, but that someone in authority is [...]

A guy got arrested for soliciting sex from a prostitute. State’s Attorney Kevin Lyon’s office lost the case (no surprise). But the guy’s mug shot is still on the Peoria Police Department’s Web site, along with all the other “john” arrests. For some bizarre reason, some people think this is a violation of the guy’s [...]

The Guardian Angels made its first appearance of its latest attempt to start a chapter here in Peoria.
State Rep. Aaron Schock, an East Bluff resident, seems happy to see them come to town. Mayor Jim Ardis seems open to the idea. Myself, I don’t see the big deal.
People already are taking matters into their own [...]

The “God Hates Fags” people have the right to protest at the funeral of a real war hero from East Peoria, but Peoria neighborhood activists are being investigated for disorderly conduct and criminal trespass to property because they are putting around flyers from door to door.
Amazing.
There can be legitimate debate over the value of [...]

Police made four new arrests this month for soliciting prostitutes, according to the Peoria Police Department Website.
They are:
• Ronald E. Bragg, 19, of North Renwood in Peoria. He was busted Friday in the 12000 block of Northeast Madison.
• Eugene R. Gasper, 63, of Tremont. He was busted Monday in the 1200 block of Northeast Madison.
• [...]

I’m sure the courts will, eventually, have something to say about Peoria’s decision to fire a police officer just because there’s evidence he is friends with an accused drug dealer:
Police first learned of the friendship in February, when Peoria vice and narcotics officers served a search warrant at [Scott] Pierce’s apartment in the 2600 block [...]

There hasn’t been a single new name added to the Peoria Police Department’s infamous Web site in two weeks. Either they’ve stopped trying to make arrests (doubtful, considering Chief Steve Settingsgaard’s zeal) or the johns have been scared away.
So where are the prostitutes going to make a living?
East Peoria.
Seriously.
A family friend says he was grabbing [...]

This rumor comes from someone in a position to know.
The Journal Star’s award-winning (snicker) editorial board refused (perhaps they would prefer the word “declined”) to print Peoria Police Chief Steve Settingsgaard’s complete letter regarding the decision to put the names and addresses of those arrested for soliciting prostitutes on the Web.
My source tells me that [...]