|
|
WINDY CITY TIMES
|
|---|
|
|
|
Letter: The search for Kevin
2008-04-30
|
|
This article shared 3846 times since Wed Apr 30, 2008
|
|
I hope the Kevin Clewer story in Windy City Times ( April 23, 2008 ) is productive though, sadly, it does not reflect any new proactive law enforcement initiatives toward resolving this tragic and unsolved homicide. I am perplexed by the continued search for the hardly elusive 'Fernando' suspect, as he was identified, arrested, questioned and released in March 2005. 'Fernando' was the last known person to be with Kevin at a Halsted Street bar and is therefore a suspect, though not necessarily the killer. This investigative tunnel vision resulting from exclusively focusing on 'Fernando' may well leave the actual offender undetected and free to commit additional crimes.
Investigative personnel unfamiliar with and/or biased toward certain non-traditional communities will reflect this bias throughout the investigation, whether LGBT, immigrant, homeless or other marginalized and underserved population segments. To be blunt, heterosexism and homophobia are as endemic in law enforcement as in society in general. Law enforcement agencies in general, and the Chicago Police Department ( CPD ) in particular, fail to welcome initiative, instead focusing on maintaining the status quo that is reflected in the hierarchal attitude of the organization and personnel.
This was readily apparent in the Chicago newspaper story at the time 'Fernando' was arrested by Area 3 police personnel, who disclosed their personal opinions to reporters in order to discredit that particular initiative after much investigative inertia. Additionally, there is a deliberate unwillingness to consider commonalities between similar crimes. As a former police officer, I know this institutional mindset can be improved and people better served if the decision is made to confront this attitude and institute change.
The CPD 'clears' only 38.8 percent of homicides, according to the 2006 annual report. The rate of actual solved and prosecuted cases is lower. This is a police department that has established an Animal Crimes Unit dedicated toward investigating violence against animals, yet refuses to establish a LGBT-focused unit with investigational authority to investigate crimes oriented toward the LGBT community.
Bob Zuley
Chicago |
|
|
|
This article shared 3846 times since Wed Apr 30, 2008
|
| ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
|---|
| 
|  | HRC condemns North Dakota House for latest "Slate of Hate" targeting trans, non-binary people 2023-02-22
--From a press release - Bismarck, ND - Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, denounced members of the North Dakota House for ...
| 
| | Des Plaines Theater cancels anti-LGBTQ hate group event after outcry from citizens 2023-01-20
- DuPage County-based Awake Illinois was set to hold an event called "Out of the Echo Chamber: Coalition for Kids" at the city-owned, but not city-operated, Des Plaines Theatre Wednesday, Feb. 8. This event has now been ...
| 
| | In memoriam: LGBTQ community obituaries 2022 2022-12-27
- The LGBTQ community lost many members in 2022, including at least 35 people in incidents of hate violence against individual transgender people and against patrons of the Club Q bar in Colorado. Here are other memorable ...
| 
| | LGBTs nine times more likely than non-LGBTe to be victims of violent hate crimes 2022-12-21
-- From a Williams Institute press release - About one out of 10 violent victimizations against LGBT people are hate crimes, according to a new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. LGBT people are nine times more likely than non-LGBT ...
| 
| | Report released on online hate and gender-affirming providers 2022-12-16
- The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC Foundation) has released "Online Harassment, Offline Violence: Unchecked Harassment of Gender-Affirming Care Providers and Children's Hospitals on Social Media, and its Offline Violent Consequences." ...
| 
| | Billy Masters: Anthony Rapp becomes a dad, and all the dish to start your week 2022-12-12
- "And haters, if you're watching this because I know you are—you work hard, but I work harder!" —Todrick Hall's message to critics. BTW, he's back on the air with HGTV's "Battle of the Bling" with Kim ...
| 
| | Billy Masters: Everyone counts their eggs before they're hatched, and other dish to start the week 2022-11-14
- "I'm Not Defending us.Haters are Gonna Hate...Doesn' Matter That we're Happy & Not Bothering Anyone" —Cher tweets her response to criticism of her relationship with music producer Alexander Edwards—who is less than half her age. ...
| 
| | Attorney general's office receives $390K grant for hate-crime training 2022-10-07
- Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office was awarded a $394,772 Department of Justice (DoJ) grant for a 48-month project to provide specialized hate-crime training to law enforcement officers and prosecuting attorneys ...
| 
| | SPORTS Packers beat Bears (again); White Sox win while Cubs lose 2022-09-19
- On Sept. 18, the Chicago Bears (1-1) lost to their hated archrival, the Green Bay Packers (1-1), 27-10 in Wisconsin in front of a national audience. Aaron Jones rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown and ...
| 
| | Raoul convenes roundtable on fighting hate speech, violence 2022-09-15
- On Sept. 13, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul convened a roundtable meeting with representatives of leading civil rights organizations, places of worship and community-based groups to facilitate a conversation on ...
| 
| | UpRising Bakery cancels more events; Indiana passes severe abortion ban 2022-07-31
- There have more setbacks for the LGBTQ+-owned UpRising Bakery and Cafe, where damage still remains after the Lake in the Hills establishment was vandalized last weekend with hate messages, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Owner Corinna Sac ...
|
| | LETTERS The Church should practice love and constructive dialogue, not hate 2022-07-25
- Another U.S. diocese has issued new restrictive policies regarding LGBTQ issues in Catholic schools, and its new directives compare being openly transgender with sexual abuse. The Roman Catholic Church is having an internal dialogue on how ...
| 
| | SAVOR Spanish spot Jaleo by Jose Andres 2022-07-18
- One of the best compliments I feel a restaurant can receive is if it can make items you previously felt indifferent about or even hated seem almost addictive. That was the case with ...
| 
| | Man indicted for attacking men in D.C. for their sexual orientation 2022-07-15
- A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Michael Thomas Pruden, 48, with five counts of assault on federal land, one count of impersonating a federal officer and a hate-crimes sentencing enhancement alleging that Pruden assaulted ...
| 
| | Jussie Smollett back to work; BET+ plans to show his directorial debut 2022-05-27
- Embattled former Empire actor Jussie Smollett is back to work after being convicted of faking a hate crime in Chicago earlier this year, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Smollett, 39, makes his directorial debut in the movie ...
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
 | WORLD German bishops, trans woman's death, Hungary, human-rights event
| | SHOWBIZ 'Black Adam,' Cyndi Lauper, Sondheim, Oscars, OutFest
| | NATIONAL Ritchie Torres, N.J. towns, Karine Jean-Pierre, Tennessee items
| | Navratilova says she is cancer-free
| | UpRising Bakery and Cafe could soon close due to revenue losses, ongoing anti-LGBTQ+ harassment | |
|
|
|
|
