STATE SECURITY, BRIAN R. LUNDIN [readict .TXT] 📗

weeks after the breakdown of a truce between rival gangs. The rivalry between the gangs is over control of drug sales in the buildings and the areas surrounding them and the residents say they need some type of security in the buildings and the hallways. In 1988, the chairman began hiring private security companies to patrol the developments but they are worthless; most of time they can’t be found and they are probably over-billing us. They supposedly are monitored by our Contract Security Department but they really don’t have the resources to adequate monitor them. In additions to your duties with the police department the chairman wants you to be Director of that department. Also the chairman is planning on starting an in-house security company so hopefully in a couple of years we can get rid of the private security companies. The purpose of the unannounced sweeps of the apartments to evict people who are not on the leases and checks for contraband that have led to confiscation of military plastic explosives, detonators, shotguns, handguns and ammunition, in an attempt to wrest control of the complex from drug-dealing gangs but a federal judge temporarily blocked the Chicago Housing Authority from conducting emergency weapons sweeps after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a protest, saying searching tenants' apartments without a warrant or their consent violates their constitutional rights. Never-the-less the chairman is determined to not only continue the sweeps but expand them.

LUDEN
Will the department be involved?

WOODS
The Chicago Police Department will provide security and be on hand if any contraband is found. Then we will have our people from personnel checking each apartment to ensure the people living there is on the lease and not squatters. Then our maintenance department will make any necessary repairs in the apartment and the housing department will build guard sheds in the lobby and make the necessary repairs inside the building and two security guards will be assigned around the clock and everyone who enters must be signed in by a resident. We currently employ three security companies that are deployed in our senior buildings but he plan to extend that service to all the high rises in the city and he plan on starting our own security officers and police department. As you know we have hired forty-five police officers and they are due to graduate from the academy very soon. The chairman fired the chief yesterday and we have to get prepared for the officers when they graduate, let’ take a ride to your office. I have set-up an office for you on the first floor at 4950 South State Street and have assigned you a very competent office staff.

INT. 4950 SOUTH STATE STREET FIRST FLOOR SEPTEMBER 3, 1989-MORNING

When they arrived, CHA carpenters, painters and maintenance men were busy.

LUDEN
Do you have a police station and a communication center?

WOODS
We have identified and selected this entire first floor to be used as our police station and communication center we need you to set it up also the Contract Security Department will also be housed in that location! The Department of Contract Security and will be in charge of monitoring the security guards to ensure they are doing their job and most importantly are there. Right now we have no way of monitoring the guards and I know we are getting screwed and paying for guards who are not on duty. Also I want you to develop an operational plan for monitoring of the guards. We know we are getting ripped off by the security companies we have now and with the anticipated number of guards we will have when we start the “Sweeps,” we want to make sure that the guards are performing their duties.

LUDEN
How many guards do you think you will need?

WOODS
We anticipate covering all of our buildings maybe a thousand. The chairman wants you to develop an operational plan to monitor the guards and your department will also be responsible for scrutinizing their invoices and forwarding them to the payroll department. Your office is set up and your office staff is all computer literate and waiting for you. You can pick up a vehicle in our garage, questions?

LUDEN
A lot but I’ll wait.

LUDEN
We have a big job in front of us let’s take a ride to the 2nd District everything they have we must have.

Luden, Woods, Mr. Sonny Ellis, the Director of Buildings arrived at the police station after the early roll call and identified themselves to the desk sergeant.

LUDEN
Sergeant we would like to look around at your station.

SERGEANT
Go ahead, look around.

LUDEN
The first thing we need is a desk. The desk is the heart of a police station.

As they toured the station Luden pointed out the roll call room, watch commanders office, review room, holding cells, interrogations rooms and lockers. After they completed their tour they returned to Luden’s office.

LUDEN
(looking at Sonny)
Think you people can construct what we saw at the police station in two months.

SONNY
It will ready when your police officers graduate!
Sergeant Luden looked up at the red stone high rise building. Nothing had changed from when he was a patrolman and sergeant in the 2nd Police district at 51st South Wentworth Avenue. People were already out sitting in the enclosed floors. Babies were wailing and a group of youngsters were pimp walking and loitering in the playground.
INT. CHA POLICE HEADQUARTERS -4950 SOUTH STATE STREET-1 JANUARY 1990

LUDEN
The first class of CHA Police Officer graduating consisted of 86 males and 5 females was trained and graduated from the Timothy J. O’Connor Chicago Police Academy as state certified Police Officers. Luden assigned twenty males and three females to the 2nd Watch or 8:00 AM-4:30 shift and the remaining officers were assigned to the 3rd Watch; 4:00 P.M.-12:30.
Welcome officers as you probably know the CHAPD, was created as a supplement to the Chicago Police Department, to provide dedicated police services to the residents of one of the nation’s most impoverished and crime ridden developments for low income housing. We will accomplished our daily goals by utilizing "community oriented policing techniques and aggressive vertical patrol" of all Chicago Housing Authority properties throughout the inner city of Chicago, Illinois and some suburban areas.
The CHAPD was envisioned by Chairman Charles Longstreet Chicagoan Vince Lane who has taken a personal stance in rectifying the safety and living conditions of the residents by ushering in the repair of dilapidated low and high rise buildings, combined with improved protective services for the inhabitants. Complaints from the resident’s about the lack of police protection and presence of the Chicago Police Department, as well as the documented concerns of CPD officers who felt patrolling public housing was unsafe and dreaded answering calls for service there, went unanswered by the Mayor, but were a major concern of Lane’s. The solution to combat the rampant gang related drug sales and crime was to create his own police department to work within the system of the Chicago Police, but unhampered by the boundaries of CPD’s assigned districts. Since public housing was spread throughout various neighborhoods and local suburbs the CHAPD was endowed with a broader jurisdiction.
Because of the design of the buildings, clusters of row houses, three story dwellings, or varying high-rise structures, we will be deployed in densely populated community on a daily basis. It is the mandate of the CHAPD to instill a constant sense of security in the residents. I know the average citizen within the boundaries of Cook County and the City of Chicago will be confused about the legitimacy of the CHAPD and questioned whether they were "the real police". Since the CHA had employed the use of contract security firms since the 1960s and created its own security force at the same time that the CHAPD was formed, the general public assumed that the new department and its members were also security and did not possess the power of arrest. The local media added to the public being misled by referring to the new patrolmen as a "security force" or "...presence", but never as "police officers" but they were wrong you have the same powers as Chicago Police officers. Public housing is considered a battleground instead of an average beat. Your work environment will expose you to more extreme situations that the average CPD officer would encounter in the first five years on the job, so the physical fitness and combat training was intensified to give the first class a necessary edge for their efficiency and daily survival.
You are entrusted to do a job that the city's vast and famous police department had been incapable and fearful of, along with successfully paving the way for future hires, I know you will make me proud!


INT. 5350 NORTH LAKE SHORE DRIVE APARTMENT 24A-MARCH 4, 1990-AFTERNOON

Robert, Susan and uncle Vito sat on the balcony and looked at the blue waters of Lake Michigan while eating lunch.

VITO
How is everything going?

ROBERT
It’s going, I’ve contacted a uniform store to make our uniforms and your brilliant niece has designed the uniforms, I’m looking at a building on the southside that we will use as our office also Susan contacted Motorola who will lease us the radios and equipment and I’ve put an ad in all the papers for security guards.

VITO
Let me know if you need anything.

SUSAN
How’s Maria?

VITO
(smiling)
I guess she is doing fine, I set her up in a little business on Taylor Street, she’s happy and she gave me a lot of happiness, but you know how I am my eye is always roaming.

SUSAN
Thank God for Viagra.

They all laughed.


INT. CONTRACT SECURITY OFFICE-4950 SOUTH STATE STREET-AFTERNOON- SEPTEMBER 4, 1989-MORNING

The office had been converted from three apartments and contained five offices each equipped with computers and a small conference room. Chrisopher arrived at the office at seven am his staff would not be at until nine that would give him time to get a feel of the place. He had contacted Woods and been given the approval to hire Raymond West a retired police officer and six retired police officers as Contract Coordinators whose job would be to monitor the contracted guards in the sweep buildings. He was met by an attractive older woman in her late forties who introduced herself as Serena People the office manager. As she led him into his office she called for the rest of the office staff and introduced Harriet Williams, the time keeper, TJ Turner, the security coordinator and Sylvia Thomas his executive secretary.

SERENA
Welcome Mr. Luden, Mr. Woods called and said you were on your way and we’re looking forward to working with you.

LUDEN
Please call me Chris, Mr. Luden make me feel too old. I understand that you already are monitoring some private security guards at senior citizen buildings?

TJ
Yes sir, we have approximately fifty x security guards at our thirty seven senior buildings, but there is no monitoring we don’t have the staff.

LUDEN
Well the first thing we have to do is get additional staff so we can make sure the guards on their post and doing their duty, I’ll call Mr. Woods and see about hiring additional staff or re-deploying some CHA personnel.

About seven thirty West entered.


WEST
Thanks for bring me aboard, Chris… oops I meant director.

LUDEN
(smiling)
Cut the bullshit West, you’re my main man.


WEST
What’sup?

LUDEN
The first