Top Police Officer Was Never Late – So They Knew Something Was Wrong – IOTW Report

Top Police Officer Was Never Late – So They Knew Something Was Wrong

Chicago Tribune-

It wasn’t like Paul Bauer to keep people waiting.

So when the Chicago police commander didn’t show up at the scheduled time for a City Hall meeting to discuss ways to respond to crime at Northwestern University’s Streeterville campus, the five people waiting figured he had a good reason to be tardy.

“As we were waiting for him in the conference room, someone made the comment, ‘Paul Bauer is never late,’ ” recalled 2nd Ward Ald. Brian Hopkins, who along with 42nd Ward Ald. Brendan Reilly was set to meet with the 18th District commander. “And time ticked on, and we continued waiting, and then we heard there was a shooting incident next door.

“Someone else made the comment, ‘Well, we assume that if Cmdr. Bauer was getting out of the car in front of City Hall and heard the commotion, he would have responded to that before he would have come into the building for a 2 o’clock meeting with a couple of aldermen,’ ” Hopkins continued. “His priorities were always on the street, always public safety.

Bauer, 53, a 31-year department veteran, had been fatally shot in an exterior stairway at the Thompson Center across from City Hall.

“We were shocked, and Ald. Reilly and I immediately left the room and went to Northwestern (Memorial) Hospital to stand vigil in the hope that he would pull through,” Hopkins said as he stood with Reilly outside City Hall on Wednesday, recalling both the meeting and praising Bauer as a cop, friend and family man.

Reilly, who represents much of downtown, said he talked to Bauer “every single day,” and on Tuesday the plan was to work with Northwestern University’s police chief on better ways to coordinate duties between the city and university police amid rising concerns about crime at the Streeterville campus. In October, a law school student was beaten and robbed at Superior Street and Fairbanks Court. Earlier this month,three teens were charged in an attempted carjacking outside a hotel.

“Being the man he was, he never hesitated,” added Hopkins, who said Bauer’s death tragically highlights a growing crime problem downtown.

more

ht/ red grandma

ABC- The suspect, who hasn’t been identified, is in custody, and is a career criminal with arrests dating to at least 1994, for multiple arrests and convictions including drug, gun and armed robbery charges, ABC station WLS-TV in Chicago reported, citing multiple law enforcement sources. Among the convictions, he had been sentenced to 16 years in prison for a 1998 armed robbery, WLS-TV reported, citing court records.

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This blog, run by Chicago cops is known for strongly criticizing the brass in the CPD. They have now and never have had anything g bad to say about commander Bauer.  He was a true protector of the cops on the street AND all the people of Chicago.  A terrible loss.  – Red Grandma

13 Comments on Top Police Officer Was Never Late – So They Knew Something Was Wrong

  1. Very sad. If only Chicago had stricter gun laws and better outreach programs to help those with special law keeping needs then this tragedy could have been averted.

    What Chicago needs to do is make stiffer laws for owning a gun but legalize, drugs, theft, rape and murder. Their crime stats would drop to almost ZERO and they could be hailed as being the most crime free city in the nation.

    That way they could spend less on the police (take away their guns and turn them into a meals on wheels community service out reach) and more money on the kids or housing grants. https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/public-housings-gap-of-luxury-a-watchdogs-special-report/ Chicago can brag that they have the lowest crime rates in the nation and the best deal to buy a high cost house.

  2. God give you peaceful rest, sir.

    Incidentally, a long time coworker and a dear friend has two kids at today’s school shooting at Parkland HS.
    Fortunately both boys survived but everyone is extremely shaken.

    Put up a prayer for the turners, please. And all the families affected.

  3. And people still get upset when Chicago is referred to as the asshole of Illinois.

    People and businesses are leaving the state in droves.

    Prisons, Public Aid, Crime and Corruption are the only growth industries left in Illinois.

  4. That young fella was just getting his life turned around when that racist kraut fucked with him and…he din du nuffin!//////////////////////////////////////////

    RIP Commander Bauer…pity you weren’t the ‘right’ bauer.

  5. “This blog, run by Chicago cops is known for strongly criticizing the brass in the CPD. They have now and never have had anything g bad to say about commander Bauer.”

    What about that? Sounds like this was a righteous man and a cop. Bless you sir for your life and deeds, and comfort for those who loved you.

    That said, a good dose of writhing and gnashing of teeth for that which took you from us.

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