Post by A Shemonia on Mar 8, 2006 6:44:15 GMT -5
On the evening of June 10, 2001, at approx. 9:30 PM I entered the Dekalb, Illinois Police Department to request a complaint form to report a Dekalb Police Officer for misconduct. I entered the department with witness Mr. Grant Berg, a Corporal in the United States Army.
I approached the front desk/dispatch room and was asked "can I help you" by Juanita L. Burke, the uniformed dispatcher on duty. I informed Ms. Burke that I wished to receive a complaint form for the purpose of reporting a citizens complaint against a Dekalb Police officer for misconduct. I was told I could not file a complaint, but that I could speak with an officer regarding the incident. I replied that I did not wish to speak with an officer, but would like to receive a complaint form with which I could document my complaint in writing and forward it to the appropriate agencies. I was again told by Ms. Burke that I could not file a complaint against an officer, but I would be allowed to speak with an Officer regarding my complaint, and he would decide if my complaint was worthy of a report.
I then produced a digital voice recorder from my front right pocket and asked Ms. Burke if I could document via audio record her refusal to allow me to receive a complaint form. Ms. Burke then became irate and told me to leave or I would be arrested. I promptly left the Dekalb Police Department. At no time was the recorder activated or any recording made. Mr. Grant Berg stood beside me and witnessed this entire exchange.
I entered my vehicle with Mr. Burg and activated my scanning receiver on the frequency pairs of 156.0900/155.2500 MHz, with a receive PL of 77.0 KHz (FCC License ID: KNEQ824, Dekalb Police dispatch) and 156.0300/155.6400 MHz, with a receive PL of 141.3 KHz (FCC License ID: WNQR585, Sycamore Police dispatch). I listened as Ms. Burke dispatched a report of a "suspicious subject" along with the description of myself, my vehicle and my last known direction of travel. After this dispatch, I listened as Dekalb and Sycamore Officers made plans to meet together in the K-mart parking lot on IL-Rt 23 in Sycamore to discuss this incident.
At approx. 10:00 PM of the same evening, (06-10-01) I entered the Sycamore, Illinois Police Department, again accompanied by witness Corporal Grant Berg to request a complaint form to report a Sycamore Police Officer for misconduct. I approached the main desk/dispatch room and informed the female who appeared to be working at the desk that I would like to receive a complaint form for the purpose of reporting a citizens complaint against a Sycamore, Illinois Police Officer. I was told this form was not available to me, as department policy was that I must first speak to an Officer and describe the incident. The Officer would then decide if the complaint was worthy of a report.
I advised the desk employee/Dispatcher that I did not wish to speak to an officer, but that I would like a complaint form that I could document my complaint and forward it to the appropriate agencies. Again I was told this was not possible and was against department policy.
I was then advised that Sergeant Keith D. Snyder would be called so he could get me the appropriate forms. I waited in the lobby for Sgt. Keith D. Snyder to arrive. At approx. 10:30 PM, Sgt. Keith D. Snyder arrived and approached me and Mr. Burg in the lobby/waiting room and asked what the problem was. I advised him that I wished to obtain a complaint form for the purpose of reporting a complaint against a Sycamore Police Officer. Sgt. Snyder informed me that this was not possible, and that first I must describe the incident to him and give him the names of any officers I wished to report.
I declined to speak about my complaint with him, but again asked for a complaint form so that I could document my complaint and forward it to the appropriate agencies. I was told this violated department procedures, and that I could not receive any forms for the purpose of reporting police misconduct without first detailing the incident with him, and providing the names of officers that I wished to report.
I then produced a digital recorder from my right front pocket and requested permission to document via audio record his refusal to allow me to obtain a complaint form and was promptly told to turn around, as I was being arrested for felony eavesdropping. At no time was the recorder activated or any recording initiated.
Sgt. Snyder demanded the recorder be turned over to him. I gave the recorder to Sgt. Snyder and showed him that there was no recording made, as his permission to be recorded had not been obtained. Sgt. Snyder advised me that the Dekalb Police also wished to charge me with Eavesdropping. Sgt. Snyder then advised me I was under arrest.
I was then handcuffed with my hands behind my back, searched and taken into Police custody.
Sgt. Snyder then transported me to the Radio Shack/K-Mart parking lot on Rt. 23 in Sycamore, where several uniformed Sycamore Police officers were waiting in multiple Sycamore Police vehicles. Sgt. Snyder spoke to them for several minutes outside the vehicle. A Dekalb Police vehicle containing 2 uniformed officers then arrived and I was turned over into their custody. My recorder, bearing no recording, was also turned over to the Dekalb Officers. The handcuffs were removed, and replaced with a pair of handcuffs belonging to one of the Dekalb officers. I was then searched and seated in the back seat of a Dekalb Police vehicle. Soon I was transported to the Dekalb Police booking room where I was handcuffed to a wooden bench for several hours.
During this time I was brought a statement form and asked to write a statement about my actions that evening. I advised officers I wished to remain silent, and was then told that the Dekalb County Assistant States Attorney on call was being contacted to see if charges would be authorized against me. Later I was told by Dekalb Officers that the States Attorneys office had authorized the charge of attempted eavesdropping, a class A misdemeanor, instead of the class 4 felony charge of eavesdropping. I was then fingerprinted, photographed and held on $1000.00 bond with 10% to apply. I was informed my recorder would be photographed and the photograph placed into evidence against me, and the recorder would be returned to Sgt. Snyder of the Sycamore Police Department. A $100.00 cash bond (USC) was then posted and I was advised I would be held for return to the Sycamore Police department, as their department also wished to file charges for attempted eavesdropping.
At approx. 1:00 AM, I was again handcuffed with my hands behind my back and placed in the back seat of a waiting Sycamore Police vehicle to be transferred to the Sycamore Police Department. Upon arrival I was met by Sgt. Snyder who again informed me I was under arrest for the charge of attempted eavesdropping, and would be held on $1000.00 bond, 10% to apply. I was again fingerprinted, photographed and then placed in a locked interrogation room where I waited for bail money to arrive. A $100.00 cash Bond (USC) was then posted and I was released from custody at approx. 2:15 AM on June 11, 2001. My recorder, bearing no recording, was confiscated and placed into evidence.
This was my second attempt in two weeks to report my original complaint against Dekalb and Sycamore Officers. The first attempt was refused, as I was advised I could not report an officer without first detailing the complaint with an officer. My second attempt landed me in jail. I believe these charges are simply a police intimidation tactic used to protect other officers from being reported for their felony criminal actions, an example of the "blue wall of silence" in action. As of today's date, I have remained unsuccessful in my attempts to report my original complaints against the Dekalb, IL and Sycamore, IL Police Officers involved.
I approached the front desk/dispatch room and was asked "can I help you" by Juanita L. Burke, the uniformed dispatcher on duty. I informed Ms. Burke that I wished to receive a complaint form for the purpose of reporting a citizens complaint against a Dekalb Police officer for misconduct. I was told I could not file a complaint, but that I could speak with an officer regarding the incident. I replied that I did not wish to speak with an officer, but would like to receive a complaint form with which I could document my complaint in writing and forward it to the appropriate agencies. I was again told by Ms. Burke that I could not file a complaint against an officer, but I would be allowed to speak with an Officer regarding my complaint, and he would decide if my complaint was worthy of a report.
I then produced a digital voice recorder from my front right pocket and asked Ms. Burke if I could document via audio record her refusal to allow me to receive a complaint form. Ms. Burke then became irate and told me to leave or I would be arrested. I promptly left the Dekalb Police Department. At no time was the recorder activated or any recording made. Mr. Grant Berg stood beside me and witnessed this entire exchange.
I entered my vehicle with Mr. Burg and activated my scanning receiver on the frequency pairs of 156.0900/155.2500 MHz, with a receive PL of 77.0 KHz (FCC License ID: KNEQ824, Dekalb Police dispatch) and 156.0300/155.6400 MHz, with a receive PL of 141.3 KHz (FCC License ID: WNQR585, Sycamore Police dispatch). I listened as Ms. Burke dispatched a report of a "suspicious subject" along with the description of myself, my vehicle and my last known direction of travel. After this dispatch, I listened as Dekalb and Sycamore Officers made plans to meet together in the K-mart parking lot on IL-Rt 23 in Sycamore to discuss this incident.
At approx. 10:00 PM of the same evening, (06-10-01) I entered the Sycamore, Illinois Police Department, again accompanied by witness Corporal Grant Berg to request a complaint form to report a Sycamore Police Officer for misconduct. I approached the main desk/dispatch room and informed the female who appeared to be working at the desk that I would like to receive a complaint form for the purpose of reporting a citizens complaint against a Sycamore, Illinois Police Officer. I was told this form was not available to me, as department policy was that I must first speak to an Officer and describe the incident. The Officer would then decide if the complaint was worthy of a report.
I advised the desk employee/Dispatcher that I did not wish to speak to an officer, but that I would like a complaint form that I could document my complaint and forward it to the appropriate agencies. Again I was told this was not possible and was against department policy.
I was then advised that Sergeant Keith D. Snyder would be called so he could get me the appropriate forms. I waited in the lobby for Sgt. Keith D. Snyder to arrive. At approx. 10:30 PM, Sgt. Keith D. Snyder arrived and approached me and Mr. Burg in the lobby/waiting room and asked what the problem was. I advised him that I wished to obtain a complaint form for the purpose of reporting a complaint against a Sycamore Police Officer. Sgt. Snyder informed me that this was not possible, and that first I must describe the incident to him and give him the names of any officers I wished to report.
I declined to speak about my complaint with him, but again asked for a complaint form so that I could document my complaint and forward it to the appropriate agencies. I was told this violated department procedures, and that I could not receive any forms for the purpose of reporting police misconduct without first detailing the incident with him, and providing the names of officers that I wished to report.
I then produced a digital recorder from my right front pocket and requested permission to document via audio record his refusal to allow me to obtain a complaint form and was promptly told to turn around, as I was being arrested for felony eavesdropping. At no time was the recorder activated or any recording initiated.
Sgt. Snyder demanded the recorder be turned over to him. I gave the recorder to Sgt. Snyder and showed him that there was no recording made, as his permission to be recorded had not been obtained. Sgt. Snyder advised me that the Dekalb Police also wished to charge me with Eavesdropping. Sgt. Snyder then advised me I was under arrest.
I was then handcuffed with my hands behind my back, searched and taken into Police custody.
Sgt. Snyder then transported me to the Radio Shack/K-Mart parking lot on Rt. 23 in Sycamore, where several uniformed Sycamore Police officers were waiting in multiple Sycamore Police vehicles. Sgt. Snyder spoke to them for several minutes outside the vehicle. A Dekalb Police vehicle containing 2 uniformed officers then arrived and I was turned over into their custody. My recorder, bearing no recording, was also turned over to the Dekalb Officers. The handcuffs were removed, and replaced with a pair of handcuffs belonging to one of the Dekalb officers. I was then searched and seated in the back seat of a Dekalb Police vehicle. Soon I was transported to the Dekalb Police booking room where I was handcuffed to a wooden bench for several hours.
During this time I was brought a statement form and asked to write a statement about my actions that evening. I advised officers I wished to remain silent, and was then told that the Dekalb County Assistant States Attorney on call was being contacted to see if charges would be authorized against me. Later I was told by Dekalb Officers that the States Attorneys office had authorized the charge of attempted eavesdropping, a class A misdemeanor, instead of the class 4 felony charge of eavesdropping. I was then fingerprinted, photographed and held on $1000.00 bond with 10% to apply. I was informed my recorder would be photographed and the photograph placed into evidence against me, and the recorder would be returned to Sgt. Snyder of the Sycamore Police Department. A $100.00 cash bond (USC) was then posted and I was advised I would be held for return to the Sycamore Police department, as their department also wished to file charges for attempted eavesdropping.
At approx. 1:00 AM, I was again handcuffed with my hands behind my back and placed in the back seat of a waiting Sycamore Police vehicle to be transferred to the Sycamore Police Department. Upon arrival I was met by Sgt. Snyder who again informed me I was under arrest for the charge of attempted eavesdropping, and would be held on $1000.00 bond, 10% to apply. I was again fingerprinted, photographed and then placed in a locked interrogation room where I waited for bail money to arrive. A $100.00 cash Bond (USC) was then posted and I was released from custody at approx. 2:15 AM on June 11, 2001. My recorder, bearing no recording, was confiscated and placed into evidence.
This was my second attempt in two weeks to report my original complaint against Dekalb and Sycamore Officers. The first attempt was refused, as I was advised I could not report an officer without first detailing the complaint with an officer. My second attempt landed me in jail. I believe these charges are simply a police intimidation tactic used to protect other officers from being reported for their felony criminal actions, an example of the "blue wall of silence" in action. As of today's date, I have remained unsuccessful in my attempts to report my original complaints against the Dekalb, IL and Sycamore, IL Police Officers involved.
