Sanitary District Cop Caught On Tape Talking About Sleeping And Drinking On The Job
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Better Government Association has released tapes it obtained of a Metropolitan Water Reclamation District police officer who accidentally left his radio microphone open last year, talking about how politically-connected employees get away with avoiding work.
The BGA obtained the tape after filing a lawsuit last month under the Freedom of Information Act.
An officer's handheld radio apparently was still on as he was giving a new officer a tour of the Stickney water treatment plant, and talked about a secret room known as "the apartment."
"Nobody knows this is here, except the guys that have the key. So they hide out here," he said.
The officer said the room is used for sleeping, drinking, playing cards, and watching TV – all while on duty.
"You want to help yourself to a couple f****** beers one night? They don't care if you drink it. They just say replace, you know, don't f****** take the last one, you know what I mean?" he said.
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The officer said he comes prepared for napping.
"I got a duffle bag with a f****** pillow, and a blanket in it," he said.
He later said everyone sleeps on the job at MWRD.
"Everyone here is sleeping. The engineers, everyone that's here on midnights, they're all f------ sleeping somewhere, too," he said.
The recordings also include the use of racial slurs, disparaging remarks about women. The officer is heard saying everyone at MWRD has clout.
"Just assume everyone here is here on a phone call. I mean not just our department, everybody. Every f------ s---head who's a laborer. Everybody. Just assume they all got clout and deal with them accordingly," the officer said.
The officer also was recorded referring to women with the "c" word, using the "n" word, and disparaging talk about Martin Luther King Day.
"White guys just call it James Earl Ray day," he said, referring to the assassin who killed the civil rights leader in 1968.
At one point, someone on the other end of the radio warned him his microphone is open.
"Stop talking," she said.
The district is moving to fire the officer. Five others have been suspended
