Another Old Tire: Still in Use

Yup, that's right. An old tire that should have been discarded long long ago is still being used for something. Today, the Trib reports that the Public Works and the Police Dept has been working together to remove graffiti from public property and businesses. The paper reminds us that the police bureau has set up a graffiti task force and that Frank Rende is one of their detectives. For those not familiar with Detective Rende, he's the police officer who called in sick so that he could work side jobs. He's the officer who responds to a domestic call on from a depressed and drunk woman on the South Side, finishes his shift, changes clothes, then returns to the home of that call and engages in a 'sex act' with the woman who originally called the police dept. He's the brother of Marlene Cassidy, Executive Secretary to Mayor Ravenstahl, and live-in partner of Dennis Regan. Regan is the former Director of Operations, appointed by Mayor Ravenstahl, who overturned the disciplining (firing) of Officer Rende. Senior police Commander Catherine McNeilly blew the whistle on Regan's meddling in police affairs and was demoted. She was demoted by Mayor Ravenstahl for pointing all of this out but eventually won her case and was reinstated to Commander. "Giving the kid (Mayor Ravenstahl) a chance" will likely cost city taxpayers upwards of $100,000. And Rende is now detective on the graffiti taskforce. Great that he won't be responding to many domestic calls. Like the old tire, this scandal goes round and round the mayor's office.