A Chicago Cop.....

[Zam-Zam]

.....going that extra mile:

A Chicago teen has a new gym membership after a police officer paid for his dues at a fitness center following repeated attempts to sneak onto the basketball courts.

X-Sport Operations Manager Justin Pritchett said the teenager would repeatedly walk past the front desk and onto the court. He said only a day after being warned, the boy tried to sneak in yet again.

"We had no choice but to contact police," Pritchett told The Chigaco Tribune.

Skokie police officer Mario Valenti responded to the call for police that August day. What happened next surprised everyone at X-Sport.

Instead of arresting the teen, Valenti offered to pay $150 of his own money for a membership.

Valenti, who has served on the force for more than two decades, said he rather have the teen shooting hoops than "being on the street and possibly getting into trouble."

"Most of us took this job to help people, not to hurt them," Valenti said. "The job can be negative. For the most part, the job is dealing with good people having a very bad day so you're not seeing the best side of people."

The act of kindness helped flip the teen's negative attitude toward law enforcement, said Valenti.

"It seems like all that's represented (in the news) with police is the bad stuff, and it's a shame, because when I took this job 23 years ago, I didn't think everyone was going to hate you, which is sometimes the feeling you get as a police officer," Valenti told the Tribune.

A spokesman for the Skokie Police Department said it's important that the public sees ALL of what police do.

"The good stories are not out there," Officer Eric Swaback told the Tribune. "People don't always know about them. Police do good things all the time but, unfortunately, people have no way to hear about them."

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news...ing-Into-Gym-Instead-He-Buys-Him-A-Membership


That extra mile can make all the difference.

 

[as seen on tv]

I hope that's $150 a year, not $150 a month. chicagoland!

 

[Zam-Zam]

I hope that's $150 a year, not $150 a month. chicagoland!

Although the article doesn't say, I'm assuming that's a yearly membership rate.

I imagine that $150.00 on a Police Officer's salary is not an insignificant amount.

 

[afella]

Although the article doesn't say, I'm assuming that's a yearly membership rate.

I imagine that $150.00 on a Police Officer's salary is not an insignificant amount.

Not gonna break his bank by any means. The average police officers salary is around $61,000 a year. That's a fair amount of money, far more than an E4 and below makes in the military. They health insurance is quite good as well.

Edit for source: http://www.discoverpolicing.org/why_policing/?fa=financial_stability

 

[Zam-Zam]

Not gonna break his bank by any means. The average police officers salary is around $61,000 a year. That's a fair amount of money, far more than an E4 and below makes in the military. They health insurance is quite good as well.

Edit for source: http://www.discoverpolicing.org/why_policing/?fa=financial_stability

I suppose that depends on a lot of variables. How many people is that $61000 supporting? Does have kids in college? Will he? How many?

Chicago is not the cheapest place in the world to live in - How far does $61,000 in Chicago? How much are his property taxes? His rent/mortgage? Etc., etc......

I'm glad I don't have to get by on 61 grand, and I don't live in a major urban area. For working folk $150.00 for an unplanned expense is likely not insignificant, and it was certainly something he did not have to do.

It was a good deed, and I wouldn't marginalize it.

 

[freyasman]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Police_Department
From the link;
"Salary[edit]
Starting salary for Chicago police officers in 2016 is $48,078 increased to $72,510 after 18 months. Promotions to specialized or command positions also increases an officer's base pay. Salaries were supplemented with a $2,920 annual duty availability and an $1,800 annual uniform allowance."

This guy has been on the force for more than 20 years, he probably makes over 6 figures, not counting security details and overtime.

 

[afella]

I suppose that depends on a lot of variables. How many people is that $61000 supporting? Does have kids in college? Will he? How many?

Chicago is not the cheapest place in the world to live in - How far does $61,000 in Chicago? How much are his property taxes? His rent/mortgage? Etc., etc......

I'm glad I don't have to get by on 61 grand, and I don't live in a major urban area. For working folk $150.00 for an unplanned expense is likely not insignificant, and it was certainly something he did not have to do.

It was a good deed, and I wouldn't marginalize it.

Does his spouse work? Is she making the same money, or more, or less. His life style choices have no weight on whether he's well off or not. If he can't live well within his means, that's his problem. That means $150 is not a problem, if you're living well within your means. I don't aim to marginalize his good dead, I just wouldn't say it's breaking his bank in anyway shape or form. If it is, then he's not taking personal responsibility seriously enough.

 

[Zam-Zam]

Does his spouse work? Is she making the same money, or more, or less. His life style choices have no weight on whether he's well off or not. If he can't live well within his means, that's his problem. That means $150 is not a problem, if you're living well within your means. I don't aim to marginalize his good dead, I just wouldn't say it's breaking his bank in anyway shape or form. If it is, then he's not taking personal responsibility seriously enough.

Those are all things we don't know.

I doubt he has George Soros money, so I imagine his good deed involved at least some level of sacrifice.

 

[freyasman]

Those are all things we don't know.

I doubt he has George Soros money, so I imagine his good deed involved at least some level of sacrifice.

Not trying to minimize the good deed he did, just pointing out that cops, especially in bigger cities, do make a pretty good living.

 

[Zam-Zam]

Not trying to minimize the good deed he did, just pointing out that cops, especially in bigger cities, do make a pretty good living.

Fair enough.

 

[BobbyT]

.....going that extra mile:

A Chicago teen has a new gym membership after a police officer paid for his dues at a fitness center following repeated attempts to sneak onto the basketball courts.

X-Sport Operations Manager Justin Pritchett said the teenager would repeatedly walk past the front desk and onto the court. He said only a day after being warned, the boy tried to sneak in yet again.

"We had no choice but to contact police," Pritchett told The Chigaco Tribune.

Skokie police officer Mario Valenti responded to the call for police that August day. What happened next surprised everyone at X-Sport.

Instead of arresting the teen, Valenti offered to pay $150 of his own money for a membership.

Valenti, who has served on the force for more than two decades, said he rather have the teen shooting hoops than "being on the street and possibly getting into trouble."

"Most of us took this job to help people, not to hurt them," Valenti said. "The job can be negative. For the most part, the job is dealing with good people having a very bad day so you're not seeing the best side of people."

The act of kindness helped flip the teen's negative attitude toward law enforcement, said Valenti.

"It seems like all that's represented (in the news) with police is the bad stuff, and it's a shame, because when I took this job 23 years ago, I didn't think everyone was going to hate you, which is sometimes the feeling you get as a police officer," Valenti told the Tribune.

A spokesman for the Skokie Police Department said it's important that the public sees ALL of what police do.

"The good stories are not out there," Officer Eric Swaback told the Tribune. "People don't always know about them. Police do good things all the time but, unfortunately, people have no way to hear about them."

https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news...ing-Into-Gym-Instead-He-Buys-Him-A-Membership


That extra mile can make all the difference.

Nice.

 

[Arkady]

Not gonna break his bank by any means. The average police officers salary is around $61,000 a year. That's a fair amount of money, far more than an E4 and below makes in the military. They health insurance is quite good as well.

Edit for source: http://www.discoverpolicing.org/why_policing/?fa=financial_stability

That's just police in general. Policing in big cities is even more lucrative. After just 18 months, Chicago Police make $72,510, in addition to $2,920 annual duty availability and an $1,800 for uniform allowance. For more senior police, it goes up pretty steeply from there, with overtime. For example, one police communications operator pulled down $121,318 in overtime for a total of $196,726! A deputy police chief can make about a quarter million dollars in a year. On aveverage, police in Chicago make $87,000 per year, and 14% make six figures.

 

[afella]

Those are all things we don't know.

I doubt he has George Soros money, so I imagine his good deed involved at least some level of sacrifice.

It's true it was some sort of sacrifice. I just find it distasteful how we've propped police up on this pedestal as though their performing their service for, what one could assume, would be $15k a year. They do quite well across the board and are certainly rewarded for the service they perform.

Again I certainly do appreciate his generosity and this is a good story.