From the ArcaMax Publishing, Weird News Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/weirdnews/s-360005-653098
CHICAGO (UPI) -- The upcoming use of undercover police officers at
Chicago crosswalks may not be "Serpico," but is a safety necessity,
police officials say.
While the undercover efforts pale in comparison to those in the 1973
police corruption movie, Chicago Police Department Traffic Department
Cmdr. Robert Evans said the newest police focus is meant to ensure the
safety of pedestrians, the Chicago Tribune reported.
The police official said officers will pose as civilians and issue
warning citations to those drivers who do not give pedestrians the
right of way at crosswalks.
Evans said the undercover assignments may not be full of adventure but
that does not mean there is no risk involved.
"We are not going to put officers in jeopardy to make a point," Evans
explained. "But any day you put on a police uniform, or put on
plainclothes, you are taking risks."
Chicago area resident Gary Hackley suggested the fault may actually
lay with pedestrians.
"Chicagoans routinely wander across the middle of streets, engrossed
in cell phone calls or sipping their coffee, and leave it to drivers
to keep them safe," he told the Tribune.