Memo to CPD Chief Weis: Put Your CAPS On

So, big shakeup in the Chicago Police Department today. Still-new CPD Chief Jody Weis, a former FBI agent, made some huge and very significant changes in the command structure. He had a press conference, sure. He knows about the major media in town. NBC5 reports today that "Superintendent Jody Weis is making sweeping changes within the ranks of the Chicago Police Department, replacing 21 district police commanders and up to 20 more deputy chiefs or upper management positions." But nobody, apparently, has told Chief Weis about CAPS or his department's own web site. The CPD's own web site makes no mention of the major changes in the command structure, none that could be found. And there was apparently no email blast to CAPS chapters around the city, which the CPD should have done as a courtesy, at the very least. Instead, you had episodes of confusion such as the one in the 49th Ward today. Alderman-in-abstentia Joe Moore sent out an email telling people that 24th District Commander Rottner was being replaced by "Sergeant Steve Caluris." In fact, Caluris was Deputy Chief Steve Caluris of the CPD's Organized Crime Division until his promotion today, not a sergeant. This raises more questions: Why didn't the CPD send an email blast to the city's aldermen, who are our elected officials to the City Council? Why didn't Alderman Moore know anything about the man who just became the second most import cop in his life (second to to Rottner, who becomes essentially the general of the north side)? The other questions bear repeating. Why no email from CPD to CAPS chapters? Why no emails to aldermen? This is disturbing. Chief Weis didn't have to pay any attention to CAPS when he was with the FBI. Either he is uneducated about CAPS, or he still feels he doesn't need them. He certainly needs the support of the aldermen. Is Chief Weis really so politically ignorant? Or is he just oh so arrogant?