Illinois' South Holland Police Department: Discriminatory Practices, Harassment and Retaliation

Update: August 18, 2008

On Saturday, August 16, 2008 at approximately 10:20 pm, I picked up a copy of the South Holland Traffic Crash Report. To my amazement Officer Burrow added another traffic charge. The additional charge is "Improper overtaking/passing...." I do not have an additional ticket for this charge. Officer Burrow may have stepped over the line with this one. There is no end to the discriminatory practices and retaliation of the South Holland Police Department. They will not prevail. I have submitted all documentation to my insurance agent, along with the photos taken at the scene. I will litigate this issue to the full extent of the law.

August 13, 2008

Mr. Warren Millsaps
Chief of Police, South Holland
16220 Wausau Ave.
South Holland, Illinois 60473

Mr. Millsaps:

On August 13, 2008 I, Fred Nance Jr., was involved in an automobile accident. Officer K. Burrow Star #129 responded to the call I made to the South Holland Police Department. When Officer Burrow arrived upon the scene I gave him my driver’s license and insurance card. Officer Burrow asked me for my phone number. Officer Burrow wrote my phone number on my insurance card. This was inappropriate. Officer Burrow issued me a ticket, which states “Fail to reduce speed to avoid accident.” There was no reduction in speed needed for this incident. We were only driving about 5 miles an hour. This is a bogus ticket.

I explained to Officer Burrow the following about the car accident: As I came around the bend in the road on Thornwood drive approaching the stop sign, a Dodge Caravan was stopped at the turn in the bend. The Dodge did not have its emergency blinkers on. I could not go around the Dodge at the time because another car was coming in the opposite direction.

When the other car went by, I was about to turn out and pass the “parked” Dodge. I blew my horn. The Dodge began to move. I turned back behind the Dodge. I began to move. The Dodge stopped again. I stopped my car. I blew my horn for the second time. The Dodge started moving again. I started moving again to turn out to pass the Dodge. All of sudden, the Dodge came to a dead stop again. This is when the front bumper passenger side of my vehicle hit the rear driver’s side bumper of the Dodge. The Dodge was about 30 to 40 feet from the stop sign. I took photos of the accident scene with my cell phone.

The driver of the Dodge got out of her car. This driver had her cell phone in her hand. The driver of the Dodge had been on her cell phone during these events. The driver of the Dodge lives in this complex. The driver of Dodge called her husband to come to the scene of the accident. When the husband came over to talk to her about the accident she informed him she was talking on her cell phone to someone when the accident occurred. The driver of the Dodge did not have an earpiece for her cell phone. She was talking on the cell phone and caused the accident.

I took pictures of the accident scene, that is, the position of the cars involved, where the cars had damage, the area between the Dodge and the stop sign, and the area of space I described above where the stop-and-go action occurred. The pictures will be faxed with this letter to South Holland Police Department Chief Millsaps.

When I objected to this ticket and refused to accept it from Officer Burrow, Officer Burrow through it in my car window. I informed Officer Burrow I had a AAA bond card, as I told him to give me my driver’s license. I informed Officer Burrow that when he decided to write me a ticket he was supposed to ask me if I had a bond card before taking my driver’s license. Officer Burrow told me don’t tell him how to do his job. I informed Officer Burrow if he was doing his job he would not have taken my driver’s license before asking me if I had a bond card. I informed Officer Burrow I know my rights.

Officer Burrow told me I would have come to the police station if I wanted my driver’s license because I was causing a disturbance. My wife drove up at this time. I told Officer Burrow I was not going to the South Holland Police Department to get my driver’s license. Officer Burrow decided to take my bond card but would not give me my driver’s license stating he had to check out if he could accept my bond card. I went to my car to get paper and pen to write information about this incident. After making me wait for several minutes, I had to go to Officer Burrow’s police car, and wait again before he gave me my driver’s license.

Officer Burrow should have given both drivers a ticket, if he was going to issue tickets. Officer Burrow was not on the scene when the accident occurred. The only person giving Officer Burrow information about this accident was the driver of the Dodge Caravan and me. If Officer Burrow says he got information from someone else, he is lying.

I called the duty officer, Lt. Becka. I informed Lt. Becka of the issues, stating Officer Burrow wrote me a bogus ticket retaliating and threatening me because of my complaints about the South Holland Police Department and him in past writings. I asked Lt. Becka how did he spell his name for the record. Lt. Becka immediately told me that I should know how to spell his name since I have written his name in past complaints.

On March 18, 2005 I was involved in a 3-car accident where there were no tickets given by the officer for the South Holland Police Department. I complained because the driver that caused the accident was “white” and should have received a ticket. My car and the other driver of the 3rd car are “black.” The “white” police officer for the South Holland Police Department decided not to issue the “white” female driver a ticket. When the case was settled the “white” driver was found negligent and the cause of the accident. I filed a formal complaint about this issue with the South Holland Police Department. I never received a reply from the South Holland Police Department on the complaint written on or about March 18, 2005.

This is part of what I wrote to Chief Millsaps on or about March 18, 2005:

On March 18, 2005 I was involved in a three-car accident at 170th and Langley. Involved in the car accident was a white woman (Denise Lenting) and her passenger (Bonita Vasquez) driving a Toyota Camry, license plate number 3472264; a black woman (Mary Ambrose) and her son (Sullivan Ambrose age 14) driving a Lexus, license plate number 2720486; and my car (Fred Nance, a black man) driving a Nissan Altima, license plate number 1268347.
There was an outside witness to the accident, Ms. Laura Clemons, license plate number C936809, telephone number 708-331-2291. As the Toyota came off of Langley to proceed onto 170th Street, Ms. Clemons blew her car horn continuously attempting to alert the Toyota driver to the oncoming traffic, the Lexus and Nissan. The Toyota ignored the warning.

The Lexus and Nissan driver gave the above information to Officer Kremski (white). Officer Kemski ignored the information about Ms. Clemons stating that if she was a witness she should have stayed on the scene. I asked him why would she have to stay on the scene if she gave her information up freely to be contacted by SHPD. I asked Officer Kremski doesn’t he do an investigation into the facts of the matter. He informed me that he only questions people on the scene about car accidents.

I asked him why didn’t he issue tickets so that a fact-finder, such as the courts, could get testimony and seek all witnesses. Officer Kremski informed me that because of his past experiences with traffic court and people not showing up has discouraged him from giving tickets at the scene of accidents. This is ludicrous.

The South Holland police officer involved in the March 18, 2005 issue was Kremski, ID #106. I have written about this police officer many times coming to my house harassing and intimidating me (see documents I submitted to you on February 11, 2005). As with Officer Kremski, I have written many times about Officer Burrow harassing and intimidating me coming to my home.

Therefore, I am submitting this as a formal complaint against the South Holland Police Department. The ticket I received was bogus and I should not have received it especially, if Officer Burrow was not going to issue the other driver a ticket.

Respectfully submitted,

Fred Nance Jr.

cc:

http://clickforjusticeandequality2.blogspot.com/
http://clickforjusticeandequality.wordpress.com/
http://click.townhall.com/
http://frednance.newsvine.com/

This case was also dismissed, after I wasted my day and time going to court for it. Chief Millsaps never answered this letter.

January 2, 2008

Mr. Warren Millsaps
Chief of Police, South Holland
16220 Wausau Ave.
South Holland, Illinois 60473

Re: Racial Profiling – Harassment – Intimidation

Mr. Millsaps:

I, Fred L Nance Jr., am an African American. The racial profiling by the South Holland Police Department (SHPD) continues. On December 31, 2007, Officer Pedric of the SHPD issued a traffic citation to me for improper lane usage on Cottage Grove. This ticket was bogus and inappropriate.

As you know, there is only one lane of travel in each direction of travel going North and South on Cottage Grove between 170th Street and 162nd Street. If a person wants to make a left turn, they must cross the double lines and enter the lane for turning. If a person decides, after crossing the double lines to make this left turn, they want to return to the lane of original travel, they must cross the double lines again to enter their original lane of travel.

Officer Pedric, who is white, decided to stop me and tell me I misused the turning lane to pass another car on the road. This is not true. After entering the turning lane, I decided to get back into the original lane of travel. Officer Pedric did not ask me why I entered the turning lane in the first place. Officer Pedric told me I entered the turning lane to pass the car in front of me.

I was traveling North on Cottage Grove from 170th Street, when a car turned into Cottage Grove from a side street in front of me. This car turned into Cottage Grove where I would have had an accident if I did not go into the turning lane. After going into the turning lane, I came out of the turning lane and re-entered my original lane of travel proceeding on my course. This is when Officer Pedric came upon me with his squad car and stopped me. Officer Pedric did not stop the other car that was driven by the “white” driver.

While Officer Pedric was writing my traffic citation, 2 other squad cars appeared on the scene. It is my belief because of previous written complaints about racial profiling and disparate/indifferent treatment of African Americans by SHPD, I was targeted by SHPD. I asked Officer Pedric for the other “white” Officers names and badge numbers. Officer Pedric refused to give me their names and badge numbers. I wrote the officers license plates numbers and car identification numbers down. They are Car #14 M146676 and Car #10 M153782, both “white” officers.

I went to SHPD on December 31, 2008 (a few hours after the incident) to report this incident. I asked to speak to the duty commander. I was informed he or she was out in the street on duty. I left a message requesting a call. I never received a call from the duty commander or SHPD.

Therefore, I am suggesting SHPD targets African Americans for traffic citations, especially those who complain about their other “professional” practices. I am suggesting Officer Pedric called in my name and I am in their system marked as a person of interest if I am ever stopped or approached about any police matters in South Holland. I am suggesting SHPD has a monthly ticket quota to assist in municipal revenue. I am suggesting SHPD does not adhere to public policy regarding racial profiling and harasses its citizens through intimidation, coercion and threats.

I have contested this ticket and will appear in a court of law. Contesting this ticket will cost me employment hours/work days and will become a financial burden to litigate. This financial burden is meant to create disparity and indifferent treatment toward African Americans in South Holland, Illinois.

Racism is alive and well in South Holland, Illinois, and in many other parts of Illinois. Illinois may be the most racist State in the Union. The South Holland Police Department is not racially motivated toward equality for all just because they hire African Americans on its police force. I am suggesting they hire African Americans on their police force for political purposes and because of present laws regarding hiring quotas for African Americans.


Fred L Nance Jr., ABD, MA, CADC, NCRS

cc:

Mr. DeGraff, Mayor Village of South Holland
http://clickforjusticeandequality.blogspot.com/
http://click.townhall.com/

P.S.

See other complaints about the South Holland Police Department on my website at http://clickforjusticeandequality.blogspot.com/