by Tyler Ayodeji
CHICAGO-Retired Chicago Police Office Kolawole Amoje is a household name in the African community. Outgoing, easy to talk to, cool, calm and collected. It is not uncommon to see him of- fering advice to seekers, shar- ing his experience in the force with others and encouraging the younger Africans to join the police force.
Amuje warn outlook should however not be mistaken for weakness. He was a hard core police officer until he retired last year. Even out of the Chicago Police Department (CPD), he has not relented. In- stead, he would have loved to return to his old district where 15-year old Hadiya Pendleton was gun down to help end the gun violence escalation.
“It is disturbing to read about the gun violence in Chicago. I just returned from the district commander ‘s office to share my experience with him on how to nab the violence in the head” stressing the outra- geous gun violence could not have happened under my watch,” he boasted.
Amoje wants the Police Su- perintendent Gary McCarthy to wake up to the challenges of gun violence and connect the dot. “If a community is saturated with guns, it means there is a mole possibly a po- lice officer ferrying guns to
the neighborhood,” he said and explained that identifying the person is what the Super- intendent should be concerned about.
Hadiya Pendeton was killed a week after she performed with her high school band at festiv- ities tied to President Barack Obama’s second inauguration. Two men have been charged in Hadiya’s murder. Police have said the suspects are gang members but that Hadiya was not in a gang.
President Obama visited Chicago recently as part of concerted efforts to turn the tide against gun violence in Chicago.
On Sunday, Hadiya’s parents, Nathaniel and Cleo Pendleton, took part in hearses proces- sion to dramatize the problem of gun violence and its cost in young lives. They said they plan to launch a foundation in their daughter’s name to ad- dress at-risk youth.
In the meantime, the parents said they take comfort in local responses to the violence. Lawmakers and Washington and Springfield are being asked to enact anti-gun meas- ures, and Cleo Pendleton said two groups should be targeted: gun traffickers and straw buy- ers.
“There is no tough neighbor- hood when police are up to their responsibilities,” Amoje said but fear of lawsuit and negative publicity do prevent the law enforcement officers from carrying out their re- sponsibilities.
The gang members in Engle- wood and surrounding neigh- borhoods know me as an uncompromising officer.
“They call me names because they know I can lock them up if they misbehave when I pull them over even without them doing anything outrageous. Some of the names are de- meaning but my priority is to
get the job done.
He urged the various police officers patrolling the street to live up to their responsibilities while lawmakers in Washing- ton and Springfield enact laws that keep guns out of the city. About 30 funeral homes were represented at the event, or- ganized by the National Fu- neral Directors & Morticians Association.
“We’re going to come to- gether and keep this in the forefront of our city to bring attention to what is happening to our children,” said Edward Calahan, president of Calahan Funeral Home, 7030 S. Hal- sted, which handled the Pendleton service.
