A press release from the Crystal Lake Police Department:
Crystal Lake Police Receive 1 st Place Award in Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge
On August 17 th , 2016, members of the Crystal Lake Police Department received the 1 st place award for their efforts in the Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge (ITSC) in the Municipal 66-100 sworn category.
The Illinois Traffic Safety Challenge is a program coordinated by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police (ILACP) Traffic Committee and supported by a NHTSA grant administered through the Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Safety, as well as much-appreciated funding from private entities.
The Challenge is a template for law enforcement agencies to identify traffic issues, plan strategies, reduce social harm and improve the quality of life in their communities. The overall goal of the Challenge is to have a significant impact on the reduction of crashes, deaths and associated injuries across the state.
The ITSC targets three major traffic safety priorities: occupant protection, speeding and impaired driving. It recognizes agencies for the approach and effectiveness of their overall highway safety programs.
Agencies are evaluated not just for enforcement initiatives, but for innovative problem solving in their communities, using public information activities and creating departmental policies that support their traffic enforcement campaign efforts.
Winning programs effectively combine many different strategies to reduce crashes and injuries in their jurisdiction.
Ultimately, the Traffic Safety Challenge is about Saving Lives and reducing traffic related injuries.
Through the efforts of its officers, the Crystal Lake Police Department successfully reduced the number of traffic crashes resulting in injuries in 2015.
In addition, after a consistent enforcement effort the seatbelt compliance rate in the City of Crystal Lake increased to 96.5% from the previously recorded rate of 92.78%.
A significant increase compared to the State of Illinois average of 95.1%.
The Crystal Lake Police Department is proud of this accomplishment and reminds motorists traffic safety is the responsibility of not only the police, but also the motoring public.
Please drive safely, watch your speed, buckle up and put down your cell phone.
Together we can all save a life.
The policemen and firemen in McHenry County that are in a Downstate Police or Downstate Fire pension plan, which includes the Crystal Lake police department and Crystal Lake fire department, are probably not too happy with Jack Franks and Mayor Shepley (who supports Jack Franks for County Board Chair).
Crystal Lake police and fire pensions alone were short a total of $35 million dollars as of April 30, 2014.
All the police and fire pensions in McHenry County were short a total of $136 million dollars (that includes Crystal Lake police and fire) as of April 30, 2014.
In more technical terms, the unfunded liability for those plans was $35 million and $136 million dollars as of April 30, 2014.
The amount owed (unfunded liability) is likely about the same, if not more (doubtfully it’s less) as of today’s date (there is a lag time in reporting the figures, it’s not real-time data).
There are 24 such police and fire pension plans in McHenry County, spread across Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Barrington Hills, Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox Lake, Fox River Grove, Harvard, Huntley, Island Lake, Johnsburg, Lake in the Hills, Lakemoor, Marengo, McHenry, Spring Grove, and Woodstock.
http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/08/26/crystal-lake-taxpayers-owe-24-million-to-the-crystal-lake-police-and-fire-pension-funds/#comments
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Jack Franks calls for reducing the the property tax revenue of the municipalities and fire protection districts in McHenry County by 10%.
http://www.cutmchenrytaxes.com
That is an absurd agenda given the financial condition of the taxing districts in McHenry County:
– police and fire pension plan unfunded pension liability (IOUs)
– collective bargaining agreements
– bond debt service
– tax increment finance districts in those taxing districts.
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Mayor Shepley supports Democrat Jack Franks for County Board Chair instead of the Republican candidate Mike Walkup.
Mayor Shepley will introduce Jack Franks at a Jack Franks for County Board Chair campaign event Monday August 29, 2016, from 7PM – 8:30PM at Crystal Lake South High School, 1200 McHenry Avenue, Crystal Lake.
Northwest Herald
by Kevin Craver
http://www.nwherald.com/2016/08/26/democratic-chairman-candidate-franks-to-host-five-town-hall-meetings-this-week/alf61v1
http://www.FranksForMcHenry.com/events
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That event will be followed by:
– Algonquin Eastgate Library on Tuesday August 30 (introduction by Algonquin Village President John Schmitt)
– Woodstock North High School Wednesday August 31 (introduction by Woodstock Mayor Brian Sager)
– McHenry VFW Thursday September 1 (introduction by McHenry Mayor Susan Low)
– Huntley High School Tuesday September 6 (introduction by Huntley Village President Chuck Sass).
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We need a realistic discussion about sustainable police and fire pensions, not some campaign gimmick to cut taxes 10% for every taxing district in McHenry County.
Notice that Jack Franks did not run and win election as State Representative for the last 9 terms (18 years) on a campaign pledge to encourage that taxes be cut 10% in McHenry County.
He would not have had the support by many of the various union locals in McHenry County and their affiliates, and would have had much less chance of winning the election.
But there is no widespread public denouncing of his cut property taxes 10% campaign pledge this election cycle, by the union locals in McHenry County.
Most of those unions or their affiliates have supported Jack Franks’ political action committees (PACs) and / or political campaigns in the past.
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Wonder if anyone will hand out flyers about police and fire pension funding in McHenry County taxing districts at Jack Franks campaign events.
People need to become more educated about property taxes.
Such a campaign pledge should be instantly denounced and followed by laughter because it’s not realistic.
In the almost impossible chance it was achieved for one year, it’s not sustainable, without major reforms that include state legislation and implementing some of the Bruce Rauner administration turnaround agenda (which Jack Franks is against).
This is being done purely for political reasons.
Jack Franks has said he will reveal his plan after the November 8, 2016 election.
The pledge with no plan until after the election.
We have massive financial difficulties in Illinois and just about everyone will suffer solving the mess.
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A major reason for the mess at the local level are unfunded state mandates, passed by legislators including Jack Franks, and signed into law as Public Acts by Governors.
Jack Franks was on the Consolidation and Unfunded Mandate Task Force.
But now he talks about consolidation, not unfunded mandates.
Likely because he was part of the problem in passing unfunded mandates.
Police and fire pensions are a big problem in Illinois.
So many games were played.
The following is one game that involves Jack Franks.
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Jack Franks voted to kick the can on Chicago Police and Fire underfunded pensions this year.
That lessened the current year payment from the City of Chicago (employer) to the pension fund but hiked the total that will be paid (compare it to extending a mortgage payment plan).
That was Senate Bill 777 (SB 777), which became Public Act 99-0506 (99-506 aka 99-0506).
History of SB 777 / PA 99-506 as it pertains to Jack Franks:
Passed the State House of Representatives on May 30, 2015, including a Jack Franks yes vote.
Republican Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the bill on May 27, 2016.
The State House over-rode the Governors veto on May 30, 2016, one after it first passed the House on May 30, 2015.
Since both the House and Senate over-rote the Governor’s veto, the bill became law on May 31, 2016.
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That law harmed, not helped, the long term sustainability of Chicago Police and Fire pensions.
The City of Chicago just wanted lower contributions to the pension funds now, so they would not have to deal with the problem now; dealing with the problem now would have meant further hiked taxes or fees or other revenue generating schemes now, or further cut services, etc.
One way to avoid pain now is extending the plan to pay the IOU (unfunded liability) to the pension system.
Less money goes to the pension system now, but more money is eventually required to pay the IOU.
That’s kick the can to pay down the pension unfunded liability.
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Sometimes the unions support these schemes and sometimes they don’t.
Sometimes the union wants more money for pay and benefit hikes now, and that can be accomplished by shorting the pension contribution.
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The unions traditionally thought they had an ironclad constitutional guarantee that pensions have to be paid.
That’s because one sentence added to the Illinois State Constitution on December 15, 1970 state public sector retirement benefits are contractual and cannot be diminished or impaired.
Irregardless of the sustainability of pension and retiree healthcare benefit hikes and pay hikes enacted after December 15, 1970.
So after December 15, 1970, unsustainable pay and pension benefit hikes, both of which hike he pension payout, ensued.
And, the hiking of retiree healthcare benefits also ensued.
The Illinois Supreme Court rulings have prevented the scaling back of hiked benefits.
The taxpayers are at a massive disadvantage.
Making matters worse, collective bargaining does not take into account the affordability to taxpayers of overall compensation (current pay, current benefits, pensions, retiree healthcare).
So pay has been artificially hiked, resulting in higher pensions.
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Politicians keep kicking the can in most of the Illinois pensions.
Every 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 years or so, they “re-amortize” the annual payments required to pay the IOU.
It’s crazy.
That cannot continue into perpetuity.
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All the past pay and benefit hikes were not fully disclosed to the public, the collective bargaining and administrator pay hikes did not take into account unfunded liability (IOU) of the pension system, pension funding was diverted to pay hikes, and other games were played, and this has resulted in unsustainable pensions.
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Jack Franks is part of the mess and the above is just one example.
The State House over-rote the Governors veto on May 30, 2016, including a yes vote from Jack Franks, one year after it first passed the House on May 30, 2015.
Cool… lets turn a positive post about CL police winning a reward, and turn it into a bunch of comments about police pensions.
*rolls eyes*
There is nothing positive about forced seatbelt compliance.
The police and taxpayers deserve sustainable pensions.
Democrat Jack Franks is doing nothing to promote sustainable pensions in his campaign gimmick to cut property taxes of every taxing district in McHenry County by 10% in an attempt to win votes for the McHenry County Board Chair election on November 8, 2016 v Republican Mike Walkup.
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Here are few ideas that have foisted upon McHenry County voters.
Jeffery Lichte is a Republican.
McHenry County Taxes (every taxing district in the County) will be cut 10% if Jack Franks is elected McHenry County Board Chair.
Neither are true.
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Jeffery Lichte is the Democrat who filed to run as a Republican in the March 8, 2016 63rd District State Representative Primary election v Steve Reick.
Jack Franks was the unopposed Democrat candidate for 63rd District State Representative.
Steve Reick prevailed amid a campaign that featured smear mailers.
The Illinois Education Association (IEA) teacher union PAC (IPACE) sent a contribution for mailers to the address of former Michael Madigan top campaign aide (annointed by the Chicago Tribue) Shaw Decremer through the Government for the People independent expenditure PAC.
A day after the IPACE mailer contribution, IPACE submitted to the Illinois State Board of Elections that the address should be listed as the address that was included in the filing to set up the campaign.
That signed filing included the filer printing the spelling of his last name incorrectly (who forgets how to print their last name?).
A few months after the March 8, 2016 primary election Jeffery Lichte was pictured on McHenry County Blog during the McHenry Fiesta Days parade wearing a Jack Franks hat and driving a vehicle supporting Jack Franks.
Wow, Paul.
I thought the article was about the police bragging about most of them using seat belts.
I didn’t read it, because I don’t care.
If what you said was the gist of the article then BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Shame on the gestapo police.
Like many awards given to gov agency, a pay raise and tax increase is some how going to be relative.
Tree City USA sign always makes me laugh.
Have no problem with the seat belt law but know people who hate the law even if they know of someone who died, was disabled, or injured as the result of not wearing a seat belt.
Some people don’t want to the government telling them what to do and nothing will change that.
Look at it from a police officers perspective.
Over a 30 year career dealing with deaths, disabilities, and injuries that could have been prevented if a seat belt was worn.
Mark?
Are you ok with government always “changing behavior” as a policy?
Before you answer think about this.
The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.
Great Job!
Now can you do this for Texters!!!
and cell phone users ??!!!
that would be something to boast about!