McHenry County Blog

A press release from McHenry County government:

County Departments collaborate to create MCSO Crime Mapping Program

WOODSTOCK, IL – McHenry County is recognized as a good steward of taxpayer funds through conservative budget practices.

This has allowed the County to obtain and maintain a Aaa bond rating through Moody’s Financial Services.

The strength behind the County’s success is not only the result of the policies set by the elected officials but also the innovative, dedicated and creative employees that make up the McHenry County Government workforce.

McHenry County Government employees are continually finding ways to challenge the status quo of service delivery by working collaboratively with fellow employees across department lines and other local governments.

A recent collaboration that exemplifies this is the development of the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Crime Mapping Program.

The development of a mapping system with an outside vendor could have potentially cost thousands of dollars.

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) instead chose to challenge the McHenry County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department to create this program.

Over the span of a six month period, the GIS Department took a complicated idea from conceptualization to a crime mapping program that allows the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office to fight crime smarter.

The MCSO Crime Mapping Program includes a public use site where the general public can review crime trends in County jurisdiction and send tips to CrimeStoppers anonymously.

“Tips from the public have always been an important part of fighting crime,” stated Undersheriff Andy Zinke.

“This new website, created by the County’s GIS Department provides the public a powerful new tool in their efforts to help law enforcement.”

The MCSO Crime Mapping Program also includes an internal crime map that is very user friendly and is now used to create monthly crime trend reports in minutes (saving the MCSO Intelligence Unit about 30 man hours each month).

It is also used to create daily and weekly crime reports that each shift commander can use to allocate their resources more efficiently to provide the citizens of McHenry County with even higher quality public safety.

The McHenry County Emergency Telephone System Board also worked on this collaboration by providing data for the MCSO Crime Mapping Program.

The MCSO Crime Mapping Program can be found on the Sheriff’s website (www.mchenrysheriff.org) under the “Crime Mapping” tab.

= = = = =

This is a powerful tool that the McHenry County GIS Department has developed.  Above I have spliced the property crimes for the last thirty days for Wonder Lake.  Only crimes from the unincorporated areas are included.   It would be so useful if municipalities were included in the data base.

Last night watching the news about our soon-to-be incarcerated ex-Governor Rod Blagojevich, my wife commented that the real crooks still are in control.

The line under the Onion’s photo of Blagojevich seems to express her opinion more pointedly:

In reading Capitol Fax comments on whether Rod Blagojevich’s sentence will deter political corruption and found this one from a former prosecutor which I would like to share:

As a former prosecutor, I’ve thought about this a lot. I think that jail sentences for white collar crimes have some deterrent value, and some value for expressing society’s outrage. The outrage for Blago — both because of his own conduct and because he succeeded Ryan as a “reformer” — was great.

That being said, I agree with Jack Abramoff, the convicted DC lobbyist, who has been in the media promoting his new book. The worst type of corruption is the legal corruption.

Example 1: I get the bill you want passed. A couple of weeks later you get an invitation to my fundraiser. I make a comment to you at some point that isn’t quite a quid pro quo, but lets you know that I know who my contributors are. Nothing can get prosecuted.

Example 2: Relatives/friends of the mayor are the winning bidders! The mayor may not have told anyone to help them with the contract. He/She may not even know about it. Underlings just help make sure it happens.

Example 3: You hire my law firm to do real estate tax appeals. I don’t handle the appeals – my partners do. My friends and political supporters are the assessor and on the zoning board of appeals. My partners are really good real estate appeals lawyers and they (almost) always win. You don’t even have to contribute to me, just pay your legal fees. I make contributions to my friends, of course. And if you happen to have other business up before my office/committee, I may remember that you hired me. I may even loudly announce that I recuse myself.

Nothing prosecutable here, folks. Just business as usual. Money flowing into the system. Money elects people who keep the system running. New people get their take for their campaigns.

If a politician is greedy, and/or not very smart, he or she might be so obvious about it that the politician “crosses the line” between legal and illegal, and risk being “caught” and prosecuted.

So, in a way, catching Blago, Ryan, etc., is only catching some of the ones who are most stupid and/or arrogant. It’s not deterring the pros from legal corruption.

But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worthwhile. The public needs to know what goes on. And while the legal corruption is horrible, corrosive, and destructive, the outright bribery and extortion is also bad. Sunlight and bleach need to be used on the system as much as possible. They help a little. But these prosecutions, at best, deter some illegal corruption. They don’t stop the bulk of the legal trading of money for access and governmental contracts and favors that is, at best, a necessary side-effect of our system.

My suggestion is incarceration in state prison:

• elected by their peers
• judged by their peers
• punished with their peers

When I received this invitation from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, I was unsure whether it was just for media or whether the members of the public were invited.

McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi informed me that the pubic is welcome.

So, if you are free Tuesday night, come share the joy of the night.

The Democratic Party candidate for McHenry County Sheriff, Mike Mahon, has sent the following press release:

MAHON NOTES CRIME UP IN MCHENRY, DOWN IN NEIGHBORING COUNTIES
DESPITE HEAVY SPENDING HERE

Candidate for McHenry County Sheriff Mike Mahon Wednesday said that Illinois State Police figures show McHenry County posted an overall increase in indexed crimes from the years 2000 to 2008 while surrounding counties improved their public safety records, some by significant margins.

“Under Sheriff Keith Nygren, McHenry County showed an increase of 141 reported serious crimes in 2008 as opposed to year 2000. Lake County posted a drop of 963 reported crimes over the same years, a drop of almost 6% compared with our increase of 2.5%,”

Mahon said.

“Meanwhile, Kane County went down 24%, almost a quarter of all indexed crimes. Our neighbors seem to know how to reduce crime.

“I wish they would let Sheriff Nygren in on the secret. It can’t just be spending more money, because the Sheriff’s Office budget has ballooned more than 100% in the intervening years.”

The Illinois State Police compiles data on reported crimes. Indexed crimes include Murder, Sexual Assault, Robbery, Assault/Battery, Burglary, Theft, Vehicle Theft and Arson.

According to ISP figures used in a Northern Illinois University statistical catalogue, over the years between 2000 and 2008 (the most recent year available), indexed crimes went down statewide and in many neighboring counties.

• Kane County: down 24%
• DeKalb County: down 12%
• Lee County: down 17%
• Ogle County: down 18%
• DuPage County: down 2%

“The Sheriff is the principal law enforcement officer in the County,” Mahon said.

“While not directly responsible for those crimes committed in various municipalities, he does set the tone for the county as a whole and should be able to identify and marshal resources to combat crime trends.

“If he were doing a better job, we’d be part of this good news, not lagging behind.

“It all points to a failure to effectively target the serious amounts of money the Sheriff’s Office receives from hard-pressed taxpayers.”

My Crystal Lake State Representative Mike Tryon is doing exactly what I would do. He is filling out all sorts of questionnaires and publishing them on his campaign web site.

Here it is the latest one, a comprehensive one from Project Vote Smart:

Project Vote Smart

2010 Illinois State-Level Political Courage Test

Michael W. Tryon

Abortion and Reproductive Issues

Do you consider yourself pro-choice or pro-life?                                                                              Pro-life

Should abortion be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy?    N

Should abortion be legal when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape?   Y

Should abortion be legal when the life of the woman is endangered?    Y

Do you support requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on a minor?    Y

Do you support requiring parental consent before an abortion is performed on a minor?   Y

Do you support sexual education programs that include information on abstinence, contraceptives, and HIV/STD prevention methods?    Y

Do you support abstinence-only sexual education programs?   N

Budget, Spending and Tax Issues

Using the key, indicate what state funding levels (1-6) you support for the following general categories:

1= Greatly Increase                  2= Slightly Increase                  3= Maintain Status

4= Slightly Decrease                 5= Greatly Decrease                 6= Eliminate

Higher Education        3

K-12 Education            3 (a #1 priority, but the system needs reform)

Environment                3

Health Care                   4

Law Enforcement       3

Transportation and Highway Infrastructure    3

Welfare                           3 (the system needs reform)

Alcohol Taxes             3

Cigarette Taxes          3

Corporate Taxes        3

Gasoline Taxes           3

Property Taxes          3 (however, the General Assembly does not control this)

Sales Taxes                  3

Income taxes for low income families                   3

Income taxes for middle income families            3

Income taxes for high income families                 3

Budget Stabilization

Indicate which proposals you support (if any) for balancing Illinois’ budget.

Tapping into Illinois “rainy day” fund                                                Y  (but there isn’t one)

Issuing the early release of certain non-violent offenders         N

Increasing tuition rates at public universities                                 Y (modestly, but only if needed after significant reform of expenditures)

Instituting mandatory furloughs and layoffs for state employees   Y

Reducing benefits for Medicaid recipients                                        Y

Privatizing certain government services                                           Y

Campaign Finance and Government Reform Issues

Do you support eliminating the position of lieutenant governor?                       Y

Do you support limits on the number of terms for Illinois governors?             Y

Do you support limits on the number of terms for Illinois sate legislators?    Y

Do you support limits on the number of terms for the four top legislative leadership positions?           Y

Do you support limits on the following types of contributions to candidates for state government:

Individual                                          Y

Political Action Committee        Y

Corporate                                          Y

Political Party                                  Y (though this could be unconstitutional)

Legislative Leader                         Y

Crime and Public Safety Issues

Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?   Y

Do you support alternatives to incarceration for certain non-violent offenders, such as mandatory counseling or substance abuse treatment?    Y  (I was chief sponsor of a new law that does exactly that for Veterans suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome)

Should the possession of small amounts of marijuana be decriminalized?   N

Should a minor accused of a violent crime be prosecuted as an adult?    N   (but Y is some rare cases)

Should a minor who sends sexually-explicit or nude photos by cell phone face criminal charges?  Y

Do you support requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets?    N

Do you support the enforcement of federal immigration laws by states and local police?   Y

Economic Issues

Do you support reducing government regulation on the private sector?    Y

Should video gambling be legal in Illinois?   Y

Do you support increased state funding for job-training programs that re-train displaced workers?     N (I can not support any increased spending at this time)

Do you support expanding access to unemployment benefits?   N

Do you support providing financial incentives to the private sector for the purpose of job creation?   Y

Do you support increased spending on infrastructure projects for the purpose of job creation?   Y

Do you support providing direct financial assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure?    Y (but no new spending)

Education Issues

Do you support National Education Standards?    N

Do you support requiring public schools to administer high school exit exams?    N

Do you support using a merit pay system for teachers?    Y

Do you support state funding for charter schools?    Y

Do you support the state government providing college students with financial aid?   Y

Should illegal immigrants who graduate from Illinois high schools be eligible for in-state tuition at public universities?    N

Environment and Energy Issues

Do you support state funding for the development of alternative energy?   Y

Do you support state funding for the development of traditional domestic energy sources (like coal, natural gas, oil)?   Y

Do you support providing financial incentives to farms that produce biofuel crops?   N

Do you support state funding for improvements to Illinois’ energy infrastructure?    N

Do you support state funding for open space preservation?   Y

Gun Issues

Do you support restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns?   N

Do you support requiring  a background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows?   Y

Do you support allowing individuals to carry concealed guns?    Y

Do you support requiring a license for gun possession?   N

Health Issues

Do you support a universally-accessible, publicly-administered health insurance option?      N

Do you support expanding access to health care through commercial health insurance reform?    Y

Do you support interstate health insurance compacts?  Y

Should individuals be require3d to purchase health care insurance?   N

Do you support monetary limits on damages that can be collected in malpractice lawsuits?   Y

Do you support legalizing physician-assisted suicide in Illinois?  N

Do you support allowing doctors to prescribe marijuana to their patients for medical purposes?   N

Social Issues

Should marriage only be between one man and one woman?  Y

Do you support state funding for stem cell research?   N

Do you support state funding for embryonic stem cell research?   N

Do you support the state’s use of affirmative action?  Y

Do you support the inclusion of sexual orientation in Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws?  N

Do you support the inclusion of gender identity in Illinois’ anti-discrimination laws?   N

Legislative Priorities (100 words or less)

Illinois is facing its worst economic crisis in the State’s history.

While the private sector is contracting due to the current economy, state government continues to expand.

Difficult decisions need to be made to reign in spending, but the leadership in Springfield is unwilling to make them.

Additionally, state government needs to be more transparent so that citizens have easy access to learning how their taxes are being spent. Lastly, ethics reform must be a priority.

Corruption in Illinois must end and significant reforms in the area of ethics are needed to restore Illinoisans’ faith in their government.

Considering people in most counties voted Republican, I guess it’s not much of a surprise that the National Sheriffs’ Association passed a resolution in favor of ridding their jurisdictions of illegal aliens who are criminals.

The end of June, at which time McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren was about to complete his department’s third month in the program, the following resolution in favor of the ICE Secure Communities program, was passed in San Diego.

During April, May and June, Nygren process 116 criminal illegal aliens through the McHenry County Jail.

NATIONAL SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS U.S. IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT (ICE) CRIMINAL ALIEN ENFORCEMENT PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has implemented Secure Communities and 287(g) Delegation of Authority among the portfolio of enforcement programs to accurately and efficiently identify and remove criminal aliens from the United States;

WHEREAS, sheriffs generally serve as chief law enforcement officers sworn to uphold public safety with integrity and protect its communities, resulting in the support of prioritizing high risk criminal alien enforcement;

WHEREAS, Secure Communities, through improved technology, continual data analysis, and timely information sharing with a broad range of law enforcement agency partners, helps protect communities across the country at no cost to the sheriff’s office;

WHEREAS, Immigration and Nationality Act, Section 287(g), authorizes state and local law enforcement agencies (LEA) to enter into a partnership with ICE, under a joint Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), to receive delegated authority for immigration enforcement in their jurisdictions through technical equipment and personnel, comprehensive federal immigration law training, and on-the-job technical instruction, under ICE supervision;

WHEREAS, Secure Communities and 287(g) programs complement each other by utilizing biometric and biographic data to detect criminal aliens to ensure both an ICE officer presence and technological advances are used in tandem, supplementing each other;

WHEREAS, both programs are considered force multipliers toward a common law enforcement goal of identifying, detaining, and removing high-risk criminals for the safety of communities across the country;

WHEREAS, while these programs promote and enhance information sharing among federal, state and local law enforcement to quickly and accurately identify criminal aliens, ICE retains the responsibility of enforcing U.S. immigration laws and taking appropriate action;

WHEREAS, both Secure Communities and 287(g) promote consistency ensuring that state and local law enforcement partners have access to pertinent DHS records that are critical to the safety of, and enforcement of laws that protect the citizens we are sworn to serve; National Sheriffs’ Association 2010 Resolutions

WHEREAS, both Secure Communities and 287(g) programs are committed to upholding civil rights and civil liberties and have safeguards in place to protect against racial or ethnic profiling;

NOW, BE IT RESOLVED, the National Sheriffs’ Association supports ICE’s programs to effectively and accurately identify and remove criminal aliens from the U.S.;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the National Sheriffs’ Association reaffirms its support for ICE’s collaboration with federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement to help protect our communities and nation.

Adopted at a Meeting of the General Membership in Anaheim, CA on June 29, 2010.

A new blog has been started called,

“DIRTY KEITH vs. DIRTY HARRY.”

Woodstock Advocate broke the story yesterday.  Its author, Gus Philpott, is running against Nygren on the Green Party ticker.  Zane Seipler has announced his candidacy against Nygren in the Republican primary.

“‘Dirty Keith vs. Dirty Harry’ will provide riveting real life photographs and stories as they relate to crime in McHenry County,” the author writes.

Here’s the first part of the blog:

The all capital letter sentences are on the blog. As you know, I don’t put all letters in caps. They are too hard to read.