McHenry County Blog

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren got a headline saying he was in favor of a concealed carry law in today’s Northwest Herald, as you can see below.

Headline: "Sheriff Nygren supports concealed carry law."

I’d try to find the NW Herald article that I believe quoted a Crystal Lake Police Chief Keith Nygren as being against concealed carry in the 1990’s, but, with the NW Herald charging for its archives, that’s expecting too much. (And I didn’t buy today’s paper. I’m a second hand user.)

Beyond what I remember as a flip-flop from when I was state representative, Woodstock Advocate writer and Green Party sheriff’s candidate against Nygren, Gus Philpott, wrote in a comment about Nygren’s speech to the McHenry County Concealed Carry Association that

“Nygren was at the meeting and presented the position of the Illinois Sheriffs’ Association, which is to support concealed carry; however, at no point did Nygren ever say that HE supports concealed carry.

“What’s your position, Keith?”

It appears that question has been answered in today’s NW Herald.

But, as they say, actions speak louder than words.

Democratic Party challenger Mike Mahon points out that Nygren will not let about 230 his own trained and certified employees carry their weapons when off duty.

You know how you hear about off-duty Chicago policemen interrupting crimes while on their own time. They have guns.

Back when I was state representative, I was told of an Illinois Department of Corrections Office who was shot after he got off work by a gang banger friend of one of the inmates at either Joliet or Stateville prisons.

Illinois stupidly does not allow correctional officers to take their weapons home to defend themselves with. They have to lock them up in the prison. They can’t even have their own guns in the prison parking lot.

The result was that one correctional officer died on his way home to his Chicago neighborhood.

I introduced a bill, got it out of committee and to the House floor to rectify that situation. No help from the Illinois State Rifle Association. The legislation would have allowed correctional officers, both state and county, plus retired law enforcement officers, to carry handguns while not on the job.

My logic was that there would be that many more good guys on the street should some gang banger or crook or just plain nutcase decides to do something in their presence.

The State Rifle Association sat on its hands as a drunken Peoria area Democratic state representative took aim after a well-lubricated dinner.

The ISRA didn’t want any bill passed unless everyone was included.

And my bill lost.

Now, Mahon is calling out Nygren about allowing his own jailers and other trained and certified employees to be armed while off duty.

“Let them carry weapons while off the job,” Mahon is, in effect, saying.

“The community will be safer and you won’t be subject to the charge of being a hypocrite.”

I repeat, those were not Mahon’s words. You can read his words in his press release below:

The following statement was released Tuesday by McHenry County Sheriff candidate Mike Mahon:

Mike Mahon

“I find it interesting that Sheriff (Keith) Nygren has appeared to have gotten religion recently with respect to ‘concealed carry,’ when in fact he has had the capability to reinforce crime fighting in McHenry County for over a decade and has refused to do so.“

I am speaking of the over 230 trained McHenry County correctional and court security officers and process servers whose ability to carry firearms outside of the scope of their official duties has been denied by the same Sheriff Nygren who now states, according to a Northwest Herald article published March 2, 2010, that ‘when something happens to you or your family…the likelihood that there will be a policeman standing next to you is probably not very great’ and therefore that ‘private citizens who have guns could prove especially helpful in circumstances in which police were not instantly at the scene of an incident.’

“Now that the issue of concealed carry in Illinois might be getting some traction, Sheriff Nygren seems to be signaling some lukewarm support.

“But for years and years he could have permitted his officers, who have all completed the State of Illinois Law Enforcement mandatory firearms training course, who work for his office and whom he could keep a close eye on, to carry firearms not only as they travel to and from work but also when off-duty and in the community.

“The list of mass killings like Columbine, Virginia Tech and, closer to home, Northern Illinois University, unfortunately continues to lengthen. An off-duty officer in Utah was instrumental in halting an incident there within the last several years.

“But in McHenry County the additional cavalry are unarmed.

“I, for one, will be far more ready to believe in Sheriff Nygren’s new-found conversion to concealed carry if he immediately lifts his own restriction on the sworn, trained, and certified officers under his command.

“I will also ensure the people of McHenry County that one of my first acts as Sheriff, after a thorough review of personnel records, will be to allow the sworn and trained officers of the Sheriff’s department to carry their firearms off duty.

“This will instantly put hundreds more trained and vetted public servants on the street during their off-duty hours which will therefore bring a higher level of public safety to all citizens of the county.”

For more information contact the Mike Mahon for Sheriff Campaign at 847.515.4772.

= = = = =

I will again point out that there was a woman who had Armed Forces training who was sitting in the front of the NIU auditorium when the massacre occurred.   She could have taken out the little squirrel who did the shooting from the stage, but, instead, she got killed.

NIU is what my campaign manager for governor (when I ran in 2002) called “a protection free zone.”

One more thing.  In John Lott’s “More Guns, Less Crime,” he points out the harder laws make it for people to obtain their own personal protection in the form of a gun, the less likely it is for those people really in need of such protection will be able to qualify.

So, if you want to discriminate against inner city residents, make the hurdles high.

McHenry County Undersheriff Gene Lowery, the man selected by Crystal Lake to be its new deputy police chief, will be honored at a retirement party in Union April 9th.

The details, obtained from the McHenry County Republican Central Committee, are below:

Lowery’s county salary is $136,544.

Vince Gaddis

The McHenry County College Student Peace Action Network continues to bring provocative programs to Crystal Lake.

The next one will be bout privatized prisons, to be held on March 4th.

I wonder if the local version of this phenomenon will be discussed.

What’s that?

The Sheriff’s Department’s making money by housing illegal immigrants on the top floor of the county jail.

The press release is below:

MCC’S STUDENT PEACE GROUP TO HOST EVENT

ON PRISON INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX

[Feb. 23, 2010.Crystal Lake, IL]  The McHenry County College Student Peace Action Network (SPAN) will host an informational seminar featuring Dr. Vincent Gaddis on March 4th, 2010 at 7:00pm in the College’s Conference Center.  The event is titled

“The United States: Leading Jailer of the World.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the United States incarcerates more people than any country in the world, including the far more populous nation of China.  In 2008, the American penal system held more than 2.3 million adults, China was second with 1.5 million and Russia a distant third.

The United States leads not only by the sheer number of inmates but in the rate at which it incarcerates its citizenry, outpacing nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia.  In Germany, 93 people are in prison for every 100,000 adults and children whereas in the United States, the rate is eight times higher or 750 per 100,000.

As incredible as it sounds, 1 in 100 adults are now locked up in America and for Hispanic and black men, imprisonment is far more prevalent.  Dr. Gaddis will analyze the structural flaws within our system that lead to these astounding statistics.

Imprisonment has become the answer to many of the social problems rooted in poverty.

The practice of locking up the poor from racially marginalized communities has become big business.

What once was considered government work has increasingly been turned over to private contractors, creating a monstrous “prison industrial complex” whose profit depends on people to punish.

Dr Gaddis calls for a revolution – “a revolution in values.”  He persuasively argues that what we need is not new prisons, but a powerful movement for social transformation in health care, housing, education, drug programs, jobs, and education.

The event is part of SPAN’s Current American Issues Information Seminar Series. SPAN is made up of students promoting peace nationally and locally through action and education. The event is co-sponsored by Pax Christi and the McHenry County Peace Coalition. The event is free and open to the public.

The college is located at 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14, Crystal Lake.  For more information, contact the MCC Student Activities Office at (815) 455-8772.

Yesterday, you saw the joint booth for Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks and Republican State Senator Pam Althoff.  See

“What’s Wrong with this Picture?”

Continuing my tour of the McHenry Business Expo held at McHenry West High School concurrent with a McHenry Marlin swim meet, I found the booth of the Democratic Party challenger for McHenry County Sheriff, Mike Mahon.

McHenry County Mike Mahon's McHenry Business Expo Booth

I took this picture. “Where was the candidate?” I wondered.

Then I saw him.

Mike Mahon talking to two supporters at the Expo.

Not standing behind his booth table, but actually out campaigning, just as Franks was went I walked by.

Having not met, I introduced myself, we shook hands and he was off to shake more voters’ hands.

Mike Mahon shaking has with a potential constituent.

As I walked down the aisle, I found a booth sponsored by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department.

McHenry County Sheriff's booth.

But, Keith Nygren was not there. in his place was a uniformed deputy.

The press release from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office shows that the campaign against drunk drivers in this area is going full speed ahead.

SIXTH TIME DUI OFFENDER SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS PRISON

Louis A. Bianchi, McHenry County State’s Attorney, is pleased to announce that Kevin M. O’Reilly was sentenced to 7 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections as a result of his sixth DUI violation.

The defendant was previously found guilty by a McHenry County Jury following a three day trial.

Testimony at the trial revealed that a McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputy was traveling southbound on East Wonder Lake Road in Wonder Lake when he observed the defendant’s truck weaving and traveling northbound in his lane of traffic.

The squad car was forced off the highway in order to avoid a collision.  O’Reilly refused to submit to field sobriety tests and a breathalyzer.  During a search of the Defendant’s vehicle, police discovered a water bottle that smelled of alcohol.

During the sentencing hearing, Assistant State’s Attorney Ryan Blackney introduced evidence of a 2005 DUI arrest showing that the defendant was involved in a crash resulting in an injured passenger.

Evidence at the hearing also demonstrated that the defendant had never spent any time in jail as a result of his prior DUI offenses.  Mr. Blackney asked that the defendant be sentenced to between 10 – 15 years in the Department of Corrections.  Assistant State’s Attorney Michael Combs also assisted in the Jury Trial.

The rumor during the primary campaign for sheriff was the Keith Nygren would win another term, but not serve it.

His replacement would be Under Sheriff Gene Lowery.

After the primary, the rumors started circulating that Lowery would be named Deputy Chief of the Crystal Lake Police Department.

And, that’s what happened.

At tonight’s city council meeting, Crystal Lake Mayor Aaron Shepley followed up on the press release below by saying,

“After a very (extensive) search to replace retired Deputy Police Chief Dennis Harris, we’re happy to announce that Gene Lowery from the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department has been selected as Deputy Chief.

“I know Mr. Lowery personally and, frankly, I couldn’t be any happier. I can’t wait for him to start.”

Chief Dave Linder has maximized his pension benefits, but told me he has no plans to retire.

Below is the city’s press release:

New Deputy Police Chief Appointed

Crystal Lake – The Crystal Lake Police Department is pleased to announce the appointment of Eugene E. Lowery to the position of Deputy Police Chief.  Mr. Lowery will fill the position left vacant by Deputy Chief Dennis Harris, who retired on January 29th after 27 years with the Crystal Lake Police Department.

Having served as the Undersheriff of McHenry County since 2003, Mr. Lowery joins the department with a wealth of knowledge and a comprehensive understanding of the public safety needs of the McHenry County and Crystal Lake area.

With a strong educational background that includes a Masters degree in Law Enforcement Administration and extensive experience as a law enforcement executive, Deputy Chief Lowery will join the Department on March 29th, 2010.

Chief David R. Linder is pleased to welcome Deputy Chief Lowery to Crystal Lake and he looks forward to the many contributions that he will make to our organization.

West Elementary School, Crystal Lake, Illinois

Parents of District 47 children are receiving phone calls about an attempted abduction of a 9-year old girl at the corner of Briarwood and North Avenue on the west end of Crystal Lake.

The girl was walking to school when a 20-40 year old male with tan skin and dark brown hair asked her if she wanted a ride to school.

She said, “No,” and ran down the street several blocks to West Elementary School.

The intersection of Briarwood and North Avenue long after the 13 police officers, mainly Sheriff's Deputies, had left.

The man, driving a tan 4-door sedan, was described as wearing as clean shaven and wearing not glasses or jewelry.

The abduction attempt occurred between 8:35 and 8:47 AM.

Lori Parrish, the Crystal Lake Grade School Communications Director, made the phone call. She asked that parents discuss with their children the problem of “stranger danger.”

No wonder so many parents insist on driving their children to and from school.

= = = = =
Apparently, the crime took place outside of Crystal Lake’s city limits, because the Crystal Lake Police Department is reporting that the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department has primary jurisdiction.

When I took the photos I measured the distance from North Avenue to the school.  It was two-tenths of a mile.

Considering the front page story in the Northwest Herald last week about there being one supervisor for every three deputies, I thought readers might be interested in what the supervisors get paid.

The following information was obtained through a Freedom of Information request from the Sheriff’s Department by challenger Zane Seipler’s campaign. It is posted at his secondary web site, MCSDExposed (for “McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Exposed,” I guess), but is no longer on its front page.

The 2009 Wage Report for MCSD was provided today via FOIA request. Keith Nygren’s salary was $149,259.32, a $5000 increase from last year. Listed below are the twenty four other deputy supervisors and the EEO.

• Under Sheriff Eugene Lowery $136,544.37
• Sergeant Porfirio Campos-Cruz $83,461.62
• Lieutenant Donald Carlson $97,580.59
• Sergeant Duane Cedegren $93,544.91
• Sergeant Michael Cisner $98,137.88
• Captain Anton Cundiff $107,519.33
• Sergeant Alex Embry $89,513.35
• Sergeant Karen Groves $87,891.53
• Sergeant Carolyn Hubbard $89,573.22
• Sergeant Donald Kalenick $85,544.37
• Sergeant John Koziol $99,558.30
• Lieutenant William Lutz $99,363.05
• Lieutenant John Miller $105,141.26
• Sergeant Kenneth Nielsen $92,378.49
• Sergeant Daniel Patenaud $88,171.19
• Sergeant Anthony Penna $98,320.79
• Sergeant James Popovits $101,143.16
• Sergeant Greg Pyle $94,183.61
• Sergeant Daniel Reineking $98,510.24
• Sergeant Steve Schmitt $90,072.54
• EEO Kathleen Seith $93,276.86
• Captain David Shepherd $120,966.40
• Sergeant James Wagner $92,968.84
• Lieutenant Andrew Zinke $103,835.64

Summary:

• 17 supervisors increased there yearly income, 7 decreased or remained the same.
• Largest increases in yearly salary goes to Lowery +$10,000, Shepherd +$12,000 and Embry +$15,000
• Largest decreases in yearly salary goes to Cedegren -$4,000 and Carlson -$3,000

McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren

Zane Seipler, challenging Keith Nygren for Sheriff

With the recusal of Judge Michael Caldwell from the case resulting from GOP primary candidate Zane Seipler’s requesting a special prosecutor to look into the alleged use of taxpayer money and resources to advance the campaign of McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren, the next court date has been set for May 14th.

So much for my belief that there would be a dismissal before the election.

Seipler is seeking essentially what Dan Regna requested and got when he charged that McHenry County State’s Attorney Lou Bianchi had used his office for political purposes—the naming of a special prosecutor to determine whether or not McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren used his office for political purposes.

Strangely, a copy of the court order was also sent to Diane L. Saltoun, Office of Executive Inspector General.

Could that mean there is a state government angle?

Maybe with Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s refusal to take any action?

Keith Nygren

Zane Seipler

McHenry County Sheriff candidate Zane Seipler is levying the same charge against his opponent Keith Nygren that Nygren’s candidate for State’s Attorney Dan Regna made against Lou Bianchi:

Using his office for political gain

Here are the details from the affidavit he filed today in McHenry County Circuit Court:

Now comes the Petitioner, Zane Seipler of 1455 Fox Sedge Trail, Woodstock, a citizen of the State of Illinois and a resident of McHenry County and moves this Honorable Court to appoint a Special Prosecutor in the above captioned matter, and in support thereof states as follows:

That Keith Nygren is Sheriff of McHenry County.

That he has performed political activity within his office and while purporting to be within his official duties as Sheriff, constituting a violation of Official Misconduct in violation of Illinois law, Chapter 720 ILCS 5/33-3(b) and (c), State of Illinois Ethics Code, the McHenry County Ethics Ordinance and other laws of the State of Illinois.

That he directed deputies to perform political activities while being paid by McHenry County and during purported times of “official duties”, constituting a violation of Official Misconduct in violation of Illinois law, ILCS 5/33-3(b) and (c), Illinois law 10 ILCS 5/9-25.1, State of Illinois Ethics Code, the McHenry County Ethics Ordinance and other laws of the State of Illinois.

That the State’s Attorney for McHenry County represents Sheriff Keith Nygren and cannot examine, investigate or otherwise initiate a prosecution of Sheriff Keith Nygren because doing so is and apparent conflict of interest.

( See attachment “1” [above, click to enlarge.])

The State’s Attorney for McHenry County cannot prosecute Sheriff Keith Nygren.

That in support thereof, Petitioner attaches hereto and as a part of this petition, his Sworn Affidavit.

WHEREFORE, the Petitioner respectfully requests that this Honorable Court appoint a Special Prosecutor to investigate allegations of criminal wrongdoing by Sheriff Keith Nygren.
By:_____________________________
Petitioner-Zane R. Seipler

What is the evidenced presented?

Sheriff Keith Nygren poses for campaign photo with Dan Regna, the candidate whom he supported against fellow incumbent Republican McHenry County State's Attorney Lou Bianchi two years ago in the Republican primary election.

“Sheriff Keith Nygren used his taxpayer funded county office as a photo shoot setting to provide political support to Dan Regna, 2008 State’s Attorney Candidate.

Second example presented by Sheriff candidate Zane Seipler that McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren used his office to advance the political career of Dan Regna, whom Nygren endorsed for McHenry County State's Attorney two years ago.

“The photos taken were used for Dan Regna’s political campaign website and campaign newspaper ads.”

Here’s another bit of personal testimony from Seipler about being approached for a campaign contribution at the gun range. A quid pro quo was suggested, he says under oath:

“On October 11, 2007, I was a candidate for promotion and while on duty attending a training session at the McHenry County Sheriff’s Departments firing range (Hartland Township), I was approached by Detective Greg Pyle. Detective Pyle encouraged me to attend a fundraiser for political candidate Dan Regna and to support his campaign. Detective Pyle told me,

‘It would be good for your career.‘

Detective Pyle said this to several deputies; Detective Pyle was promoted shortly thereafter.”

Use of the official star used by the department is also presented as evidence that Nygren did something wrong.

The seven pointed McHenry County Sheriff's Police star is apparently the official star for the department. Seipler says that is improper on a campaign piece like this one about Nygren

“Sheriff Keith Nygren is using official departmental letterhead and star logo on his campaign letters, flyers and political paraphernalia. (See attachments 1, 2 3 and 4 for examples of official departmental letterhead and star logo) (See attachments 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 for campaign use of official departmental letterhead and star logo)”

Continuing, the affidavit says,

“Sheriff Keith Nygren’s deputy and security guard, Michael Cooper, was in possession of documents stolen from the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office. (See attachment 12 , Illinois State Police Freedom of Information Request) To the best of my knowledge Sheriff Nygren never conducted an internal investigation to determine if Deputy Cooper did not commit the crimes of Theft and Official Misconduct, nor did Sheriff Nygren ask an independent police agency to conduct an investigation.”

This makes it look as if the probe of Lou Bianchi’s alleged political use of office resources might intersect with any investigation of Nygren’s actions.

Display of Regna campaign literature in the Sheriff’s Office is another complaint Seipler makes:

“During the State’s Attorney’s race of 2008, I witnessed Dan Regna campaign flyers being displayed in the McHenry County Sheriff’s Department patrol room.”

I remember campaigning for State Comptroller in courthouses Downstate in 1982. I was surprised to find candidate literature on the counter of one Republican official’s office somewhere southwest of Springfield. It also reminds me of how Julie Covert took down a sign for a State’s Attorney running for re-election which was posted on the front lawn of the courthouse, which was on the Woodstock Square at the time. A sheriff’s deputy followed her out of town. Someone called her husband Ben and warned him. I can’t remember what I was told he said, but, knowing Julie, it was probably something along the lines of “What do you want me to do about it?” Julie was always and still is a strong-willed woman.

You know those deputies at the McHenry County Courthouse who are charged with ensuring the premises is secure? Take a real of the next paragraph:

This is the “paraphernalia” confiscated from a person named in the affidavit when he entered the courthouse. The Sheriff's deputy who supposedly took the cards is reported to have said the building was “Keith Nygren’s Courthouse.”

“On August 31, 2009, a McHenry County resident, Keith Simpson of 1415 Fox Sedge Trail, Woodstock, was harassed and humiliated at the McHenry County Courthouse by deputies. Mr. Simpson’s personal belongings were seized unjustly. The belongings in question were political business cards with my contact information on them. Mr. Simpson was told by deputies that the cards were ‘paraphernalia’ and that the building was ‘Keith Nygren’s Courthouse.’ Mr. Simpson was attending a court hearing and just happened to have the cards in his possession at the time.”

If accurate, is that over the line or what?