McHenry County Blog

From the Cary Police Department:

The Cary Police Department announces ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign numbers

[Cary, IL] — The Cary Police Department today announced it issued 10 citations during the recent Memorial Day “Click It or Ticket” enforcement period.

“Through the Memorial Day enforcement campaign, we helped make Illinois roads safer and spread the word that seat belts and child safety restraints save lives,” said Deputy Chief Christopher Winkelmann.

While Illinois’ 2022 seat belt compliance rate was 93%, unbelted occupants still account for more than half of those killed in traffic crashes. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign aims to change the behavior of the millions of people who don’t buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every vehicle occupant was properly restrained when traveling.

During the enforcement period, the Cary Police Department wrote 4 citations for seat belt violations and took the following additional actions:

• 2 cellphone violation citations
• 4 speeding citations

The Illinois “Click It or Ticket” campaign is administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation with federal highway safety funds.

From the Crystal Lake Police:

Crystal Lake Police Department announces ‘Click It or Ticket’ campaign numbers

Crystal Lake, IL – The Crystal Lake Police Department today announced it issued 36 citations during the recent Memorial Day “Click It or Ticket” enforcement period.

While Illinois’ 2022 seat belt compliance rate was 93%, unbelted occupants still account for more than half of those killed in traffic crashes. The “Click It or Ticket” campaign aims to change the behavior of the millions of people who do not buckle up. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if every vehicle occupant was properly restrained when traveling.

During the enforcement period, the Crystal Lake Police Department wrote 5 citations for seat belt violations and took additional enforcement actions which included the following:

• 1 arrest for DUI-Alcohol and DUI-BAC over .08
• 18 citations for Distracted Driving
• 4 citations for Speeding
• 2 citations for Improper Lane Usage
• 2 citations for Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle

The Illinois “Click It or Ticket” campaign is administered by the Illinois Department of
Transportation with federal highway safety funds.

Found on Capitol Fax:

Bonus | Illinois Passes Bill Allowing Casinos to Hire People with Felony Convictions:

The bill also gives the gaming board the power to review each licensee and refuse a permit to anyone deemed a threat to the state’s public interests or gaming integrity. IGB will consider the time since conviction, the number and severity of the charges, and more when deciding.

From the DeKalb Chronical by way of Capitol Fax:

“…consider House Bill 2910, which advanced out of committee (Transportation: Regulations, Roads & Bridges) on a 16-0 vote before failing 6-97-1 on March 23 in the full chamber. State Rep. Jawaharial Williams, D-Chicago, filed the bill in February hoping to amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to make it illegal to hold an animal while driving. The penalty would be a $50 fine.

“Two Democratic suburban lawmakers signed on as co-sponsors: state Reps. Joyce Mason, Gurnee, and Suzanne Ness, Crystal Lake, and although the measure failed, the logic is sound: there are several distracted driving laws on the books and none explicitly mentions pets. The debate on cellphone use behind the wheel is settled, statutorily, but no one has explained why skipping to the next song on your playlist is inherently more dangerous than the Pomeranian between you and the steering wheel…”

Synopsis As Introduced

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides that a person shall not hold an animal in the person’s lap while operating a motor vehicle. Provides that a person who holds an animal in the person’s lap while operating a motor vehicle is guilty of a petty offense and is subject to a fine of $50. Provides that a law enforcement officer shall not search or inspect a motor vehicle, its contents, the driver, or a passenger solely because the driver holds an animal on the lap or is suspected of doing so. Makes a corresponding change in the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.

The Roll Call is below. Not that Ness voted against the bill she co-sponsored.

From the U.S. Attornmey:

Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing Girl to Produce Sexually Explicit Photos 

CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for enticing a 14-year-old girl to produce sexually explicit photos of herself and a younger sibling.

BRANDON T. HANAHAN, 26, of Bridgeview, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal child pornography charges.  U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the sentence Wednesday after a hearing in federal court in Chicago.

Hanahan admitted in a plea agreement that in 2016 he communicated on Instagram with the 14-year-old girl and enticed her to take sexually explicit photos of herself and send them to him. 

Over the next several months, Hanahan repeatedly instructed and enticed the girl, who lived in California, to send him explicit photographs. 

Hanahan also repeatedly asked the girl to send him sexually explicit photos of the girl’s younger sister, who was less than ten years old at the time. 

The 14-year-old girl complied with Hanahan’s requests and sent him numerous photographs of herself and the sibling via Instagram private messaging.

Law enforcement searched Hanahan’s residence and discovered more than 200 images of child pornography on his electronic devices.

The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago.  Valuable assistance was provided by the Orange County, Calif., Child Exploitation Task Force and the Santa Ana, Calif., Police Department.  The government was represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Malgorzata Tracz Kozaka.

If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678.  The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

From State Rep.Suzanne Ness:

Ness, Moeller Secure Remaining $12.5 million for Longmeadow Parkway Bridge

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake, alongside State Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin successfully secured the remaining balance of $12.5 million to go towards the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge thereby eliminating the need for tolling.

Kane County officials were able to secure an additional $5 million toward the costs of the bridge.

“I made a promise to the people of my district that this bridge would not become a toll bridge.

“We’ve needed another way of passage across the Fox River and it would be wrong to ask working families to pay more than they already do just to go to work, get groceries, or take kids to a sports field.” said Ness.

The Longmeadow Parkway Bridge Corridor spans 5.6 miles and covers Algonquin, Carpentersville, East Dundee and West Dundee.

The need for the bridge was first identified in the 1970s to address the needs of an ever-growing population; however, the engineering did not begin until the 1990s.

The concept of tolling was developed in 2007 as a means to close the large funding gap that prevented the start of construction.

“I joined Rep. Ness in fighting for funding in the state capital bill for fiscal year 2023 and again this year that will help Kane County retire the bonds and reduce or eliminate the planned toll.

“This is an important priority that will create jobs and reduce congestion for all Kane County
residents.” said Moeller.

Upon its completion, the Longmeadow Parkway Bridge is expected to relieve congested traffic corridors on Illinois Route 62 and 72, improve overall road safety, as well as increase accessibility to local businesses.

“As we were told last year, because the bridge is not anticipated to be completed until 2024, we were able to break up the amount needed to complete the bridge and have time to secure funding which fulfills a promise and eliminates the need for a toll. I want to thank in particular Chairwoman Peirog for her efforts in helping us get this done. She has been a great local partner.”

That’s what WGN-TV was reporting yesterday afternoon:

This despite public contributions to three GoFundMe appeals:

Major contributors follow:

• Anonymous
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From Wirepoints, reprinted with permission:

Wirepoints CrimeTracker Weekly Report

Pritzker-Johnson Peacekeeping Effort Fails Chicagoans

CHICAGO – Wirepoints Crime Tracker has been updated for the week of May 22-May 28. Over Memorial Day weekend alone, 12 people were killed and 48 wounded in Chicago. Overall, crime in the city is up 49% over the same 7 days in 2022 and up 34% over the same 28 days in 2022. Over the course of the week, Chicago also saw:

• 17 Homicides, a 21% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and an 11% increase over the same 28 days in 2022
• 47 Criminal Sexual Assaults, a 15% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and a 9% increase over the same 28 days in 2022
• 225 Robberies, a 28% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and a 16% increase over the same 7 days in 2022
• 144 reports of Aggravated Battery, a 25% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and a 4% increase over the same 28 days in 2022
• 161 Burglaries, a 19% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and a 2% increase over the same 28 days in 2022
• 417 reports of Theft, a 9% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and a 5% increase over the same 28 days in 2022 
• 619 reports of Motor Vehicle Theft, a 167% increase over the same 7 days in 2022; and a 137% increase over the same 28 days in 2022 

Memorial Day weekend was an important test of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s controversial crime policies. The mayor even received support from like-minded Governor Pritzker, who decided to roll out the “yellow vest Peacekeepers” program to patrol the streets. The Peacekeepers would prove you didn’t need police to maintain security or law and order. You just needed cool heads and soft voices.

Despite the effort, it ended up being the deadliest Memorial Day weekend that Chicago has seen since 2016. 

Found on Steven Morre’s Unleash Prosperity Hotline #782 is this report of what Democrats in the New York legislature are doing to please its teachers union:

NY Democrats Cap Charter Schools Even As Minority Families Fill Them

From The New York Post:

Two-thirds of District 5’s elementary and middle schoolers, and 57% of students there overall, have spurned failing and dangerous Department of Education-run schools, making the district the only one of 32 in New York City where a majority of kids attend a publicly funded, privately run charter school.

“We’re so miserable,” Mariama, a junior at the DOE’s Frederick Douglass Academy in East Harlem told The Post. “Please help us!”

But the stark enrollment imbalance has now made District 5 the target of a poison-pill rule in the new state budget barring new charters in any such district.

Under Gov. Hochul’s April budget deal, no new charter schools can be placed in any district that already enrolls more than 55% of its students in the alternative learning institutions.

This is a stunningly idiotic policy!

In other words, if over half the parents think the local public schools are rotten, and they prefer charter schools – Hochul says many kids must be forced to attend the bad schools.

Why don’t they just shut down every failed school?

Remember: this is Harlem, with predominantly black families.

It’s hard for us to conceive of a more racist policy than this. 

From the State’s Attorney:

McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office Creates Crimes Against Children Task Force

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office is proud to announce the formation of the Crimes Against Children Task Force. 

This task force was created by the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office in conjunction with 20 local McHenry County police departments to ensure the most thorough and comprehensive investigations for reports of physical or sexual abuse to a child.

Child abuse can be one of the most difficult crimes to investigate and prosecute. 

This crime is often committed behind closed doors, without any independent witnesses. 

The victims are our most vulnerable and helpless members of society who often have a difficult time disclosing abuse. 

Due to this, these investigations not only require an extraordinary amount of time, but also investigators with a specialized knowledge and skillset.

With the creation of this task force, all reports of child abuse within the 20 participating jurisdictions will be turned over to this specialized unit comprised of investigators who are highly trained and experienced in child abuse investigations. 

The task force’s time will be solely dedicated to investigating these offenses and pursuing justice on behalf of these victims.

Amy Bucci has been appointed as the Director and Lead Investigator of the Crimes Against Children Task Force. 

Amy brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to her new position, having previously served as a police officer for the Algonquin Police Department over 26 years. 

Since being trained as a forensic interviewer in 2009, Amy has investigated countless cases involving child abuse. 

Aside from being a forensic interviewer, Amy is a state-certified instructor for sexual assault investigations and a former President of the McHenry County Juvenile Association. 

Amy is also a McHenry County Investigations Assistance Team (MIAT) investigator and a McHenry County Human Trafficking Task Force investigator.

Jason Greenwald has also been appointed as an Investigator with the Crimes Against Children Task Force.  Jason also brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to his new position, having previously served as a police officer for 24 years, most recently with the Johnsburg Police Department.

At the Johnsburg Police Department, Jason served as a detective who investigated all types of criminal offenses, including child abuse. 

Jason has been a Juvenile Officer since 2000 and a school resource officer since 2019.  Jason has received specialized training related to investigations involving children, including but not limited to, training in Child Abuse and Neglect, missing and endangered children, sexual assault investigator training, trauma informed responses to sexual assault and abuse, and cybercrimes.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office has assigned an Assistant State’s Attorney to work with the task force.  This prosecutor will work daily with the task force to assist in reviewing investigations, providing input regarding follow up or investigative leads and deciding if criminal charges are appropriate.

The McHenry County Child Advocacy Center has generously allowed the task force to work at their facility. 

In addition to providing advocacy services, the Child Advocacy Center currently assists all local law enforcement agencies and DCFS by conducting child-sensitive, forensic interviews of children. 

Housing the task force at the CAC will help create a true multi-disciplinary team approach to all task force investigations. 

The task force will work with the CAC to provide comprehensive support and services to children who have been victims of abuse.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office recognizes the magnitude of child abuse cases and is committed to bringing perpetrators to justice while providing support and care for the children affected.

The Crimes Against Children Task Force is a significant step towards achieving this goal. The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office would like to thank the following police agencies for their participating in such a groundbreaking task force for this community: Barrington Hills Police Department, Bull Valley Police Department, Cary Police Department, Crystal Lake Park District Police Department, Fox River Grove Police Department, Hebron Police Department, Holiday Hills Police Department, Island Lake Police Department, Johnsburg Police Department, Lakemoor Police Department, Lakewood Police Department, Marengo Police Department, McHenry County College Police Department, McHenry County Conservation District Police Department, Oakwood Hills Police Department, Prairie Grove Police Department, Richmond Police Department, Spring Grove Police Department, Union Police Department and the Wonder Lake Police Department.

The McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office would also like to thank the McHenry County Child Advocacy Center for their continued support and cooperation in not only the creation of this task force but the overall pursuit of justice for victims of child abuse.