September Coffee with the Chief

Chief Lowen of the Woodstock Police Department held his monthly Coffee with the Chief this evening. Featured was Beat 23, the southwest quadrant of the four beats of the P.D. Officers Dan Henry, Fred Eiselstein and Shane Marshall provided information and answered questions during the 90-minute program.

Questions were raised about joggers running in the street where sidewalks are available and loose dogs on streets and in City parks.

One officer commented on some of the excuses given to him as to why runners used the street; last month (August) one runner told him that she ran in the street because she didn't want to run in snow on the sidewalk! Other runners blamed cracks in sidewalks, and one man said the sidewalk was too hard. Duhhh..... Harder than the street?

The Illinois Vehicle Code covers this exact problem. "625 ILCS 5/11-1007. 'Pedestrian walking on highways. (a) Where a sidewalk is provided and its use is practicable, it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along or upon an adjacent roadway.'" The officer mentioned this law, and I would like to suggest it be applied. Have a reporter ride with an officer on a Sunday morning and write a story about the runners and joggers. Photograph them. Report their names. Watch the officer issue the tickets. Follow the story to the courthouse and report the fines and court costs.

OK, so give one written warning to a runner. Only one. Next time? He gets a ticket. And the next time, too. Every time.

One man asked about loose dogs with runners and in parks. Woodstock has a City ordinance that covers this nicely. Chapter 3 of the City Ordinances, Animal Control, reads in §4.3.3. Restraint & Confinement. "B.Any dog, while on a street, sidewalk, public way or in any park, or other public space, or upon any private property without the consent of the owner, shall be secured by a leash or chain of sufficient tensile strength to restrain the particular dog or shall be at heel."

Another person present complained about loud auto stereos. The Illinois Vehicle Code covers this in 625 ILCS 5/12-611 Sound Amplification Systems. “No driver of any motor vehicle within this State shall operate or permit operation of any sound amplification system which can be heard outside the vehicle from 75 or more feet when the vehicle is being operated upon a highway, unless such system is being operated to request assistance or warn of a hazardous situation.” The police can cite a driver of such a vehicle without the requirement that a person sign a complaint and go to court. The officer can be the complaining witness.

If an officer were stationed at the corner of Dean and South Streets from 4:00-6:00PM or on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, he could probably write 25-50 tickets. If he went to the Square, he could probably write 15-25 tickets in a couple of hours. All he has to do is chalk off the 75' distance and wait with his ticket book at the ready. Of course, a few signs would help, too.

Maybe we could get some Quiet Zones established in Woodstock? Like, near the two bed-and-breakfasts and around the Square. Put up some signs, like "Shhhhh.... Quiet Zone. $75 Fine."

Have you seen the new 20MPH speed limit signs in Apple Creek? They MEAN 20MPH, and they are NOT school zone speed limit signs. The speed limit is 20MPH - 24/7. Who is the world thought that one up? The job of the police is to enforce the law, no matter how stupid it is; so they get caught in the middle. But We the People can change stupid laws. And a 20MPH speed limit, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, is a pretty stupid law. A State legislator (not from Woodstock) told me that police often do not write tickets for absurd laws, so what is the point of such laws? A speed limit should be reasonable, and then it should be enforced.

Thoughts?