Wednesday, July 22, 2009

WPD: Warnings exceed tickets?

In a recent poll on this site, readers were asked, “When you were last stopped by Woodstock Police for a traffic violation, did you get a ticket or a warning?”

Sixty-five readers responded.

The results?

15 (23%) got tickets
50 (77%) got warnings

Many thanks for your participation in this poll.

Verification of these percentages is being sought through inspection of Woodstock Police Department monthly traffic reports. Every month about 80% of the tickets fall into the "Other Traffic Arrest" category, which does not include tickets for Accidents, DUIs or Insurance Violations.

Information is also being sought regarding the income that the City of Woodstock receives from fines and court costs levied in McHenry County Circuit Court, which is where Woodstock PD tickets are processed.

4 comments:

Zane said...

Mr Philpott,
You have to remember that a lot police officers read your website. Of course they all get warnings. A better question to ask is how many black or latino drivers get warnings vs. tickets?

Gus said...

You ask a very important question.

This ratio of warnings-to-tickets is fine with me, if it is true. These polls here are unscientific and open to anyone. It will be interesting to learn from WPD, through inspection of the supporting details of the monthly traffic reports, whether 75% of the traffic stops resulted in warnings, not tickets. Why do I doubt this?

The only way to know is to get into the reports. Transparency in police departments would result in a detailed public accounting of traffic arrests.

Thanks for the reminder that police officers are reading The Woodstock Advocate. I know they do, and I'm glad they do. I know that many who read here remain silent for fear of retaliation or retribution. How do I know this? They tell me.

I favor fair, firm, impartial, equal enforcement. Those who know me understand this.

Unknown said...

Unless it is YOU getting pulled over, right Gus?

Still have not answered MY question to you. Make everyone else jump through hoops answering yours, but yet you refuse to answer a very simple question? What is good for the goose, gus....

Gus said...

DA, what was your questions???