The Chicago Tribune today awarded the Village of Bull Valley Police Department top honors in ticket writing in Chicagoland. Described as a town with 1,000 residents with no schools, no commercial district and no major highways, Bull Valley P.D. officers averaged over 400 tickets each last year.
Drivers complain about getting caught right where a speed limit changes; ex., where the 50MPH (or is it 55?) speed limit drops to 45MPH for westbound Country Club Road traffic. Although my habit is to be at the new speed limit when I reach the sign, I have been surprised on occasion to find a Bull Valley PD car pulled off into the grass, hiding on the north side of the road behind some trees. Just as the article describes.
One former Bull Valley officer told me several months ago that the chief would call him 30 minutes after the start of his shift and ask how many tickets he had already written.
Chief Norbert Sauers told me that his officers don't write tickets for less than 10MPH over the posted limit, but I have heard from drivers that they have been stopped when traveling only 5MPH over the limit.
Several years ago I heard about a part-time Bull Valley PD officer who would stop Hispanic pizza delivery drivers for speeding and tell them they could avoid a ticket by paying the fine in cash on the spot. Complaints were made to the Department, and that officer was allowed to resign. He should have been arrested!
It might be helpful for you to know that radar cannot be used within 500 feet of a speed limit sign in the direction of travel. Keep Section 625 ILCS 5/11-602 in mind, if you get nailed right after a speed sign, except in school zones. On Country Club Road west of Fleming is a popular poaching zone for BVPD officers.
Maybe if all departments tightly enforced speed limits, there would not be the speeding problem that exists in Illinois and McHenry County.
Just last night, after a 3,000-mile road trip, two crazies past me as I returned to Woodstock. One sped past me on the right on Route 47, just north of US 14. The other passed me on Lake Avenue in front of the police station. After driving 1,300 miles in two days, I just didn't have it in me to sic the cops on either one.
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3 comments:
Whata load of crap! I was personally stopped for speeding by Bull VAlley and then when I said I wanted to see the radar they said it wasn't my right to see it but then they TOLD ME I was 7 over the limit. (On the long hill) I told them I would see them in court and they let me go. My son got a ticket there when he was about 16 or 17, several years ago and they took $50.00 (I think maybe $75) for some municipal offense and told him that way it didn't go on his driver license. As I remember it about 25 dollars cheaper than the court fine which I think was $75. TRwo of them showed up and they dug everything out of the car, truck and glove box. Told him that it was ok for them to look for alcohol anytime they had some kid stopped at night. What booze would be in the glove box? The kid was coming home from work at his part time job. Straight A honor roll student.
WHY does a town of 1000 have a police office? Unheard of in most states.I think it is a racket.
I am renting in bull valley. Feels like some sort of police state. The police are simply preying on anyone who may make a mistake....no matter how short term that may be. With taxes as fat as they are in Bull Valley, why turn it into a predatory speed trap? I read the village pays a lawyer $5k a month to defend these ridiculous tickets. And, yes, I have already personally met people who were nailed going 5 over. Roads are bumpy, full of holes. Where does the money go from their ticket income? There should be a limit to the amount of income a municipality receives from these predatory tactics as compared to the number of residents.
Oh..one more thing. All this income is from a few cops justifying their existence. Bull Valley doesn't need them. So they keep their unnecessary jobs.....by creating their own trouble.
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