Thursday, October 20, 2011

Escapee still on the loose?

Is an escapee still on the loose in Crystal Lake?

According to this morning's Northwest Herald, a prisoner escaped in the Crystal Lake area last evening. Well, maybe last evening. It seems that the McHenry County Sheriff's Department may have directed automated telephone message to a few residents in the area of Hillside and Walkup about a man who escaped - while handcuffed!

Lots of detail, eh? Residents were were at home or who later listened to messages on their answering machines got the message. Why wasn't NIXLE used?

What about residents out for an evening walk? Or walking their dogs? Why didn't the Sheriff's Department send out a message that would hit cell phones, smartphones, and email boxes of people still at work who might be driving home and drive right past the escapee?

The Northwest Herald article said that the man "escaped police custody." Is that the Crystal Lake Police or the McHenry County Sheriff's Department? Do reporters understand the difference and distinguish between "police" and "deputy sheriff"?

The reporter must not be from this area, since Walkup was spelled "Walk Up" Road.

I posted the following comment a few minutes ago: "Why isn't a Northwest Herald editor calling Zinke and Nygren every 30 minutes and demanding complete information? Where is the wonderful NIXLE system? Where is more recent news? Has the escapee been captured? How did he escape? If he escaped from "police custody", is that from the Crystal Lake Police or the Sheriff's Department? What is the escapee's name? Come on, BE a newspaper!"

3 comments:

Gus said...

The escapee has been caught after a foot chase near the Nunda Township building. How did he get out of a patrol car, if he was handcuffed with hands behind him and seatbelted in? Hello?????

Gus said...

What kind of investigation and discipline will occur, as a result of the escape of a prisoner from the squad car. How did the deputy conduct herself after the prisoner escaped? Did she follow department policy when placing the suspect in her squad car?

OK, friendships aside here, puh-leez! What kind of training problem was there???

Laura said...

i guess we expect too much from the MCSD and our local newspaper, NW Herald....