Monday, April 2, 2012

Vehicle Impoundment - where else?

Has anyone seen anything in the paper about Woodstock's new vehicle impoundment law. It's not so new; it was passed on January 17.

On August 13, 2010, the Northwest Herald covered Johnsburg's vehicle impoundment law. If you have a Woodstock Public Library, you can read that article without having to cough up the Herald's fee to pull it from archives.

From the article, "Chief Keith VonAllmen said he was the architect behind a new nuisance ordinance that could force some convicted offenders to pay $500 if the village impounds their car during an arrest.

“We’re taking a more firm stance and saying, ‘We don’t want this happening here.’ ” VonAllmen said. “Hopefully, it acts as a deterrent.”

Where did Woodstock's law come from? There is probably a letter from the City Manager to the City Council in the packet prepared for the January 17 City Council meeting. Presumably, the members of the City Council read it and understood it. They passed the new ordinance unanimously, without a single word of discussion or dissent. The packet is on file at the Library. You might drop by to read it.

A law only acts as a deterrent if you know about it ahead of time. Grabbing someone's car and hanging a $500 price tag on it (plus court costs, plus towing, plus storage fees) is not a deterrent. 

Is Woodstock going to post signs on every road leading into the city? They think enough of the 30-minute parking restriction between 2AM-6AM to put up signs. Disregard that one and it used to cost you $5-10. Might be a little more now, but not $500. How about

WARNING
OBEY LAWS OR ELSE
WE IMPOUND VEHICLES
$500 + TOW + STORAGE
The Mayor

Will ignorance and apathy prevail in Woodstock, as usual? Will residents decide to "take back our city"? Will residents insist on fair disclosure of punitive ordinances ahead of time with public comment invited and considered?

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." ~ Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

OK, good men and women. It's time to do something!

8 comments:

Info Getter said...

Well smart guy if they obey the laws it will not be an issue now will it? Right traffic god! Many municipalities us this to deter traffic crimes that are misdemeanors. Such as DUI, Driving while revoked, Fleeing and eluding, Drug charges and a whole slew of crimes. Not used for speeding or tail light out type of offences. I think it’s a great idea to keep the dirt bags out of our areas. Wouldn’t you want that! Mr. Tuff on crime, Mr. I’d be the best sheriff ever. One time getting arrested for a charge in this arena and I think they would think twice before doing it again in our town. If they don’t then ok pay up each time!

Gus said...

It's a great deterrent, if you don't know about it. Right?

I don't have any problem with people being arrested for breaking the law.

Will you feel the same way, if your kid lets his buddy driver your car and the buddy gets stopped for your taillight out, and he has a pipe in his pocket? Try that shoe on. Does it fit?

If you want your car back, you cough up $500 (for the bond), the towing fee and storage.

You'll like Judge Eterno. He's a nice guy.

Info Getter said...

Ok Gus, first off if my kid was with a dirt bag carrying a pipe and my kid let him drive my vehicle then I as the parent would be responsible like it or not! So that shoe I may not like, but I would do my best to make sure my kid is not with that type of crowd the best I can. We can’t be with them all the time to help them make the right decisions but we can try and teach them between right and wrong and hope they do the right thing. Ok you’re going to say well what if they didn’t know? You can bet that my kid would be in trouble and then I would go after the parent of the kid who was driving my car for the fees any way legally I could! So I would be angry at the kid not the law or ordinance put into place to deter crime! I would be a victim of the criminal not the system put in place to deter crime. So like it or not if your scenario played out on me, I again would not be mad at the system. I think no law abiding citizen would be mad at the system. Only the criminals would hate this. If you obey the law, than you have nothing to worry about or be upset about. Why can’t you ever see the good in things? You always try to make things into a negative when our elected officials try and help law abiding people by keeping the crooks away from our town.

Anonymous said...

Crystal Lake's impound fee is huge too.
The rustbucket got confiscated once a while ago... but all I needed to do was recycle and turn in all the empty beer cans in the back seat and that more than covered the fee! Doh!

Info Getter said...

You have proven my point that when someone proves you wrong, or won’t go along with or agree to your way of thinking you don’t post their comments or rebuttals to your questions! I will definitely let people know and put it out there for people to see how I responded to your question you put back at me and then when I made some common sense that did not fit your way of thinking you chose not to post it!

Gus said...

Info Getter, I follow the Golden Rule. The one with the gold, rules.

I publish plenty of opposing opinions. Keep it polite, and I'll post it. Why should I publish your flames?

Please tell a lot of people about this blog. They'll come and read it, and they'll like it (or not). Thanks for the free advertising.

Info Getter said...

Please show me where it was not polite. You can't it was a nice responce. No cut downs or flames.

Gus said...

I'm referring to other posts, containing flames or cut-downs. Those I don't publish.