Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Domestic incident results in 3-day suspension

Yesterday a MCSD deputy was given a 3-day suspension. So far, public details are murky.

It seems that there was some type of domestic dispute, and MCSD was called to the scene, which may have been in Ringwood. For those of you who don't know where Ringwood is, it's north of McHenry and east of Wonder Lake, along Barnard Mill Road.

Now, when most people are involved in a domestic disturbance that results in police coming to the scene, some gets charged with a crime and arrested. Often, an emergency Order of Protection is sought and issued.

Things still operate a little bit differently within the McHenry County Sheriff's Department. Hopefully, that will change on December 1st, when there will be a new sheriff in town.

An arrest after a domestic disturbance usually results in a court order to fork over firearms. That would be pretty messy, if a deputy is under a restraining order and must give up firearms. How would he (or she) work? Maybe he (or she) shouldn't.

But, when the McHenry County Sheriff's Department is involved (and I'm talking about the leadership) in decision-making, and when past personal relationships might flavor decisions, some things get handled "administratively".

Somebody tell me... how do you convert (or cover up) a crime - a violation of Illinois criminal statutes - into an internal office administrative action?

Was there an honest investigation? Was an outside agency called in? Or did MCSD investigate its own? Who was involved?

And who is the "friend" of the deputy? Does that person have any qualities that might rule him out as a friend or a person with whom the deputy should have a personal relationship, if one existed? What kind of background or police-contact history would make a person ineligible to be a close friend of a deputy?

The current regime at MCSD will be out of power on December 1st. Are the candidates for sheriff in the November 4th election willing to take a stand on such an issue and speak out?

6 comments:

Big Daddy said...

Gus, just because the police respond to a domestic disturbance it doesn't mean an arrest is automatic. I've been to and handled many with no arrest.

Gus said...

Big Daddy, do you happen to be familiar with MCSD's procedures for handling domestics?

Big Daddy said...

Sorry, I am not.

Gus said...

I believe the deputies know that, just because the parties say they don't want each other arrested, that doesn't end it.

Let's say a deputy and a friend, partner, lover, spouse get "into it" and it turns physical. Cops (deputies) show up, because it's a County address. They all know each other.

How do you cover it up and handle it only "administratively"?

Here's an excellent example of why there should be a huge county-wide sigh of relief that Zinke is off the ballot. As the person in charge while Nygren winds up his four-year vacation (only occasionally interrupted by spells of work and showing up for legal matters), Zinke should have been raising hell over this and over-seeing arrest decisions.

After the criminal part of it is resolved, then you address "administrative" problems.

Big Daddy said...

Gus you are missing the point. Just because they are assigned to a domestic it is not a given that an arrest be made. It depends on what was involved. You cant make an arrest if the elements of a crime do not exist.

Unknown said...

Oh Gus, and there is also a difference between a protective order and a restraining order.

And a domestic dispute is just that, a dispute. A domestic assault is different and has mandatory arrest laws. That is if there is Probable Cause that a battery occurred.