Undersheriff Andy Zinke of the McHenry County Sheriff's Department slipped into the attack mode this afternoon, when he made rash and improper statements to Northwest Herald reporter Jill Duchnowski.
Earlier today I wrote about the fueling of a black Kia Amanti at the Sheriff's Department garage. The car was clean, trash was removed from it (quite a bit, too, or else trash from the car was added to other trash already in the bag), and then the car was parked in the sheriff's department parking lot.
Jill correctly identified my description of the car as a "privately-owned luxury car."
Several readers (most likely deputies?), such as Hans, But Seriously, Toa, Notawannabee and Just commented on the possibility that it was an undercover car; I had not.
It was Andy Zinke who gave the word to the media that the vehicle was, indeed, an uncover car. Now, what publication has more readers? The Woodstock Advocate or the Northwest Herald?
But I'll tell you what is really stupid. Gassing up a snazzy undercover car at the sheriff's garage fuel pump. Zinke told the Northwest Herald that they are "rethinking" their fueling policy. Well, duh... Why didn't somebody over there earning over $100,000/year think ahead that fueling an undercover car at the County gas pump might appear suspicious??? It's quite easy to gas up at Citgo and file a statement with the State of Illinois to recover the gas taxes.
I wasn't the one who "outed" the car. Hans, But Seriously, Toa, Notawannabee and Just all did their parts, and Undersheriff Zinke confirmed it.
Had they all kept their mouths shut and their fingers off their keyboards, the car would have remained a "privately-owned luxury car" and a one-shot story.
By the way, aren't there General Orders that direct sheriff's department employees how to refer to the public? Calling a citizen "ignorant, self-serving" is probably a violation of the GOs.
Be sure to read the Northwest Herald article at www.nwherald.com/articles/2010/10/19/23901761/index.xml
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
18 comments:
I thought your questions in your original post were valid.
Gus you nailed this one. You are "ignorant and self-serving" I can think up a host of other more fitting adjectives, but I'm sure you wouldn't print them. You hide behind the guise of being this curious blogger but truth be told you are just a meddling fool.
You don't know when to stop, as in when you blocked the FBI in the Sheriff’s Sally Port. Too bad they had to get back to Chicago or they would have arrested you. Your idiocy has no limits.
I doubt this post see the light of day, but you are the problem, NOT Andy Zinke.
Getting bold are we? You still seem to think that I am in anyway connected to a law enforcement agency. Now you got this blog media attention. Whatever chance you thought you had at sheriff just got snuffed out. People are now going to read your delusions and rants and think twice about voting for the name with a "G" next to it. What are you doing hanging out around the Government Center anyways? Is retirement getting the best of you?
Gus, you can't honestly believe that anyone on the wrong end of and investigation with this undercover officer vehicle would have not figured this out on their own. I for one am not associated with the Sheriff's dept and had no knowledge of this being an undercover car. Your description meant it was either undercover or a really stupid and dishonest county employee. I simply chose to follow the more logical possibility and ended up being correct.
Notawannabee (7:13PM), what in the world are you talking about? Blocking the FBI? In the sally port? Sorry, pal; it never happened.
Are you talking about the day 4-5 years ago when the FBI car drove on the northbound shoulder of IL 47 at IL 176 and used its siren to pass a few cars stopped in traffic? The Chicago SAIC took care of that driver.
Hans (7:13PM), who says I was "hanging around" the government center. Wherever I was when I saw the black Kia, I was entitled to be there, doing whatever I was doing.
About a week ago an acquaintance mentioned that car to me and asked if that was Nygren's car. When I was relating today's firestorm in the NWH, that person said, "That's the car I told you about."
So I repeat, it was really stupid of the command personnel at MCSD to direct fueling of an undercover car at the garage gas pump. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the detective had objected but got over-ruled.
Let me add that I have no idea which detective was using the vehicle and have had no conversation with him.
Gus,
Knowing nothing about the "acquaintance" that gave you this "lead" you should at least consider if you have been set up by another Sheriff dept critic. I hope at very least this is investigated by law enforcement to make sure this undercover wasn't purposely outed by another Sheriff dept critic.
The investigator won't have to go far, in order to catch the culprit who "outed" the u/c car. Just go down the hall to Zinke's cube.
The person who mentioned the black car to me has no connection to the sheriff's department. When that person mentioned the car to me previously, I merely replied that I didn't know that car, and I forgot the comment until I was reminded of it yesterday afternoon.
And so you went driving around looking for trouble and found this car. You never just happen to be anywhere at the right time, you are there looking for trouble.
When you are in McHenry County, Hans, you don't even have to drive around McHenry County "looking for trouble". If you park in one place, it will find you.
As to yesterday? A different story entirely. And there is certainly no reason to explain it.
Some would say I am always in the right place at the right time.
Hans , you sound just like the police. They want the public to get involved, but when they do, they are treated like trouble makers. Neighborhood watch is a joke and so are you!!! If Mr. Philpott was elected, it would be his job to look for trouble and fix it. Get a grip!!!!
OOOPS!
Undercover means undercover. Having that and other cars routinely show up and be stored and fueled on the premises is dumb.
No wonder they jumped you Gus, you pointed out an ill-considered operational goof on their part.
That any seriously organized criminal individual can hang around and see these cars for what they are is dense. This is about as dumb as the Chicago Police were back in the day. Whether it was a "plain wrapper" or any other "undercover" cars of various makes, all their license plates began with "Z". Even a kid could pick them out. In wanting these cars to be readily identifiable to other law enforcement members, they blew their cover for any ordinary person that had an ordinary curious nature.
As a kid I knew because I was interested in cars.
Damn your eyes! LOL!
How is this allowed under the law. You slander or libel everyone on the page. I spend summers up there and winters down here...(I'll never tell) but its warm. I read the NWH online and until today didn't know this blog existed. I don't have any dog in the hunt so I could care less who the Sheriff is, but you seem to have a very low opinion of everyone. I've read some old things on your site here and I just don't get it.
My question Mr Philpot is this. Why do you so hate fireman and policeman? Everything seems to be against them. Using lights on a firetruck to honor a KIA or returning veteran. Flags being at half staff or mast. Who cares and what is the harm.
As a public guy don't you want to look good to the public? You seem to be picking a fight with everyone.
Also does this Sheriff have two residences and somehow that makes him not elligible to be elected? I thought in the USA you could own property anywhere as long as you keep one place for IRS residence. Where did he claim on his income taxes? Wouldn't that be the answer of where he calls home?
You call them stupid for fueling up the cars on premises. Then after shifting blame to everyone but you, you say they should go to a commercial pump and fill up cars. Which sounds stupid? I'm guessing that the county gets fuel cheaper by having their own tank, thus costing less for buying in bulk. Going down the street to the gas station would cost a few cents more and BAM!, we have another complaint by you of the waste because the county spends a little more for gas instead of utilizing the pumps on the premises.
A simple search for where these pumps on google maps (42.340064,-88.438602) shows these are not in anyway in view of the jail.
Casper, thanks for reading and for posting your comment and questions. Most of the answers are here already, but I'll summarize.
I don't hate firemen and policemen. I like them - the law-abiding ones. My experience, wherever I've lived, is that too many of them believe they are above the law themselves. "And therein lies the rub."
Lights on a fire truck or for returning vet? If it's legal, it's okay with me. But it's not.
You haven't found the articles yet about the sheriff's illegally claiming the homestead exemption in more than one state. An exemption lowers your taxes, even one illegally claimed. THAT is the problem.
Hans, ever hear of Disneyland? Disneyworld? The characters in costume play their roles for the entire time they are in public.
Same with a detective who is undercover. He should play his part, which means buying his gas at a commercial gas station.
At Citgo, bp, Clark, the detective will pay the motor fuel taxes, just like you do, and then the Dept. can file a return and claim a refund of the taxes. A little paperwork to "protect the detective." Apparently, the Dept. saves money by avoiding the paperwork and increases the risk to the detective by doing so.
The net pre-tax cost of the gas to MCSD shouldn't be less than the cost of larger-volume purchasers like Jewel, Citgo, bp.
Gus denies blocking an FBI car at the courthouse... Couple years ago? How about February 2002, Gus. You didn't like the way they drove to get a prisoner to the jail so they could turn around and high tail it back to O'Hare responding to a SWAT team callout? It's documented and I'm sure the Chicago SAC had plenty to say about you to the agents involved. LOL! So now we know you're not only a fool, but a liar as well.
Toa, that was eight years ago? October 2002? Are you sure about that? Could have been. You know how time flies, when you are having fun.
Traffic was slow northbound on Route 47 at 176 west. The FBI driver pulled off onto the northbound shoulder, blipped his siren, passed about six slow-moving cars and pulled back into the traffic lane. He then proceeded with the normal traffic flow to the courthouse.
He parked in the parking lot. The passenger got out and stood around chatting. The driver was in NO hurry to head back south.
Obviously, I did not "block" any FBI car anywhere, or I would have been sitting in jail that night.
I never saw the FBI car in the sally port. If they used it before I pulled into the parking lot, they set a land speed record for getting in there and back out. They were parked near the white buses when I pulled up.
People often ask me if I hate cops. I don't. I like cops. I like cops who obey the laws and who don't think the laws are for everyone else, but not for them. I like cops who aren't liars.
Toa, do you lie in court, too?
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