McHenry County has a super-strict policy on the use of cellular telephones while an employee is operating a County-owned vehicle (or maybe any vehicle while using a County owned cell phone).
What's a County-owned vehicle? Marked squad car, unmarked squad car, seized vehicle, department-owned non-law enforcement vehicle, dog catcher trucks, prisoner-transport buses, etc.
Needless to say, deputies are County employees.
So, what does the policy say?
"... Unless absolutely avoidable, cell phones are not to be used while driving a moving vehicle or operating moving machinery, as such devices causes (sic) driver distraction. All employees shall use a hands-free device while driving. Employees shall not make or receive telephone calls while driving. Employees shall let incoming calls go to their voicemail and then find a safe place to pull over and park before initiating a call."
Think anyone follows these rules?
How about this rule? "County owned wireless phones are for business use only except for emergency purposes."
Limited personal use can be made of a County owned phone, and the employee gets nicked for a flat fee of $10.00 reportable as income.
How many phone calls and text messages did Det. Novak make to the C.I. in that case that is now under the microscope? Were they all for "business" purposes?
You never know who is interested…
3 months ago
4 comments:
Seems everytime I see a squad the driver has a cellphone glued to his or her ear.
Here's a funny about 1:30 I was on 47 at light by the courthouse and three county squads were turning on Russel Street. All three cops were talking on cell phones. Guess they owe $30.00 bucks.
It's not the $10.00 (or $30.00) that is the issue. It's that the County of McHenry has a policy about distracted driving. That's the reason for this rule.
So, it's a much bigger issue than whether a deputy (or any other County employee) pays a little for occasional personal use of a County cell phone. Would a day off without pay get his or her attention?
The County policy says No cell phones while driving. It doesn't say County or personal phone. NO cell phones while driving.
Gus,
In my bureau, the safety of employees as well as the public is taken so seriously that our policy states that not only are we not to use any cell phones when operating an agency vehicle while on duty, but we risk losing our job if caught doing so off duty.
There is a loose provision to commissioned law enforcement officers that they may use their cell phones while in an emergency situation, but that is seriously frowned upon as well. Responding to any incident (whether a law enforcement incident, MVA or medical emergency) is not the best time to multi-task.
Is it followed? Yout bet it is- after the first few employees were disciplined, most everyone fell right in line.
The problem with MCSO (and this is across the board- not just as it applies to phones and vehicles) lies in accountability. If there are no consequences, what's the point of following the rules? And if leadership chooses not to hold anyone accountable, why even make the rules in the first place?
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