We've been pretty tough on North Chicago of late, but no longer after finding out the police department is Lake County's king of speed traps. They couldn't afford "no swimming" signs along Lake Michigan or to keep their swimming pool open, but they have the best radar guns money can buy --- and they know how to use them.
Turns out North Chicago cops lead all Lake County departments when it comes to issuing tickets. North Chicago turned out 4,372 tickets last year, third-highest in the Chicago region. That's enough tickets to give a cop writer's cramp. Wonder if disability claims have risen?
Lowest percentage in Lake County went to Antioch police. Highest per capita ticket writing went to Round Lake Heights. With those big-box stores in Antioch, apparently the town doesn't need speeding ticket revenue anymore. That's one good benefit to overdevelopment.
So hats off to North Chicago PD. All of this must be good news to Hainesville and Lindenhurst, considered for many years to be speed-trap communities. Drive on.
I can understand pulling people over and giving tickets when there is excessive (or reckless)speed involved, but why doesn't the North Chicago Police pull people over and educate them? A lot of people don't realize that they are over the speed limit when they are just going with the traffic flow (before all of the police jump in, yeah, I already know the story of all the fish in the stream and you caught the slowest fish). A "slow down or else" goes a lot further than a costly ticket does in reducing the animosity between the police and the driver. It could also help the general relationship between the police and everyday people.
THE HOUND SAYS: Tex, I assume you're from Texas, and if you're not, as Lyle Lovett says: "Texas wants you anyway." Listen, this isn't like driving from Lubbock to Amarillo in Kinky Friedman's Caddy, with Willie Nelson riding shotgun. We're talking about North Chicago and what does North Chicago need more than anything? Money. Just write the check.
Do you think it has anything to do with the amount of visitors to the North Chicago area versus a typical Lake County community? With a large number of family coming for Great Lake graduations, and the recruits themselves, there is probably a ton of people getting tickets who are quite happy to pay their tab and not go to court. Easy money, for sure! The force can afford state-of-the-art equipment on the sheer numbers of tickets without all the paperwork. Also, North Chicago is sandwiched between all the places you want to go outside of North Chicago. More traffic, makes for more tickets, and more revenue. Since everyone knows about the speed traps in the area because they live here, those commuters are chilling when traveling. Visitors learn the hard way!
THE HOUND SAYS: Sure, Odin, it has to do with all the visitors. What visitors? Most of the parents of boot recruits stay at the motels near the Mills in Gurnee . Why isn't Gurnee one of the top speeding ticket writers? They don't need the money! Let's see, gangbangers shooting up neighborhoods in North Chicago (remember last year's still-unsolved shooting death of 11-year-old Darien Shellie?) and police are consumed with writing speeding tickets? Take off the rose-colored glasses and get real the hard way.
Hound - - no, not from Texas, originally from Chicago. I agree that North Chicago does need money. I still assert that this hard-nosed approach by them does more damage to their image than anything. They're not educating the public, they're punishing them. A good officer will pull over a vehicle, speak with the driver and make a determination if a ticket is warranted. If an officer gives someone a break, they (both the officer and the driver) tend to remember it. Since humans are creatures of habit, there is a good chance that this same driver will use that same road the very next day - - they will remember not to speed on that stretch of road because of a police presence. Also they know that there is a good chance that the same officer might be running traffic and if they get pulled over, they are going to get hammered.
Dude, the "no swimming" signs and pool are not under the city's jurisdiction. It is the park district and over there, that is a separate taxing body.
THE HOUND SAYS: Park district, city, school district --- they're all part of that North Chicago dysfunctional family.