If Democratic congressional candidate Dan Seals was charged $2,200 for a one-hour traffic jam trying to give away cheap gas in Lincolnshire earlier this month, how much should Waukegan police charge Terry Galmore, 23, of Waukegan for tying up an entire city neighborhood?
The Hound concedes the fact Seals brandished a gas pump, while Galmore was packing a weapon with which he allegedly used to shoot at cops.
But what if Galmore, who apparently committed suicide as tactical officers were closing in because he didn't want to go to prison (all you younguns out there take note), was taken alive? Shouldn't they tack on a civil penalty to his criminal charges? Or with Galmore dead, suing his estate, such as it is. Seems like the fair thing to do, don't you agree?
And, what of other standoffs we've experienced in Lake County? Were these other mopes slapped with a bill for dozens of squad cars being at the scene keeping the media at bay, hundreds of police and support personnel on hand to protect residents and the expenditure of hundreds of dollars on ordnance?
It costs money to stage these security operations and somebody should pay besides the taxpayers. If there isn't a state law seeking reimbursement for law enforcement agencies in Illinois for similar actions, there should be.
Granted, the cops are performing a public service and they get paid if just patrolling, say the mean streets of Vernon Hills, or doing SWAT duty attempting to talk Mr. Galmore into surrendering during about a 17-hour standoff. Yet, if a political candidate is charged a couple grand for a campaign stunt, The Hound thinks real criminals should be charged for taking up law enforcement's time.
Call it the fairness doctrine.
