Recently in Crime Category

An eighth-grader at Naperville's Jefferson Junior High School was arrested Friday for allegedly bringing a pellet gun to school. Authorities petitioned him as a juvenile, and he'll likely face disciplinary action by the school district as well.

The school district says it must adopt a zero-tolerance policy these days, and understandably so. Should the boy be allowed to graduate, or be expelled? Aside from the school's right to administer discipline, was the arrest necessary? Should a child who breaks a rule by bringing a pellet gun to school face criminal consequences?

Tell us what you think.

Maybe you noticed, if you drove Route 59 on May 9, a bunch of cops pulling over motorists. It was a safety initiative by 14 police agencies from Hoffman Estates to Shorewood. Get this--they even gave ample warning, notifying the media ahead of time (The Sun ran a story in advance) and putting up electronic message boards. All the same, this year's initiative--which targeted speeders and seat-belt scofflaws--netted 548 tickets. The kicker is, Naperville police issued nearly half--218--way more than any other participating agency. (Streamwood cops were second with 82 tickets.)

What does this say about Naperville police? Are they especially concerned about our safety, intent on generating revenue from ticket fines, or just driven to be No. 1 at every thing they do?

The Naperville Sun broke the story about the arrest of Nicholas T. Birkett, 21, the son of DuPage County State's Attorney Joseph Birkett, by Naperville police for possession of cannabis and drug paraphernalia. The younger Birkett faces a lesser charge--he was cited under a Naperville ordinance because he had no previous arrests or convictions, while two other men with him face state charges because they had previously been arrested.

What should be the response of the elder Birkett, a former Republican Party gubernatorial candidate who has been a tireless and ferocious prosecutor of narcotics dealers and drug-related crimes? If found guilty, what would be an appropriate punishment for the younger Birkett? What do you think of the arrest by Naperville police, who previously arrested Bolingbrook Mayor Roger Claar for DUI? (Claar was not convicted).

You can read the full Sun report here:

http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/947738,na14_birkett_s1.article

Naperville police have announced a stepped-up seat belt enforcement campaign. Through June 1, Naperville and other departments will intensify around-the-clock seat belt efforts. Statistics show about 18 percent of adults do not regularly wear seat belts. Are you among them? Have you ever been ticketed for failing to wear a seat belt? Will you plan to wear one now that you know police are stepping up enforcement? And here's a bit of trivia--what's the only state in America that does not require adults to wear seat belts?

Naperville expected to reap $2.4 million in new revenue this year by launching a red-light photo enforcement program that would automatically send tickets to people caught on tape violating traffic signal regulations. Now the city manager says the program is plagued with technical problems, and staff recommend the city council terminate a contract with a company administering the program.

What do you think of the plan to seek bids from other companies? Given this experience and problems with red-light cameras reported in other communities across the country, how wise is it for Naperville to commit to a program at this time? What about the revenue the city expected from the program--no doubt it will be less, maybe lost altogether. How should the council address the revenue shortfall?

The following is an excerpt from Sun editor/publisher Jim Lynch's "Commentary" column (Fri. 4.25), where he defends the Naperville police making extra bucks in OT, deeming it in the interest of public safety.The column came in response to many attacks on police OT both on that thread and the Napergate thread. Do Lynch's comments have any merit or is he just blowing smoke? Read the following and let us know.

"In the aftermath of last Sunday's story on police overtime while reading the comments of Sun bloggers who either don't like cops or see a conspiracy by the presence of more than one of Naperville's Finest:
As to the overtime issue: I'm glad Naperville cops are sitting in court for DUI cases. In a city so bursting with kids that District 204 needs a new high school, we should be glad there's zero tolerance for drunken driving. It saves lives.

Wednesday's Sun includes a story by one of our Sun-Times News Group sister publications about how police in the nearby town of Sugar Grove plan to start writing tickets instead of making arrests for first-time offenders caught with small amounts of marijuana. Should Naperville and other towns follow suit?

In Sunday's Sun (4.20) we feature an informative piece about how the Naperville Police Department plans to cope with a City Council directive to cut overtime spending by 5 percent, to $3 million this year. The comprehensive investigation also looks at the amount of money officers rack up in OT.Though the dollar numbers look big, the annual percentage is actually lower than one of our neighboring municipalities that is comparable in size. We also look at the cops and how they can make money working various summer festivals etc. and where those dollars in police overtime actually come from. The answers may surprise you. A natural reaction might be to say, well, why not just hire more cops instead of paying stiff overtime? That question is answered, too. We're curious what you think - since it's your tax dollars at work - and whether you think the NPD can be successful in following the Council's mandate to cut overtime spending and maintain the quality of public safety Napervillians are accustomed to. Let us know right here.

Gunfire rang out in south Naperville just past midnight Tuesday morning (4.1) and a mortally-wounded man's body was found on the median of 87th St. Neighbors were stunned by the sudden explosion of violence in a town which is as sleepy as it is safe. But in the ever-changing world we live in, are we being lulled into complacency?
Granted, this is the first homicide involving a firearm to strike Naperville in three years and the city has a very low crime rate, but this incident serves as a grim reminder that violence can flare at the most unpredictable of moments as well as places. Just three months into 2008 and Naperville has recorded its first homicide - a statistic which neighboring Aurora has yet to chalk up. Are you bothered by this heinous crime happening in our city or is it just an isolated incident we will all soon forget? We'd like to know.

A noteworthy trial gets underway in DuPage County this week. It involves the first priest the state seeks to confine involuntarily and indefinitely under the Sexually Violent Persons Commitment Act. What do you think of this law? Is this a necessary tool to protect people from violent sex offenders who are highly likely to hurt more people if they had their freedom? Or does this test our constitution, since offenders who have served their criminal sentences are kept against their will for simply posing a risk of committing another crime?