All in a day's work for the BGPD -- skunks, teeth and a suspicious person at Taco Bell

And what kind of dastardly deeds require the assistance of Buffalo Grove’s police officers? Beyond the usual and sometimes not so usual traffic stops and crimes, they respond to some calls are real head scratchers.

Some of the gems from the past few months include:

            Try mounting this on your car -- A resident contacted police when he received what he thought were his new license plates. They weren't. Instead he received a Remington RG9 9mm hand gun. Police speculate that the resident’s license plate registration became attached to the box containing the weapon. The weapon was intended for a Chicago resident who happens to be a postal inspector.

            The tooth, the whole tooth -- Police were summoned to local dental office after a patient once again expressed dismay with the dental work there. the patient said he wanted his teeth removed-- but was told by the dentists at the practice that they don’t need to be removed. This appears to be an ongoing situation.

            One reason drinking and driving don’t mix -- Police had to deal with a combative person who was pulled over for suspected DUI.  Seems as though she disagreed with the sobriety test and called the officer a liar.  During the field sobriety test, she was told to raise a leg, to which she said, " like a Nazi". She was convinced that a man she knew called police and told them about her.

            Nutflix? The manager of a local movie theater called police because she was upset with negative reviews on Google.  She told police that earlier in the day she caught a group of people trying to sneak into an extra movie.  It was after she kicked them out that the reviews appeared.  She was told posting reviews was not a criminal act.

            Room with a limited view --Police were called to a self-storage facility on report of a person sleeping in a unit. Eviction followed.

            One for the road -- a resident reported to police that he had 106 bottles of (18 cases w/6 per) of Basil Hayden Bourbon stolen out of his car.  They were for client gifts. Also taken was a pair of Paul Smith dress shoes.

            ‘Fowl’ odor. Literally. -- Police were called in response to a rather pungent odor.  What they found was a resident who said he had not taken his garbage out because of the weather.  This included one last bag that contained a decomposing chicken.

            Trash talking -- Resident called to complain that the Waste Management driver yelled at her for not putting all her garbage in the container and that the driver purposely knocked her can over and did not empty it.

            Dog-gone good idea -- Police responded to do a "stand by" role for the exchange of a dog between a divorced couple.

            Ride for the Border -- Police were summoned to a Taco Bell because of reports of a "suspicious person" banging on the window.  The person, police say, wanted to enter the dining room after closing hours and then tried drive-thru, but was denied service because he was on a bicycle and, say police, "not driving a vehicle."

            Vote early, vote often? --- Police were told that residents from a Wheeling Condominium Association., were planning a demonstration against a Buffalo Grove-based firm because they were not happy with the results of the homeowners’ association election. The residents thought the firm was "at fault for voting irregularities." Police intervened, and the demonstration was called off.  Residents say they'll sue instead.

            Breaking Up Is Ice To Do -- Police were called by a resident who wanted his daughter's ex-boyfriend removed from the driveway he was shoveling.  The ex told police he was doing it to show her he was not a bad guy as he was being made out to be on social media.

            At last -- Police had trouble getting a woman to pull over for a routine traffic stop.  When she did, she would not give cops her license saying a.) she had to urinate and b.) she had a hamster on with her that she had to get to her parent's house. When all was said and done, she had a license – but it was expired.

            Seriously? Police were summoned by a resident who loaned a pair $180 Adidas Ultra Boost shoes to a friend -- who would not give them back. The friend who borrowed the shoes says the loaner owes him $25 and when he gets paid, he will return the shoes. 

            Seriously, Part II – Police responded to a report of a coyote caught in a fence.

            Yes, he did want fries with that – A customer was upset because there were no fries with his order. Manager offered a free Frosty and the fries -- but customer was still rude.  Then offered him fresh food -- customer still not happy.  Grabbed the bag and said, "call the police," which they did. The manager was told to call police if customer returned

            If you’re keeping track -- the week of March 16 was a bad week for animals. Three skunks and a possum were put down by police.

            Hello, Amazon -- Police were called to respond to a complaint of theft from a package.  Police said package was poorly sealed.  it contained two family packs of Pop Tarts.  One was open, and two Pop Tarts were missing. but seven remained.

            Banner investigation -- Police responded to a concerned resident about a package. Turned out it was a collection of school banners -- which belonged to the resident's wife.

            Never mind the ID, I am who I say I am -- A man as charged with identity theft and obstructing justice after police noticed that, after a traffic stop, his driver’s license picture did not match. In addition to the name being wrong, the license said the man was 6-1 when he was actually shorter than the officer who is 5-7. To make matter worse, he was charged with three counts of identity theft, obstructing justice, suspended D/L, failure to reduce speed and possession of drug paraphernalia.

And finally...

            Talk about singing way off key -- Police responded to complaint of a woman screaming that she wanted to kill someone. She told police she likes to sing to wake herself up and did not want to kill anyone. She apologized and said she will try not to sing as loud anymore.

Coordinated efforts focal point to responding to active-shooters

As hundreds of thousands of people, most of them students, demonstrated against gun violence to try and get action from the nation’s lawmakers, two questions may have been on a lot of people’s minds.  One, can it happen at my or my child’s school, and two, how prepared are local first responders to handle an active shooter in a school?

Since the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the political rhetoric and voices of high school students nationwide have resonated from coast-to-coast and will hopefully continue.

And while the debate continues, ways to prevent the kind of carnage we saw in Florida, Las Vegas and far too many other cities and schools, one question people might be asking is: can it happen here?  The answer is, unfortunately, yes it probably could happen at a school in Buffalo Grove or, for that matter, any school.

That stark reality raises another question:  are the schools prepared to respond to an active shooter? In a perfect world, the answer is yes.  However, as we’ve seen, this is hardly a perfect world.  The reality is that no matter how many drills and procedures a school may have, dealing with an actual situation is a horse of a different color.

Fortunately both Stevenson and Buffalo Grove High Schools are served outstanding first-responders who work with the schools in the development of response protocol in the event of an active shooter.

Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steven Casstevens presented a detailed synopsis about school safety at the Board’s Feb. 26 meeting.  His focus, obviously, was on Buffalo Grove High School as Stevenson High School is in Lincolnshire.

That does not mean, however, that the village is not part of a response plan to Stevenson.  Even though  students who live in the Lake County portion of the village attend Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, the BGPD is actively involved in a response plan to Stevenson.

District 125 spokesperson Jim Conrey told me via email that “We have not made any revisions or changes to our security procedures since the shooting in Florida. Regarding general procedures, all adults entering our building who are not employees must check in, during which time we conduct a background check on them. The public only may enter the building at four locations, all manned by security personnel.”

Despite its Lincolnshire location, Conrey said “while Stevenson is not in Buffalo Grove, we have worked with and will continue to work with the BG Police Department on security issues.”

Commander Kimberly Covelli of the Lincolnshire Police Department noted that a response to an active shooter at Stevenson would include police departments from the communities that feed Stevenson. In addition to Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office as well as Hawthorn Woods, Vernon Hills, Mundelein, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, and Riverwoods police departments would have a role.

Covelli said via email that “We are constantly evaluating our emergency response plans to schools, as well as all public buildings.  We feel confident our current tactical plan meets the objectives of student, faculty, and staff safety.”

As expected, plans for an emergency are discussed on a proactive basis. “Each year, members from the police department meet with Stevenson staff members and members from the Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Department to discuss the school’s safety plans,” Covelli said.

“The plan itself, including any revisions, are discussed at this meeting. In the past, if the school has suggested a significant change to their plan, officials have asked for our department’s input into their plan.  Essentially, Stevenson’s safety plan is just that – their own plan.  Each entity has different roles but at the same time understand we all need to work together toward achieving the same end goal – safety of the students, staff, and any other school visitors. In addition, we also have officers from our department coordinate with school staff on helping conduct their annual lockdown drills,” Covelli said.

The Buffalo Grove Police Department, like other departments, has response plans for active shooter. In what might be deemed a sad statement of things, I originally contacted the BGPD after the Las Vegas shootings which left 58 people dead.

At that time, Michael Szos Deputy Chief of Administration for the BGPD indicated that the department conducts year-round training that helps prepare not only officers, but dispatchers and the fire department as well, for an active shooter incident.

Szos said via email that the training is not done in response to any specific event, but “is meant to offer continued training to officers on neutralizing a threat as quickly and safely as possible.”

He added that “officers are trained in proper entry formations into a building where there is an active threat. Officers focus on negating that threat as quickly as possible, by communicating with each other, forthcoming units, dispatch, the fire department and other agencies.

“These scenarios are fast evolving and designed to challenge officers while also familiarizing them with different buildings throughout the village.” Szos said the training has taken place in schools, commercial buildings and office structures as well.

Casstevens told me that in the event of an active shooter in a school, all personnel from the BGPD responds. This includes uniformed and plain-clothes officers.

Resources are readily available at what Szos calls “a moment’s notice.” Augmenting those resources, Szos said “officers are also equipped with an AR-15 rifle in every squad car, which they train with several times a year. There are maps of schools and some office building interiors given to officers, which aid them in locating suspects and victims in the event of a catastrophe.”

It is an impressive array of planning by the Lincolnshire and Buffalo Grove police departments. Unfortunately, it reflects what we see happening today.

It’s clear that steps to handling active-shooter situations are in place.  The challenge is to work on prevention.

Power and importance of student voices can't be ignored

The walk-outs by thousands of high school students on Wednesday did more than call attention to a revamping of the nation’s gun laws, they also provided Americans with several other things.

A wake-up call.

A civics lesson.

And a realization that high school students today are doing what high school students did when I was in high school -- speak up and demand to be heard.

When Baby Boomers were in high school, we were dealing with Vietnam, equal rights for women and the lowering of the voting age from 21 to 18.

Vietnam was popular with very few people while the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the lowering of the voting age in Illinois via Project 18, sparked divisive debates across generations.

The murders of students by gunfire appears to be no different as they seem to be awakening a generation that has discovered it has a voice that needs to be heard.

Parents, politicians and school administrators need to listen.

Buffalo Grove’s two high schools allowed students to participate in the March, although in different ways.

Students gather at Buffalo Grove High School
to speak out against gun violence

Buffalo Grove High School allowed students to congregate only near the main entrance. The entire campus was off limits to anyone with one security office saying it was because the march was a “school event,” which make no sense. Neither does the comment by another security officer who said I wouldn’t be allowed to take pictures because many of the students were minors.

The district’s official position, said Jennifer Delgado, communications supervisor for District 214 was “the District decided to restrict access to our campuses for a brief period this morning to ensure the safety and security of our students during this morning's walkout. The decision to briefly restrict access is also in line with how most schools in the Chicagoland area handled the nationwide walkouts.”

Delgado added that “These displays were student-led and peaceful, and our student leaders did a phenomenal job making sure everyone was back in the building when the 17 minutes were over.”

Spoken like a true flack.

It’s interesting that she said, “The decision to briefly restrict access” was “in line with how most schools in the Chicagoland area handled the nationwide walkouts.”

Guess Stevenson has been annexed by Kenosha.

According to District 125 spokesman Jim Conrey, “We had an estimated 2,000 students participate in the walkout (today). We reached agreement with the student organizers to have an organized march starting from the "circle drive" entrance and heading south along the building to the Garden of Peace, Hope and Remembrance. From there, students walked into the alley behind the school building to go back inside and return to class. The walkout went off without incident.”

While the school blocked its entrance on Illinois Rt. 22 (Half Day Road), access was available through its Port Clinton Road entrance.

The need for tight security is understandable. The display of officers from the Buffalo Grove Police Department at BGHS was unprecedented for a “school event” – even the truck enforcement officer was there.

By limiting students -- as many districts did – including one which allegedly told students they could march if they didn’t say anything political, are educators limiting the opportunity for students to become civically engaged?

Downers Grove District 99 reportedly issued nearly 1,000 detentions to students who were brazen enough to participate in marches at Downers Grove North and South high schools.  The detentions, according to one media report, will be in an auditorium where there will be conversations about gun violence.

A nice gesture, but what is the result of these conversations? Student voices need to be continuously heard in public, by the public and by lawmakers – not just by school administrators who are bent on control issues.

What goes around comes around as it did in the Vietnam era of the 1960s. Students at the collegiate and scholastic levels were relentless in their actions and messages. Today’s students need have that same relentlessness and resiliency so their concerns become actions in the nation’s statehouses and in Washington, D.C.

People – whether students or not – need make sure their voices are continually heard and not silenced by overzealous school administrators or PAC-induced lawmakers.

People’s voices, not silence, will make a difference.

But only if people listen and act before it’s too late. Again.

Never too soon to start thinking about the Relay

Relay for Life organizers at Culver's

After a gloomy, wet and cold February, summer may seem like light years away. So when someone hears about a promotion for an event June 9, there’s a chance it would be met with a roll of the eyes, a sigh and a comment like “geez, it’s only February.”

                Summer plans can wait. Cancer can't.

That’s why the organizers of Buffalo Grove’s Relay for Life were busy informing information Wednesday night at Culver’s, 3450 McHenry Road, to drum up interest and, more importantly, support the for 2018 Relay for Life. 

                This year’s even is from 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 9 and, for the second year in a row, will be at Twin Groves Middle School, 2600 N. Buffalo Grove Road.

                The informational gathering was a win-win situation for local coordinators. Not only did they have a chance to meet and greet Culver’s customers, but 20 percent of each sale was earmarked to support the Relay for Life.

                This year’s Relay will be a single-day event that will give organizers a chance to set up in the morning and begin the relay so it easily goes after sunset so the luminary walk can be held, which gives participants a chance to light a luminary to remember someone who died from cancer or someone who is a cancer survivor.

                The change in schedule eliminates the overnight camping for the event, which should make it more convenient for greater numbers of people to participate.

                Information is available by emailing Karina Ogawa at Karina.Ogawa@cancer.org

                It’s not too early to mark it on your calendar and to join, start or support a fund-raising team.

Notes from the village

                Residential Waste Collection Event

                The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) will hold a household chemical waste collection event on Monday, February 26, 2018, at its facility, 1311 N. Estes Street in Gurnee.

                Collections are for residential waste only. No business waste will be accepted. Accepted items include CFL bulbs, unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements, household cleaners and chemicals, gasoline, garden chemicals, pesticides, oil-based paints and varnishes. This event is free and appointments are required. Click  here for a detailed list of acceptable items, or to make an appointment.

It’s all in vein

                The Buffalo Grove Blood Commission's community blood drive is from 8 a.m. to 1p.m. Saturday, March 3, 2018, at the Buffalo Grove Park District Alcott Center, 530 Bernard Drive. With the high incident of the flu this year, along with the cold and snowy weather, blood supplies are critically low, so donating, say Lifesource officials, is more important than ever.

                All donors 18 years of age and older will be eligible to enter a random drawing to win one of the following wellness certificates:

·         60-minute massage from Palm Leaf Massage

·         One month membership at the Buffalo Grove Fitness Club

·         One-hour acupuncture session from Choe Chiropractic Clinic

Palm Leaf Massage will also be there to thank donors with a 10-minute complimentary chair massage. Visit lifesource.org, or call 877-543-3768 to schedule your appointment. Walk-ins are welcome.

The world according to AARP?

Vendor opportunities are still available for the Buffalo Grove Park District's 2018 Senior Expo Extravaganza on 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m Tuesday, April 10, 2018, from. at The Arboretum Club, 401 Half Day Road, Buffalo Grove.

The Expo is hosted by the Friends of the Parks Foundation and coordinated by the Buffalo Grove Park District and the Village of Buffalo Grove. This unique event provides a dynamic, one-stop shop for seniors to interact with vendors and service providers, enabling them to become familiar with the wide range of services available to them. If you are interested in marketing your business to senior citizens, contact Terri Ebner at 847-850-2117.

There's no business like snow business...

With the approaching snowmaggedon, the village of Buffalo Grove has issued these tidbits of information.

Waste Management Suspends Services on Friday, February 9

Due to the predicted snow in the forecast, Waste Management is suspending all pickup services on Friday, February 9, 2018. For any residents who have Friday pickup, services will instead be provided on Saturday, February 10. Waste Management will resume normally scheduled pickup services on Monday, February 12. For more information, please call Waste Management at 800-796-9696.

Round-the-Clock Snow Removal Efforts in Buffalo Grove

Buffalo Grove Public Works continues to work two, 12-hour split shifts around the clock due to this week's storm events. This will continue through the expected 7-12 inches predicted Thursday evening through Friday evening, with additional snow accumulations possible Saturday into Sunday.

"Snow Command" screens at Public Works provide real-time updates for planning, hourly weather predictions and response levels for snow and ice control activities based on weather patterns. A geographic information system (GIS) map shows plow trucks and their progress through routes. Roads shift from red to green on the screens as a truck completes its route. Fleet mechanics are an integral part of each 12-hour shift, fixing trucks to get them back on the street as soon as possible.

Village parking restrictions will go into effect as soon as snow plow crews begin operations and will continue until the snow has ended and all streets have been cleared.

For questions or concerns, please contact the Public Works Department main number at 847-459-2545 during normal business hours (Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.), and the non-emergency Police Department during off hours at 847-459-2560.

Other general reminders...

*  The Fire Department asks that residents, if possible, should clear snow off of fire hydrants and around the area surrounding the hydrant.

*  Do not shovel or push snow into the street. 

*  Make sure your mailbox is accessible.

*  One tip -- if you want to make your snow removal easier, coat your shovel with silicone or WD-40.  It also help snow throwers.

*  If you have a bird feeder, make sure it's filled.  Heavy snows impact the availability of food for birds.  Village officials do not have to be fed. 

Is his transparency going to pot?

            Much has been written, to no surprise, about the use of social media by politicians – especially President Trump who clings to it like a cheap suit.

            Not only has it has changed the landscape of politics, but also the need for transparency by public officials.  It has also raised the level of curiosity by constituents who want to know what their government officials are doing and why.

  

Village Trustee Andrew Stein

(Photo from Facebook)

          However, it is not just a national or statewide issue. Local politicos need to adhere to a high level of transparency as well, especially when posting on social media.

            This includes Buffalo Grove officials.

            Whether on the Park Board, Planning and Zoning Commission or the Village Board, public officials need to be as open as possible.

            Which is why a post by Village Board trustee Andrew Stein on Dec. 15 raised some questions. Stein’s post included a link from the Illinois Policy Institute that “Poll Shows ‘Large Majorities’ Of Illinois Voters Support Legalizing Marijuana” (Marijuana poll). Stein queried Facebook users by asking them “What do you think of this?”

            There were 10 comments, including one I made asking, “Are you proposing this for the village?” to which Stein replied, “I am curious where others stand.”

            Was that really the case? I initially shrugged it off until I got a call from Stein, during which he further reiterated that he was just interested in the possibility of recreational use of marijuana being legal in Illinois. I had no intention of writing about Stein’s post because at first, because it just seemed inane.

            But I began thinking, which is always a dangerous thing, and I could not help but wonder why Stein was interested in what people thought of legal recreational marijuana in Illinois.

The thought stayed with me until recently when I decided to see if, in fact, there was more to Stein’s concern about recreational use of marijuana than a fleeting comment on Facebook.

            There was, and, still may be. 

             Information I obtained through a request filed in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, yielded that Stein had more than a fleeting interest in the issue.

For Stein to state on social media that he was just curious as to where others stood appears to be a misrepresentation of his intent.

Stein’s interest is based in the introduction last year of Illinois House Bill 2353, the cannabis control act.  An amendment would, apparently, allow recreation use of marijuana.

Stein began pushing for the village to take the lead in local regulation of recreational marijuana in early October.

In an email sent to Village Manager Dane Bragg and Board President Beverly Sussman, on Oct. 25, Stein wrote, “Time may of the essence on this. I would like to discuss an ordinance to ban the sale and cultivation of Recreational Marijuana in Buffalo Grove. It would be great to have something on the books before legislation makes its way through the State.”

Why was “time of the essence”?  Apparently because at that time the two bills, HB 2353 and SB 316, were on the docket in Springfield and would address legal recreational use of marijuana in the state.

Bragg responded to Stein on Oct. 27, telling him that according to the Northwest Municipal Conference, as well as the Illinois Chiefs Association via Buffalo Grove Police Chief Steve Casstevens, the bills was pushed aside until after the first of the year.

Stein, however persisted, and in an email sent to Bragg, Sussman, Casstevens and Deputy Village Manager Jennifer Maltas, on Nov. 3 wrote “I have been thinking about this and was wondering, does Buffalo Grove wish to be a leader in this and pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale and distribution before the Bill moves? We could be the first and others could follow our lead in telling the State that this is a bad idea? I think that it is worth the discussion. Does anyone agree with me?”

Bragg quickly responded that “Seeing as the bill isn’t going anywhere, I think it is a distraction right now. In addition, the bill as proposed preserves home rule authority to regulate how we want. This may be of more pertinent interest after the first of the year.”

Which, you would think would be the route to go. Stein, however, remains persistent. There’s nothing wrong with a Village Board member taking an initiative on a matter, as Stein has with the recreational marijuana issue, however, what is troubling is his lack of transparency with constituents.

Stein continued to plead his case into November when he once again emailed Bragg and Sussman simply saying “it may be closer than was thought.” His support was a voluminous report from the Stand Strong Coalition, a group which, as indicated on its website (standstrongcoalition.org) was, “formed August 1st, 2014 by concerned parents, Jamie Epstein and Debbie Stern. It is a community-based coalition dedicated to preventing underage drinking and drug use for the youth in our community.” The group lobbied the Board in August to raise the age for tobacco sales to 21, a measure which was approved.

The information Stein provided detailed scheduled public meetings featuring experts who apparently side with Stand Strong Coalition. The question that is not answered is if Stein attended those meetings and if he did, did he do so as a regular citizen, or member of the Village Board.  When I spoke with him in December, he made no mention of his idea for an ordinance or if he had attended or approached Stand Our Ground for support.

Instead, he turned to Facebook with an innocuous post casually asking people how they felt about recreational marijuana being legalized in the Land of Lincoln.

After receiving information from my FOI request, I contacted Stein by email and asked him about the two bills, to which he replied “…I was concerned that legislation to approve recreational marijuana was going to move soon. I am opposed to recreational marijuana. I was considering proposing a resolution by the Village opposing legislation, before it moved forward. When I saw the article that I posted on Facebook, I saw an opportunity to gauge sentiment. You asked me if I was proposing this for the Village and I told you that I was just curious where others stand.”

Got it.  At least he confirmed that he is opposed to recreational marijuana and that he was considering introducing a resolution to the Village Board opposing it.

Which raises more questions

The first being why didn’t he say that on his Facebook post and secondly, what exactly is he looking for – a resolution opposing the bill, or an ordinance prohibiting recreational marijuana in the village?

As noted in the Nov. 3 email, Stein asked Bragg, Sussman, Casstevens and Maltas, “does Buffalo Grove wish to be a leader in this and pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale and distribution before the Bill moves?”

I’m not passing judgment on Stein’s beliefs on recreational marijuana, just the scope of his transparency.

He needs to be transparent in what he’s looking for and an openness as to why.

Otherwise his transparency will go up in smoke.

No matter what’s being smoked.

Trust fund set up for Kevin Hauber's children

The Village of Buffalo Grove released the following information in a press release on Wednesday, Jan. 31

The Buffalo Grove Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association (BGPFFPA), Local 3177 of the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), has created the Kevin Hauber Memorial Trust Fund at First Midwest Bank.

Kevin, his wife Kimberly, and their four girls. 

The trust fund will be used for the education, health and well-being of Buffalo Grove firefighter/paramedic John “Kevin” Hauber’s four young children. Hauber passed away on January 27, 2018 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

Hauber, 51, was a career firefighter/paramedic at the Buffalo Grove Fire Department, with nearly 24 years of service.

Donations can be made at any First Midwest Bank Branch, or mailed to the Buffalo Grove Fire Department, 1051 Highland Grove Drive, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089. Checks should be written to the “Kevin Hauber Memorial Fund c/o BGPFFAPA”.