City takes wrong stand on escort services

Gus Philpott
Woodstock Advocate
October 13, 2010

No, not "those" escort services...

Earlier today I requested Woodstock (Ill.) City Hall to obtain a legal opinion from City Attorney Rich Flood about the use of emergency lights and sirens on police and fire vehicles for escort duty, such as last night's escort of a Woodstock resident who is on leave from his military job in Afghanistan. As you may have read in my earlier article, I oppose the illegal use of sirens and emergency lights by police cars and fire trucks for escort duty. (And, yes, I realize fire vehicles are not owned or operated by the City of Woodstock.)

The response from the City? The City of Woodstock "... will not request an opinion from the City Attorney as it is the City’s position that the use you reference is both legal and appropriate."

Well, the City is wrong. Just as it was wrong on two previous issues about which I asked them to get a legal opinion: 1) use of the two-way, left-turn lane (such as on IL 47 through Woodstock) and 2) confidentiality of resident complaints about Code violations.

The City was wrong, too, in allowing WFRD fire trucks and paramedic vehicles to park in Emergency Parking zones at the recreation center, but it refused then too to get a legal opinion. I'll take that refusal as a "win", too.

State law specifies when lights and sirens can be used by police cars and fire & rescue equipment, and an escort for a soldier coming home on leave is not a permitted use.

Will it be necessary to ask a sheriff's deputy to stop the next escort and cite the drivers of police and fire vehicles? Or to get a trooper from the Illinois State Police to come into Woodstock for this?

Our City must obey the laws of the State of Illinois. There is not a choice. If officials, whether elected or appointed, ignore State laws and permit violations, then we need different people in those offices!

What say ye? (Please, no knee-jerk reactions. Base your comments on law.)